Re: 3D CD update

[P3D John W Roberts <roberts@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>Date: Fri, 26 Sep 1997 22:44:50 -0500
>From: P3D Larry Berlin  <lberlin@xxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: Re: 3D CD update

>>Date: Fri, 26 Sep 1997
>>From: P3D Dan Shelley writes:
>>
>>Well folks, we are up to 22 people who have expresed a desire to be the
>>financial backers that will make this project become a reality. Just a
>>few more for the bare minimum... Any more takers?

>I have several objections to the proposed format for this 3D CD. I've seen
>some discussion of these items but no resolution of them has been offered
>and a headlong rush to count noses despite the potential problems.

>When I spend time visiting other 3D sites I encounter a number of situations
>that are less than ideal. The result is that if the CD is just an exact copy
>of existing material it's not very convenient at all.

On first reading, I disagreed with that view, but on further reflection I think
it's a very good point. The inconveniences of accessing the images through
all those different layouts detracts considerably from viewing the images.
If this disc is just a mirror site for (for example) 20 web sites, and the
reader has to go down into the heirarchical structure of each one, and
each one is different, that takes away most of the benefit of having all
the images in one place. For the stated predicted price, I'd much rather
have 25-100 nice images, well organized in multiple formats, than 100-400 
"straight run" in a chaotic jumble.

Regarding the comments on multiple types of viewer hardware/software,
I think it would be most convenient to divide up file formats at the
very top of the directory structure (d:\xview, d:\parview, d:\jps, and
so on), rather than having multiple formats of the same image in the same
directory.

>The above points direct the desirable situation back to the idea that
>anything with this much work in it should be done as a commercial *for
>profit* venture. Even if it's not expected to actually make a profit. The
>reality is that if it's done carefully and comprehensively it would be far
>superior to a straight out copy of existing material. It's raw usefulness
>would lend it to being marketed in a limited way. Consider all the stereo
>clubs, schools and educational institutions with photography classes, and
>web marketing to new stereo interests and more.

>If it's done as a *for profit* venture, then each person providing material
>and permission, should be provided with some means of expecting their fair
>share of any potential returns. Again that's more work, but absolutely
>essential. Once the mechanism for creating this project is worked out,
>future editions perhaps annually, would be a relatively easy thing.

Even after re-reading, I still disagree with these two paragraphs. :-)
I'm far more interested in promoting 3D than in Dan and some web site owners
making money on these particular images. At the moment there's a tiny market
for 3D images, compared to 2D images. Outside that tiny market, 3D has a
negative value - a 3D image is worth less than a comparable 2D image (note all
the history books that print just one view of old stereo photographs).

By far the greatest benefit at this point is to expand that tiny market of
people who actually want 3D images. To make profit a priority at the same
time is like trying putting a car in gear before starting the engine - it's
much easier to start the engine in neutral, *then* put the car in gear.
(To extend the analogy a little, sometimes you *do* start a car in gear -
if it's a manual transmission and you're push-starting it. But to do that
you have to have some muscular people to give the car a push. Similarly,
a money-making venture can be push-started if you lots of financial backing -
but that doesn't appear to be the case here.)

The amateur radio and AMSAT people produce and distribute a lot of printed
material and electronic media within their community and to some extent
outside. I think they regard it more as a promotional activity than as
a business. And they seem to have some success with that approach - there
are a *lot* more active amateur radio people than active stereo photographers.

I think it would help the 3D community a lot more if the first few discs be
populated with images that people are willing to give away for free (maybe
with some provision that nobody is permitted to subsequently copyright them,
like some freeware). They don't have to be the most spectacular photographs -
"Washington getting out of the boat after having crossed the Delaware"
would be OK. [Historical references for this joke furnished upon request. :-)]

John R


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