AnManie SMP is an unusual software application; conceptually very clever and with a small niche market. It enables the morphing and distortion of images, so if you are a budding Salvador Dali, this might be right up your street. 

It runs on Microsoft Windows OSs, up to Windows 7 and is free to use, however as it is no longer being developed it is difficult to predict is long term viability and availability. The software is downloaded and manually installed from a zipped file.

When launched it opens several separate windows at once, which you will need to control manually. They include the main image editor; others may include the pallet of effects and options. The software allows the selection an image into the main display and then the distortion of parts of that image. Effects include actions such as ‘pull’, ‘shrink’ and so on. 

The resultant image can be saved or the transformation can be saved as a series of pictures, each one a separate frame which can be incorporated into a single movie clip and then exported. This provides a very crisp rendering of the movement. Here is a tool that can show a frown being transformed into a smile, or Pinocchio’s nose growing; it only requires your creativity. 

Pros: A tool for the imaginative; video rendering; easy to use. 

Cons: The software requires the injection of effort to make it a better-rounded product. 

Conclusion: A very interesting product, whose usefulness may not be apparent to everyone, but which is very apposite for movie makers, animators and so on.