Monday, May 25, 2015

How to make Red-Blue 3D anaglyphs and watch 3D movies on your plain old computer

3D vision or stereopsis is something that is very interesting for someone working on human vision.
It is the ability of the brain to merge the images received from the left and right eyes into a single image and to get additional information about the distance of everything in the combined field of view from the observation point.

T-rex in Red-Cyan Anaglyph by YellowishHaze on Deviant art


It not only requires two working eyes, but also that the young brain should have learnt to process this information in the first year of life. If one does not develop good binocular vision in early childhood, they may not develop stereopsis, even if vision is improved later in life.

To view 3D images on a 2 dimensional display medium like a printed paper or a standard(non 3D) TV or computer or mobile screen, they are quite a few methods.

One of those is stereograms, which require some effort and practice to see.

Another common method is Anaglyph glasses - the most common of which is Red-Blue or Red-Cyan coloured glasses. In fact, most of the freely available Anaglyph content now is in this color.

The problem with Anaglyph 3D is that the colors are badly reproduced. Dubois method

Another 3d red-cyan anaglyph in Dubois Color mode

One of the greats in this field is Eric Dubois, whose methods have been incorporated in many Anaglyph producing and displaying softwares.

Anaglyph videos are available in youtube.
In fact, if you there is a filter option in youtube for 3D, where images for left and right eye are uploaded in the same video, so that youtube can display the video in any method of 3D viewing that you want. So, if you have a 3D capable TV or monitor, you can use that for the best experience.
Or use mirror 3D for best color experience even though it is uncomfortable.

https://www.youtube.com/results?lclk=3d&search_query=3d&filters=3d

Of course, you will need 3d glasses to see the anaglyphs.

Buy Real 3D PLR1 Video Glasses from Flipkart.com
Buy Hrinkar Anaglyph Plastic Updated Version 2015 Video Glasses
DOMO nHance RB560P Anaglyph Passive Red and Blue 3D Video Glasses
You can even get clip-on 3D glasses to wear on top of your regular prescription spectacles
   


Once you get the glasses, you can start making your own 3D anaglyph phots and videos.

Here's a FREE 3D making software to get you started.

Stereo Photomaker

StereoPhoto Maker(SPM) functions as a versatile stereo image editor \ viewer and can automatically batch-align hundreds of images and mount them to the 'window'.

It may be run on all versions of Windows and PowerPC and Intel Macs
Download here for FREE



You need to take 2 photos of the scene you want holding the camera about 1 to 2 inches horizontally apart. Then put both the photos in the software and let it align them or align it yourselves.

Click make the anaglpyh and then check the alignment and colors with your 3D glasses.

Print out the photo if you want. But you'll be making so many photos that it's better to wait to get the perfect photo before printing it out.

Here is a gallery of anaglyphs.
Dubois - Red-Cyan 3D
Artist MoreLikeThis on Deviant Art



You can actually download and watch full length movies (from torrents) in 3D format.
These movies usually come as side-by side Left and Right Frames.

Once you download the files (they come as AVI or Mp4 or MKV or any regular video format), you can download an install any 3D capable Free Video Player to view the 3D.

The best one is
Stereoscopic Player, but it is limited in its free version.

Bino is a lightweight FREE Open Source alternative, but it is lacking in options.

KMplayer now has integrated 3D mode, but it had problems with colors whenI had tried it on a particular video file. Otherwise, that is a good option too.

Daum Potplayer has 3D

Gom Player with 3D support

DepthQ player lite version has a watermark - not worth it when free options are available

MovAVI 3D player

Another lightweight player is sView

NVIDIA's 3D vision video player


Watching downloaded 3D movies on 3DTV

This is very simple. Just copy the video(Side-by-side or top-and-bottom format 3D) into a USB drive and play it on the 3DTV. While it is playing, press the button for 3D mode and choose Side-By-Side or Top-and-Bottom appropriately.

You don't need to buy a new Blue Ray 3D again !

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