VFX Atlas
M 145 / 18306 Space & Opticsalgorithm output

Thin-Plate Spline Warp

space & optics

Typeface · Bellota

Atlas demonstration: the free source photo and the computed Thin-Plate Spline Warp. This aerial view captures orderly rows of crops spanning across an agricultural landscape. The geometry is dramatically altered by sharp, zigzagging folds that disrupt the natural linear perspective of the fields.
Atlas demonstration: the free source photo and the computed Thin-Plate Spline Warp. This aerial view captures orderly rows of crops spanning across an agricultural landscape. The geometry is dramatically altered by sharp, zigzagging folds that disrupt the natural linear perspective of the fields.Image: Matt Benson · CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons), processed for the AtlasView source ↗

Prompt

Apply Thin-Plate Spline Warp to stretch selected image regions into gentle, continuous bends. Shift nearby landmarks by different amounts, creating elastic contours and smoothly flowing textures without abrupt seams, angular kinks, or duplicated details. Retain the existing colors and lighting. Preserve the original subject and composition.

Paste it into LetzAI with your own image to apply the effect ↗

Identify

The photo stretches into smooth bends, shifting landmarks while keeping transitions between warped regions continuous.

Principle

The algorithm fits a coordinate mapping through paired control points1 while minimizing bending energy2, a measure of curvature across the image. Resampling places image colors on the warped grid.

Try it out

Move one control point and watch how the bend spreads beyond its immediate surroundings.

Classification

Calculated image processing result.

Further examples · 9 images

Thin-Plate Spline Warp, applied to “Day 28 unsplashdaily (Unsplash)”
02 Thin-Plate Spline Warp, applied to “Day 28 unsplashdaily (Unsplash)”A string of traditional red paper lanterns hangs against a pale sky beside a modern white building. The architecture and the lanterns undergo a fluid transformation, causing the straight lines of the windows and wires to curve into undulating waves.Paul Gilmore paulgilmore_ (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Thin-Plate Spline Warp, applied to “Dreaming in Joshua Tree (Unsplash)”
03 Thin-Plate Spline Warp, applied to “Dreaming in Joshua Tree (Unsplash)”A silhouette of a person sitting on a rocky ridge is set against a vibrant sunset sky. The horizon line and sky gradients are pulled into dramatic, smooth curves that follow the placement of the control points.Adam Griffith aggriffith (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Thin-Plate Spline Warp, applied to “Lin Mei 2016 (Unsplash)”
04 Thin-Plate Spline Warp, applied to “Lin Mei 2016 (Unsplash)”The image shows a vast expanse of ocean water meeting a pale, hazy sky. The sea surface and horizon are warped into a large, fluid wave shape that creates a surreal sense of depth and movement.Lin Mei cecilelin (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Thin-Plate Spline Warp, applied to “Brickwall (Unsplash)”
05 Thin-Plate Spline Warp, applied to “Brickwall (Unsplash)”A straight brick wall is transformed into a complex surface of undulating ridges and valleys. The grid of mortar lines clearly demonstrates the continuous bending of the image plane around specific anchors.Namroud Gorguis namroud (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Thin-Plate Spline Warp, applied to “Blue underground passage (Unsplash)”
06 Thin-Plate Spline Warp, applied to “Blue underground passage (Unsplash)”This scene captures a person walking through a modern, illuminated pedestrian tunnel at night. The walkway and ceiling are pulled into dramatic, fluid waves that suggest a liquid architecture.James Sutton jamessutton_photography (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Thin-Plate Spline Warp, applied to “Sunset in Bandon, Maine, US”
07 Thin-Plate Spline Warp, applied to “Sunset in Bandon, Maine, US”A vibrant sunset over a rocky coastline is rendered with intense warm hues. The horizon line and cloud formations are manipulated into a deep, smooth curve that follows the arrangement of control points.Jenna Beekhuis (photo); processed for the Atlas · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Thin-Plate Spline Warp, applied to “Landing over 25th April bridge (Unsplash)”
08 Thin-Plate Spline Warp, applied to “Landing over 25th April bridge (Unsplash)”An aerial perspective shows a long suspension bridge stretching across a wide body of dark water. The rigid engineering of the bridge is transformed into a serpentine path, illustrating a smooth, non-linear coordinate shift.Erwan Hesry erwanhesry (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Thin-Plate Spline Warp, applied to “Hot Air Balloon Silhouettes (Unsplash)”
09 Thin-Plate Spline Warp, applied to “Hot Air Balloon Silhouettes (Unsplash)”Silhouetted hot air balloons drift over a dark hillside against a pale, overcast sky. The sky itself appears to ripple like fabric, with the clouds following smooth, mathematical curves between the fixed landmarks.Yaoqi LAI yaoqiqiqilai (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Sources