This program allows the novice Mac user to view "steriograms," and allows more advanced users to design their own. A "steriogram" is a 2-D picture that appears 3-D when your eyes focus in a particular way.
This is FREEWARE, enjoy. See the copyright information.
Mail comments, or job offers to:
Pat Copeland 329 Sierra Street #2 El Segundo, CA 90245
System Requirements:
• QuickDraw version 1.2 or higher
• Color/Gray Graphics: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, or 32-bit
• Memory: 5M in 32-bit (a little less under 16-bit)
• System Suggestions: Hardware: Mac 030 or higher
For the everyday user (non-programmer and don't know what a resource is):
• Double click the icon.
• When you hear "Coool" stare at the screen until you see the "3-D" image. If
you don't see anything right away, keep trying by crossing your eyes, focusing
beyond the screen.
• Try others by editing the "Coool Aberrations.data" file. Use the precompiled sets listed inside the file. Fooling around with the number randomly WILL lead to the program crashing.
• To edit the data file, open the "Coool Aberrations.data" file using an editor (Word, BBEdit, Simple Text, etc.). Follow the directions, then save the file. Then just start by double clicking again.
For programmers or people who understand how to paste a PICT into a resource:
Information in the "Coool Aberrations.data" file:
The first six numbers can be used to adjust the output image:
• 1st number: the displacement (in pixels) of the objects from the background. This is the amount of "pop out" the objects will have. It is by default set to 19, but can be somewhat. The best results will be [-40 to 40].
• 2nd number: the displacement (in pixels) of the objects from an object on the next level. Similar idea to the above.
• 3rd number: number of colors in the "objects PICT." This number can NOT be adjusted randomly, it must match exactly the number of colors (depth levels) in the "objects PICT" (to be described later).
• 4th number: resource ID for the background pattern PICT.
• 5th number: resource ID for the objects PICT.
• 6th number: resource ID for the completion sound "Coool".
The data file is opened and written to each time the program is run. If it is not possible to do either of the above, the default values are used.
Creating an Objects or pattern PICT:
• Make a backup of the program (trust me and just do it).
• Open the "Coool Aberrations" resource fork, using a resource editor (using ResEdit, etc.).
• Copy one of the sample pictures. The object images are numbered 100x and the patterns are 20x.
• Edit these PICTs (using Photoshop, etc.).
• Replace it in the resource fork and run the program.
The objects PICT:
• Notice that the object files are as big as your screen and contain only a few colors. The different colors represent different "levels" in the 2-D picture. In the upper left corner are a line of pixels (starting at 0,0 and going until ?,0). These colors are the same ones making up the objects. Their order determines the "level" of the objects of the same color. For instance, if black is the first color, then all the black objects in the picture will be drawn first (and will thus be in the first "level" above the background). White should not be used, if it is the entire background is considered an object. The number of colors on this first line of pixels MUST equal the number of colors specified in the data file. So, in a picture with 10 "levels" there will be 10 colors on the pixel line, 10 colors (one for each level), and the "number of colors" in the data file will equal 10. Be sure to make the colors in the pixel line match the color of their corresponding object EXACTLY, otherwise the program will ignore those objects. It is helpful to use colors which can be told apart easily (in the sample PICTs I used gray, but you can use any color really).
The pattern PICT:
• The pattern PICT should be rather detailed. It should be about 1 inch wide and as long as your monitor allows.
