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From: mike@adm.BRL.MIL (Michael John Muuss )
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Hair Replacement (was: Differential forms)
Keywords: 3d modeling, image compositing, etc, etc
Message-ID: <18579@adm.BRL.MIL>
Date: 8 Mar 89 07:07:00 GMT
Organization: Ballistic Research Lab (BRL), APG, MD.
Lines: 30

The closest thing I have seen to what you are asking for is the
Cyberware laser 3-d digitizer. I had my head scanned at Siggraph, and 
got the vendor to write me a tape.  The data has been a lot of fun,
being a full 3-d outline of my head.  Individual hairs, pores, etc
can be resolved in the data.  Quite amazing.
 
Replacing hairstyle could be done by first (a) roughly determining
the shape of the head, then (b) re-scaling existing hair model to
fit the shape of the desired head, and (c) merging scaled hair
with scanned head.
 
Of course, building up the database of available styles could take some
"up front" work, but it should pay off nicely.
 
Thinking again, you might be satisfied with a simple "picture compositor"
like I have seen used to make T-shirts with your head composited
on top of some incredible body.  That might well be affordable for
a hair stylist (if that was your intention).  The "real" solution
I outlined first (a full 3-d model of the subject's head merged
with a scaled hair model) would be overkill, and the $200k
price-tag for all the required hardware should prove daunting to
most hair stylists (I hope!).
 
You have posed an intriguing concept.  Want to say more?
 
         Best,
          -Mike
	< Mike @ BRL.MIL >
-- 
Mike Muuss