)I want to write a guide for the basics of S-3D, its problems and the available techniques.
I wrote this guide in Germanbefore and hope I get the facts right in English, too
If you are new to S-3D and don't know, what to expect, you could look HERE!
1) What is stereoscopic view?
Stereoscopic vision could be compared to stereo Sound. Your brain combines two similar pictures, but from different angle to a 3D picture, which reaches from far bejond the Screen to a place between the screen and your eyes.
2) How can I get S-3D on my Computer or TV?
Basically you need 2 slightly different pictures. Each of them has to get to one of your Eyes. If the pictures are not separated clean, if you see the wrong picture with an eye, that's called 'ghosting' or 'crosstalk'.
3) Common methods to acquire S-3D at home:
3.1) X-Eyed
With a little training you can view side by side pictures with cross-eyed (x-eyed) view. It's cheap and no gadgets are needed - just a 'little' training. The downside is, you need a lot of space to display those pictures, so you get reduced resolution. This viewing-type feels uncomfortable when using it too long (eyestrain!).
3.2) Anaglyph
Red/Cyan or different coloured anaglyph glasses are one of the first and most well known method to separate the pictures. It is quite cheap and works for normal LCD as well. The downside is, that you get bad - or not any - colours. It's a little like black&white displays.
3.3) Shutterglasses (since about 1999)
Shutterglasses work best with high refresh rate. 100 or 120 hz should provide an acceptable refresh rate/no noticeable flickering.
They work by blanking out one of the eyes and then the other one again and so on. Because one of the eyes is always shutted, you get a darker picture. Additionally you get halved refresh rate/eye. 120hz 3D are comparable to 60hz 2D.
They work with CRTs, with some DLP projectors (85hz and more) or the new DLP TV's with 3D ready.
-->CRT's have some ghosting because the phosphors on the screen shines longer than a picture is displayed. So the wrong eye sees the picture, too.
-->DLP doesn't 'ghost', because the light is projected directly on the wall and there is no delay or ghosting. Shutterglasses need to run reversed on a DLP-projector. Optional you could wear them upside down, to swap the time, when which eye is 'closed'.
3.4) Polarized glasses
Polarizer glasses are also a nice method to separate the two rendered Pictures for S-3D. You don't need active glasses like shutterglasses, so the glasses can be light and well looking (cool 8) ).
If you use linear polarized glasses (at an angle of 45° and 135° preferable) and lean your head to the side you'll get worse ghosting. If you hold your head straight, the ghosting is mainly dependent on e.g. the Screen (passive polarized Projectors) or the glasses.
--> passive polarized Projectors are quite expensive and lack good drivers (only old NVIDIA in the moment). They need only cheap polarized glasses, so they are good for a 'big' cinema. Iz3D has anounced a driver new driver for them, so they aren't worthless afterall.
--> the IZ3D monitor works with a polarized front-Panel. They have their own drivers, which work with Vista & Post-Processing & All types of graphics cards!!!
You get full resolution of 1680x1050, but a little tinting, which shall be corrected with new glasses.
--> Zalman builds a interlaced, polarized 3D display based on the new (and old) NVIDIA drivers. Interlaced is when the even rows show picture 1 and the other ones picture 2. This method reduces resolution, but is easy to implement!
-->Compare the IZ3D to the Zalman!
-->Tardis or Planar style
Is built out of 2 similar (if possible identical) LCD panels and a half transparent mirror. It works with Polarizers and 'works' with the old NVIDIA drivers - see below. There is also some more info at 3.6)
3.5) Videoglasses or Head-Mounted-Display (HMD)
Videoglasses have a small screen for each eye and special optics directly in front of the eyes. Its supposed tho have a little 'narrow' field of view (fov), and lacks resolution, but it has ZERO crosstalk or 'ghosting'.
--> TDVisor – they will be the first to sell HD HMD’s for a decent price
--> Z800 - 800x600; OLED displays, so power saving; Lack of support
--> VR920 - only 640x480, but relatively cheap; It has a special wrapper to enable 3D
3.6) Dual Monitors or Mirror 3D
If you have 2 similar monitors (same size, similar appearence), you could use them to create a stereo 3D image. One monitor is for the left eye and one for the right eye. This works with the old NVIDIA driver for gf7 and lower or the Iz3D driver 1.8 (not mirrored) or 1.9.
Cheapest way is to look crosseyed (x-eyed) at them. This requires some skill and is realy hard on the eyes - especially with big monitors. Maybe it's ok with 15 or 17".
Second is, the mirored thing. You need a normal mirror for it. If you're interested check it out. The guide has very nice pictures. This method has a fixed head position, because the head has to be very near to the mirror.
(may I insert them here? I'm not shure, if that's legal...)
Third and best is the Planar style. It uses a half transmissive mirror, so you can see both screens from nearly any position. It's used with polarized glasses. The tricky thing is, to use the right monitors. You should take a pair of LCD's which are polarized at 45° or 135°. You could check in a shop, if you take the glasses with you and one eye is completly black when watching at the screen.
The angle is important, because it has to be mirrored and to be 90° rotated afterwards.
The wrong Screens or LCD's which are polarized at 0° or 90°, because the polarization doesn't change when mirrored!
4) Where to get the drivers?
In the MTBS3D.com download-section are usually some of the most recently released drivers ready for download.
4.1) Old NVIDIA driver e.g. 94.42 or 162.xx combos
old driver for Shutterglasses from about 2000 with little new features and little compatibility.
limitations:
- Only NVIDIA cards
- Sometimes no dual/Multicore --> BSOD; Crash
- Problems with all kind of post processing
- No series 8 support!!!, so the fastest working card is the 7900GTX!
- not for Windows Vista and 64 bit!
--> Tips: Make sure you have servicepack 2 installed; Disable Vsync in the Nvidia control panel, to get less problems with synchronisation (flashing or white 'blibs' with shutterglasses)
Old Nvidia 3D driver install guide:
http://www.3d.wep.dk/driverguide.html
4.2) New NVIDIA driver since April 2008
The new driver since 169.xx is a update of the older one. It has better compatibility for the series 8 and 9, but doesn't work very good with postprocessing for now. The bad news is, that it is Vista ONLY! And that it only supports the Zalman Trimon (in interlaced) and anaglyph mode (red/cyan) which is kind of a demo for the driver and the Zalman monitor.
4.3) IZ3D (I see 3D) Drivers
IZ3D (I - see - three - D)
First and best working Driver from 2007/2008. Specially designed for the IZ3D monitor, but since 1.07 it supports anaglyph mode as well. IZ3D (I see 3D) is adding support for other solutions as well.
It works with
- All (or nearly all) graphic cards. Mostly NVIDIA and ATI
- It supports post processing
- It supports multicore
5) Free Programs and related links:
Stereo-Photomaker
http://stereo.jpn.org/eng/stphmkr/index.html
--> combines Pictures (photos) in quite an easy way and has many supported modes - but maybe NOT IZ3D.
Stereoscopic Player
http://www.3dtv.at/Products/Player/Editions_en.aspx
--> Movie player to watch S-3D clips made by other user or S-3D DVD's. It needs quite a lot of performance.
I hope I included most necessary Information for beginners.
I don't have any time left right now, but I'll try to add missing parts with the edit function.
I hope you enjoyed reading and didn't stumble about too many mistakes.
By LukePC
Advanced Guide 'Adjustment'
- for people with a S-3D solution...
Quick/cheap 3D start:
http://www.3d.wep.dk/quick.html
Optimizing eDim shutterglasses and CRT:
http://mtbs3d.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=1045
Optimizing red/blue glasses 3D:
set monitor color temp to 5000K
adjust the 3D to that the distant objects are separated by no more than 1-2 cm because otherwise there will be ghosting.
Red/blue 3D - crosseyed pic through glasses
eDim shutter glasses 3D - crosseyed pic through glasses:
important:
When You have installed the 3D driver and starts a game and turn on the 3D - YOU NEED TO ADJUST IT.
This is done by:
Nvidia 3D driver:
CTRL and T : activates 3D
CTRL and F3/F4 : separation
CTRL and F5/F6 : convergence
CTRL and F7 : save settings for 3D
iZ3D 3D driver:
(use the numpad keys)
* : activates 3D
+/- : separation
Shift and +/- : convergence
Basic adjustment:
Adjust so that distant objects in the game (like a churchtower or the clouds) are separated onscreen by 1-2 cm and close objects in the game (like the steering wheel/scope on the rifle) are not separated onscreen.
If You want more realistic 3D: increase the onscreen separating on distant objects to 6-8 cm (the distance between Your eyes basicly).
If You want more popout: adjust so the objects that are further away in the gameworld (like another soldier besides You/the car infront of Your car) is shown without onscreen separation.
I often take off my 3D glasses to adjust because the I can clearly see the onscreen separation on distant/closeup objects in the gameworld.
Sometimes You need to adjust a little more back/forth to be able to use the HUD/crosshair/gun sights etc. and sometimes the crosshair is just unusable in 3D. Basicly You need to adjust the 3D everytime You start the game. But it's easy.
Added by Freke1
Comment: You could save 3D with crtl+ F7 with NVIDIA
