Shape blending of 2-d piecewise curves

This paper presents an algorithm for blending (that is, smoothly transforming between) two 2{D shapes bounded by piecewise curves. The approach builds on that of an earlier paper on 2{D shape blending [SG92], which deals with shape blending of polygons. The algorithm searches for the point correspondence between the two shapes which will minimize the energy required to bend and stretch one shape into the other. The physics of plastic and elastic bending and stretching of wire is used as a model. The new algorithm runs typically ten times faster than does splitting each curve into flve line segments and applying the earlier polygon based shape blend algorithm.