Using Stereoscopic Viewing

You can setup stereoscopic viewing which describes how we use both eyes, each with a slightly different perspective, to recreate the way we naturally see depth.

These images can be perceived by wearing special glasses which continuously transmit separate images to the left and right eyes, creating a view of computer or video-based objects that have depth, perspective and presence in three-dimensional space.

Before you begin:
  • On entry-range configurations, you need a set of special glasses. The CrystalEyes range of glasses (designed by StereoGraphics, Inc.) is an example of the type of special glasses supported allowing you to benefit from stereoscopic viewing capabilities. In case you want to use a standard computer with only one graphic board, two video inputs (one per eye) are required to manage a stereoscopic display system. If you have a computer with only one graphics board providing a single video output, the Cyviz XPO2 is a solution. The Cyviz XPO2 is a small electronic box converting one active stereo video input into the two corresponding plain video outputs (one per eye).
  • On high-range configurations, you need at least a graphics board supporting stereoscopic viewing on your platform, and a set of special glasses. These display platforms are provided by vendors such as FakeSpace Systems, which allow you to manipulate, assemble, and disassemble virtual mechanical objects while navigating through the entire digital mock-up.
  • For active or passive stereoscopic effects, you need a graphic board supporting OpenGL quad-buffered stereo. For detailed information about supported hardware configurations and general information about StereoGraphics, Inc. products, browse the Stereographics Internet site.
  • For anaglyph rendering effects, only anaglyph glasses are needed. Skip steps 1 to 4 which are relevant only for active or passive stereoscopic effects.
  • When stereoscopic or anaglyph rendering effects are activated, the tree is hidden. It is displayed as soon as you exit stereoscopic viewing.
  1. Set up the appropriate hardware configuration.
  2. Set up the graphic adaptor configuration for stereoscopic display.
    This step depends on hardware and operating system configuration. Some systems require administrator privileges to change the graphic adaptor display mode. You are required to determine the height, width and frequency characteristics of the graphic interface.
    Important: Stereo activation can be found in the display properties (select the Properties contextual command in your desktop background). Depending on the graphic adaptor, you may need to have administrator privilege to access the stereo option. The location of this option varies depending on the graphic driver vendor. If it is not directly available in the vendor tab page, look for "advanced configuration" in the vendor tab page or in the "settings" tab page. In some cases, you may need to reboot the computer to activate the new mode.
  3. In your session, access the Immersive Configuration preferences, and then click Enables stereoscopic display.
  4. Exit the session to save your options, then restart.
  5. Load an object.


  6. From the AR-VR section of the action bar, click the stereoscopic mode of your choice.
    ModeDescription


    		 Activates active or passive stereoscopic effects in the current view.
    Activates anaglyph stereoscopic effects in the current view using partial color reproduction.
    Activates anaglyph stereoscopic effects in the current view using shades of gray.
    Activates anaglyph stereoscopic effects in the current view using fewer colors than iV Color Anaglyph mode, in order to decrease retinal rivalry.
    Activates anaglyph stereoscopic effects in the current view using no shades of red, in order to decrease retinal rivalry as much as possible.

    In this scenario, iV Active or Passive Stereoscopy is selected.

    Stereoscopic viewing is enabled and has the following impacts:

    • The view is switched to a perspective view.
    • The 2D mouse pointer is replaced by a 3D immersive pointer to avoid perception conflicts and keep the stereoscopic effect.
    • The Robot and the Compass are hidden.



    This immersive pointer is made of two concentric circles: a small one filled in black and a larger one with no fill color. The circles are displayed on each eye (which is why you can see two pair of concentric circles in the picture above) and their depth is based on the depth of the object the pointer is snapped to. The distance between the two pairs of concentric circles is based on the inter-eye distance and the depth of the underlying object.

  7. Optional: For an optimized visualization, you can:
    • Press F3 to remove the tree.
    • Select Me > Preferences > General > Display > Navigation then deactivate the Preselect in geometry view option.
  8. Set the object of your choice in the screen plane by right-clicking it in the 3D area then selecting Reframe On.

    In the picture below, the object highlighted in blue has been set in the screen plane and is centered in the tab:



  9. Zoom out to view the whole scene.



    • Any object located in front of the screen plane has a smaller depth and thus, has a 3D pop-out effect.
    • Any object located behind the screen plane has a larger depth.
  10. Move the immersive pointer over the objects.
    The immersive pointer is rendered using a furtive technique: when the pointer is moved, only the two circles are rendered and not the whole scene to enhance the rendering time. This is why the color of the pointer matches the one of the underlying object.

    As the distance between the two pairs of circle depends on the inter-eye distance, the look of the pointer varies according to the object you point at. In the pictures below, you can see that as we get closer to the center of the screen, the concentric circles get closer to each other:









  11. To exit, click No iV Stereoscopy .