Re: Cardboard cutouts and backdrops...

[P3D John W Roberts <roberts@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>Date: Fri, 29 Aug 1997 10:01:24 -0500
>From: P3D Jonathan Gross  <catalyst@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: Cardboard cutouts and backdrops...

>John Roberts wrote:

>> Also convergence and interpretation of an absolute distance (or disparity
>> and interpretation of an absolute size?) - some people learn to decouple
>> these and can enjoy a hyperstereo of the Grand Canyon (for instance) as
>> a full size scene...

>Giantism, the phenomenon of interpreting the objects and features in
>hyper-stereo images as miniatures, is the result of integrating a
>variety of depth cues with binocular parallax.  I don't feel, however,
>that this quite natural interpretation of a stereoscopic illusion is any
>less "enjoyable" or "successful" than decoupling the depth cues to
>interpret the images as a large scale scene with enhanced depth.  

>I am able to switch back and forth, see it either way, and I think it is
>a subjective value judgment to associate success and enjoyment with one
>interpretation, and to associate "little or no success" (ie. failure)
>and "a strong (or even irresistible) inclination" (i.e. disability or
>lack of discipline?) with the other.

The reason I worded it that way is that occasionally a message is posted to
P3D reading essentially "don't take hyperstereos - they make everything
look small, and ruin the picture." I have trouble emphasizing with the
posters of such messages, but I get the impression that for these people,
hyperstereo significantly reduces their viewing pleasure. Since you can
switch back and forth, you don't appear to fit in that category.

This fits in with the recent discussions on introducing 3D to people -
if you're not careful, the result could be people who say "I tried 3D
once, but I didn't like it - it makes everything look small". When
showing 3D photos to novices, if you choose to show them hyperstereo
photos, it would probably be useful to warn them that this is a special
kind of 3D photography, and some people think it makes things look small,
and not all 3D photographs have this effect.

I think your comment on the visual system encountering views that do not
correspond with any experience of a real-world scene was very much to the
point. Learning how to view "impossible things" without getting confused
by them adds greatly to the enjoyment of viewing 3D photographs.

John R


------------------------------