shapemorphs

Shapemorphs, or shape morphs, describe a family of shapes produced by gradually deforming a base geometry toward one or more target geometries. The concept is used across computer graphics, geometric modeling, and morphometrics to represent a continuum of forms by interpolation between shapes. In practice, shapemorphs are often implemented as morph targets, shape keys, or blend shapes: each target provides a correspondence of vertices or control points to the base mesh, and a deformation parameter blends these targets to produce intermediate shapes.

Different interpolation schemes exist. Linear interpolation can be sufficient for simple cases, but many applications use smoother methods such as cubic interpolation, spherical linear interpolation for rotations, thin-plate splines, or radial basis function techniques to achieve natural deformations while preserving constraints like topology or volume when needed.

Applications include facial expressions and character animation in films and games, where shapemorphs enable expressive micro-variations; industrial and product design for exploring alternative forms; and scientific visualization to demonstrate possible forms or transitions.

In biology and morphometrics, shapemorphs describe ontogenetic, sexual, or species-level shape changes. Geometric morphometrics analyzes shape variation using landmarks and semilandmarks to quantify morphing trajectories while accounting for size and alignment.

Challenges include ensuring meaningful correspondences between shapes, avoiding artifacts during deformations, and managing computational costs for high-resolution meshes or large sets of targets.