CSE 457: Introduction to Computer Graphics

Project 4: Trace - SIRDS explanation

Overview

Most of you by now have encountered stereogram images before, but perhaps you're still wondering how they work. This document will try to explain the principle of Single Image Random Dot Stereogram (SIRDS) , and also give you some hints as to how to implement the Stereogram Generation Bell & Whistle for project 4.

How to view

3D stereograms take a little practice to see because you have to become sort of a contortionist with your eyes - well, its not quite that bad. To see a stereogram you must:
  1. look beyond the image plane so that your eyes converge somewhere behind the paper, or computer screen in this case. You can achieve this by 'relaxing' your eyes.

  2. maintain focus on the stereogram (not the same as converging your eyes on the stereogram), so you can make out the pattern of the Random dots on the screen, which as you will read, actually 'encodes' the 3D-perceived data for the stereogram. Until you achieve focus on the stereogram, this pattern will be too blurry to convey the 3d information to you

  3. if at first you don't succeed...

sdenman@cs.washington.edu