P3D Re: DIRDS not SIRDS

[Larry Berlin <lberlin@xxxxxxxxx>]

>Date: Fri, 26 Dec 1997
>From: wier@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Bob Wier)  writes:
>
>.....(Harold writes).......... they were DOUBLE image
>>random dot stereograms, not Single Image Random Dot Stereograms.
>
>Well, I tell 'ya by cracky, these young'uns have no respect for their
>elders nowadays :-)
>
>DIRDS vs SIRDS explains my confusion. They pointed out...
>
>"...we used the computer-generated stereograms developed by Bela Julsez
>of Bell Telephone Labs [P.T., July 1968]. Each stereogram consists of
>a pair of random-dot patterns. When a person looks at these patterns
>through a stereoscope, which presents one pattern to the right eye and
>the other pattern to the left eye, he sees a figure emerge in depth. When
>he looks at the random-dot patterns without the stereoscope, he can
>see neither figures nor depth."
>

****  The other side of the story is how something as obvious and simple as
this escapes public notice for so many years due to a closed minded
dependence on viewing devices. (I like viewing devices but don't depend on
them anymore) As anyone capable of freeviewing knows, the patterns can
indeed be seen without a stereoscope if they are set side by side. The SIRD
could have been recognized for what it was a lot sooner. I'm sure many had
already discovered them in wallpaper as far back as wallpaper existed, but
saw no reason to comment on it or use it artistically. Apparently among too
many researchers, freeviewing wasn't recognized as an existing skill, though
it had been around for a long time already. A SIRD is not really any
different than a DIRD in principle, just in scale. Stereo photos are just a
special case of SIRDs, though the dots aren't random. In a SIRDS they are
only random in some initial sense. They wouldn't become SIRDs if they
continued to stay random. Only by special repeated arrangements do they turn
into a stereo image. 

So, take a look around you at your stereo tools and treasures. Hidden in
plain sight are a number of useful and potentially exciting discoveries
waiting to be noticed... perhaps have been noticed and dismissed due to a
host of preconceived notions and restrictions, whose unquestioning
acceptance bypasses notice of obvious useful extensions ... This is probably
more true for stereoscopic imaging than most other technical pursuits... :-)

Larry Berlin

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


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