Even Easier Morphing of Complex Objects

Pastorross writes:

I have been experimenting with Morphing complex objects and have achieved partial success in the previous post. But I discovered the amazing (and free) Mesh Data Transfer addon by Maurizio Memoli. It’s incredible, and I have only used one part of it.

I spent two days trying to figure it out, with help from this video but for what I wanted to do, it wasn’t working. I wanted to morph a face into a panther from a free 3D models website.

Then I learned how to use it for my purpose of morphing 2 entirely different objects:

1. The Source Mesh, the one you want to transfer to the panther (or whatever object, I used 3D model of my head), must have a mesh that covers the square in the UV window.
2. The Transferee Object, in my case the panther, must share the same UV texture. I also made sure it had Subdivision Modifier to 3, applied it, and then went to Edit Mode, Face menu on top, Tris to Quads.
3. Go to Shader Editor and make the source texture the same as the panther using Image Texture node.
4. Unwrap the panther using Spherical Unwrap. Turn your object to where you want the panther to appear from the source mesh before unwrapping. I used Orthographic mode to unwrap. I don’t think it matters.
   Using Spherical Unwrap you should find that it fills up the UV square. This is what you want.
   I used Scale (S + X or Y + 0 and then G to adjust those parts of the mesh outside the square). Mesh should be right on or slightly overlap. The panther should look weird at this point with the wrong texture.
5. Shift click on Source head and then panther.
6. Go to Mesh Data Transfer in Object Data Properties. Choose Active UV, Closest, choose Source with eye dropper. Press little square on right to create shape keys. Press Transfer Shape.
7. It will take a moment to work but you should get a pretty accurate and complex mesh without too much distortion. It will be of the Source mesh (Head).
8. Go to Shape keys, turn Relative off, and use the Evaluation Time to watch transformation.
9. In Object Mode, add more Shape Keys by using larger arrow on side and press New Shape From Mix.
10. Create your animation. Use Shader Editor to mix textures.