3DConvert    Make your own 3D pics

by Derek Baron


By now, there can't be many people who haven't seen the pictures and posters for sale consisting of seemingly random coloured dots (autostereograms), which when viewed in a particular way produce startling 3D images. This program enables you to produce your own multicoloured autostereograms for viewing either on the computer screen or on hard copy. You don't need any special art packages to prepare images for the program.

You can produce a picture for translation using Paint, Draw, or any other art package, though you may have to take a snapshot of the screen using Paint with some packages. The resulting sprite file is then converted by the 3DConvert program to a 16 colour sprite file.

USING THE PROGRAM
To produce your own autostereograms with 3Dconvert you must first find or create a mode 12 sprite, as the program uses the 16 colours present in a mode 12 sprite to determine apparent depths. The accompanying article in the current issue of RISC User (7:7), called Autostereograms, describes in detail how you can create a sprite which works well with the program. Once you have a sprite file ready to convert, load the 3Dconvert program by double-clicking on its icon in the RISC User Disc directory display, or clicking on its icon in the RISC User Menu System.

A new directory display will appear when the program is run, containing example sprites. Now, drag your sprite file, or one of the examples, onto the 3DConvert icon on the icon bar. A save window will appear, allowing you to save the file by dragging it to a directory display. Expect to wait about seventy five seconds or longer if you do not have an ARM 3 system for a full screen size picture to be converted. You can see the 3D effect on screen by loading the sprite into Paint, but you can also print the image out and see the effect on paper. The resulting sprite can be printed as normal. The easiest way to do this is to load Printers and drag the 3D sprite onto the Printer Manager icon for the desired printer. Refer to the article for full instructions on how to see the hidden 3D image.


 Copyright RISC User 1994
