Re: 3d Letters and Numbers

[P3D Larry Berlin <lberlin@xxxxxxxxx>]

>Date: Sun, 31 Aug 1997 
>From: P3D Brian Whitehead  asks:
>.........................
>I am seeking advice on how to generate 3d letters and numbers on a
>computer which will be used to enhance my photo 3d images. I use
>Photoshop 3.1 to process the images.
>

*****  Of course there are the 3D programs which generate these letters and
numbers. If they have only a single camera built in, they are harder to use
because you have to go through the process twice to get stereo. The better
ones have the ability to set up on or many cameras and thus get a real-time
stereo view as you're working. One such good program to look for is the demo
for Caligari TrueSpace. It lets you use as many cameras as you might want.
Up to four of them can be depicted in their own viewing windows. The full
program or even current updates are more versatile.

But, if you want to make them 3D in your current program, no problem, though
you may be somewhat limited in the extent of effects, due to more work
required to obtain them.

The simplest method is to set the stereo pairs side by side, and put the
text directly in each one, but not at the same horizontal position. Use
freeviewing in crossed mode to determine the exact placement. The resulting
letters will be spatially in front of your subject image, assuming you did
it right.

Remember that stereo parallax is a slight horizontal difference between two
images. You can create 3D text the same way. Just introduce small
differences between two sets of letters or numbers. For example, use a large
font for a one word line. Put the same word in two separate files side by
side. Then put the same word in a smaller font on top of the first word, but
while viewing in stereo, move them horizontally by 2 to 5 pixels so that the
new smaller letters are spatially in front of the larger letters. Repeat
this step to make multi-layered letters.

Another trick is stretching or compressing horizontally. In this method you
create the illusion that the letters start close to you and recede into the
distance. First create the first word. Apply the perspective effect. Now
paste the same letters with the perspective effect in a second image.
Stretch it horizontally by about 5 to 15% on the one side only. Viewed in
stereo it will be 3D. (of course if you pasted it to the wrong side, it
could be coming towards you too!) It's always easiest to make your lettering
experiments in a blank file so you can play as much as you like. Once you
like the results, paste them into your actual stereo image files, making
sure that in the process you place them at the right depth.

Lots of variations of this basic process can be used to create any angle of
surface or degree of depth for very complex 3D lettering and titles.
Freeviewing is pretty essential to this process as it lets you observe every
action made, in stereo. No guessing needed.

>Date: Sun, 31 Aug 1997
>From: P3D Gary Nored writes:
>.................
>CorelDraw has an "extrude" function which should do the trick. 
>You could export the extruded objects into a bitmap format and 
>then bring it into Photoshop for other treatment. 
>
>I've considered playing with the extrude function to make 
>freeviewing pairs, but never got around to it.


******  Yes you can use the extrude function. Remember that in stereo you
need parallax or it will appear as flat as any other 2 1/2D subject. Try
different horizontal amounts of extrude for each side (left and right). Or
use Photoshop later to introduce parallax wherever you want it.

Larry Berlin

Email: lberlin@xxxxxxxxx
http://www.sonic.net/~lberlin/
http://3dzine.simplenet.com/


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