StereoGraphics Enables Glasses-Free 3D Casino Gaming
3D-News Posted: Sunday, September 21, 2003 (16:46 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
StereoGraphics® Corporation is adding a whole new dimension to electronic casino gaming with its line of SynthaGramTM Glasses-Free 3DTM monitors. The extremely bright and wide-angle view 3D monitors will be on display at the upcoming Global Gaming Expo (G2E), September 16-18 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. StereoGraphics will demo the SynthaGram monitors in Advanced Electronic Systems’ (AESI) booth #2551. StereoGraphics is partnering with AESI to sell 3D displays into casino gaming. AESI is a market leader in providing complete casino gaming solutions and support. Jim Brendel, AESI President, said, "The casino gaming market absolutely loves these monitors. We have shown the glasses-free 3D monitors to leading casino game manufacturers as well as the top casinos. The common response is that the 3D quality is excellent, and the monitors will certainly drive demand for casino games by stopping viewers in their tracks." The SynthaGram monitors are ideal for electronic casino games such as slot machines and video poker due to the clear bright stills and video that do not require special lighting. SynthaGram monitors are also ideal for casino signage or anywhere a casino needs to catch the attention of a large audience. The SynthaGram is a flat-screen LCD or plasma monitor with a special optical surface creating the 3D effect. Current sizes include 18-42 inches, but any size flat-screen LCD or plasma can be made into a SynthaGram monitor. StereoGraphics not only manufactures the SynthaGram monitors, but also provides a complete solution ensuring a dynamic 3D viewing experience. The glasses-free 3D solution includes the SynthaGram monitor, SynthaGram Player to playback 3D content, technology infrastructure, and complete content creation and conversion services.

	StereoGraphics and Kortek Form Glasses-Free 3D Partnership
3D-News Posted: Sunday, September 21, 2003 (16:45 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
StereoGraphics® Corporation, the world's leading supplier of Stereo3DTM visualization products, announced a strategic partnership with Kortek®, a Korean company that is the global leader in industrial monitors. StereoGraphics and Kortek will join forces to create the next generation of Glasses-Free 3DTM monitors. StereoGraphics already is the recognized world leader in Glasses-Free 3D monitors with its SynthaGramTM product line. The SynthaGram is the highest quality 3D monitor available - thanks to the realistic, bright images and wide viewing angles. Due to the quality of the 3D stills and video, the SynthaGram is being widely used in industries such as retail point of purchase, casino gaming, and tradeshow displays to engage the viewer and create a captivating 3D viewing experience that does not require eyewear. StereoGraphics is now partnering with Kortek to co-engineer a new line of industrial-grade monitors that can meet much stricter specifications and withstand much harsher environments. Kortek specializes in creating the Total Display Solution for demanding high-use environments such as casinos, military operation facilities, advertising displays, retail point of purchase, computer monitoring centers and industrial sites around the world. "We chose Kortek to take us to the next level of 3D visualization because they are the confirmed worldwide leader in monitor quality", said StereoGraphics Founder, Chairman, and CEO Lenny Lipton. "Their rigorous manufacturing process ensures superiority in their expansive line of monitors." "StereoGraphics Glasses-Free 3D monitors are the best we have ever seen", commented Edward Kim, Kortek Vice-President & Chief Marketing Officer. "Their 20+ years of experience in 3D visualization gives them the knowledge to create best in class 3D viewing experiences. We are pleased to assist them in creating 3D monitors that meet our rigorous standards." StereoGraphics and Kortek plan to have a wide range of industrial strength Glasses-Free 3D monitors in production by December 2003.

	ARRI Announces 3D LUT Support for IRIDAS SpeedGrade and FrameCycler
3D-News Posted: Friday, September 19, 2003 (10:59 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
ARRI Digital Systems, a leading developer of film recording and film scanning systems, announced that their colour management system and 3D LUT technology, ARRI CMS, will support IRIDAS' SpeedGrade and FrameCycler applications. This collaboration will provide a dramatic workflow enhancement for users of SpeedGrade, IRIDAS' new colour correction software, and FrameCycler, their real-time playback tool‹as well as ARRILASER users. Making the ARRI CMS lookup tables available to IRIDAS users, means that artists will now be able to review or colour correct their digital movies and see the colours as they will appear on film. "The IRIDAS solutions offer the freedom to use Cineon files throughout the workflow chain, using the full colour space offered by film in a digital format. This approach ensures that the dynamic range of film, represented by densities in logarithmic space can be accessed for display whether on a digital monitor or digital projector," says Dr. Peter Geissler, Project Manager ARRI CMS. "By integrating the ARRI 3D LUT technology we're providing an elegant way to review or colour correct digital material. Even at the earliest stages of the digital intermediate pipeline, producers and DoPs will have an accurate impression of how the colours will appear when brought to film. We're delighted to work alongside IRIDAS on this. Our collaboration will also include creating customized look-up tables for various film stocks." "ARRI's colour management tools meet a crucial need in the film business today and are a great fit for our products," said Lin Sebastian Kayser, IRIDAS CEO. "Our approach is to create applications that enhance the whole digital intermediate workflow from start to finish. ARRI's colour management system is a wonderful addition to the digital artist's tool set and supports our approach perfectly."

	3D Roars Back: From Hollywood to Product Marketing - Lightspeed Completes 3D Ride-Film for Continental Teves
3D-News Posted: Friday, September 19, 2003 (10:55 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
Lightspeed Design Group announced on September 12th the completion of a stereoscopic 3D motion simulator ride-film for automotive supplier, Continental Teves. The 3D film was written, produced, and visually realized by Lightspeed, and will educate the public about Continental's innovative safety technology, Electronic Stability Control (ESC). Eye-popping 3D movies have caught the public's attention again, with viewers rushing to see everything from Hollywood's "Spy Kids 3-D" to James Cameron's IMAX documentary "Ghosts of the Abyss." Marketing companies are also catching on to the sizzle created by high-quality 3D films, as proven by the success of Continental's "Safely There" mobile exhibit and marketing campaign. A 3D high-definition film by Lightspeed Design Group is now crisscrossing the country in an 85-foot mobile exhibit. "Today's consumer audience is rightfully cynical and demanding. Disney and others have created a legitimate expectation of excellence in info/entertainment messaging. Continental's ESC exhibit will typically be only one of many competing attractions for the consumer in each of its national tour markets," said Mike Adams, account executive for H.B. Stubbs Company in Warren, Michigan, charged with building out the tractor trailer exhibit. "We enthusiastically supported our client's preference for 3D with motion as a way to bring their messages effectively to a larger audience. It generates a buzz all unto itself." The realism of the film is heightened by Lightspeed's proprietary 3D technology, which immerses viewers in an eye-opening 3D world that seems lifelike and natural. "We've been refining 3D technology for ten years, working on everything from precision computer graphics to live action shots," said Lightspeed President Chris Ward. To reach Continental's targeted demographic -- women in their 30's and 40's -- Lightspeed eschewed the in-your-face effects common to most 3D productions. Instead, the rich, captivating 3D look of the film was combined with a content-driven story about two mothers having a "kitchen table" talk in the front seat of a car. "The film's message", said Lori Pavelich, Continental's Supervisor, Marketing Communication, "is very subtle, in that we are not trying to scare the audience out of their seats, but we do want to make people realize how valuable ESC can be. That's why I think the 3D works so well with the film's story line -- it brings a realism to the message that makes it more credible and believable." The film was created with the most current 3D High Definition technology, which utilized Sony CineAlta digital cameras, controlled by Lightspeed's innovative 3D computer pre-visualization techniques. Although the 3D technology involved in the Continental film generates lots of sizzle at the entrance gate, Lightspeed's 3D filmmaking and projection techniques are cost-competitive with 2D film projects, making the technology accessible to a wide range of corporate productions. No matter how intense the buzz over special effects can become, however, Ward's philosophy is that the story must come first, the technology second. "We balance the media with the creativity of the story, and everybody comes out ahead."

	Barco to deliver world’s first multi-purpose Holospace for Medical Imaging at CAESAR
3D-News Posted: Tuesday, September 2, 2003 (20:03 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
Barco is proud to announce it has been chosen to deliver the complete visualization part of the unique, multi-purpose VR-center for simulation and 3D visualization at the Research Center 'caesar' (Center of Advanced European Studies And Research) in Bonn. The Virtual Reality center - being installed till end of this summer, with SGI as a main contractor - will offer scientists a collaborative immersive environment to visualize and analyze large sets of data in active stereo, rear-projected on 7 segments of 2.5 by 2.5m. These segments can be placed in various configurations, ranging from a flat-screen CADWall to a highly immersive 5-sided cubic I-Space environment. "We were very pleased with the assignment of this infrastructural solution, which has no equal in the field of university scientific research", explains François Montoya, general manager Barco Simulation, Germany "as it brings into its own Barco's expertise and capabilities to deliver complex custom designed integrated immersive visualization solutions, from analysing the application over consulting and concept engineering to on site installation and integration, including training and service." '4-in-One': The multi-segment virtual environment at 'caesar' enables 4 configuration types: a 2 segment 5m wide stereoscopic CADWall , a 4-segment L-Shape or Holobench, by adding 2 floor segments, a 5-segment cubic-wide stereoscopic environment by adding a side-wall, and a 5-sided immersive I-Space room-like environment for highest immersion. Seven Barco Galaxy DLP™ projectors produce the active stereo images (1280 x 1024 pixels per segment) on each of the seven segments– including the floor and ceiling, while also taking care of the soft edge blending between the segment images, making every configuration into one huge stereoscopic immersive environment. When working in a team, scientists enter a 'house'-like environment of 2.5m deep, 2.5m high and 5m wide, situated in a two-floor high room. The floor is made of a 2-ton glass plate, allowing for up to 10 users at a time. Mirrors fold the light path of the rear-projected images allowing to reduce the exterior space needed. First running application scenarios concentrate on "Computer-Aided Surgery" and "Medical Imaging". New software methods and visualization procedures are researched to generate 3D Models of patients with the help of Medical Imaging. These models will allow pre-operative studies with expert teams to prepare the real chirurgical operation. This will enable the doctors at the operation table to perform more complex chirurgical operations with greater accuracy and efficiency. The center will also be used for research in Material Science, Nanotechnology, Biosensorial and Molecular Biology. Fast and easy reconfiguration of the system, is very important to support the fluent multifunctional use of the system. "The expertise of Barco, including project consulting, analysis and design of the visualization installation with projectors, proprietary developed screens and fast and easy reconfigurable mechanical construction, was essential for the successful realization of this unique project" states Volker Starck, SGI, Business Development Manager, Immersive Solutions "The result Barco achieved corresponds entirely with the high demands of quality for medical and scientific research. The VR-installation at 'caesar' offers high resolution, high contrast and brightness, good color uniformity, a well-balanced color depth and excellent soft edge blending over the total system including all segments." The challenge is that the surgeons can now try to improve the planning for reconstructive surgery and combine multiple operations into one single procedure. By creating an immersive environment for virtual surgery, the surgeon is armed with detailed, three-dimensional views of patients' physiologies. The benefits to his patients are manifold: improved function, improved appearance, fewer operations and less time spent in the hospital. Dr. Erwin Keeve, head of the Surgical Systems Lab and the driving force behind the investment in this new visualization infrastructure: "Real operations are of course not taking place at 'caesar'. However, with the new immersive VR-center, 'caesar' opens possibilities to develop new concepts for pre-operative simulation and intra-operative navigation techniques, which will accelerate advanced procedures and technologies, this might result in new patent treatment and will widen the range of application areas." For more information, please visit www.vr.barco.com

	ANACHROME 3D offers greatly improved plastic glasses to Hollywood for 3D films and DVDs
3D-News Posted: Tuesday, September 2, 2003 (19:57 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
Following the the $103 million US/Canada gross on Miramax/Disney's " SPY KIDS 3D", another major film studio conglomerate with long ties to 3D requested a demonstration of ANACHOME 3D's new focus corrected, mirror finished acrylic anaglyph glasses and film process technology to convert dual image (polaroid) films to advanced anaglyph. This occured August 25, 2003 at the home video offices of the company. 8 key executives expressed positive reaction to the demo, and actual process tests will begin as soon as details can be arranged. Cost of glasses will be less than 10% of the cost of liquid crystal glasses and provide a high quality image compared to the paper/gel glasses planned to be sold with "Spy Kids 3D" in March '04. Retail is expected to be $3 or less at the stores. Anachrome has a proprietary 65mm film camera system for making films that will release in anaglyph in theaters or DVD. More info: anachrome.com

	Barco's MoVE at the heart of new 3-D virtual reality lab for engineering research at University of Calgary
3D-News Posted: Tuesday, September 2, 2003 (19:48 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
From huge flat 9m stereoscopic screen to L-shape, 45° or full immersive cubic space for collaborative team research within 5 minutes The Calgary Center for Innovative Technology (CCIT) provides leading-edge lab space and state-of-the-art equipment for University of Calgary engineering based, multi-discipline research teams. Barco's MoVE system, at the heart of the visualization and collaboration lab will virtually take engineers, geologists and other scientists to any reality where 3-D data is available, including the bottom of ocean floors, inside oil and gas reservoirs and other inaccessible places such as knee joints. Barco's MoVE (Motorized multi purpose Virtual Environment) offers Large-Scale stereoscopic viewing for engineering researchers working in team with their colleagues from industry and other disciplines (such as science, kinesiology and medicine). "The outstanding stereoscopic visualization capabilities of the Barco MoVE" says Dr. Rainer Knopff, Associate Vice President of Research, University of Calgary "will lead to intuitive understanding of the relationship between complex data types, while real time interaction allows for in depth analysis, enhancing collaboration within the team, with faster and more accurate conclusions as a result." "The Barco MoVE's reconfigerable architecture as installed in the Calgary Centre for Innovative Technology, is unique in the world" says Ken Hunter, Barco Director of Sales V&AR. "A programmable touch panel allows for straightforward, accurate and fast, motorized positioning for flat, L-shaped, 45 degree and cubic immersive space configurations within 5 minutes". In a flat position the impressive screen of 9 by 2.4m allows for a complete auditorium to follow a presentation. The 45° configuration can accommodate approximately 20 viewers in a partially immersive theater. Full immersion in the same virtual reality, enabling collaborative research with multi-disciplinary teams of up to five persons is obtained in the cubic I-Space configuration. The projection of the Barco MoVE at Calgary is driven by three active stereo Barco Galaxy 3-chip DLP™ projectors for high brightness, high contrast and high-resolution active stereoscopic images on the three screen modules of 3m by 2.4m (9.8 by 7.8ft). Motion tracking is fully integrated in all configurations for real-time, 6DOF motion data acquisition. Ascension Technology's Flock of Birds versatile tracker system, complemented with the Wanda 3D Navigation Device, is providing tracking data for each of the MoVE's three configurations. In Barco's MoVE system, the Flock tracks the entire central floor of the environment in all of the system's multiple configurations. Thanks to its DC magnetic field technology the distorting effects of any nearby metals is minimal. At the U of C the research teams are working to find solutions for problems facing society and industry in five key areas: Resource Development and Utilization, Environmental Impact, Health of the Aging Population, Deteriorating Infrastructure and Next-Generation Intelligent Technologies. The detailed 3-D stereoscopic visualizations of the new 3-D Virtual Reality Lab for Engineering Research will provide the U of C engineering researchers and their industry colleagues with new opportunities for working shoulder-to-shoulder to solve complex problems. The MoVE system for the University of Calgary has been developed, built and integrated by Barco Simulation US in Xenia-Ohio, and reflects Barco’s commitment to develop and deliver total integrated visualisation solutions to the V&AR and Edutainment market. Barco's Virtual Reality systems are used for a wide range of application areas, such as medical training and scientific research, virtual prototyping, edutainment, manufacturing (robotics), Oil & Gas and architecture.

	X3D Technologies Corp. Acquires 4D-Vision GmbH
3D-News Posted: Tuesday, September 2, 2003 (19:10 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
X3D Technologies Corp. announced the acquisition of 4D-Vision GmbH, a leading 3D software and hardware developer. 4D-Vision has been renamed X3D Technologies GmbH and will continue to be managed by Mr. Bernd Riemann, an engineer with experience in the field of laser and advanced optics. X3D's acquisition of 4D-Vision, located in Jena, Germany, brings to X3D outstanding software and manufacturing teams -- the perfect complement to its own 2D to 3D conversion technologies. X3D screens allow the viewing of 3D images and videos without viewing aids such as glasses. X3D works in the areas of Consumer TV, PC and business display applications that provide enhanced views and experiences in the third dimension. Separately, X3D also announced today its acquisition of Win3D VRStandard assets. Effective today, X3D ownership of this industry leading 3D Enhancement software is being integrated into X3D product offerings. About X3D Technologies Corporation X3D Technologies Corp. transforms virtually any electronic visual medium into a breathtaking 3-dimensional experience through its proprietary software -- within existing TV's and PC's. X3D-enhanced images appear to float in the air inside and outside the screen. This flexibility opens up unlimited sources for 3D media content, regardless of the provider. X3D- software and/or transformed content can then be licensed, co-marketed or sold through various retail channels. X3D's scope of influence encompasses Internet, video game, TV, computer, home entertainment format and large-scale digital display markets. The X3D viewing experience creates new revenue opportunities for mass-market home entertainment as well as traditional branded advertising venues. Website: www.x3dworld.com

	SGI and TeraBurst Networks Deliver Interactive Visualization Environments Over Optical Networks
3D-News Posted: Tuesday, September 2, 2003 (19:05 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
SGI Becomes Authorized Reseller of TeraBurst Optical Networking Products For Distributed Visualization Applications in SGI Reality Center Environments SGI, the pioneer in Visual Area Networking (VAN), today announced that it has reached an agreement with TeraBurst Networks, Inc., to become an authorized reseller of TeraBurst's optical networking products for distributed visualization applications. This agreement complements existing SGI(R) VAN offerings by adding TeraBurst optical networking products for connectivity between SGI(R) Reality Center(R) facilities. The combination of technologies allows technical and creative users to achieve the highest levels of remote interactivity over fast and reliable optical networks, while maintaining the superior image quality of SGI systems. SGI introduced VAN in January 2002 to accelerate work processes and bring distributed, collaborative teams together around their data. Since its introduction, VAN has gained rapid acceptance in government, education and industry. These technical and creative customers have complex visualization needs that require the advanced capabilities of SGI(R) Onyx(R) family systems, and VAN delivers this power to them regardless of their location or visualization resources. TeraBurst's unique optical networking capabilities enable remote users and decision-making teams in a VAN environment to see the stereo frame rates and image quality generated by the SGI Onyx system, enabling a new level of remote, collaborative visualization. For example, multisite command-and-control teams can use the high-performance, high-resolution and long distance graphics distribution capabilities from TeraBurst to leverage the data fusion capabilities of an SGI Onyx system to interact with multiple remote high-resolution data and video streams in a 3D environment. "TeraBurst's technology within an SGI VAN environment gives customers an industry-first solution for real-time transmission of 3D stereoscopic graphics, video and audio -- across optical networks -- and will expand SGI's leadership in the high-end visualization markets," said Terry Oberdank, vice president, Technology Solutions, SGI. "This relationship will further strengthen the ability of SGI to create solutions that deliver the highest levels of collaborative visualization." "We are pleased to be working with SGI to offer our customers visualization solutions for remote and collaborative applications," said Claude Sandroff, senior vice president of sales and business development for TeraBurst Networks. "As we pursue mutual opportunities in worldwide markets, we expect our combined technologies to enable new applications in multiple industries by offering high-performance interactivity between SGI Reality Center facilities within VAN environments." TeraBurst's V2O platform is a network interface that directly converts the video signal from SGI systems to a standard telecom-ready signal for either OC3 or OC48 SONET-based optical networks. These systems have been designed to enable low-latency transmission of high-quality graphics images fully synchronized with real-time audio and control data, over a single optical signal for secure and reliable transport within public or private optical networks. SGI VAN solutions now deliver interactive and multisite collaborative visualization capabilities through either SGI(R) OpenGL Vizserver(TM) software, which runs across standard TCP/IP-based local and wide area networks, or with TeraBurst's hardware-based alternative for optical networks. Whether transported via standard TCP/IP or optical networks, SGI VAN solutions deliver universal access to advanced visualization. They allow creators and consumers of dynamic, interactive visual information to solve more complex problems, accelerate work processes, and save infrastructure upgrade costs by centralizing large storage and advanced visualization systems in one location, and using networking technologies to make these systems available to users throughout the enterprise. For complete details, visit www.sgi.com/visualization/van/

Stereoscopy.com 3D-News (ISSN: 1612-6823) is published irregularly by Stereoscopy.com, P.O. Box 102634, 70022 Stuttgart, Germany. Editor-in-Chief: Alexander Klein. Worldwide subscriptions to the electronic version of the Stereoscopy.com 3D-News are provided free of charge. A printed version is available at a subscription price of 30.00 US-$ per year, including airmail postage. Material in this publication is copyrighted © by Stereoscopy.com. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.