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How 3D Works

The term 3D means three-dimensional. The three dimensions are width, height and depth. In other words, the difference between a 3D image and a normal 2D image is only one - depth.

We perceive depth because we have two eyes. Each eye sees a separate image. You can verify this for yourself by trying this simple experiment:

Experiment:

Close one eye.

With the open eye, line up your finger with an object somewhere in the room.

Without moving your finger, close the one eye and open the other.

Observe how your finger lines up with the object.

The reason for the difference is that our eyes are separated by a distance of about 2-1/2 to 2-3/4 inches (60 to 70 mm). Each eye sees the same scenery, but from a slightly different perspective. The brain decodes the differences and we perceive the result as depth and distance.

This is the basic principle behind stereoscopic 3D images. The are two pictures. One is meant to be seen by the left eye. The other is meant to be seen by the right eye. In other words, each 3D image consists of 2 separate pictures, a left-eye picture and a right-eye picture.

In Images 3D this is a very important fact. In order to produce your own 3D images, you need to take two pictures - one for each eye.

Stereoscopic 3D and Conventional 3D

Stereoscopic 3D is not the same as conventional 3D. Conventional 3D is the kind referred to when talking about 3D rendering, 3D accelerators and so on. Conventional 3D means the ability to rotate an object in space and view it from all angles.

Tools You Need

To use Images 3D to produce your own 3D images, you need the following tools, in addition to the software and a Windows 95/98/ME computer.

A digital camera

or alternatively

A conventional film camera plus a scanner

For each 3D image you need to take 2 separate pictures. Once you have the two pictures of a scene, Images 3D allows you to adjust the relative alignments to produce the best 3D image possible.

While it helps if your digital camera or scanner has the ability to save to the hard disk directly, it's not essential. Images 3D allows you to acquire pictures from TWAIN compliant devices. The vast majority of digital cameras and scanners are TWAIN compliant. If you're in doubt, check with the manufacturer to find out for sure.

Manual Drawings

At some point, you may decide that you want to try your hand at drawing your own 3D images. The same principles that apply to digital photographs apply to hand drawn images. For each hand drawn 3D image that you want to produce you need to draw 2 separate pictures - one for each eye. Use your favorite drawing tool to do so, and save the pictures in BMP, JPG, or PNG format.

If you tried the experiment of lining up an object with your finger, you will have observed something very important. The left-right shift between objects close to you is greater than the left-right shift between objects in the distance. This fact becomes critical in manual drawing.

Another important factor is that while there's a left-right shift there is no up-down shift. If your drawing program allows you to work with pixel coordinates, any objects you draw on both pictures should be at the same Y coordinate.

You also have to pay close attention to ensure that the left-eye picture actually shows what the left eye would see. Same goes for the right picture. In other words, just because an object is drawn in two different places on the two different pictures, it doesn't mean that it will automatically be able to produce a 3D image. When in doubt about placement, repeat the experiment . It will give you a better idea of how to position objects in the two pictures. It may take some practice, but with a little effort, drawing manual 3D images can actually become quite easy, especially when your drawing program allows you to copy and paste selections between two different pictures.

File Types Supported

Images 3D supports the most common royalty-free image file types. Specifically, Images 3D supports Windows bitmaps, JPG files and PNG files, all of which can be used freely without having to pay royalties. The most notable exceptions are GIF and TIFF files, both of which are not supported. The reason for lack of support is that there is some legal debate as to whether it's lawful to use these types of files without paying royalties. The compression algorithms that produce GIF and TIFF files are patented, and Unisys, the patent holder, states in rather ambiguous language, that simply because you have software that can produce such files, it does not mean that you can freely use them, even if the software vendor did pay the royalties. The license does not extend to the end user without written permission from Unisys. To avoid getting you into any legal complications, we have omitted support for all types except those that are clearly acceptable.





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