Number of points

[rastallian]

What does anyone think is the best practice when it comes to the number of points one uses in defining edges in a photo? After a while, I came to the conclusion that I was using too many dots, since the transitions were coming out kind of choppy. My theory was that there was too much push and pull on the pixels. So I started using just basic frames--not even framing faces entirely, but just giving a general shape to them, and figuring Morpheus would do the rest. It all works pretty well, but I'm trying to do the best work that I can, so I'm curious as to whether or not I'm doing things right.

Hope all are well.

[Ark]

A moderate amount of dots is best really. What you say is true, if you put too many dots, you are defining too many things to move in different directions at once. You may be more interested in viewing the triangle setups, and seeing how the dots cause the triangles to move. Using the line tools in the Professional edition is an easier way to ensure the triangles move like you want. Paying more attention to the triangles than the dots can help tweak your morphs for the best results.

[rastallian]

Paying more attention to the triangles than the dots can help tweak your morphs for the best results.

Thanks Ark. I was just starting to think about the triangles. I've been tearing my hair out over how to get eyes to morph without being choppy. I'm sort of torn between placing the points at equal distances on the inner lid, in order to trace the general shape of the eye with the lines, or placing them at distinct parts of the inner lid, such as the highest point, the lowest point, halfway between those and the ends, etc. I'm also putting one dot in the center of the pupil, because even when you define the eye, peoples' retinas are in different places based on which way they're looking, so oftentimes the retinas crossfade, rather than morph. I suppose it's time to start paying close attention to the triangles. I haven't even started with lips yet, but those are cross-fading, too.

Hope you're well.

[Editman]

I jsut add dots to the ends, top and bottom of lips and eyes etc and that seems to work in the pro version before being rendered to uncompressed AVI.