stereo image 3D

Hi all,

A quick search on comp.cad.solidworks doesn't show that many people are
looking into using stereo in solidworks.

I heard that sw2006 has this capability in-built? Is this true?

Can anyone shed some light on the subject? Personally, I think it
would be very immersive and err.. fun... Weather or not it makes me a
better designer remains to be seen. <G>

 

go to SW discussion forum and do a search for 'stereo'....

 

I've played with it a bit in 2004. I had an NVIDIA video card, which
has the necessary drivers to enable you to use generic LCD shutter
glasses with it. It is essentially transparent to the CAD system,
because the video card gets all the 3D data from the application. It is
up to the video card to do the work for stereo, and it can be set in
the card's drivers.

Apparently newer versions of SW have some features to help with the
process, but I don't know what those features are. A way to input some
head tracking info would be nice.

The way I faked head tracking in my SolidWorks experiment is as
follows; I installed the CAM2PAN video/mouse software, and made some
adjustments to the sensitivity and direction of movement. Then I
initiated the view rotate command, and click my mouse down in the
center of the model. As I moved my head left and right, the model
would rotate on the screen (though it was certainly a sloppy
correlation between my head movement and movement of the model). The
concept of viewing a virtual world on a computer monitor is called
"Fish tank VR."

My method above is a bit cumbersome, but I think it shows how cheaply
VR can be done. [in my method the only hardware outside of my existing
computer setup was the stereo glasses - $50)

Joe Dunfee

 

Watch for the "flicker"... set your monitor to 60 Hz and see how long
it takes before your head explodes... then put on some ill-fitting
glasses that make everything darken and try it...

Not ready for prime time...

Mike Tripoli

 

why would you set 60hz Mike?? you should be setting to 100 or 120hz on a
CRT...
and yes it will be semi dark in operation because of the view swap... that's
the nature of the LCD method...glasses vary in quality see www.stereo3d.com
for some reviews and info.

 

I was being facetious (hard to deliver a line with text)... I was
pointing out that FOR EXAPLE, if one were to set their monitor to 60
Hz and stare at it, this is ROUGHLY what wearing LCD shutter glasses
is like (I would have said 30Hz to drive the point home, but that's
not an option with monitors)... the same with the "darkening" effect.

Regardless of the glasses used, I feel like the effect is always the
same.

Also, for the record, I've designed shutter glasses for a few
applications; still wouldn't use the things...

Mike Tripoli

 

'I was being facetious'
ok sorry missed it )
I read with an accent and sit upside down in this time zone...

 

"I...sit upside down..."

Maybe that has something to do with it?!? ))

WT

 

yeah I was being 'face about arse' too...

 

Please, Neil, try to be more professional. We prefer 'recto-cranial
inversion'.

Jerry Steiger
Tripod Data Systems
"take the garbage out, dear"

 

I see...well my sincere apologies to all for my retro cranial perversion
I honestly thought I was an Australian prime minister in the moment.
New Zealanders of course shy and extremely professional at all times.
;o) enjoy your weekend all

 

You, too!

Jerry Steiger
Tripod Data Systems
"take the garbage out, dear"