P3D Re: Cardboarding

["Greg Wageman" <gjw@xxxxxxxxxx>]

From: Boris Starosta <boris@xxxxxxxxxxxx>


>I've seen this "cardboarding" effect discussed so often on P3D, now, that
>it seems no one really knows what it is, or if they have seen it.  At
>least, until now I had no idea that I had ever seen it, or was aware of
>what anyone was talking about.


My working definition of "cardboarding" for some time now has been:

Lack of stereopsis *within* an object, while stereopsis is present *between*
objects.

The cause may vary.  Your observations about "squash" (the opposite of
"stretch") are certainly plausible as one contributor.  Lack of  resolution is
another.  (Recall that for stereopsis to occur, the brain has to be able to
distinguish matching features [homologous points] in the images presented to
both eyes.  People-sized objects at a distance may present such features in
relation to the background, but if the detail on the people is fuzzy, stereopsis
won't occur and the people themselves will appear flat.  Since people *are*
relatively flat anyway [at least when seen frontally], either a lot of
resolution is needed, or the subject needs to be fairly close, or both.)

Note that "lack of resolution" has a lot of causes, too, such as poor focus,
fast film, camera shake, improper exposure, etc., and that these causes can be
cumulative.

     -Greg W. (gjw@xxxxxxxxxx)





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