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	Key Digital Presents New Champion Series HDMI Matrix Switcher and Distribution Amplifier Line
3D-News Posted: Thursday, May 30, 2013 (5:10 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
Key Digital presents new Champion Series HDMI Matrix, Switcher and Distribution Amplifier line: KD-3x1CS, KD-1x3CS, KD-2x2CS, and KD-4x2CS, with full support of 3D stereoscopic signals for commercial applications such as Digital Movie Theaters, CAD, Post Production, Graphics and etc. KD-3x1CS, KD-1x3CS, KD-2x2CS, and KD-4x2CS are designed and engineered to offer the best quality, performance, and reliability, while providing a cost effective HDMI solution and to enable any HDMI Source to be viewed on any HDMI Output/Display at any time and in any combination. KD-3x1CS, KD-1x3CS, KD-2x2CS, and KD-4x2CS support lossless compressed digital audio: Dolby(R) TrueHD, Dolby(R) Digital Plus, and DTS(TM)-HD Master Audio. Additionally, they also support SD, HD, and VESA (VGA, SVGA, XGA, WXGA, SXGA, and UXGA) resolutions up to 1080p (60Hz & 50Hz) SD & HD: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p VESA / DVI: From 640x480p up to 1920x1200p KD-3x1CS, KD-1x3CS support HDMI with HDCP, 12-Bit Deep Color Video, lossless compressed digital audio and CEC. KD-2x2CS, KD-4x2CS has LED Link Lights that indicate connectivity between each input & output device, and Serial IR, Optical IR, Front Panel & RS-232 control and it supports major control systems: Compass Control(R), AMX(R), Control4(R), Creston(R), RTI(R), Savant(R), and Universal(R). In addition to Native EDID data for any Output/Display, KD-1x3CS, KD-2x2CS, and KD-4x2CS' Internal EDID Library feature 12 default EDID configurations.

	The KLIK! Amsterdam Animation Festival is in search of the newest 3D stereoscopic animated shorts
3D-News Posted: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 (11:06 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
Nowadays visual media, especially film, cannot be imagined without the extensive use of stereoscopy. While the 3D revolution advances further in every field, the (independent) animated short in particular keeps utilizing the technique in an innovative way, exploring its influence on and place in a films' narrative. The KLIK! Amsterdam Animation Festival has been following the evolution of stereoscopy with great interest and introduced a 3D Stereoscopic Animation Competition to their international animation competition last year. The competition turned out to be a great success, leaving the audience in awe of the value that stereoscopy can add to a story. This year the KLIK! Amsterdam Animation Festival proudly organizes the 3D Stereoscopic Animation Competition for the second time. Among other competitions, the 3D Stereoscopic Animation Competition for the KLIK! Amsterdam Animation Festival 2013 is accepting submissions until July 1st. So don't forget to submit your newest 3D stereoscopic animated short before it's too late! Submitting is free. You can submit your animation either by sending a Blu-ray by old-fashioned mail or by e-mailing a plain simple (3D!) YouTube/Vimeo link. A submission's running time shouldn't exceed 25 minutes and it has to be produced later than January 1st, 2012. Aside from the 3D category you submit to, your entry will also automatically compete for the KLIK! Amsterdam Audience Award. Submit your 3D stereoscopic animated short through KLIK!'s website: http://klikamsterdam.nl/submit2013_page.php

	3D Enthusiasts gather in Traverse City, Michigan for 3D-Con
3D-News Posted: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 (7:48 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
The 2013 National Stereoscopic Association (NSA) 3D-Con in Traverse City, Michigan, Cherry Capital of the World, June 4th-10th promises to be the best ever. The celebrity speaker at this year's convention is Dr. Brian May. Dr. May is a legendary guitarist, founding member of "Queen," songwriter, singer, astrophysicist and author. He has had a lifelong interest in 3-D photography. He will be discussing his new book DIABLERIES – Stereoscopic Adventures in Hell, which is being published this year. A 2005 Planet Rock poll voted May the 7th greatest guitarist of all time. For his work in 3-D see the website: http://www.londonstereo.com Other featured speakers are Dr. May's DIABLERIES co-authors, photo historian and noted stereo author Denis Pellerin…and Paula Richardson Fleming, another highly respected stereo photo historian and retired Photo Archivist of the Smithsonian Institution National Anthropological Archives. Being held in the midst the greatest surge of 3D technology in history, 3D-Con participants and guests will immerse themselves in 3D over six action-packed days! There will be stereo theatre, workshops, image competitions, art exhibition, excursions, room hopping, an auction and a trade fair… all about 3D, all in one place. And of course, it's a great opportunity to make new friends and have a great time in general at the spectacular Grand Traverse Resort and Spa on the shores of Lake Michigan. In recent years, millions of moviegoers have come to appreciate the visual excitement achieved with the addition of a third dimension. Many of today's highest grossing films are in 3D…TV boasts ever-increasing 3D content and its future promise seems limitless. 3D, however, is far from being a 21st Century phenomenon. 3D photography dates back to the 1830's with Stereopticon Cards and viewers providing the masses with an opportunity to visually visit and learn about beautiful, historic and exotic people and places all over the world. Those who remember the 1950's will recall the thrill of spears, pies, yoyos and various other objects and appendages hurtling toward them from the 3D screen. Then, thirty-eight years ago, a group of people from all walks of life who loved the 3D experience, met to share 3D images (mass produced and homemade), memorabilia, technical expertise and equipment... and to discuss and plan for the future. That enthusiastic band which became the National Stereoscopic Association now has grown to 2,500 members from all over the world and remains at the forefront of all that is 3D.

	Virtalis VR Aids Joined-Up Thinking at CNH
3D-News Posted: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 (7:47 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
CNH, a world leader in the agricultural and construction equipment business, has installed another six Virtalis Virtual Reality (VR) systems to add to the four Virtalis ActiveWall VR systems already installed in the US, Belgium and Italy. The six systems comprise another three fully tracked ActiveWalls in Burlington and Fargo in the US and Lecce in Italy, plus two 3D TV systems in Belo Horizonte, Brazil and Wichita, US, and a Head Mounted Display (HMD) based system, known as an ActiveSpace, in Curitiba, US. "Our Virtalis VR systems are used to host design reviews, manufacturability reviews, training sessions and even focus groups", said Andrew Brokaw, CNH design analysis engineer. "The use of this system allows us to create and work with virtual prototypes to streamline and strengthen the overall design process. Our ActiveWalls are all compatible and of a very similar design. They have undoubtedly saved a great deal of travelling, as engineers can now meet virtually, collaborate and consult with each other over the model in real-time. As a result, our VR centers are used daily by small and large groups. We asked Virtalis what was feasible for us and they have designed and supplied the best technical specification." The Virtalis ActiveWall is an installed, immersive, interactive 3D visualisation system that is the industry benchmark for both price and performance. ActiveWall is Virtalis' best selling interactive 3D visualisation system and probably the best selling VR system in the world. CNH's ActiveWalls are managed by a controller that actually operates the model in the virtual scene. This means they can be used for both control testing and operator training. The ActiveSpace is an interactive 3D visualisation system using an HMD that provides the ultimate immersive experience. The principal advantage of ActiveSpace is that its users have the freedom and flexibility to move around in their virtual environment, totally unencumbered, whilst experiencing 360o views. At CNH's Burr Ridge site, the ActiveWall is linked to an ActiveSpace to enable one user to be fully immersed while his tracked movements are followed by the audience viewing the ActiveWall stereoscopically. This can be used for anything from analysing assembly processes to ergonomic analysis of visibility. Alex Theis, a project engineer working alongside the Product Validation Group at CNH Burlington, IA, explained: "Our VR capability has fundamentally changed the way we do business. Thanks to our VR systems, our product engineers are tackling manufacturing challenges at an early stage in the design cycle. Redesigning in this fashion is all prior to the physical prototype stage, allowing us to reduce waste stream, as all parts fit as designed." CNH's use of VR during the last decade has not only significantly shortened its design cycle, but increased communication between other stakeholders, including customers too. Virtual mannequins are deployed to interact with the virtual prototype to test for safety, ease of servicing and operability. The ability to brainstorm in 3D has led to the CNH design engineers feeling that they are ahead of the curve technologically. "Our customers have reacted positively to the VR experience, because they feel like we are showing them the future, which we are! After these sessions, we not only identify problems in VR, we solve them too."

	Dimension 3 & Le Big Shoot Conferences: a think tank dedicated to the evolution of images
3D-News Posted: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 (7:46 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
For its seventh edition, Dimension 3 offers two days of conferences to understand of how new technologies can enhance images workflows and their use or their consumption. These conferences deliver an economic, a creative and a technological approach with key information regarding production and distribution problematics. Dimension 3 welcomes visitors from over 30 countries so conferences are also a great opportunity for international networking. Dimension 3 2013 conferences at a glance: What cameras for what uses, tomorrow and in the future? HFR, a gimmick or a technological advance? 4K filming and workflow Producing 3D on a realistic budget to delivery impressive results 3D Printing: the new industrial revolution 3D and 4K: a true added value for the acquisition of concerts and events An overview of ACES: standardization to ease collaborative work The new professions related to digital filming Financing and technologies Immersion: what to choose between 4K, stereoscopic 3D and 3D audio? Ultra HD, soon a TV near you The uses of Augmented Reality in the media (in partnership with French blog Augmented Reality) What's new in my movie Theatre – an EDCF seminar Special Effects in The Great Gatsby with Jon Cowley from Prime Focus Word The Making of Oz the Great and Powerful with Eric Deren, stereographer Behind the scenes of Minuscule: The Valley of the Lost Ants – The backstage of shooting and the workflow with the stereographer Josephine Derobe Dimension 3 offers 2 kinds of conference passes: with the VIP Pass, book your seat in the Premium area of the conference room, meet the speakers thanks to the access to the VIP Club, attend Dimension 3 Awards ceremony with an invitation for two, and much more. The Free Pass to the conferences gives you access to the conferences but without guaranteeing you a seat. For more information, please visit http://www.dimension3-expo.com/uk

	NASA Selects DTI for Phase I 'Glasses Free' 3D Cockpit Display Contract
3D-News Posted: Monday, May 13, 2013 (13:58 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
NASA has selected Dimension Technologies Inc. (DTI) for a phase I contract to investigate the adaptation of DTI's new high resolution glasses free 3D technology to cockpit displays. Previous studies by the US Air Force and others indicate the use of 3D displays can increase situation awareness and improve hazard avoidance in aircraft, helicopters, and potentially spacecraft. DTI's new 3D display technology avoids the heavy resolution loss associated with other 3D displays, allowing the creation of 3D images with as much resolution as the LCD on which they are displayed. Furthermore, DTI's displays can easily be made sunlight readable, since they do not use slit barriers or other light blocking elements. Other glasses free 3D displays use optics or barriers in front of LCDs to create 3D images. These limit resolution by dividing the available pixels between different perspective views visible from different positions in front of the display. DTI generates its 3D images using a backlight in combination with a fast, off the shelf LCD that sends light from all pixels to all viewing positions in a time sequential fashion, making full resolution images visible from all positions. DTI is partnering with DAD Technologies of La Mesa, California in the NASA contract. DAD is a spinoff from L3 communications (Formerly Northrop Grumman, Litton Data Systems, and SAI Technology a Division of SAIC)). The staff at DAD was responsible for the design and manufacture of the MobileVu and the VideoVu lines of LCD based displays at L-3 Communications. These displays are used in numerous rotary wing and fixed wing aircraft, as well as police cruisers in several major metropolitan police departments. DAD is currently exploring the use of 3-D display technology for military and first responder applications with the intention of marketing products in this area. DTI is also working with 3D International Media to modify an existing 2 view to multiview converter to work with the new high resolution technology. The converter analyzes 2D and two-view stereo video streams and converts them to multiple perspective views in real time, with very good results. This is of interest for hazard avoidance applications because the cameras used for that purpose are very expensive. It would be beneficial if one or two cameras could be used instead of four or more. The contract will include experimentation to determine the efficacy of such a system for hazard avoidance. 22" and 46" displays embodying DTI's new high definition glasses free technology and streaming conversion wowed visitors at the 2012 and 2013 Consumer Electronics Showa in Las Vegas. The displays attracted interest from several manufacturers. DTI is pursuing prototype development projects and licensing deals with several companies. Arnold Lagergren, CEO of DTI states: "This NASA contract validates DTI's revolutionary technology. NASA wants only the best, cutting edge technology. We have performed on several NASA contracts in the past, and have won a Space Technology Hall of Fame Award and a NASA Hallmark of Success award in previous years for our work." Vice President Jesse Eichenlaub states: "Other 3D displays get their 3D effects from physical barriers or lenses in front of the LCD. We use patterns of light behind the LCD to produce the 3D effect. Our Time Multiplexed Backlight System, in combination with today's fast LCDs, overcomes the problems associated with other no-glasses 3D technology, which include loss of resolution, light loss, and moiré effects. Our display can also switch between perfect 2D images and perfect 3D. We can also put moveable 3D windows in a 2D background and vice versa. "We believe that this technology will finally allow glasses free displays to enter and then become standard in many markets for many applications: military, scientific, business, and consumer. Low resolution, sweet spots, and optical artifacts have kept glasses-free displays out of most markets. Now those are a thing of the past."

	Sungame Corporation Announces Launch of Flightdeck Commander Glasses-Free 3D Android Tablet
3D-News Posted: Monday, May 13, 2013 (13:58 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
Sungame Corporation, developer of the social network and content community, Freevi.com, has announced the launch of the Flightdeck™ brand of Android tablets, beginning with the 10" Flightdeck™ Commander 3D. This revolutionary device enables users to experience 3D viewing without the need for special glasses. "We believe the Flightdeck Commander 3D represents the future of online content delivery, and are very excited about the preliminary feedback from users who have tried it to date in terms of its quality," stated Sungame CEO Neil Chandran. "We recognized that 3D was important to the growth of our platform and invested to ensure we were well positioned as that market grows. The Commander 3D fits into our business model and efforts to be a provider of 3D content."

	World 3-D Film Expo III Returns to Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood
3D-News Posted: Monday, May 13, 2013 (13:58 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
The World 3-D Film Expo will return to the Egyptian Theatre, September 6-15, 2013. The ten-day festival will pay tribute to the 60th anniversary of what many film historians regard as the "Golden Age" of 3-D, and will include screenings of the John Wayne western HONDO, the Vincent Price horror film HOUSE OF WAX, Cole Porter's musical KISS ME KATE, and sci-fi thriller IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE., and even later 3-D films, such as 1983's JAWS 3-D. Lesser-known titles, such as THE FRENCH LINE with Jane Russell and SECOND CHANCE with Robert Mitchum, will also be included. The Expo is partnering with digital 3-D projection sponsor RealD to present a number of screenings in RealD 3-D including Alfred Hitchcock's DIAL M FOR MURDER and Jack Arnold's sci-fi/horror classic CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON. Stefan Droessler, 3-D historian and head of the Munich Film Museum, will present an in-depth overview of "European 3-D Filmmaking 1935-1953," including long-lost footage from the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The festival will also be home to several premieres including the Los Angeles Premiere of the 1946 Russian 3-D adaptation of ROBINSON CRUSOE. September 14th will mark the World Premiere of the stereoscopic version of the 1954 Korean War drama, DRAGONFLY SQUADRON. The film was only released in a flat version during its initial release, and has never been seen by audiences in 3-D. Newly-restored 35 mm prints of shorts "Rocky Marciano, Champion vs. Jersey Joe Walcott, Challenger" and "College Capers" will be screened in 3-D for the first time in 60 years. Most programs being presented at the festival will be shown in archival double-system 35 mm. prints, many of them the last known copies. The World 3-D Expo has been called "a Woodstock for movie geeks" by film critic Leonard Maltin. Organized by Jeff Joseph of SabuCat Productions, the Expo was first presented at the Egyptian Theatre to sold-out crowds in 2003 and again in 2006. "The technical demands of presenting 3-D cinema and the increasing difficulty of finding prints means that for many of the films presented, this may be the last time they are ever screened in this format" says producer and programmer Jeff Joseph. Tickets for the festival are available on the Expo website at www.3-dfilmexpo.com or by calling the Expo Box Office at (661) 724-0934. Individual tickets are $18 per show; an Expo Pass for all 35 programs is available at $399 including priority seating. The World 3-D Film Expo will be held at the Egyptian Theatre at: 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood CA 90028. [Please note that the World 3-D Film Expo III is not a presentation of the American Cinematheque which owns and operates the Egyptian Theatre.]

	zSpace, Inc. and Mechdyne Announce trackdTM support for zSpace
3D-News Posted: Monday, May 13, 2013 (13:57 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
zSpace, Inc., a technology provider that is transforming the future of human-computer interaction, announced that software partner Mechdyne has released a version of trackd that supports the company's 3D virtual holographic platform, zSpace. With this release, more than 22 trackd-compatible applications can now take advantage of zSpace's immersive 3D environment. trackd® is the standard device driver software for leading virtual reality applications, developers, display manufacturers, motion tracking companies and input device manufacturers in the immersive 3D display industry. The software takes information from a variety of motion tracking and input devices and makes the information available for other applications to use. "When working in 3D, motion tracking is critical to ensuring the user experience is as realistic, comfortable and interactive as possible," said Julien Berta, Vice President of Technology and Innovation for Mechdyne's Software Division. "We are thrilled to take the capabilities of trackd and apply them to a display like zSpace that offers a highly realistic and immersive environment. With the release of trackd, we look forward to seeing not only Mechdyne's software products in zSpace, but also other leading software applications that use trackd to enable virtual reality interaction." Through this collaboration, a wide spectrum of mainstream industries can reap the benefits of virtual realism for product styling, interactive simulations, architectural walkthroughs, and training for military, medical and first responders. zSpace users are able to create and experience visually stunning, interactive content with ease right from their desktop. "As one of the most innovative, world-wide companies selling immersive software and technologies, we are excited to be working with Mechdyne on multiple fronts," says Dave Chavez, CTO of zSpace, Inc. "trackd is recognized as a standard for the immersive 3D industry, and allows users to take advantage of the six degrees of freedom necessary to make an experience look and feel real. This partnership will further enable the zSpace developer community to bring innovative and highly realistic virtual reality solutions to the market."

	VR Addresses Engineering's Demographic Timebomb
3D-News Posted: Monday, May 13, 2013 (13:57 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
As the average age of qualified engineers has crept ever upwards, National Grid has embarked on a big recruitment drive. "This September, we have 46 Graduates, 64 Engineering Trainees and 39 Substation Apprentices starting. Last year was the same and next year is set to be similar. The race is on to get these recruits fully trained before too many of our existing engineers retire", explained Chris Croce, Technical & Safety Specialist at National Grid's Eakring Training Centre. Already experienced in advanced simulation, National Grid has Virtalis, Europe's leading Virtual Reality (VR) company, as its technological partner. National Grid UK has installed an ActiveWall into its Training Centre and also has an ActiveMove portable system for Road Shows, Recruitment Fairs and Site Visits. The Virtalis ActiveWall is an immersive, interactive 3D visualisation system and is probably the bestselling VR system in the world. ActiveWall draws on active stereo technology and features a custom screen, specialist computer, Virtalis custom software and powerful projectors. Movements within the ActiveWall environment are tracked using a tracking system. This added functionality alters the perspective of the visuals according to the user's position and orientation within the scene to give a natural and accurate sense of relationship and scale. The hand-held controller allows the immersive experience to be enhanced further. The user can navigate through the virtual world, pick and manipulate objects, and even tools, in real-time. ActiveMove is the ActiveWall's smaller sibling. It comprises an active, stereoscopic, three chip DLP projector with a rear projection screen in a dedicated enclosure, coupled with a PC, eyewear, head and hand tracking, installation and support. ActiveMove is transported in two, custom, wheeled cases specifically design for local and international shipping, making it easy to share between locations. "We, or our partners, like Alstom, provide CAD data to Virtalis and they VR-enable these models, optimising them for interactive 3D stereoscopic display", said Croce. "Crucial this year has been for us to render in 3D a virtual replica of our T155 Circuit Breaker in our new £4 million workshop. Although the workshop has been specifically designed for hands-on maintenance practice for our new trainees, we find virtual practice in a VR world speeds development, making our recruits even more confident of their skills. Also, there are some tasks that are done very, very rarely, either because the kit is rarely used, or as is the case of our Alstom T155 400kV Circuit Breaker, it isn't sensible to carry out the procedure on a regular basis. This particular circuit breaker uses Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6) gas as the insulating medium, which is a greenhouse gas so is not designed to be released to atmosphere. Circumstances such as these are absolutely perfect for virtual, rather than real world, practice. "We're also finding that the next generation of engineers are completely natural around computers. Even VR doesn't phase them. When we take our VR kit out to Recruitment Fairs, everyone wants to have a go and we believe that showing ourselves as technological leaders in this way has boosted our recruitment, both in numbers and quality. Let's face it, 3D is how we all live our lives, so VR looks fantastic and is state-of-the-art."

	emotion3D announces Stereoscopic Suite X3 plugins for The Foundry’s Nuke
3D-News Posted: Thursday, April 11, 2013 (19:05 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
emotion3D announced the upcoming release of its award-winning suite of stereoscopic plugins for The Foundry's Nuke platform. The Stereoscopic Suite X3 for The Foundry's Nuke features emotion3D's unique toolset for working with stereoscopic material, bringing the exceptional functionality of SSX3 to a new group of artists. SSX3 for The Foundry's Nuke includes automatic stereoscopic color matching, vertical alignment and temporally smoothed disparity map generation tools which are accelerated by Nvidia's CUDA powered graphics cards, as well as depth budget adjustment, 2D dimensionalization and new perspective view tools, opening an entirely new toolset to the Nuke user base. Key features of the Stereoscopic Suite X3 for The Foundry's Nuke include: Color matching plugin for automatic matching of image histograms, providing a choice of which eye to match to. Disparity Map manipulation nodes such as Disparity Structure and Disparity Smoothing, for refining disparity maps. Image weighting options for newly created views, allowing artists the option of which eye to pull pixels from for inpainting operations or to correct focus matching problems. Depth to disparity, disparity to depth, and disparity clipping nodes for use in compositing operations. Novel view creation and 2D dimensionalizing nodes, for changing or creating the depth within a given scene. External viewer node for viewing resulting images on a stereoscopic display. With the addition of The Foundry's Nuke to the list of supported applications along with Adobe's After Effects, emotion3D's SSX3 unique toolset will be available to an even wider range of artists and facilities. With the ubiquity of The Foundry's Nuke in the stereoscopic market and SSX3's unique toolsets for dimensionalizing 2D content and working with native S3D material, now even more facilities will be able to provide comfortable S3D content, whether for theatrical release, broadcast, or glasses-free digital signage. Says emotion3D's Vice President of Sales Gary Meyer, "The Foundry's Nuke has been the primary compositing application on the majority of S3D releases since the reemergence of 3D, and we are very excited to bring emotion3D's Stereoscopic Suite X3 to the platform. SSX3's exceptional toolset brings new levels of quality, interactivity and analysis to Nuke pipelines, greatly improving rendered results in a manner that is immediately apparent. Feedback on the SSX3 toolset has consistently been overwhelmingly positive and as someone who has a long history with Nuke, I am proud to be a part of bringing these tools to the Nuke community." emotion3D's SSX3 for The Foundry's Nuke plugins will be available for download on the emotion3D website www.emotion3d.tv as of 17th April 2013. Pricing is set at €7,795 per license, with annual support and maintenance contracts available by contacting emotion3D.

	TRIDELITY announces new Plug-in Suite for 3D Content creation
3D-News Posted: Thursday, April 11, 2013 (19:02 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
TRIDELITY announced the new Plug-in for Autodesk Maya®. This plugin gives Maya artists the possibility to create amazing ASD 3D Videos by simply activating the stereo capabilities offered by the plug-in. The Maya Plug-in offers a fun, easy to use and with a powerful preview capability that makes 3D content creation under Windows and MAC look like working on a normal animation. The TRIDELITY Maya plug-in and all other 3D plug-ins are available immediately.

	Dimenco presents @DEPTH 2.0 – Simplifying 3D editing and 2D – 3D conversion
3D-News Posted: Thursday, April 11, 2013 (19:02 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
Dimenco announced that it will showcase the extended capabilities of its 3D content-enabling software @DEPTH 2.0 at the NAB show in Las Vegas, April 8th to 11th. @DEPTH 2.0 contains two major new features. These are the introduction of the ‘Accurate’ algorithm and the Depth Maps Creation Service (DMCS). @DEPTH 2.0, based on Philips and Dolby technology, empowers content creators and post-production companies with a cost-effective (semi-automatic) and high quality offline conversion of existing 2D video content to any 3D content format that the user requires. @DEPTH 2.0 uses depth maps in order to create 3D. These depth maps are grey scale images in which the user can bring objects to the front by coloring them whiter and can bring objects to the back by coloring them a deeper black. In addition to converting 2D content, @DEPTH 2.0 is the perfect tool to edit 3D stereo-content. It calculates the depth information from high-definition stereo content in a fully automated process, using the disparity between the left and right images. This gives the user the ability to compose shots, edit the amount of depth per frame and render for different types and size of 3D screens. The depth information can be used to generate high-quality stereo or auto-stereo (glasses-free) 3D images. Previews of the converted content can be shown in real-time on a Dimenco glasses-free 3D display or a traditional glasses-based Stereo 3D display. The ‘Accurate’ Algorithm In addition to using the existing software algorithms, it is now possible to use the new and improved algorithm called ‘Accurate’. Like its name, the new algorithm offers the user a much more precise algorithm. This will mean higher quality generated depth maps and a better quality for your 3D footage. By adding depth maps the user can also control the quality of the 3D conversion footage and control the effort and cost of conversion. Depth Maps Creation Service Via @DEPTH 2.0 the user can make use of the fully trained and experienced artists at Dimenco, who can manually create the depth maps for the user. This feature allows the user to take full control over its budget and increase the speed of the conversion. Using the @DEPTH 2.0 software it is now possible to order depth maps of the key frames for only $5. Simply upload your chosen keys frames via @DEPTH 2.0 and order the depth maps for these frames. The ordered depth maps are finished within 3 working days. With the created depth maps @DEPTH 2.0 will calculate the depth maps in-between, enabling high quality low cost conversion. @DEPTH 2.0 will present its new features for the first time at NAB in Las Vegas from 8th – 11th of April. Dimenco will organize demos of @DEPTH 2.0 and will showcase its possibilities in the invitation only area in the Dolby booth. The location of the booth is in the Upper South Hall (SU1702). Furthermore, @DEPTH 2.0 contains some additional improvements in usability and performance, which make it possible to generate and export Dolby 3D Multi view. "The introduction of DMCS will enable the industry to increase the quality and speed of conversion and lower the cost, making 3D content available for everyone." says Maarten Tobias, CEO of Dimenco. Customers can download a free 30 day trial version, try out the experience and provide feedback to the product team. The trial version of @DEPTH 2.0 is available via the Dimenco website. Estimated license per seat per year is $2,500. Educational pricing as well as volume licensing are available. For more information please visit http://www.dimenco.eu/adepth

	Pretend Unveils Pseudo at NAB 2013
3D-News Posted: Thursday, April 11, 2013 (19:00 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
Pretend LLC began previews of Pseudo, an upcoming "big brother" application to Stereoid, offering a timeline with EDL/XML import and depth scripts for more creative stereoscopic control of storylines. Pseudo is built on the new Pretend engine which scales linearly on multi-core systems and is optimized for 4k resolutions and high frame rates. Pretend also announced the new Stereoid v1.1 Beta. The new beta version is now open to existing clients with the official release scheduled for the summer. New Stereoid v1.1 features include: Global analysis – Selective analysis to match overall color and alignment multiple times faster than full analysis. Depth Budget tools – Useful to modify depth for different screen sizes and to maintain consistency between shots. Floating Windows – Crop image sides to compensate for edge violations. Quality controls – detects and reports problems to assist with the integration with various workflows such as dailies, stereo plates preparation, rendering errors reviews, etc… Manual alignment tools – New controls to modify alignment for optimal results. ARRIRAW support – Native support for the Arri format. Private demonstrations of Stereoid v1.1 and an early sneak peek of Pseudo are being held in the Pretend suite at the Cosmopolitan hotel during NAB 2013, April 8-11. Pretend is providing an early look at Pseudo to allow users to help guide the software’s development at an early stage. Also during NAB, Pretend will be a sponsor of both the Fusion-io event on April 9th, and Cool By the Pool2 at the Las Vegas Hilton on April 10th, where the Z-awards will be presented for stereoscopic filmmaking projects.

	v3 Announces Collaboration with Adobe to Provide 3D Post-Production Solutions
3D-News Posted: Thursday, April 11, 2013 (18:59 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
Vision III® Imaging, Inc. (v3), a leader in parallax visualization capabilities, has teamed with Adobe to provide stereoscopic solutions for Adobe® Premiere® Pro CS6 and future versions of the software. v3 was used because of its reputation as an innovator and three-dimensional problem solver. Its unique critical alignment software tools are revolutionizing military imaging. With 25 years of research in visual mechanics, v3 has developed an understanding of human perception that is reflected in the precise nature of its stereoscopic tools. As a result, the team introduces the v3 Quick S3D™ Plug-in (the "Plug-in") for Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 and Adobe After Effects® CS6 and future versions of the tools. The Plug-in imports independent left and right stereoscopic video channels and manages the demultiplexing of side-by-side or over-under formats. Precision tools are included for adjusting left/right alignment, convergence, rotation, scale, skew, and keystone correction in source stereoscopic digital content. All parameters are updated live to the editing program monitor and external S3D displays. Edited S3D footage can be exported in a variety of rendered formats conforming to 3D industry standards. One unique feature of the Plug-in is the v3 Parallax display that provides users with a quick method to review stereoscopic source footage on any standard 2D display. This feature makes any differences in the left/right source footage obvious. It allows a user to make immediate judgments about the quality of the footage and to determine what corrections will be required. The feature presents the left/right imagery alternately in a square-wave switching manner at 4.3 Hz. The human eye is an excellent comparator when presented with alternating images. This method makes any stereoscopic imagery difference errors such as luminance, zoom, rotation, focus, and others immediately apparent. These judgments can be difficult to make using the traditional 50/50 overlay (onionskin) or difference map methods. The QuickS3D plug-in is the only 3D tool available in both Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 and After Effects CS6 and is able to take advantage of Adobe's Dynamic Link. Users save an enormous amount of time by linking their workflows in Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 and After Effects CS6 rather than having to render and export in order to share media. This seamless integration means that changes made in one application appear in the other, offering obvious benefits. v3 has also produced a Lite version with limited capabilities for Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 and After Effects CS6, which is aimed at users with more moderate needs. QuickS3D Lite maintains the necessary functions for stereoscopic video editing. This version is designed for enthusiasts and prosumer markets that do not require as many features to meet their 3D needs. If more functionality is required, one can seamlessly upgrade to the full version.

	Sisvel Technology Delivers Glasses-free 3D TV
3D-News Posted: Thursday, April 11, 2013 (18:59 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
At Sisvel Technology's booth no. SU3715 at the 2013 NAB Show, visitors will find vivid demonstrations of a wide variety of display technologies (3D displays, 2D displays, glasses-free 3D displays). Sisvel Technology's innovative 3D Tile Format, together with cropping rectangle technology, offers viewers better resolution than traditional 3D formats, and backward compatibility with 2D HD TVs, while providing broadcasters the ability to stream 3D and 2D programming in a single, bandwidth-efficient stream. The 3DZ Tile Format technology, an evolution of 3D Tile Format, developed by Sisvel Technology and its Russian partner Triaxes, which specializes in software and hardware solutions for autostereoscopic displays, simplifies and improves glasses-free 3D TV and may also be the key technology that reduces 3D TV costs. Triaxes has added Z (Depth) information into the Sisvel Technology 3D Tile format, leading to the creation of 3DZ Tile, the first universal display-independent format, which can provide users with proper video playback regardless of the type of displays (common 2D, glasses 3D and glasses-free 3D). Creating a Depth Map at the broadcaster's premises facilitates the synthesis of intermediate views for autostereoscopic displays, successfully offloading on broadcasting systems the computation normally present in the TV. Sisvel Technology's Tile Format is now fully supported by 3D Impact Media's RealityBox, the real-time content conversion box for glasses-free 3D TVs. Supporting the Tile Format, the RealityBox also allows the viewing for any display, whether 2D, stereo 3D or glasses-free 3D from a single stream, in full HD resolution. The RealityBox decodes, converts and scales in real time the stream from the Tile Format. Triaxes's CEO Alexey Polyakov stated: "We think that the universal 3DZ Tile format can be the future of broadcasting as there can be only one stream to be broadcasted and all are happy. It means it doesn't matter what type of display a viewer has (regular 2D TV-set, 3D glasses or 3D glasses free display). The 3DZ Tile format is compatible with all of them, which will considerably reduce broadcasting costs." 3D Impact Media's CEO Laurent Muller went on to say: "We are proud to support the 3D Tile Format in the RealityBox and to contribute to the universal solution that enables broadcasting in a cost-effective way for all kinds of different displays, especially for glasses-free 3D! We believe that this will open the door for this exciting technology!" Sisvel Technology's CEO Andrea Basso added: "Our technology is improving quickly and we are proud to have established relevant cooperation with international partners. The 3D glasses-free technology is likely to be the key for the take-off of 3D television and in the not too distant future, glasses-free 3D TVs will have a more consumer-friendly price and improved picture quality, as manufacturers integrate the Tile Format technology and broadcasters deliver 3D content with the Tile Format."

	Dolby and Philips Announce Dolby 3D Format Specification for Delivering High-Quality, Glasses-Free 3D Video Content to Broad Range of Devices
3D-News Posted: Thursday, April 11, 2013 (18:58 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
Dolby Laboratories, Inc. and Royal Philips Electronics announced the Dolby® 3D format, a new content delivery specification for Dolby 3D. The Dolby 3D format ensures that 3D content delivered to TVs, smartphones, PCs, and tablets enabled with Dolby 3D looks its very best, and accurately reflects what the content creator originally intended. The Dolby 3D format, which attaches essential playback information to content, will be available through a licensing program. Leading postproduction tool provider The Foundry will be demonstrating the future integration of the Dolby 3D format into its popular NUKE and OCULA postproduction products. Dolby 3D is a comprehensive suite of technologies for the creation, delivery, and playback of glasses-free 3D content, producing auto-stereoscopic images with lifelike realism. In addition to eliminating the need for glasses, Dolby 3D has no narrow "sweet spot," so viewers can enjoy the sharpest images regardless of where they sit. Roland Vlaicu, Senior Director, Broadcast Imaging, Dolby Laboratories explained, "The Foundry’s award-winning products and tools are behind the groundbreaking 3D visual effects in such films as Avatar, Tron: Legacy, and Hugo. By providing powerful tools to create Dolby 3D content, Dolby and Philips will make it easier than ever for Hollywood to create content for glasses-free 3D TVs and other devices." "The professionals using our postproduction tools want to know that whatever they create is going to look great, no matter where or how viewers choose to watch," said Simon Robinson, Chief Scientist and Co-Founder of The Foundry. "The Dolby 3D format will ensure that creative professionals’ artistic vision is recreated intact in the home." According to Guido Voltolina, manager of the joint project between Dolby and Philips, the Dolby 3D format specification is a crucial milestone in clearing the hurdles to easy and customizable 3D viewing on TVs, tablets, smartphones, and laptops. "By demonstrating a brilliant 3D experience that doesn't require glasses using The Foundry’s award-winning content creation tools, we will make it possible for 3D to finally succeed in the home," said Voltolina. At NAB Show® 2013 (booth SU1702), visitors will see how creative professionals can use such industry leading tools as The Foundry’s NUKE and OCULA to create Dolby 3D content. Other demonstrations include over-the-top streaming of Dolby 3D content onto a wide range of glasses-free devices through VUDU®.

	Spectacular 4K Glasses-Free 3D Display Set For Official UK Debut
3D-News Posted: Thursday, April 11, 2013 (18:58 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
Stereoscape Ltd, together with Ogilvy Labs (part of Ogilvy and Mather) launched the highly rated Dimenco 50" QFHD (Quad Full HD) Display for the first time in the UK. As an established distributor for Dimenco Displays, Stereoscape Ltd has been selected to exclusively host the UK launch, which will take place on April 16th, 2013. A demo version first stunned visitor at IBC (International Broadcasting Convention), in Amsterdam, September 2012 where James Cameron showed a keen interest, commenting, "I now feel motivated again to continue with 3D. This is already good enough for the consumer market". Based in the Netherlands, 3D technology company, Dimenco Displays specialises in the development and commercialisation of Philips glasses-free 3D technology. The company is also the exclusive manufacturer of Philips glasses-free professional monitors. According to Bas Ploeger, Managing Partner at Dimenco Displays, "We are very excited to launch the first Ultra High Resolution 3D displays in the UK market. For the first time we are capable of generating a QFHD 3D experience for consumers without the need to wear the special glasses. From earlier studies, we know that advertising in 3D significantly increases dwell time, telepresence, and retention rates of the advertised message. This opens up great opportunities for advertisers." The launch is in line with Stereoscape’s on-going mission to bring 3D closer to the advertising and marketing sectors. Stereoscape provides 3D production services, glasses-free 3D solutions and 3D Holographic Projection installations for in-store displays, events and brand communications. With teams in London, Helsinki, Stockholm and St Petersburg, the company serves clients globally. The 50" 4K 3D TV features a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. The resolution is four times that of a standard HD set. Therefore, the images are displayed with more superb quality and more intricate details. These advantages make the technology ready for home usage and perfect for evoking emotions from consumers in retail markets or larger venues such as airports and shopping centres. Stereoscape Ltd’s General Manager, Jason Robinson, comments "it’s a great honour to host the UK launch of the 4K screen. The Stereoscape team has been amazed by the 3D images we are able to produce on the new Dimenco screen. We are looking forward to building strong relationship with the team at Dimenco to really push the glasses-free 3D experience to a higher level in the next few months". The UK debut will be hosted in conjunction with Ogilvy Labs, with whom Stereoscape is an established partner. Ogilvy & Mather is one of the largest communications groups in the UK. Ogilvy’s ‘Laboratory’ spaces contain cutting-edge technology to help clients develop innovative digital marketing solutions across all online media and channels "Ogilvy Labs is pleased to partner with Stereoscape team Ltd, inspiring and educating our agency about all forms of 3D. We are excited to have the opportunity to host the launch of such an exciting innovative product in the UK," says William Harvey, Creative Lab Technologist at Ogilvy Labs.

	3D Glasses Empire adds Depth with Print Company Acquisition
3D-News Posted: Thursday, April 4, 2013 (14:35 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
American Paper Optics, LLC announced the acquisition of the assets and stock of Jaco-Bryant Printers, Inc. of Memphis, Tennessee. With the upcoming retirement of Sam Lencke, president of Jaco-Bryant, it made economic and strategic sense for American Paper Optics to acquire their largest vendor. John Jerit, president and founder of American Paper Optics says, "We supply Jaco-Bryant with our special paper board and production files, they print the sheets with excellent precision and quality, and then we convert them into our paper 3D glasses. Our long term relationship for over 20 years with Jaco-Bryant has been an important part of our success and growth on our way to selling over two billion pairs of 3D glasses worldwide." Sam Lencke, retiring president of Jaco-Bryant, says "I am so pleased to be able to pass the 47 year-old Jaco-Bryant Printers on to such a great organization like American Paper Optics. After 31 years of ownership, it is really important to me to not only preserve jobs but also the legacy of Jaco-Bryant Printers." Paulo Aur, CFO/COO of American Paper Optics, will also head the new Jaco-Bryant Printers, LLC. "Jaco-Bryant, with their excellent print capacity and technologies, is the perfect fit for an international marketing powerhouse such as American Paper Optics. The two companies working together will allow for better local penetration of the Mid-South market and with in-house printing now part of APO's capabilities, it makes us more competitive in the increasing international market for 3D optic products." Jaco-Bryant Printers, LLC will continue their printing operation at the 30,000 square foot Hickory Hill address in Southeast Memphis along with their 26 employees, many of whom have worked at Jaco-Bryant for 15 or more years. American Paper Optics, LLC is the world's leading manufacturer of 3D glasses, operating from a 28,000 square foot plant in Bartlett, Tennessee. In its 23 year history, American Paper Optics has made numerous successful acquisitions including competitors and optical technologies. American Paper Optics manufactures and markets 3D glasses, anaglyphic glasses, and polarized glasses worldwide for various uses including toys, games, magazines, DVD, Blu-Ray, theme parks, internet sites, fireworks shows, and television shows. For more information, please visit http://www.3dglassesonline.com

	New Singapore Plastic Film is the Future of 3D On-the-go
3D-News Posted: Tuesday, April 2, 2013 (5:39 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
Ditch the 3D glasses. Thanks to a simple plastic filter, mobile device users can now view unprecedented, distortion-free, brilliant 3D content with the naked eye. This latest innovation from TP and IMRE is the first ever glasses-free 3D accessory that can display content in both portrait and landscape mode, and measures less than 0.1 mm in thickness. "The filter is essentially a piece of plastic film with about half a million perfectly shaped lenses engineered onto its surface using IMRE's proprietary nanoimprinting technology," said Dr Jaslyn Law, the IMRE scientist who worked with TP on the nanoimprinting R&D since 2010 to enhance the film's smoothness, clarity and transparency compared to other films in the market. To complement the filter, the team developed applications for two software platforms, Apple iOS and Android, which allow users to play 3D content through its filter, in both landscape and portrait formats. The applications also allow 2D pictures taken using mobile devices to be converted into 3D. The team will be releasing a software development kit that enables game developers to convert their existing games into 3D versions. The team is also exploring using the same technology for security access tokens to decode PIN numbers sent online as an inexpensive and portable alternative to rival bulkier and more expensive battery-operated security tokens, similar to those used by Singapore banks today. "The team's expertise in both hardware and software development in 3D technology has enabled high quality 3D to be readily available to consumers," said Mr Frank Chan, the TP scientist who led the overall NRF-funded project. "We have taken age old lenticular lens technology that has been around for the last hundred years, modernised it and patented it using nanotechnology." Lenticular lens technology creates a transparent film that retains the brilliance of 3D visuals and effects, which does away with the need for stronger back lighting and saves on battery consumption in mobile devices. "The successful development of this product is indeed testimony that we have been able to bridge the gap between R&D and commercialisation in the area of 3D interactive digital media (IDM), aided by the NRF Translational R&D Grant and gap funding from A*STAR," said Mrs Lay-Tan Siok Lie, Deputy Principal of TP. The two-year project was initially funded under a National Research Foundation (NRF) Translational R&D Grant in Dec 2010 to look at optimising the control of the nanostructures and integrating its effects with the complementary software applications. The team has since shifted its focus towards commercialisation with support from Exploit Technologies Pte Ltd (ETPL), A*STAR's technology transfer arm and a one-stop resource that brings together home-grown technology, funding, collaboration and networks to assist A*STAR spin-offs and start-ups. "Our breakthrough is a game-changing piece of plastic that simply fits onto current smartphones or tablets to give users breathtaking 3D graphics on their smart devices. This removable plastic also opens up a multitude of opportunities for anyone wanting to create affordable premium 3D content and games for quick adoption to existing portable devices easily," said Nanoveu Pte Ltd Founder and CEO, Mr Alfred Chong. The start-up is licensing the technology exclusively from ETPL and TP, and is currently securing the interest of local and overseas customers and investors. "The success of this project is typical of what IMRE aims to do - innovate and turn science into an exciting business opportunity. I'm glad this has given us products that make life just a little bit more fun," said Prof Andy Hor, Executive Director of IMRE.

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