P3D TrueColor Anaglyphs

[Ray Zone <r3dzone@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thank you Boris, for sharing your results with TrueColor Anaglyphs.  As
usual, you have succinctly and beautifully explained your methodology.
After examining the TrueColor Anaglyphs on your (excellent) website may I
offer the following observations?

By converting R channel only to grayscale before compositing into RGB
TrueColor Anaglyph you have, as Lincoln Kamm points out, "desaturated" the
Red channel, in effect "flattening" the color curve:  less color high, less
color low and more color middle.  You might be able to make a similar
adjustment to the Red channel only in Adobe Photoshop using "Image>Adjust"
and modify either "Levels" or "Curves" to even more delicately adjust the
Red values than you can achieve with a simple default "Grayscale"
conversion.

The beauty of TrueColor Anaglyph is that it minimizes the "ghosting" and
"fringing" of the Red channel which is always the problematic color in RGB
(additive filtration) color space.  This is a real plus.

In CMYK (subtractive filtration) color space it is the Blue which is the
most difficult color, with a tendency to "ghosting."  Further tests might
be order to optimize the polychromatic efficiency of the TrueColor
Anaglyph in CMYK color space and you might want to work directly on the
Cyan channel as a "flattened" curve or grayscale conversion while in CMYK
color space.  However, the presence of K or Black in CMYK color space is
always a major challenge to the Anaglyph (because both Red and Blue lenses
see it).  Black is no problem, of course, in RGB color space.

Most of the TrueColor Anaglyphs work very well with little or no
"ghosting" of the Red channel.  The color vibrancy seems to be flattened
somewhat but this is to be expected and with most of the imagery (which is
techological) it certainly isn't a problem.  The skin tones on "Pixie"
however are pretty gray and do not flatter this lovely (Caucasian)
creature.  As always, skin tones, are the great bugaboo of polychromatic
anaglyph.  The psychological dimension of color and our perceptual
repertoire includes a set of images which have "expectant" color and we are
perhaps most sensitive as living creatures to the appearance of our own
species.  This does not apply, of course, to inanimate objects such as
buildings and space ships which can have the most unnatural of colors and
still appear to us as "normal."

Your experiment with TrueColor Anaglyph is very stimulating and I applaud
you on your efforts.  I also like the name TrueColor Anaglyph which is apt
(and chromatic).  I fear Bruce Springteen's suggested use of the word
"Anachrome" may not be timely enough, however, because Leslie P. Dudley
first claimed use of this term in 1955 for his polychromatic anaglyphs
appearing in issues of the British Magazine "Picture Post."  I have posted
an example of Dudley's "Anachrome" with my technical history of the
polychromatic anaglyph on my website at:

http://ray3dzone.com/plychm1.html

Thanks again for sharing TrueColor Anaglyphs with us.  Your work continues
to be an inspiration to me and, I'm sure, to all of us on photo-3d.  Your
innovation with the phantogram alone would ensure your place in
stereographic history and I know you will be producing much more great 3-D
work.

Best!

Ray "3-D Zone"

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




* * * * * * * *
The Ray Zone Theory of Relative Numbers:  1 + 1 = 3(D)

r3dzone@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Visit Ray's 3-D website at:
http://www.ray3dzone.com

The 3-D  Zone
P.O. Box 741159
Los Angeles, California 90004
323-662-3831
fax-662-3830



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