********************************************************************** * * * * * SIRDS for Windows V1.0 * * * * by * * * * Roy Hopkins * * * * * ********************************************************************** 3D pictures with no special hardware? Impossible? SIRDS (Single ŠImage Random Dot Stereograms) for windows creates what looks like an Šarray of random dots, that when looked at correctly reveals a 3-Šdimensional picture. Posters of SIRDS have found there way into art shops such as ŠAthena recently. People pay extortionate amounts of money for these 3D Špictures which are created by a very simple process. If you have not seen any examples of SIRDS before, I will explain Šhow to view them. Firstly though, I'll explain how to use the program: System Requirements: Any PC that can run Windows version 3.0 or higher. A colour graphics card and monitor is recommended to view the bitmaps you are going to render. Installation: If you are using Windows 3.0, copy the file COMMDLG.DLL into your Windows directory. Double click on SIRDS.EXE from File Manager or Make a new program group using FILE|NEW and drag SIRDS.EXE from File Manager into the program group. Double click on the icon to start the program. For an example, select FILE|OPEN and double click on TEST.BMP. To Šgenerate the SIRDS, click on SIRDS|GENERATE and wait. Viewing SIRDS ------------- Once you get used to it, viewing SIRDS comes fairly naturally. If Šyou cannot see them at first, keep percevering, it will come in the Šend and believe me it is worth it. It takes some people five minutes Što see their first SIRDS and it takes other people hours just don't Šgive up! Right. First generate the above example, TEST.BMP. Note carefully Šthe picture of the face when it loads. This is the image you are Štrying to see. The darker colours are deeper into the picture while Šthe lighter colours, such as the eyes, are further out of the picture. Sit a little way from the monitor, but not too far: about 2 feet Šis perfect. Stare at the dots. Let your eyes defocus (try to look Š'through' the monitor. Just keep changing focus and relaxing your eyes Šand the image should just appear. Remember, don't give up. You will Šget it in the end! Using SIRDS for Windows ----------------------- To use the program you have to first create a Windows Bitmap (BMP) Šor DIB file. The rules for creating a bitmap for use with SIRDS is Šfairly simple. The program varies the depth of the image with the Šamount of blue in the bitmap (it was the easiest way to do it!). ŠForget Windows Paintbrush unless you experiment with the standard Špalette because it uses Windows method of dithering to obtain its Šcolours. Dithering does not work when generating SIRDS. The best way I Šfind is to use a DOS package such as Neopaint, use a grey-shade Špalette. The darker colours are in the background. When you have a bitmap, load it into SIRDS for Windows by using Šthe FILE|OPEN dialog box. The bitmap should be displayed on the Šscreen. To generate the SIRDS, click on SIRDS|GENERATE. Once generated Šyou can print or save the SIRDS using the menu options in the FILE Šmenu. If you do use Paintbrush, you can draw the image in Paintbrush, Šmark it as a block and then select EDIT|COPY. To generate the SIRDS, Šclick on the SIRDS for Windows FILE menu and select Paste form ŠClipboard. You then select SIRDS|GENERATE. You can also set various options concerning the SIRDS generation. Pixels per Point: Specifies the amount of pixels allocated to each individual point. ŠIf you have a very high resolution display you may want to raise this Švalue. Colour Levels: Specifies the amount of different depth levels the image can Šdisplay. Levels below about 8 are not recommended because the Šdifference between depth levels is so great it is difficult to focus Šon the SIRDS. The best way to create a SIRDS with only two levels (or Ša small amount of levels) is to use 16 or 32 levels and draw the Šbitmap image with black as the background and a dark grey as the Šforeground. This keeps the levels close together making it easier to Šview. if you don't understand what I mean then try it! Random Bar Width: Changes the focus point of the image. The higher the number, the Šfurther you have to defocus your eyes therefore the harder it is to Šsee the image. The advantage of using higher numbers is that it makes Šthe depth levels closer together making the image look smoother. Tips on generating SIRDS ------------------------ If you fancy writing a message in SIRDS, it is best to use fonts Šwhich are not too curvy. The line width has to be quite thick as well Šbecause you tend to get interferencr between the letters making them Šunreadable. An example text bitmap TEXT.BMP is supplied as an example. As mentioned before, Windows Paintbrush is not entirely suitable Šfor generating SIRDS due to the fact that it dithers colours. However, Šthe standard Paintbrush palette contains mainly non-dithered colours. ŠYou can experiment with these to see what depth levels they produce. ŠYou will usually use black as the background because it has the Šgreatest depth. I hope you have fun with this program. It is a public domain Šprogram so you can copy, lend, burn, mutilate or eat it any way you Šwamt to, just please, please keep all of the files together. Roy Hopkins, November 1st 1993