Dimension Anaglyph

Stereoscopic 3D and the Modern History of its Application in Film and Games

Modern Stereoscopic Cinema technologyIn modern 3D cinema releases in conventional cinemas and in the highly detailed oversized screens of the more rare IMAX theatres. One or two projectors (in the case of IMAX) concurrently project different images destined for each eye. The images are separated by the use of polarisation of the light waves requiring the wearing of special polarised glasses.

Jaws 3D era uses the Red Blue Anaglyph Glasses:

The film Jaws 3D or Jaws III was released in 1983 which revived some interest in the Stereoscopic 3D film format which had been long buried since it’s heyday in a few years in the early 1950s. This film relied on the use of glasses by the viewer which were tinted with the left being red and then the right blue or sometimes green. The film was shot with two cameras slightly horizontally apart replicating the spacing of the human eyes. Within the cinemas the projected film was an amalgam of both views from these cameras. The the left eye’s image which was tinted red was layered with the blue tinted one destined for right eye.

Shutter glasses: Most 3D TV display systems rely on the use of shutter glasses:

With modern 3D TV technology there is a requirement for the user to view the 3D content on the screen whist wearing specially provided pairs of glasses. The technology within them is actually seamlessly allowing each eye to in turn view the screen switching between the two at a very high frequency. At the same time the screen which the glasses are wirelessly synchronised switches the display of streams of video images for the left then right eye.

Glasses Free 3D for TV and video games now a reality:

Glasses-free 3D displays have been available for the last 5 years but have suffered from various aliasing and patterning effects as well as low resolution. There has a been a gradual ratcheting up in the possible levels of image quality. The culmination of this is Toshiba’s latest offerings in Quarter 4 of 2011 with outputs of 720p in richly colored glasses free 3D. This technology works by having a 3000 across colored dot array that cleverly sends light to the eye via lenticular lenses depending upon viewing angle.

The Blue-ray disc format allows for stereoscopic 3D content to be delivered to either system of 3D TV displays. Broadcasters have trialled the technology such as Sky in the UK and have rolled it out to their premium custormers offering specially produced content including sports events and also previously produced existing films.

Stereoscopic Game Systems:

As early as 1982 the Vectrex home console system offered an add on which allowed its black and white screen to become a colored 3d one with the aid of a headmounted proprietary spinning colored disc viewer.

Since 2010 the Sony PS3 console has offered a small number of stereoscopic games requiring a 3D TV display. In 2011 these have been joined by titles produced for Microsoft’s Xbox 360.

The handheld Nintendo 3DS games system released in March 2011 as well as offering glasses free 3D screens has in addition the altered reality feature that adds another dimension. It uses its onboard video camera whose output is then post-processed in real-time to allow such spectacular results such as making it appear while playing it’s puzzle and platform games that the characters and icons appear on the screen firmly routed upon the filmed real-life table top surface even when the angle of the camera in the hand held device is moved about.

About the Author

Geoff works amongst the CGI animators at 3D Imaging a computer animation studios in UK producing 3D animation graphics work. The mainstays of this work are 3D technical illustration and 3D character design work.

Enhanced Dimensions Stereoscopic 3d Showreel 2009 – Anaglyph Version