Here are the slides of an interesting presentation Nvidia had on Siggraph 2009 about 3D Stereo implementation and usage in games and other 3D applications. Some interesting things about S3D in general and of course a little bit about 3D Vision and 3D Vision Discover. The presentation covers more the technical part of how things work and are being designed with an emphasis on some key technology challenges and how many of them are easily addressed by some basic implementation patterns. The presentation also includes some good anaglyph Stereo 3D screenshots so if you have a pair of anaglyph glasses lying around you can try to see them with the intended depth perception. Still a good read if you were unable to be attending Siggraph 2009, but you are interested in the technology and how things work. The presentation was made by Samuel Gateau from Nvidia and there seems to be something from Capcom about their upcoming Resident Evil 5 that is supposed to be optimized for Nvidia’s 3D Vision hardware. Unfortunately the slides from Capcom’s presentation are still missing.

- To download the 3D Vision Technology presentation in PDF format…

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It seems that Nvidia has done a bit of a silent update to the requirements for using GeForce 3D Vision for some tasks. Of course for gaming and 3D applications such as CoolIris you still need to have a high end GPU, but if you plan to primarily play 3D Stereo images or 3D Stereo movies on your 3D Vision you can now go for a low end GeForce 8 or 9-series video card and you should not have any problems. This is a good news for Nvidia ION-based solutions that come with GeForce 9400M video, which along with their smaller sizes and low power consumption makes them a great addition to 3D Vision for watching 3D pictures and movies. The only problem you might face with these ION-based systems is the lack of DVI output for connecting directly to a Samsung 2233RZ (if you have bigger 3D-ready TV you might be Ok) and using an adapter to convert form one type of digital output to another still might bring problems. And I’m talking about having problems with all of the first ION-based PCs such as Acer Apsire Revo R3600, AsRock ION 330 or even the very slim and tiny Pegatron Cape 7. They all have HDMI outputs which you can easily convert to DVI with the help of a special conversion adapter, but the result will not be what you expect. By using the conversion adapter from HDMI to DVI you won’t be able to set the Samsung 2233RZ display to work with more than 60 Hz refresh rate and you still need at least 100 Hz. So before thinking of some great idea combining ION system with 3D Vision for viewing 3D Stereo movies and images you better check things a bit and then decide it if is going to be Ok.

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By default the game Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood does not look very good when you try to play it with GeForce 3D Vision, because there is still no profile available for the title in Nvidia’s 3D Vision drivers. Normally this may disappoint you a lot, because the game looks very nice and is not a bad title at all, but if you take some time to play with the settings you can achieve a great depth and even a pop-out effect Call of Juarez 2. And by playing with it I mean adjusting the convergence level, not by just changing some settings in the game configuration menu – there won’t be any difference in depth perception even if you go to the lowest detail level or at maximum level. The key here is the convergence level and in order to be able to adjust it you need to enable the advanced in-game settings in Nvidia’s Control Panel from the Stereoscopic 3D settings. Then you can decrease and increase the convergence level with the help of CTRL + F5 and CTRL + F6 key combinations while you are in the game (don’t mind the in-game message that pushing F5 brings out). Now set the level of depth from the controller to the minimum and continue reading on what to do…

You can set all the details to the maximum level inside the game and just play with the Post Process Quality option, because it’s two options produce quite different results in terms of graphic detail in the game. Try it out and see which one do you like better, personally I’m Ok with both… although the Simple setting provides clearer looking objects in the background (far away trees for instance). Of course you can play with these as you see fitting depending on your personal preferences and your system’s capabilities… on GeForce GTX 275 the game works at max detail level with more than enough FPS.

The key moment in achieving astonishing results with Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood is setting up the right convergence level in order to achieve both a great pop-out of the screen effect and good level of depth. Just right after you start the game in some trench in the middle of a war you need to go to your left to the wooden shelter-like thing and stand right in front of it, then look at the roof like in the picture above and start adjusting convergence level (hitting CTRL will set your character in crouch position, but don’t worry). Now, what you need to do is set the convergence level so that the closest part of the roof is not doubled (you can take of the 3D Vision glasses to make it easier), but is just a single image with and without the glasses. The far parts of the roof and the trees in the background should have a shadow when looking without the glasses again like in the screenshot above, the important part is setting the no-double look of the front part of the roof. This should give you the best results in the game both in terms of pop-out of the screen and depth perception and will definitely change the first opinion you’ve had running the game with 3D Vision.

I’m also providing two Reg files that you can directly import in your computer, they contain only the custom convergence settings I’ve created and am using with Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood. They are from Windows Vista 32-bit and Windows 7 64-bit machines, but you should be able to use them in on both OSes if you maintain the 32 and 64 bit separation. Please feel free to report if they work for you or not, but even if they don’t work out on your PC you can always achieve the same result following the guide I’ve from above.

- Download the REG files with CoJ 2 convergence settings for direct import…
- Get the game Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood here if you don’t have it yet…

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The interest in 3D Stereo solutions is continuing to grow lately and one of the products that a lot of people expect is the Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W1 digital camera that can record both in 2D and in 3D (still images and movies). The Real 3D W1 camera uses two separate Fujinon lenses along with two 10 megapixel CCD sensors to be able to simultaneously take two images just like the eyes of a normal human see everything. The two images can then be combined into a 3D stereo picture with the help of the RP (Real Photo) Processor 3D or into a 3D stereo video clip with resolution of up to 640×480. On the back of the camera you’ll find a 2.8-inch LCD screen that is capable of displaying both 2D and 3D content so that you will be able to preview the images and videos you shoot without having to worry if they are in 2D or 3D mode. Another interesting feature of the camera, when not shooting in 3D mode is the ability to take two 2D pictures with different settings in order to get the best result without having to take two different pictures one after the other. And you get all that in a compact and a good-looking camera that is very easy to use in taking both 2D or 3D images or even shooting videos…

The bad news is that the Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W1 digital camera is still not available and is expected to be released later this year (in September). The price of the digital camera is still not announced, but different sources cite that it should be about 600 US dollars which is not that much if you consider what you’ll be getting. Of course I still cannot say if the product will be that good as we all expect it to be, but soon we’ll probably be able to see for ourselves. Along with the FinePix Real 3D W1 digital camera Fujifilm is going to also release an 8-inch digital 3D photo viewer – FinePix Real 3D V1, but of course you should be able to view the 3D images and videos you take with Nvidia GeForce 3D Vision and other similar products.

Specifications of Fujifilm FinePix REAL 3D W1

Number of effective pixels – 10 million pixels
CCD sensor – 1/2.3-inch CCD x2 (two sensors for 3D)
Storage media – Internal memory (Approx. 42MB), SD/SDHC memory card
Pictures file format – 3D Still image: MPO+JPEG, MPO (Multi Picture Format compatible); 2D Still image: JPEG (Exif Ver 2.2)
Movies file format – 3D Movie: 3D-AVI (Stereo AVI format with 2 image channels); 2D Movie: AVI format (Motion JPEG with sound)
Supported resolutions: L: 3648×2736 (4:3) / L: 3648×2432 (3:2) / M: 2592×1944 (4:3) / S: 2048×1536 (4:3) pixels
Lens: Fujinon 3x optical zoom lens, F3.7 (Wide) – F4.2 (Tele)
Lens focal length: f=6.3 – 18.9 mm, equivalent to 35 – 105 mm on a 35 mm camera
Aperture: Wide: F3.7 / F5 / F8, Telephoto: F4.2 / F5.6 / F9
Sensitivity (ISO): Auto / Equivalent to 100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 (Standard Output Sensitivity)
LCD display: 2.8-inch, Approx. 230,000 dots color LCD monitor with Light Direction Control, Approx. 100% coverage
Movie recording: 640×480 pixels / 320×240 pixels (30 frames/sec.) with stereo sound
Digital interface: USB 2.0 High-speed
Dimensions: Approx. 123.6 (W) x 68 (H) x 25.6 (D) mm
Weight: Approx. 260g

- To learn more about Fujifilm FinePix REAL 3D W1/V1 products…

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List of New Features

- Adds support for Resident Evil 5 tech demo, optimized for NVIDIA 3D Vision. PC gamers will get the most intense Resident Evil experience to date as Resident Evil 5 will take advantage of NVIDIA 3D Vision technology (wireless 3D Vision glasses sold separately), bringing a whole new dimension of horror to PC Gamers. Fans that pick up the PC version will be the first to experience Stereoscopic 3D out of screen effects as their living rooms are transformed into the village of Kijuju. Infected Majini coming at players from every angle, dust flying in and out of screen and the scariest bosses to date are taken up a notch. Resident Evil 5 PC is a whole new level of fear players will never forget. The game also supports Stereoscopic 3D in all of its cut scenes – an industry first. Download it today!

- Fixed operating system crash with Windows 7 64-bit when using multiple displays

- New 3D Vision game profiles. Please visit this website for a full list of game ratings.
o Age of Pirates 2: City of Abandoned Ships
o Armed Forces
o Battlestrike: Forces of Resistance
o Battlestrike: The Road to Berlin
o Battlestrike: Western and Eastern Front
o Biohazard 5
o Code of Honor 2: Conspiracy Island
o Damnation
o Delta Force: Black Hawk Down
o EverQuest II
o Free Realms
o Ghostbusters
o Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
o Hinterland: Orc Lords
o I-Fluid
o MKZ
o Necrovision
o Overlord II
o PhotoJoy Screensavers
o Resident Evil 5
o Star Tales
o Tian Xia 2

- Updated 3D Vision game profiles. Please visit this website for a full list of game ratings.
o Devil May Cry 4 – fixed NVIDIA SLI corruption on the screen edges and adjusted frustum
o FIF09 – fixed shadow corruption
o Hellgate London – now works properly on 64-bit operating systems
o Mirror’s Edge – adjusted the laser sight depth
o NHL 2008 – adjusted the player names so they are on screen
o Race 07 –added the Steam version of the executable in driver to properly recognize and configure the profile
o Sims 3 – fixed water rendering corruption
o World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King – adjusted the frustom angle so menus are not cut off at the edge of screen

- Download the new NVIDIA 3D Vision CD v1.10 BETA Drivers

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This is an especially good news for all the 3D Vision users, becuase it seems that Capcom is actually working quite well with Nvidia to release the first actually 3D Stereo optimized game title. Capcom is stating that Resident Evil 5 will take advantage of Nvidia’s new GeForce 3D Vision technology, bringing a whole new dimension of horror to PC Gamers which is something that we are all eagerly waiting to see in action. An interesting thing is that not only the gameplay, but the game should also support Stereoscopic 3D in all of its cut scenes meaning that they wont be pre-rendered movies like in most other titles. And while all the Resident Evil fans are waiting for the final game to come out, there is already a new Stereo 3D tech demo available with benchmark functionality that is available for download. I’ll write more about the benchmark as I’m able to test it personally… ;)

About Resident Evil 5
From the ashes of old conflicts, a new terror arises. The Umbrella Corporation and its crop of lethal viruses have been destroyed and contained. But a new, more dangerous threat has emerged. Years after surviving the events in Raccoon City, Chris Redfield has been fighting the scourge of bio-organic weapons all over the world. Now a member of the Bio-terrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSSA), Chris is sent to Africa to investigate a biological agent that is transforming the populace into aggressive and disturbing creatures. Joined by another local BSSA agent, Sheva Alomar, the two must work together to solve the truth behind the disturbing turn of events. Featuring a revolutionary new co-op mode of gameplay, Resident Evil 5 will let players experience fear together as terror moves out of the shadows and into the light of day…

- To download the Resident Evil 5 benchmark for PC…
- Get the full game Resident Evil 5 if you don’t have it already…

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I’ve already written about the 3D Vision Discover anaglyph glasses that Nvidia is going to start distributing very soon as an easy and affordable solution to try 3D stereo, before going for the advanced and expensive solution provided by GeForce 3D Vision and 120 Hz display. Today I’ve decided to try how well with the free anaglyph mode work when using some generic paper and plastic anaglyph glasses that I already own while waiting to see Nvidia’s optimized anaglyph glasses. I’ve previously used these different types of anaglyph glasses with other software solutions such as IZ3D’s drivers and others where the anachrome anaglyph glasses got the best results. Imagine my surprise when I’ve tried the 4 different types of glasses in the picture above… you can say that the best result I was able to achieve was with the plain paper glasses, but the other plastic solutions that are more expensive and better designed also performed very well too. Anyway, the results from trying different anaglyph glasses with 3D Vision only mean that you should be able to enjoy the added level of depth perception using 3D stereo with just about any type of plain paper anaglyph glasses… ;)

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With the 3D Vision drivers you get a nice bonus, or at least you may call it like that, because apart you’ll also get free support for anaglyph 3D stereo mode. Or said with simpler words you’ll be able to play with a depth perception using your normal computer system and a pair of anaglyph (those plain old red/cyan paper or plastic) glasses. Of course using the anaglyph mode will not provide the same impressive and great looking depth perception in games and 3D applications, but will give you a nice upgrade when gaming, because you’ll be able to at least have some 3D effect. The requirements that the anaglyph mode has to you is to own a pair of anaglyph glasses and it seems Nvidia will start offering some of these very soon, but you can also get them from other places pretty cheap. The only other thing you’ll need is an Nvidia-based videocard, preferably a faster one that can provide enough frames for comfortable playing. There is no limit to the supported GPUs as when using the 3D Vision shutter glasses, and also there is no need to have a special 120Hz display, because anaglyph mode can work just fine with your normal CRT or LCD monitor. Just have in mind that the 3D Vision drivers require you to be using Windows Vista or Windows 7 in order to function, because they are not available for Windows XP! So why don’t you install the latest video drivers version 186.18 and the 3D Vision drivers included in the package and try the anaglyph 3D mode…

Here is a quick setup guide:
1. Open “Nvidia Control Panel” in Standard or Advanced mode.
2. Select “Stereoscopic 3D” and choose “Set up stereoscopic 3D”.
3. Click on the checkbox called “Enable stereoscopic 3D” in the main panel.
4. A new window will open, where you need to click on the button labeled Next.
5. Put a tick in the checkbox celled “Enable 3D Vision Discover” and click on the Next.
6. You’ll see a message saying no compatible 3D display is found, again click on Next.
7. Now you have to put on your anaglyph glasses and pass the test you’ll be provided with.
8. A new test is being displayed to verify if you are actually seeing depth on a special image.
9. Finally you can see some 3D stereo demo images if everything is fine, but you can as well skip this step.
10. If you’ve passed the two tests everything is ok and you can start playing games in 3D Stereo using your anaglyph glasses.

By default you have set a depth value of 15% which should be Ok for a start, but you’ll probably want to be able to adjust it during gameplay to achieve the best possible perception of depth. If you’ve had GeForce 3D Vision there is a hardware button to easily change the depth percentage, but here you’ll have to do it with a key combination. Another thing that you should know is how to activate and deactivate the anaglyph 3D mode with a key combination, because by default when you run a 3D application it will be automatically activated. If you don’t want that check the Hide stereoscopic 3D effects when game stars in drivers’ control panel. Then when you want the 3D mode turned on you need to just press CTRL + T and then a second time to disable the anaglyph mode so your game will be back to normal. The other useful key combinations are CTRL + F3 to decrease level of depth and CTRL + F4 to increase it, of course there are more kay combinations, but I’ll discuss them later on in a separate topic. This should be just enough to get you started in playing games with anaglyph glasses with a pretty nice 3D effect, although you’ll notice that you have some problems with color reproduction, but that is normal when using anaglyph glasses so don’t worry…

Aside from the color reproduction and perception you might notice one other thing that is also completely normal after using anaglyph glasses so don’t freak out if/when that happens. If you haven’t used anaglyph glasses up until now when you wear them for some time and take them off your vision will be a bit strange for a while. And if you close one of your eyes you’ll either see a hotter image (more reddish) or a colder one (more bluish)… as I told you it is normal and a few minutes later everything will be back to normal. This happens because your eyes adjust with the different color filters the anaglyph glasses use and even when you take them off there is some time needed for them to revert to normal. ;)

- To download the latest Nvidia drivers for your videocard…

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Lately there is some talk about Nvidia releasing new 3D glasses called 3D Vision Discover Glasses, but that matter seems to need a bit of clarification. These new 3D glasses are not going to be a replacement for the shutter glasses in the GeForce 3D Vision kit, but something completely different. And although there is already some information or maybe just rumors that Nvidia is preparing a second generation LC-shutter glasses for an update to the existing GeForce 3D Vision the 3D Vision Discover Glasses are not going to do that! Instead Nvidia’s 3D Vision Discover Glasses are going to be a custom-designed, specialized anaglyph (red/blue) glasses that will work with the existing 3D Vision drivers…

With the 3D Vision Discover Glasses, 3D Vision’s drivers and a nVidia-based graphics gard you’ll be able to achieve nice view of 3D Stereo in a lot of games relying on anaglyph technology for depth reproduction. And although the results won’t be as good as with the specialized 3D Vision glasses and a compatible monitor, you’ll still be able to achieve pretty good depth perception on your normal monitor. This means you won’t have to pay for a high-end video card, specialized glasses or even a high refresh rate display, because they are not needed for anaglyph 3D Stereo. Nvidia says it’s 3D Vision Discover glasses will be bundled with selected GeForce graphics cards starting in summer 2009, but there is still not a lot of information about that. You can subscribe to the special newsletter they prepared in order to receive more news when the glasses become available. The thing is that you may already be ready for enjoying 3D Stereo in games if you already own some paper anagyph glasses bought with some 3D DVD movie. Even if you don’t have them you can buy a pair of paper anaglyph glasses very cheap or go for more advanced plastic ones for better results. I personally would recommend anachrome anaglyph glasses as I had best results with them so far, but you are welcome to try any other or just wait for more information from Nvidia…

Either way, I’ll soon be doing some tests with different anaglyph glasses I currently own, until there is more info available for nVidia’s optimized anaglyph glasses, so expect more on the topic very soon… ;)

- For more about Nvidia’s 3D Vision Discover Glasses…
- To check some alternatives for getting a hold of anaglyph glasses…

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By default when you install the GeForce 3D Vision drivers you also get the Nvidia 3D Vision Photo Viewer that is needed in order for you to be able to open JPS files and view them in 3D Stereo mode. When you open an image in full screen it is shown in 3D mode, and when you exit the full screen mode it gets in a side by side view of the two frames (the ones for the left and for the right eye). You should have in mind that when viewing the 3D stereo images you cannot change their level of depth like you can in a normal 3D application… when making the screenshots they are being saved in the depth level you were using in the actual game or other 3D application.

- Here are some screenshots form the Nvidia’s Medusa 3D Stereo demo
- And here is the Nvidia’s Medusa 3D Stereo demo itself that you can download and run

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