pouët.net

If these things work as advertised, then viewing demos and playing games would become an incredible experience. But I am sceptical. If they were good and not hazardous to eyes, then why aren't they more mainstream?

Has anyone ever tried these gadgets before and are they any good?

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1892514&SRCCODE=WEBINKPLP&CMP=OTC-INKTOMI
http://www.nvidia.com/object/3d_stereo.html
http://www.vrealities.com/sharpll1513d.html

You can use the 3D Glasses only with CRT-monitors. AFAIK it's because they work only with a high refresh rate (they render one image for your right eye while darkening the glass for the left eye and then another image for your left eye while darkening the glass for your right eye).

And the TFT is pretty expensive... (but I've read that it works good but only for a narrow angle).

3D stereo of nVidia with anaglyph glasses works well and is a blast! Unfortunatly the GeForce 8800 doesn't have working stereo drivers so by now I cannot use it, since I now own that card.

like this? :

The linked shutter glasses work. But you always get some phantom picture effects as the shutter glasses can't stop the lights source from CRT by 100%. Anyway it works good and has some kind like looking into an aquarium. Also your CRT should be able to display high frequency. You see a 3D picture with half of the displayed frequency. Actually the stereo drivers by nvidia never seem to be supported as there is no market anymore. Was pretty interesting in 1999 for first real 3D experiences.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LCD_shutter_glasses

the classic solution is anaglyph:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaglyph_image

These are the only professional solutions I know.
http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/cadgis/products/parhelia/sdt.php
http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/cadgis/products/parhelia/sgt.php

I tried to do an projector in 1998 like this using a holographic reflector and 2 projector sources. We never got the money, time and possibility to finish it. We think it would have worked, but only if you directly sit in front of the reflector.

Also there exist an 3D projector from developers in denmark with a pyramid in the middle, but I didn't the link anymore.

i had shutter glasses that came with my old graphics card. it looked awesome, but after 20 minutes of swat 3 i already had a severe headache.

linde: i agree it was impossible to stay to long with those glasses on.

I had shutterglasses with my old TNT2 card, back in 2000/2001, but as linde says; you were left with a pretty nasty headache if you played for more than half an hour at a time. It worked with some demos, and also with 3D Mark and Unreal Tournament.. really, really cool way to enjoy 3D.

I believe the shutters worked at half the speed of the monitor, and that the max refresh for the monitor (CRT, LCDs didn't work as some other people have said already) was 60 hz.

I had (still have) shutter glasses, and had a monitor which could do 120hz in a decent resolution. Some games, like crimson skies, became *much* easier (when you can see *exactly* how close to that bridge you're flying).. most games had a problem with 2d elements. Plus, I had a motherboard with VIA chipset, meaning that the sync failed every second or so, so I didn't use them much.
If I was still using CRTs I might dig them up and try again..

This tech seems to be on the way back, I've seen reports of new "3d ready" tvs. They require glasses just the same, but the TVs seem to support either 120hz or 240hz, and I guess at that rate the headache issue wouldn't be so bad.

Speaking of headaches, it's possible to do proper 3d without glasses - just render the two images on each side of each other, very small, in the centre of the screen. Go cross-eyed, and you get really good 3d and a headache.. I used to do that way back in the amiga days :)

What about implementing this in a demo? :)
http://www.network-centricadvocacy.net/images/Old_Stone_Gate.gif

I mean:


All fake 3D methods fuck up your head after some time. The red-cyan glasses, those with shuttering... I need to try that new 3D cinema technology that uses light polarization.

use that wiimote-trick!

wiimote trick does not work for stereoscopy

If your monitor has a high enough refresh it can be great fun. Some demos come out pretty good in them but it's really a mixed bag. Gaming can be frustrating unless the developers put some forethought into it as any HUD or other 2d stuff is usually way off in the wrong plane.

There is already a demo like that - Hätä by da Jormas - and it's pretty goddamn cool. :)

I actually have BoyC's old GeForce 3 (actually some ASUS model) which had a pair of electronic 3D glasses which were able to close alternatingly with half of the refresh frequency, so it would KINDA give a 3D view if you could reach 120hz with your monitor.

Some interesting feedback, thanks!

I might look into some soon but might save up for a 3d monitor instead.

how's bout
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd3-eiid-Uw ?

Kelsey: Wow! That has great potential and so cheap and simple too, with no headache risks etc.

If developers got behind idea I'm sure it would be possible to convert existing games quite easily.

this guy's a little genious. they've done some great stuff at mellon in the last month.
IMO headtracking would also be possible with a simple camera and face detection. The wiimote infrared camera makes it simpler, but you need those IR-LEDs attached to your head. not a great solution...

Think about it this way....... Look at the thechnology for VR back at the start. Now look at our current technology, the Wii controller would work wonders, so we have decent tracking. Then the graphics would be a lot better than the old blocky textureless stuff from the start of VR. You could even shink the whole unit to next to nothing.

kelsey: that's cool but it has nothing to do with the other things. That mixed up with the other things of course it would be awsome (since we have 2 eyes)...

It's so hard to believe this technology isn't in everyone's home by now. It's not that expensive and it's an incredible experience. There are only a handful of IMAX cinemas in UK and so many people don't even know they exist.

As for VR, why the hell did that disappear? With graphics as advanced as they are today and online gaming and microphones, it would be like plugging into the Matrix.

Buttler: I have 3D VR on my Wasp T12. It's been out for three weeks in Japan - where's yours??