Creative Effects > Distort > Creating Splines >
Linking and Unlinking Splines and Axes

Warps are created by offsetting a destination spline from its source. By default, when you draw a spline, it is linked to its corresponding source or destination. After it is drawn, you might animate it, for example, so that it follows a subject in the clip. When the splines are linked, both the source and destination splines are animated in the same way.

When you are ready to create the warp, you unlink the destination spline from its source. Manipulations then affect each spline separately, so you can alter the shape of the destination. The differences between the two corresponding splines are what creates the warp.

You can also independently unlink the axis of a source spline and the axis of a destination spline. By default, the axis nodes are linked, even if the source and destination splines themselves are unlinked. You might unlink only the axes of corresponding splines, for example, if you want their offset to create the warping effect while the actual shapes of the splines remain the same.

You use a different linking method when using source interpolation to create a morph. See Linking Source Nodes.

To link and unlink source and destination splines or axes:

1. Do one of the following:
   - Select a spline by clicking it in a viewport or by clicking its spline node in the Distort schematic.
   - Select an axis node in a spline node tree that is a parent to a spline node.

   See Using Distort's Schematic.

2. From the Warp or Morph menu in the Distort module, click the Link box to toggle between Lnk Src & Dst and Distort.

   Select: | To:
   --- | ---
   Lnk Src & Dst | Link source and corresponding destination splines, or their axes. With linked splines, if you move a spline or any of its vertices both the source and corresponding destination splines are affected in the same way. With linked axes, if you move the parent axes of a spline, the parent axes of the destination spline is affected in the same way.
   Distort | Allow source and destination splines or axes to be offset from one another, which creates the warping effect.

   Vertices on linked splines appear in magenta. Axes that are linked appear in magenta.

   NoteIf you select Lnk Src & Dst and manipulate a vertex that has already been offset from its corresponding vertex, both the source and destination vertex snap to the same position. Similarly, if you manipulate the Axis values of a spline that has been offset from its corresponding spline with Lnk Src & Dst selected, all vertices and the splines' axes snap together.