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9/29/98
About: IIGS.3DPICS.SHK
Status: Public Domain
This is very old 3-D technology that I decided to present for new users
of the Apple IIgs to give you some practice on converting the 256 color
GIF (GIF87a) format files to 256 color SHR graphic formats for those
interested in viewing 3D graphics with their Apple IIgs, as such.
Most of these 256 color GIF files were very large in screen size,
contained millions of colors and were mostly in jpeg file format, when
I first collected them. I used several conversion options with
Debabelizer PPC v1.65 on my Mac PowerPC-G3 to reduce the file screen
size to fit in the IIgs 320 screen size limits and I dithered them down
to 256 colors, with the addition of selecting a customized IIgs RGB
palette for use with them all when saving them in the standard GIF
(GIF87a) format. As such they should all be fairly easy to convert to
any of the SHR 256 color file formats for the Apple IIgs. They could
also be converted to the 3200 PNT - IIgs graphic file format, if you
wish to do this, using the GIF to 3200 conversion program located at:
ftp://apple.cabi.net//pub/applegs/Graphics/gif3200.shk
To verify the fast and near-flawless abilities of the IIgs graphics
conversion program Convert 3200 with these 3-D 256 color GIF files, I
converted several of the GIF 256 color format files in this 3-D
graphics collective - to several IIgs SHR 256 and 3200 color graphic
file formats, that Convert 3200 supports and saves as. By using the
program Convert 3200 made by Brutal Deluxe you can have all the colors
of the original GIF colors in SHR format for viewing with your IIgs.
Convert 3200 is currently available from Shareware Solutions II for the
low price of $15, which includes postage to anywhere in the world. The
complete Merlin 16+ source code is also available to owners of Convert
3200 for an additional $5.
Convert 3200 requires an Apple IIgs with at least 2 megabytes of RAM
memory; 4 megabytes of memory is recommended to convert large 1280 *
800 graphics. Convert 3200 has been tested on Apple IIGS ROM 01 and ROM
03 versions, and it requires System 6.0.1. Although not required, a
hard disk drive and an accelerator card is recommended.
To purchase Convert 3200, send checks or money orders, in US Funds only,
in the amount of $15, to:
Joe Kohn
Shareware Solutions II
166 Alpine St
San Rafael, CA 94901-1008
USA
The list of all GIF 256 color graphic files contained in this
IIGS.3D.PICS.SHK, (a ShrinkIt GS v1.1 archive) - are listed below along
with other useful and informative articles pertaining to this old 3-D
technology for its use with IIgs graphic programs and SHR file formats
for native IIgs viewing..
asw16.GIF 29-Sep-98 14:01 38k
dinosaur.GIF 29-Sep-98 14:01 14k
dude.GIF 29-Sep-98 14:02 18k
eye.GIF 29-Sep-98 14:02 12k
forestview.GIF 29-Sep-98 14:03 89k
giraffe.GIF 29-Sep-98 14:05 103k
khalismall.GIF 29-Sep-98 14:05 42k
marspro.GIF 29-Sep-98 14:06 33k
mercedes.GIF 29-Sep-98 14:07 70k
mtfuji.GIF 29-Sep-98 14:08 68k
mv3d.GIF 29-Sep-98 14:08 15k
spire.3D.GIF 29-Sep-98 14:13 50k
starbear.GIF 29-Sep-98 14:14 66k
wallview.GIF 29-Sep-98 14:15 110k
Provided you have the us of a computer to view such graphic files on the
Internet with such browsers as Netscape, etc. - you can view all of these
256 color GIF format files and download each as individual files (from
the url noted below this paragraph), if you'd like to work with any of
them as a single file for your own specific SHR file format custom
needs and conversions with any of the existing IIgs GIF 256 color
conversion programs such as; SHR Convert thru v4.0, Prism GS and my
favorite - Convert 3200 by 'The Brutal Deluxe Software Development
Group'. All the GIF files listed above are contained in this archive.
The WWW url to view and download the IIGS.3D.PICS.SHK archive GIF 256
color format files, should you have the machine, ability and desire to
- is:
http://apple.cabi.net/pub/applegs/Graphics/GIFS.3D.PICS/
I hope you'll enjoy exploring this old - but, visually effective 3-D
technology and its abilities I wanted to present for the 'NEW' IIgs
users to play around with and learn from in this archive with these 3-D
256 color GIF files, when trying your own hand with the conversions to
the IIgs SHR 256 or 3200 color file formats. It's really very simple to
do.
You'll soon discover the many unique graphic options your Apple IIgs can
offer with conversions to and from so many of the other computer
platforms - using their file formats for your IIgs graphics display
diversity and fun.
Cheers,
Tom
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Charles T. Turley
115 Santa Clara St.
Brisbane, CA 94005-1736
Voice: 415-468-1609
WWW's: http://www.grin.net/~cturley/
http://apple.cabi.net/pub/
FTP's: ftp://apple.cabi.net/pub/
ftp://128.255.21.234/2/apple2/collections/1WSW/
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What you'll need to view the GIF and SHR 3-D Converted Pictures
You'll need a pair of colored filter 3-D glasses to view these pictures.
These pictures were designed to be viewed with the RED lens over the
LEFT EYE, and the BLUE lens over the RIGHT EYE. The effect will work
okay in just 256 colors After you convert the 256 color GIF files, You
can view them as several varied SHR 256 color graphic file formats
using several IIgs GS/OS and P8 standard SHR view programs.
As my favorite is Ron Mercer's ProDOS 8 based - SHR View SlideShow
system application - v3.6c, I've included it in this archive, for you
to use in viewing the SHR 256 color graphic file conversions with.
If you wear glasses to read, put the 3-D glasses in front of your
regular glasses and distance yourself about two feet away from the screen.
Sometimes, at least with me, it takes a few seconds for my eyes to adjust
and then suddenly the 3-D steroscopic illusion takes over.
This modest sample 3-D conversion collective is just that, a start of
something that I hope will be fun and entertaining for you to explore.
Please let me know if you have any new, unique suggestions for any
other 3-D display options on the IIgs, so I can pass that info on to
other interested IIgs users to try out. And, remember to check out the
url noted below again - to view the original GIF 256 color files
contained in this archive - provided you have a machine with such
abilities to use, go to:
http://apple.cabi.net/pub/applegs/Graphics/GIFS.3D.PICS/
and check back there often - to see the latest GIF file additions, to be
added as often as possible in the above folder for your downloads and
conversions in the IIgs SHR 256 color formats as 3D graphics for you
viewing enjoyment on the best Apple II ever made - the Apple IIgs.
If you lack that ability, you can always send me an email request for
another archive like this one with more new 256 color GIF files for
your conversions to 256 or 3200 SHR graphics to use with your IIgs. I'd
be glad to provide it.
Who knows..with the established and newer programmers doing so many novel
and new development efforts with the Apple IIgs, soon you may be able to
use your IIgs to view such graphic formats on the Internet.
And, if you need a pair of 3-D glasses, please send your name and address
plus one dollar (to cover the cost of the 3-D glasses and postage) to:
ViewZone
One Phelps Lane
Simsbury, CT 06070
They will have them out to you in a couple of days.
Below are two articles giving an outline of 3-D graphic creation
techniques for your review.
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How the 'GIF 3-D Graphics' were done!
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3-D Images On The World Wide Web
An introduction by Gary Vey
Back in the 1950's, someone had the brilliant idea of making the brain
think that it was looking at a distant object by altering the image
that each eye saw, independently of the other. Since the brain judges
distance by the angle of view in each eye, this was a very successful
illusion. You just had to show each eye the same scene with one of the
objects in the picture either moved to the left or to the right in each
view. The eye would attempt to focus the two images and would end up
making you a little cross-eyed - which the brain would then interpret
as an object that was closer to the viewer.
Confused yet? Well, you don't have to know the physiology behind visual
perception to create your own fun pictures and images. I make the
distinction because you can not only photograph in 3-D but you can also
draw freehand and get the same amazing results.
Okay. So we need to get two images of the same scene - each one taken
at a slightly different angle. This is just how our two eyes work. The
same scene is seen about 3 to 4 inches apart. Blink your left and then
right eye and you'll see how there are subtle changes in the angles of
the same view.
To accomplish this easily, you can take two photographs of the same
scene, each aimed and focused carefully, but taken at about 4 to 7
inches apart (for dramatic results) horizontally. These can be black
and white or color. Eventually you will want both to be good quality
black and white pictures.
Next, you have to have a way that you can show each separate picture to
a different eye. Since we will be using the standard red and blue
filter glasses, we need a color that will be visible to one filter but
invisible to the other, and vice versa. It turns out that red is almost
black to the blue filter but invisible to the red filter. Similarly,
cyan blue is invisible to the blue filter but is black to the red
filter. So these are the two working colors.
I scanned each photo in to Photoshop 3.0 placing the first photo on a
background layer and making it a monotone of red. The second photo was
made into a monotone of cyan and brought in as a top layer with a
transparency of 50%. In this way, both the red and the cyan images
could be seen through each other. I then merged the layers into one
image, fooled with the contrast a little and - presto! - 3D art.
As I was finishing writing this a friend e-mailed me to say that he had
successfully created a 3D image by using two old photographs from his
family album. Each photo was taken at a slightly different angle (it
was the custom in the old days to take two pictures in case one didn't
come out right). I'm going to hunt in my old photo chest and see if I
can revive any ancient treasures. In the meantime, try this and send me
your results.
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Here's a very good article you should also read for IIgs use. Written
many years ago and though it may be difficult to locate or contact the
author as he requested at the end of this article, it still has much
info to offer you for creating native 3-D graphics with your IIgs.
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IIgs Graphics in 3-D
The Apple IIgs has many capabilities that have gone untapped for over a
year now. I have decided to open the keg by offering a method that
allows the average Apple IIGS user to create stunning 3-D graphics.
All you will need for this is an Apple IIGS (with color monitor), a
copy of DeluxePaint II (an original), and a pair of the classic
Red/Green (Red/Blue to most of us) 3-D glasses. These are available in
numerous 3-D children's books, as well as many toy and hobby stores.
To create your graphics, you must first prepare the artwork that you
want to make three dimensional. The easiest way to do this is to use
clip-art. This process requires that the clip art be monochrome, so
forget about all of those fancy clip art disks that you have, unless
you have a working knowledge of how to take a multi-color image and
reduce it to a single color (black). Many pieces of clip-art in the
public domain fit this criteria, so we will start from there.
The next step is to create the proper color palette in DeluxePaint II.
You can bypass this step by obtaining the proper color palette from
your club library. For those of you who are die-hard self-doers, here's
how you can create it for yourself. Run DeluxePaint II in the 640
mode. Next, set the second color in the palette to red, and the third
color to blue-green. Now, draw a red circle and a blue circle that do
not overlap. Then, with the 3-D glasses on, peering only through the
red lens, edit the second colors intensity until you cannot see it
against the white background. (You may have to add some yellow.) When
you've finished this, peering only through the blue lens, edit the
third colors intensity until you cannot see it against the white
background. (You will have to keep a balance between blue and green.)
Next, peering through both lenses, edit the black color until it
matches both of the colors you are seeing in the circles. Without the
glasses, this will look like a dark gold color.
Now, grab (as a brush) a piece of clip art that is in black and white.
Choose the Color mode for the brush, then choose blue-green as the
color. Position the brush where you want the object to appear, then
click the mouse. Now, choose red as your color. (The brush will
change to red.) Now, place the brush slightly to left or right of the
blue image on the same horizontal level. Click the mouse so that the
red image now blots out part of the blue image. Now, create a stencil
that only allows you to paint on red. Now, using the same brush,
choose the gold color. Your brush changes to this color. Place the
gold brush precisely over the blue image; only the parts of the blue
image that were covered with red will be painted on.
Now, put on those 3-D glasses! You may have to adjust the brightness
of your monitor to allow the best viewing. Also, if you don't see the
3-D effect immediately. Just relax your eyes a bit. Look around the
room. Eat dinner with those silly things on. Your eyes are
biologically tuned to have a high red-yellow color balance in one eye
and a high blue-green balance in the other. If your eyes are blue-green
in the red eye and red-yellow in the blue eye, your eyes may take a few
minutes to get accustomed to the new color balance. This does not
permanently alter your eyes! However, you will find your eyes will get
used to this more and more easily each time. After all, I did it; so
can you! Now, my eyes take no time at all to adjust. (If you wear
glasses, put the 3-D glasses on over your normal glasses.)
You can also print these images on the ImageWriter II and show them to
others. As a final note, I must say that my experience with this type
of graphics cannot be tapped beyond the explanations in this article.
You cannot get further information by calling or writing to me at
StyleWare, because it is my responsibility to answer questions about
StyleWare products, not about the capabilities of another company's
software.
Have fun with these techniques! I'm always interested in seeing what
people do with the information I pass around, so if you create any
interesting documents, send me a copy on disk. Well, it's back to
technical support for me!
Dale Crawford
StyleWare Technical Support Manager
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