Friday, July 23, 2010

3D Videos

[I AM UNDER CONSTRUCTION]

For a beginner, the simplest way to do it is use two cameras (note the cameras should not be so thick that interaxial distance between them is >> than the distance between your own eye.
Ofcourse the distance between the cameras differs depending on the difference between the camera and the objects in focus. For distances upto 3 inches, the closest object is 10 feet away else you start seeing double images. To get close ups one need to design a rig so that the distance between images captured by the two cameras is not dependent on the physical model of the camera.

We designed our own rig for it- details soon.

Also there are lots of distance calculator available online- one is stereo brain but one has to pay for it but it is a pretty good software - you can have trial version for 15 days and play with it.

Handy Tip: Remember to use the clap - you would need it to sync the two videos.

Once you have two footages - one for each eye - export them to fcp and read the instructions in the following link to merge it:
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/3d-stereoscopic-production-delivery/97687-3d-anaglyph-plugin-filter-fcp.html

Basically - we remove red from one imae and blue and green from another image.

Btw here is the 3D glass I made:

Monday, June 14, 2010

Anaglyphs - Pictures

Anaglyphs are what I call the "home made 3D".
Why because you can do it at home with the stuff bought from the nearest stationary.



Anaglyphs are oldest form of 3D.


Step by step guide to shoot 3D anaglyphs photographs:
You need:
1) Red cyan glasses - take a white cardboard and make one- you can buy red cyan transparent sheets from the stationary. We went to a shop where the cinematographers buy their filters from so the sheets were relatively wrinkle free.

2) Software to merge left and right glasses: Takashi for me was the fountainhead of inspiration. He had the software available on his site. www.stereoeye.jp

3) The above is a quick fix. One can use adobe and then adjust the two layers. One can also choose which object one needs to focus on etc.

What is 3D: The basics of mechanism and technology

Man has two eyes. While one eye is sufficient to see, two eyes are required for giving it a dimensionality or sense of depth. How does that work?

The human eye is around 4 cm apart (approx.) each eye views from a different angle and generates a unique image.

For an exercise hold a bottle in front of your eye. Look at it and then you will see the difference in the angle+image of your right eye and angle+image of your left eye.

Both these images reach your brain and they are merged to create a single image. The difference between the images gives your a brain an idea of the z axis - the depth.

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When you see an image from a single source like a painting or a TV, both your eyes see the same image. The trick is to make your each eye see a different image. Hence all the 3D image viewing requires mechanisms to ensure that your right eye sees slightly different than your left eye (basically extend real world to that image). And hence all 3D viewing requires the viewer to wear the crazy 3D goggles (there is an exception autostereoscopy but that restricts the head movement or number of people who can watch at the same time).

Now the goggles employed to separate the image viewed by the right and the left eye could be of various types depending on what method you are employing to mark the separation between the two images:
1) Anaglyphs - Red Cyan glasses
2) Polarizer - Polarized glasses
3) Alternate frame sequencing - with Alternate Shutter glasses(called head gear)
4) Texas DLP technology (copyrighted) that has mirrors corresponding to a chip corresponding to each pixel

We will discuss each of them as we move up.

But note- 3D is not just about mastering the technology. 3D is about framing right and knowing how to frame so that the 3D effect is maximized.
For example - converging lines don't work in 3D and lots of other crazy tips I would share as we go ahead.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

3D genesis

Was it avataar, or how to train a dragon, or zenish's super cool 3D glasses or Takashi's software.
I started work on 3D in my bedroom, clicking biscuit packet's picture, ,y own picture, picture from the window etc. I had only one camera not two. So or me clikcing anything moving was impossible. So the sea and the birds were out of reach. Clicking my own self was difficult as whe ni moved to move the camera, I moved, so it iwas difficult to get exact identical frames.
Anyways my first successful photo was this:


And I knew I was ready to go!