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1. What is a stereoscopic image?
A
stereoscopic image is a picture or view recorded and presented in two dimensions
but perceived as having three dimensions. It is a two-part image, presented
in such a way that each eye sees only one part. In particular, the left eye
sees what the left eye of a person looking at the real object would see, and
the right eye sees only the what the right eye would see. The brain of the person
looking at the stereoscopic image fuses the two views together, giving the observer
the perception that the object has three dimensions.
2. What is the "stereo window"?
The
edges of a stereoscopic picture are set in place by the masking effect of a frame or
mount, or consist of the edges of the photo itself. If those edges are located
in a certain relationship to the contents of the picture, the edges will appear
to form an aperture or "stereo window," through which the observer
seems to be looking at the subject. The window can be adjusted by changing the
relative position of the edges with respect to various elements in the picture,
such that the elements appear to be farther away or nearer to the observer than
the window itself. If some elements appear to be between the window and the
observer, they are said to extend "through the window." But if the
edges intersect elements that otherwise would come through the window, a "window
violation" is created and the mental sensation of 3-D is spoiled. Adjusting
the placement of the image content with respect to the edges is known as "setting
the window," and must be done carefully for proper stereo viewing.
3. What is an RBT mount?
Stereoscopic
transparencies on film are usually held in place by a sturdy mount, making a
slide that can be used in a viewer or projector. The left and right views can
be mounted separately in individual mounts, or they can be mounted in a twin
mount that holds both views at once. The mounts can be made from any rigid material,
but most are made of a paper product or plastic. An RBT
mount is a particular brand of plastic mount that comes with various
standard apertures, and is constructed with a front and back half that snap
together and that have pins to hold the film chips in place. Manufactured in
Germany, RBT mounts are currently considered the best mount for making slides
of stereo views.
4. Why view on film instead of on a computer?
Digital viewing requires a digital device, such as a computer, to make the visual information in a digital image file visible, usually by displaying it on a screen. There must be some way to present the left- and right-eye views to the eyes separately, either by using special glasses, mirror devices, or polarization of light. The quality of the viewing experience is affected by the precision and clarity of the display device, the effectiveness of the isolation of the two visual channels (left and right) and the flexibility of the viewing system regarding portability, share-ability and comfort.
Viewing
of stereo images on film requires an optical device that presents the left-right
views independently to each eye. It requires no computing equipment, programs
or processing. The visual information is physically embedded in the photographic
surface of the film and is easily shared, stored and transported. The colors
and brilliance of the images are limited only by the film used and the choice
of viewing device. Viewing by optical projection has the same limitations as
digital projection, but the projection system is usually less complex.
The
quality of the viewing experience may be a matter of taste, but many who have
switched from film to digital photography find that they miss the convenience,
clarity and beauty of a well-made stereo slide as viewed in a good quality,
well-lighted hand viewer. LukerDoops was founded to give them the best viewing
experience possible while they reap the benefits of the simplicity and versatility
of digital photography.
5. What does a Film Recorder do?
A film recorder is a computing device with a film camera attached. It accepts a digital image file and displays it on a fine screen, usually line by line and in separate passes through special filters for each of the primary colors, while the camera records the re-created optical image on film. The laser used puts a much finer, more accurate rendering of the image onto the film than can be displayed on most computer screens. The slides created typically have over 4,000 pixels across the width of a full frame.
6. What film is used for my slides or transparencies?
LukerDoops puts your images onto Fuji Provia 100 F film for accuracy of color and for fine grain to minimize retinal rivalry.
7. What image file types can I use?
Files with any of the following extensions can be uploaded: jpg, jpeg, jps, gif, png, eps, cdr, ai, pdf, tif, tiff, bmp,and zip.
8. How are Left/Right-View files different from Combined View files?
Left and Right views can be stored as separate files,
usually labeled with an L or R appended to the file-name. These separate files
must be uploaded separately to LukerDoops. Alternatively, you can process the left and right
views in a photo manipulation program to put the two views adjacent to one another in a single combined file. If they are in a combined file, the
views can be uploaded in a single action and later be divided by LukerDoops
before being sent to the film recorder.
9. How do I upload the image files?
On the product page, after you have specified the image title and your computer's filename(s) for the image, you select the other features and quantities you want for that view, and then add the view to your cart. After checkout you can go to the Upload to LukerDoops page (uploads.lukerdoops.com) to send the files to LukerDoops. On that page you will navigate to the location of those files on your own computer, select them, and they will upload. Add your name and order number as requested on that page.
10. What rights am I giving LukerDoops when I upload my images?
By accepting the Conditions of Use, you give LukerDoops
the right to copy your files onto film for you. You do not give us the right
to make any other copies, or to retain the files for future use. You do not
give us the right to sell or give your files or images to anyone but you.
11. What becomes of the image files I upload to LukerDoops?
After you have received and have paid for the copies
we make for you, we will delete your image files from our systems and we will no longer have access to them.
12. Why didn't my upload work?
There are a number of reasons why an upload might
fail. You may have tried to upload a file with an extension that is not supported, or perhaps you didn't wait for the upload
to complete.
Depending on the
browser you use, you may or may not be given an error message if the upload
fails. In most cases, you will be notified when an upload has completed successfully.
13. Can you convert my digital images for Viewmaster reels?
At present, Viewmaster output is not supported, but we're working on it. The film recorder can do the job, but we do not expect to be able to mount the transparencies in Viewmaster reels for you.
14. Why is there no longer a setup fee?
Every run of the film recorder uses a fresh roll
of film. The former setup fee covered part of the cost of that film as well as the loading,
retrieving and processing of the film by an outside agency. But to encourage orders from those customers who have only a small number of views to be converted to film, we eliminated the setup fee, trusting that if total volume is sufficient, the cost for the film for small orders will be absorbed.
