Response to Tim's crusade

[P3D Dr. George A. Themelis <fj834@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is in response to Tim Stabler's crusade for 3D for the masses.  

Tim, I am challenging you to take a print stereo pair and a cheap 
hand-held viewer and see if your mother, father, wife, children, 
brother or sister can view the 3D image.  I'll bet they can't.  
When I started in 1988 I tried to view SEM stereo pairs of fractured 
surfaces with similar viewers and could only do it with great difficulty.  
Fellow intelligent graduate students could not do it.  How do you expect 
the masses to do it?  The viewing system has always been the weak link 
in 3D.  A complete system with a good viewing device will not be cheap 
and will be out of reach for most people.  Such systems exist today 
(Loreo, Realist-format, View-Magic, etc.) but are not popular.

Tim, you just came into 3D and think that you can turn the tables around.  
It's not that easy.  Most of us are aware of the ups and downs of 3D 
popularity from 1850 through stereo views, View Master, Realist, Nimslo, 
etc., and can assure you that there are no simple answers.  Kodak is a 
big conservative company who knows the history of 3D and knows why 3D 
cannot work today for the masses.  And they will not run an experiment 
to fail so they can get a write off in their taxes!

Is 3D going to die?  No, it's not.  It has gone through much worse times 
and it is still alive and doing well today.  You came in from the article 
in Popular Photography, I came in from the scientific back door.  If you 
and I introduce 5 friends to 3D and if every one in 3D does the same, 
that's how 3D will grow.  3D has been used in engineering and scientific 
applications for almost a century now.  It is not going to die.  It will 
only vary with popularity as the technology and public tastes change.

With all due respect, George Themelis


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