Maximum PC 3D RSS Feed

How to Build Your Own 3D Camera Rig for Under $20

Eric Kurland — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:00:00 -0600

How Does Stereoscopic 3D Photography Work?

Stereoscopic 3-D photography has been around almost as long as photography itself. In the 1830s Sir Charles Wheatstone theorized that we see the world in three dimensions because our eyes are set about 2.5 inches apart, and see from two slightly different viewpoints. You can test this by holding your thumb at arms length. Close one eye and look at your thumb, then look with just the other eye, and you will see that there is a deviation, or parallax, between what your eyes see. Your brain fuses these two views together, interpreting the amounts of parallax as depth. This is called binocular stereopsis.

Wheatstone figured out that two cameras could be placed side-by-side and take simultaneous pictures, creating a pair of photographs from both left eye and right eye perspectives. When viewed through a stereoscope, the left eye only sees the left image, the right eye only sees the right image, and we perceive a single 3-D view.

The author's 3D photos from Comic-Con

Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, stereo photos were all the rage, with many thousands of stereo cards produced. In fact, many Victorian era homes kept a stereoscope as the centerpiece of their living rooms - sort of the entertainment center of the day. Still, the process of making 3-D images was very complicated, as it was necessary to have two synchronized cameras to take the pictures, and quite a bit of skill to align and mount the finished prints or slides for viewing. Over the years, a number of film cameras have been made with dual optics and shutters, specifically for stereography, but these still require a great deal of meticulous work by the photographer in order to properly align pictures for display.

Do-It-Yourself 3D

The 21st century has seen a resurgence in the popularity of stereography, or 3D imagery, and thanks to the availability of inexpensive digital cameras and photo-processing software, do-it-yourself 3D imagery is now possible.

The simplest method for taking a 3D photo requires just a single camera, and a stationary subject. Place your feet firmly on the ground, with your weight on your left foot, and take a picture. Shift your weight to your right foot and take a second picture. You now have a stereo pair of images, one for the left eye and one for the right eye, which can be viewed in 3D. Obviously, this technique, called “sidestep” or “cha-cha” 3D, only works for subjects that are not in motion.

To take stereographs of dynamic subjects, we will need to take two photos at exactly the same time. Japanese camera manufacturer Fuji recently released the first digital camera equipped with two lenses for 3D. Of course, for the technologically savvy, you can make your own 3D camera rig using common building materials and two digital cameras.

For this project, we’ll use a pair of matching Canon PowerShot cameras and specialized synchronization software called StereoData Maker, or SDM, which is a nonvolatile firmware upgrade based on CHDK, the Canon Hack Development Kit. SDM adds a set of features to certain Canon cameras, specifically for the taking of 3D pictures.

What You Need

Two Canon PowerShot cameras compatible with SDM (Buy them here)
Two 4GB SD cards
Two right-angle metal brace clips
Two tripod screws or 1/4-inch thumbscrews
Cloth tape or sturdy electrical tape
Metal washers
Two USB cables
Altoids tin
Push-button switch (Buy them here)
Two female USB connectors
Battery holder
Three 1.5V AAA batteries
Hot-glue gun
A Dremel tool
Red/cyan 3D glasses (Buy them here)

Aside from the digital cameras and tools, the core components of the rig won't cost you more than $20! Now it's time to assemble the pieces.

Step 1: Load the SDM Firmware

First, you will need two Canon PowerShot cameras (they don’t need to be the exact same model) and the corresponding StereoData Maker firmware. While SDM isn’t available for all Canon PowerShot models, it does work on a wide variety. A full compatibility list can be found at the Stereomaker.net website. Scan the list for your cameras and download the specific firmware and common_files.zip for each. Unzip both archives to the same directory.

SDM comes with a simple installer program that will format your SD cards and install the SDM files. Run the sdminste.exe executable, insert one of your SD cards into a card reader on your PC and click “new install.” Select whether this flash card will be for the left or right camera and click OK, then follow the onscreen instructions for formatting. Do the same for the other card. Make sure to note which card is for the left camera and which is for the right.

Slide the physical write-protect tab down on the SD cards and insert each into the proper camera. The firmware only loads from the cards when they are in the “locked” position, but the cameras are still able to write photos to them normally.

Step 2: Build the Mounting Rig

The next step is to mount the cameras in a side-by-side orientation. Some hobbyists sell specialized 3D slidebars for two cameras online, but you can make your own. This can be as simple as drilling two holes in a wood ruler and bolting the cameras down with 1/4-inch thumbscrews.

Ideally, you want the lenses of your cameras as close together as possible—about the distance between two human eyes. The best way to do this is with one of the cameras turned upside down. To mount the cameras in this way, we will build something called a z-bar with two right-angle truss clips or braces, which you can buy at any hardware store.

Align the sides of these two bars and fasten them together using heavy cloth tape, leaving the holes along the base exposed. With 1/4-inch thumbscrews, mount a camera onto each clip, using metal washers on each side of the base to make sure you get a tight, level fit. Position the cameras so that the centers of the lenses are as evenly aligned as you can make them. Don’t worry if the alignment isn’t 100 percent perfect, as we can correct the images later in software.

Step 3:Build the USB Switch Remote

One of the functions added by StereoData Maker is synchronization of the cameras’ shutters via a 5-volt pulse sent through their USB ports. This requires that a battery-powered switch be attached to both cameras via USB cables. The Stereomaker.net website contains several varying schematics for this synch controller circuit.

The simplest to assemble uses a pair of USB connectors with both pins 1 wired to a button, and both pins 4 wired to a negative battery terminal. The batteries’ positive terminal connects to the other contact on the button, so that when it is pressed, it completes the circuit to both cameras. The cameras need to receive a 4.5- to 5-volt pulse, so you can use a combination of three 1.5V AAA batteries.

You can build this circuit into any small enclosure, such as an Altoids tin, which has a hinged lid for easy access. We found female USB connectors, battery holders, soldering supplies, and push-buttons online at Allelectronics.com.

Cut openings into the side of the Altoids tin to fit the two USB ports and glue the ports in place. Drill a hole in the face of the enclosure for the push-button as well. On the battery holder, connect the positive battery wire to one contact on the button switch, and carefully solder the negative battery wire to pin 4 on both USB ports. Solder a short wire from pin 1 on both USB ports to the other contact on the button. You can use the USB cables that are supplied with the cameras to connect them to your synch controller. Alternatively, you can hardwire USB cables to the controller in place of the connectors. If this step seems too daunting, there are links on the StereoData Maker website to sources that sell pre-assembled USB switches.

Step 4: Shoot Your Photos

Once you have the hardware assembled and the StereoData Maker firmware installed onto the SD cards, you are ready to start shooting 3D pictures. Power up both cameras and wait for the SDM splash screen to appear. You can access the SDM menus by briefly pressing the “direct print” button to put the camera into <alt> mode, followed by the menu button.

The SDM menus contain numerous options for both beginners and more advanced stereo photographers. For now, we will just check to ensure that the USB synchronization is turned on. Make sure that any settings you adjust on the left camera are also changed on the right camera. Press the “direct print” button again to exit the SDM menu.

The left photo

You can now set your cameras up as you normally would to take a photo, adjusting the ISO, shutter speed, and aperture identically on both cameras. Press and hold the button on your USB switch to auto-focus. When both cameras are ready, their blue LEDs will light up. Release the USB button and both cameras fire simultaneously, capturing your stereo pair.

A general rule of thumb for taking good 3D photos is that the distance between the rig and your subject should be at least 30 times the distance between your two lenses. In other words, if your lenses, measured from center to center, are 2.5 inches apart, you should be at least 75 inches, or about 6 feet, away from your subject.

The right photo

Step 5: Process Your Photos

Now that you have taken a pair of images, it’s time to look at them in 3D. To do this, the two images need to be aligned and put into a format suitable for 3D viewing. While this can be done with general image-processing programs such as Adobe Photoshop, most stereographers prefer a specialized freeware application called StereoPhoto Maker.

Begin by downloading and installing the StereoPhoto Maker program. Remove the SD cards from your cameras and copy the contents onto your PC. We recommend organizing your files into subdirectories for left and right images to make it easier to keep track of them. Run the StereoPhoto Maker program and under the File menu, select “open left/right images.” A dialog box will open, asking for the left image. Browse to the folder with the left photos, select a file, and click Open. Do the same for the right-side image, selecting the corresponding picture from the folder with the right-side images. The program will open both files and show you the two pictures side-by-side.

Under the Adjust menu, select “auto color adjustment” to match the tone of the two images. Next, select “auto alignment,” and StereoPhoto Maker runs an algorithm that corrects for misalignments between the cameras, and sets the stereo window based on the nearest point in the shot. Once the auto-alignment is finished processing, you can put on your red/cyan 3D glasses, select a color anaglyph mode from the Stereo menu (we prefer Dubois anaglyph, for its color correction), and marvel at the depth in your 3D photo.

If you would like to make more advanced alignments, you can select the easy adjustment mode, and do manual corrections as needed. StereoPhoto Maker will allow you to save your pictures as anaglyphs, parallel, or cross-view pairs, and will even print out a vintage-style stereo card for your Victorian stereoscope.

Additional Resources

Stereo Club of Southern California -- The Los Angeles–based 3D club offers 3D tutorials and information on 3D photography on its website.

3-DIY.com -- The author's website on do-it-yourself 3D.

Aspire Breaks New Ground with 3D-Capable Notebook

Paul Lilly — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:28:49 -0500

Jumping on the fast emerging 3D bandwagon, Acer today announced its new Aspire 5738DG notebook, the first from Acer to sport 3D viewing technology.

"This holiday season, we are seeing 3D content become more prevalent in popular films and games," said Ray Sawall, senior product manager for Acer America. "The new Acer Aspire 5738DG notebook enables consumers to enjoy exciting new 3D entertainment on a mobile PC that can also replicate a 3D experience from standard 2D content."

The new notebook achieves its 3D effect using TriDel 3D technology, which in addition to a 3D screen and special software, also means you'll need to don a pair of 3D polarizer glasses. When you do, you'll be able to filter 2D content into 3D, while also being able to toggle between the two types of displays with the click of the mouse, Acer says.

While the 3D capability steals the show, other specs include an Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 processor (2.2GHz, 2MB L2 cache, 800MHz frontside bus), 4GB of DDR2-1066 memory, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 with 512MB of dedicated video memory, a 320GB hard drive, multi-card reader, 8X DVD burner, four USB 2.0 ports, 6-cell battery, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

Acer says the Aspire AS5738DG-6165 will be available later this week starting at $780.

Image Credit: Acer

Sony Shows Off Prototype for 360 Degree 3D Display

Paul Lilly — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:58:46 -0500

Boy oh boy has 3D technology come a long way since the advent of those horrendous blue and red glasses that are still around today. Taking the technology to a new level, Sony says it has developed a 360-degree 3D display, which it plans to show off during Tokyo's Digital Content Expo 2009 this Thursday.

Sony says no goofy glasses are required to view the stereoscopic, 24-bit color image, which measures just 96 x 128 pixels. The image is viewable from all angles, but Sony didn't say if you'll be able to see the side of the image, depending on where you're oriented in relation to the display.

It's just a novelty at this point, but as research and development continues, Sony said it could see this technology being used as a 3D photo frame or in videophones.

Image Credit: Sony

Acer Announces First Laptop with Built-In 3D Support

Paul Lilly — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:45:20 -0500

Remember when notebooks were simple portable PCs? That's not the case anymore, and today's units boast all kinds of tricks, whether it's multitouch capabilities, or unveling the "world's first" 3D laptop, as Acer has done with its Aspire 5738PG.

Acer unveiled the 3D-capable laptop during a press conference on Tuesday. The lappy uses a combination of in-house software, a special screen coating, and polarized glasses to achieve the 3D effect.

"The display has been coated with a special 3D film that clings to the panel pixel by pixel, enabling the LCD technology to deliver a 3D visual feast," Acer stated. "Slip on the cool polarized eyeglasses that filter the images and you're ready to dive into an extraordinary 3D adventure."

According to Acer, its TriDef 3D Experience software makes it possible to view all of your 2D videos and photos in 3D. Moreover, it comes with a tool that enables 2D to 3D conversion for games and apps supporting DirectX 9 or above, the company said.

Image Credit: TomsHardware

3M Develops 3D Optical Film for Mobile Devices

Jason Barry — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:10:23 -0500

The folks over at 3M’s Optical Systems Division are excited to announce a new field sequential 3D optical film for handheld devices. They are crazy about their films over there at 3M and are hoping to change the mobile market with this latest development.

The new film should help motivate manufacturers to create new 3D mobile devices, applications and gaming products around the technology. “Our 3D optical film solution is designed to enhance communication and interaction by providing an immersive, compelling visual 3D experience for mobile devices” said Jim Bauman, VP of 3M’s Optical Systems.

3M Optical also managed to make the new film easy to integrate into the assembly process. It only requires the modification or upgrade of a couple layers in the optical film stack to produce the extra sensory experience they hope to achieve.

If you happen to be in Korea next week, they’ll be demoing the product at the Korea International Exhibition Center.

OpenGL 3.2 Released

Paul Lilly — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 10:42:44 -0500

OpenGL 3.2 is here, marking the third major update in twelve months to the 2D and 3D graphics API (application programming interface). The updated API adds a bunch of new features, including a new WebGL standard for 3D on the web.

According to the Khronos Group, a member-funded industry consortium focused the creation of OpenGL, the latest release adds features to enhance performance, visual quality, accelerated geometry processing, and easier portability of Direct3D applications.

In addition, the OpenGL ARB (Architecture Review Board) working group on Khronos has defined an updated version of the OpenGL Shading language, along with two profiles within the OpenGL 3.2 specification for new application development and backwards compatibility.

Both AMD and Nvidia commented on the updated release, with the former calling the development of three new versions in twelve months a "remarkable achievement," while the latter announced the release of its OpenGL 3.2 beta drivers.

Image Credit: Khronos Group

Hardware 3D Accelerated Graphics Coming to Chrome

Paul Lilly — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:01:05 -0500

According to Greg Spencer, a Google Chromium programmer, hardware 3D acceleration might be coming to Chrome sooner than you think.

"The O3D team is working on getting O3D integrated into the Chromium build, and we're close to being able to complete our first step towards integration: To build the O3D plugin as part of the Chromium code base, and link it into Chromium DLL," Spencer stated in a blog post.

Chromium is the open-source project behind Google Chrome and Spencer said that he'll be making the Windows build of Chromium be dependent upon building O3D as part of the build process.

What this means to Joe User -- or more appropriately, Joe Gamer -- is an extra incentive for Web developers to build browser-based games capable of tapping into 3D graphics.

"20% Project" Adds Anaglyph 3D to YouTube

Andy Salisbury — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:35:21 -0500

Over this past weekend it would appear that the folks at YouTube have begun the initial stages of testing for their 20% Project, which aims to bring 3D to YouTube videos.

According to a Google employee posting on the YouTube forums who has only been identified as “YouTube Pete,” “I'm the developer working on the stereoscopic player as a 20% project. It's currently very early, hence the silly bugs like swapping the eyes for the anaglyph modes. A fix for this is in the works.” He also revealed some code, which would allow you to change the aspect of the video, among other things. You can see it all here.

It has been made clear though, that this is a side project for Google. With that in mind, there’s no official word as to when this mighty finally get official.

Image Credit: Search Engine Roundtable