Multimedia Production Tools - Elastic Reality Review Notes

Elastic Reality Review Notes

Start a new project by selecting New under the File menu.

Load in a PICT file image into Roll A (we are using the Robert E. Lee PICT file from the Class CD-ROM -> Work In Class Folder -> 11. Morph Files folder) and a second image into Roll B (we are using the Ulysses S. Grant PICT file from the same folder).

Click on the gray area above the FX roll (it should read "0001 | 0001" to display the Frame Duration dialog.

Change this value from 1 to 10, then press Return or click OK. This dialog controls the number of frames we wish Elastic Reality to create to transform between the A-roll and B-roll image.

The next step is to create the shapes for transforming Robert E. Lee into Ulysses S. Grant. We will first create Lee's shapes, then Grant's shapes, then join the corresponding shapes together, e.g., eyes to eyes, ears to ears, etc.

Select Edit Mode (Command 8) from under the Window menu. Select A-mode by clicking on the A at the top of the window.

Select the Pen tool. Move the mouse pointer to the left side of the eye. Click and hold down the mouse button to start a new shape. Click the mouse to add subsequent points around the eye. Click the starting point to close the shape.

Now that we've made that shape for Lee, we need to create a similar shape for Grant (in the B-roll), then join these shapes together.

You can select the Pen tool and draw a new shape on Grant or you can copy the Lee eye shape and paste it into the B-roll. If you paste the Lee eye shape into Grant you can select the Reshape tool to modify the shape's control points and tangents (just like in Adobe Illustrator) to outline Grant's eye.

Choose the Select tool. Switch to A/B mode so that you can see both images.

Join the two shapes together by selecting Lee's eye shape first, hold down the Shift key, then select Grant's shape. Select Join (Command J) from under the Shape menu.

Continue adding shapes to Lee and Grant and joining their correspondence points for all their features. When you are done continue with Rendering the Morph below.

Rendering the Morph

Now it is time to actually render our Lee to Grant morph.

Select Morph Options (under the Morph menu) to display the Morph Options dialog and set the controls to the following:

Outer Edge Handling: Sliding
Edges: Soft
Precision: Fast
Transparency Type: Sharp
Merge: Linear
Interpolation: on
Anti-aliasing: on

Next we'll specify where the output will be placed and in what format. Select Output Options (under the Morph menu) to display the Output Options dialog and set the controls to the following:

Size: h 473
Size: v 542
Aspect: Original
Start Frame: 1
End Frame: 10
Preserve Morph on, [root].morph[.num]
Preserve Transparency off
Preserve Roll A Warps off
Preserve Roll B Warps off

Select Output File Settings (under the Morph menu) to display the Output File Settings dialog and set the controls to the following:

Render Root Name: LeeToGrant
Type: QuickTime Movie

To start the rendering, select Render Morph (under the Morph menu). A status dialog will appear during the rendering.

To make the best morph you should connect as many features as possible that are common to both images, right down to the wrinkles under the eyes. The more detail (how well a shape outlines a feature) you add, the more it will pay off in a much better morph in the end.

How to Create a Single-Image Warp Using Elastic Reality

Start a new project by selecting New under the File menu.
Under the File Menu, select Import -> Roll A Image.
Select the Robert E. Lee photo from the Class CD-ROM.
Click on the gray area above the FX roll (it should read "0001 | 0001" to display the Frame Duration dialog.
Change this value from 1 to 10, then press Return or click OK.
Switch to the Edit window (choose Edit under the Window menu or press Command 8).
Choose the Rectangle drawing tool from the Toolbox. Make a large square to cover most of the photo. Now draw a second square inside the first one and substantially smaller (this is what we will warp the photo into).
Next choose the Select tool and click on the first larger square you drew. Hold down the Shift key, select the second smaller square. Select Join from under the Shapes menu.
Now you are ready to Preview your output. Under the Morph menu, select the Preview Options dialog. Set the Outer Edge handling pop-up to Convex Hull. Next, click on the Preview button. After previewing your warp, try experimenting with different shapes (circles, etc.) and different settings. Try setting the Outer Edge Handling to Sliding and Cookie Cut. Explore the possibilities that just two shapes, squares, circles, or other shapes that you draw can offer for warp effects. Move them around. Resize them. Try overlapping one on the edge of the other, or moving one entirely outside of the other. When you are happy with your settings choose Render Morph from the Morph menu.

Warping Conclusions: Here's what you've learned:

It takes at least two joined shapes to create a warp.
The order in which two shapes are joined is of paramount importance, as this is what controls directionality of the effect.
Two simple shapes, squares or circles, can be used to scale a whole image, or any part of it, larger or smaller.
When you join two shapes together you are saying "I want the part of the image enclosed in the first shape to move/warp/morph into the location, size, position and orientation of the second shape."

Elastic Reality Tool Palette Summary

Select Tool
Keyboard shortcut: a

This tool lets you select, translate, scale, and rotate existing shapes. A selected shape can also be cut, copied, deleted, joined to another shape, unjoined from another shape. To select an existing shape, click the Select tool icon. You can tell when a shape has been selected because its appearance will change. It will be displayed in a highlighted color and will be surrounded by a bounding box with four sizing handles at its corners. The dot pattern of the bounding box lets you know if the selected shape is joined. To select more than one shape at a time hold down the Shift key and keep it held down while clicking on as many shapes as you want to select.
Reshape Tool
Keyboard shortcut: r

This tool lets you tweak and distort individual shapes by modifying their control points. When you select the Reshape tool the selected shapes' control points will become visible. Bézier curves describe a path between two points using control points. These points can be considered anchors that force the curve to pass through a given point. Each control point has two bars that can extend from it. These are the tangent bars that, by their length and direction, define the way the curve moves toward the previous and next point.
Correspondence Tool
Keyboard shortcut: c

This tool displays and permits editing of the correspondence points of shapes. Correspondence points tells Elastic Reality how to transform (morph or warp) one shape into another shape or area of an image. Two shapes must be joined into a correspondence relationship with each other. Both shapes must be selected. The source is selected first, the Shift key is held down, the destination shape is selected next, then the Join (command J) command from the Shape Menu is used to join them. To unjoin correspondence points use the Unjoin command from the Shape Menu. Remember that the order in which you select two shapes to join is important and determines which is the source and which is the destination.
Edge Tool
Keyboard shortcut: e

This tool lets you build user-defined edges between any two correspondence points, as long as those points are on different shapes. Shapes cannot cross over each other. Thus, these user-built edges are provided so that you can connect two shapes without actually crossing them over each other. To create a new edge, just click on a correspondence point and drag the mouse pointer to the other correspondence point where you wish to make an edge. As you drag the mouse, a solid line will track the pointer's movement for visual feedback. When you reach another correspondence point and release the mouse button, the new edge will form and appear. Correspondence points that have edges connected to them are highlighted in the appropriate edge color, depending on if their home image is from the A-roll or the B-roll. You cannot connect more than one edge to the same correspondence point. To delete an edge, just click on the correspondence point on either end of the edge.
Zoom Tool
Keyboard shortcut: Command + to zoom in, Command - to zoom out (as in Photoshop)

The Zoom tool lets you magnify the Edit window's display. You may also select the Zoom In, Zoom Out, and Actual Size options form the View menu.
Pen Tool
Keyboard shortcut: p

The Pen tool is used for creating new shapes. The Pen tool is very similar to the Pen tool in Adobe Illustrator. It allows you to draw Bézier curves. As you draw out a shape you can modify any of its control points as though you were in Reshape mode by holding down the Option key and selecting a control point to edit. A shape is completed and closed by clicking on its first point. Remember not to let a shape cross over itself as you draw the shape.
Square Tool
Keyboard shortcut: s

This tool is used to quickly create square or rectangular shapes. Select the Square tool, then click the pointer to position the upper left corner of the square. Keep the mouse button depressed as you drag the mouse away from that corner, in any direction, until your square is the desired shape and size, then release the mouse button to complete the square.
Circle Tool
Keyboard shortcut: c

This tool is used to quickly create circles or oval (ellipse) shapes. Select the Circle tool, then click the mouse pointer to position the edge of the circle's extent, that is, a temporary square region that describes and enclosed the entire circle. Keep the mouse button held down as you drag the pointer until the circle is the desired size and shape, and then release the button to complete it.

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