Programming Project 1
Creating 3D Images

3D Effect

Examples

The following images were obtained from cameras on the Mars Exploration Rover. The image on the left represents what the left eye would see; the image on the right what the right eye would see. The image on the far right is the 3D image. You will need red/blue glasses to see the last image in 3D.

This next set of images is of a robot on a CS prof's desk, taken using a regular digital camera. In the first row, the image on the left is the left eye image and the image on the right is the right eye image. In the second row, the first image is the 3D image, and the second image is the 3D image obtained by converting the images to grayscale first. (Some sources have suggested that color information is lost when converting images to 3D in this manner, so the images may just as well be converted to black and white, first.) Again, you will need a pair of red/blue glasses to see the depth in the last two images.

This final set of pictures was obtained by taking a few pictures of the quad with a regular digital camera. Again, the left eye image is on the left, the right eye image is on the right, and two versions of the 3D image are in the second row.

Part 1: Obtaining Pictures

There are several possibilities for obtaining images to make into 3D images. For each possibility, there must be an image representing what the left eye would see, and another representing what the right eye would see. You may need to experiment with different options to find something you like.

Possible methods for obtaining images include:

• Obtain stereographic images on the web (legally, not violating any copyright policies). The Mars Curiosity Rover website at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has many interesting photos available. Pick out left and right eye images for your favorite shot. Left camera eye images will contain the letter "L" four characters in from the end, and right camera images will similarly contain the letter "R".

• Follow the instructions on Nasa's Mars 3D site: How to Make Your Own Eye-Popping 3D Pictures.

• Use Google Earth to capture images. Within Google Earth, find a view that you like (preferably one with 3D buildings), and capture it as an image. Then move the view just slightly and capture another image. How you change the view will dictate which is the left eye image and which is the right.

• Take pictures yourself. To do this, pick a subject you find interesting. Inanimate objects with some texture or depth, within 10-15 feet of you, seem to work best. People don't make great choices in this situation because they have a tendency to move. Take one photo with your left eye looking through the view window. Then, without moving your head, slide the camera over just enough so that you can now take a picture with your right eye looking through the view window. It is important to keep the camera level while doing this. It is also important to pick an object to serve as a focal point and to ensure that the object is perfectly centered in both images. It may take a few attempts to get this right. If you want to try this and don't have access to a digital camera, check with one of your instructors.

The instructions on Nasa's Mars 3D site: How to Make Your Own Eye-Popping 3D Pictures are also very detailed and may be helpful. (They assume you are using photo-editing software, so you might just think about the steps they are doing instead of blindly following what the site says!)

Part 2: Extracting Red and Green/Blue

1. Write a function that takes two pictures as parameters, one representing a left eye image, and the other representing a right eye image. These pictures must have the same width and height. This function will create a new picture that has the same width and height as the originals. The pixels in this new picture will get their red values from the left eye image, and their blue and green values from the right eye image. The new picture should be returned at the end of the function.

2. (Optional, but check it out.) If you are working with color photos, you may find that it is easier to see them in 3D if you first convert them to grayscale. You may copy and use one of your grayscale functions from Lab 2 to do this.

3. Experiment with different images until you find something creatively pleasing. Save your 3D image as a new .png image. (You could save it as a .jpg image, but the compression used with .jpg causes us to lose some color information related to the 3D perspective.)
4. Create a web page for this programming project. Be sure to include a link to it from your course page. Post the original left and right images, and the corresponding 3D image on your web page for this project. (As a reminder, if you haven't been doing so, you should be including text on your web page to describe what it is these images are/what manipulations you have done to them.)
5. Be sure you have included appropriate documentation with your functions. You should include the URL of your web page in the program documentation at the beginning of your file. Submit the file containing your function(s) and URL via .