StereoMirror Provides Best Real-Time Display

Have you ever tried to figure out how to get the best image quality for aerial photography product processing and triangulation of ortho photos? According to AeroTech Mapping Inc., Planar's 3D StereoMirror monitor provides an image that is almost as clear as the negative itself. They have three displays for triangulation and compilation, which is the process of collecting digital data from stereo photography for use in creating topographical maps. They use Datem Systems' Summit Evolution software and three P-3 analytical plotters.

With several StereoMirror monitors in their office, including an SD1710 and SD2020, AeroTech has doubled their production stations while using a fraction of the space compared to analytical plotters. Besides excellent image quality, AeroTech's technicians are able to use the stereo monitors for up to ten hours at a time with only a few breaks in between. The comfort level of Planar's StereoMirror monitors is very high.

Have you used a StereoMirror monitor for your mapping projects? How does it compare to the quality of analytical plotters?

StereoMirror at NAB

Planar showed footage from the 3D movie, Coraline (http://coraline.com/), produced by LAIKA (http://www.laika.com/) at the recent NAB convention held in Las Vegas.

Folks watched the opening scene of Coraline’s family moving into their Pink Palace Apartment and the amazing mouse circus scene that took place in “the other world.” The content was shown using “RV” image and sequence viewer from Tweak Software (http://www.tweakfilms.com/). The StereoMirror technology is an excellent tool for 3D modeling, stereoscopic photography and 3D post production work, among other applications.

What movies do you think would be "other worldly" in 3D? Do you have an application need for a stereo 3D display?

3D Goes Hollywood

Get out those awesome 3D viewing glasses! The 3D movie craze is alive and well at a theater near you. There are 30 movies that will soon be leaping off a screen near you, including the soon-to-be released Coraline.

Planar is expanding its StereoMirror display opportunities into the entertainment arena and looking at options in the post-production sector of the movie industry. The StereoMirror display can be used in real time on the movie set to allow the film director to review scenes in a 3D format as they are shot - just like the audience will view it at the theater!

Have you caught any of the newly released 3D movies? 3D movies are showing in an IMAX 3D cinema or REAL D cinema near you.

Tell us about your 3D movie, game and concert viewing experiences!

3D Cinema Boom

The market for 3-D cinema is getting even more mainstream media coverage these days. This time, it's Fortune, getting in the mix with "Who's Cashing In on the 3-D Boom?" The article is solid overview of the various players, including the production side of the business.

Shooting 3-D films used to be a nightmare; you needed a pair of perfectly synced cameras for every scene. Shooting digital 3-D is easier, but you still need a two-camera setup that captures images fast enough to play back at 144 frames a second (rather than 24). The leader in the field is Pace Technologies, based in Burbank, Calif. Founder Vince Pace, best known for the underwater rigs he built to shoot "Abyss" and "Titanic," has now shifted his entire production business to 3-D. His equipment has been used to make every major 3-D feature film so far, including "Hannah Montana," "Avatar," and "Journey."

http://money.cnn.com/2008/04/03/technology/cash_3D_boom.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2008040706