Most computer users are familiar with 3D games, and some have even tried them. Going back to the 90s, with the excitement of computer hardware, the first 3D games emerged. Despite being limited and having simple graphics, they were a revolution back then and somewhat amazing. Nowadays, video game players compete in games with more complex graphics and full 3D environments with realistic lighting and simulations of natural elements that captivate us through screens. However, there was a problem! That’s the screen! The game itself can be 3D, and the player can look wherever they want freely, but ultimately, the image is displayed on a computer screen, which is, of course, flat. This is where 3D glasses come in. They are designed to convince your mind that the screen is displaying a 3D and realistic view. In order to understand how this works, we first need to understand how your mind processes the information provided by your eyes. Once we grasp that, God willing, we will be able to understand how 3D glasses work.
The idea of 3D vision is that living things, like all creatures, have eyes that are close together and side-by-side. This means that each eye sees the same scene from a slightly different angle. You can discover this by focusing on something far away and switching the view between both eyes. Notice how some things change their position slightly? The mind takes the information from each eye and combines it into one image, translating the difference in the view and position of each eye into a third dimension, which is depth. This results in a 3D picture with length, width, and depth.
Yes, it is the height or depth that creates the third dimension, and thus the 3D picture or stereoscopic vision. Through stereoscopic vision, we can see the precise location of objects around us relative to our bodies, usually with great accuracy. Additionally, it enables us to easily monitor objects approaching and moving away from us. Our eye position allows us to partially see around solid objects without the need to move our head. It is easy to see why some people believe that stereoscopic vision is a means of salvation. Certainly, stereoscopic vision is necessary for simple visual actions such as throwing objects, catching other objects, kicking a ball, driving, parking cars, or even threading a needle. This is not to say that tasks would not be completed without stereoscopic vision, but a lack of depth perception could make daily tasks more complicated.
The key to stereoscopic vision is height or depth, and fortunately our minds deal with this point, provided our eyes receive the correct information in the first place. This is exactly how red-and-blue glasses work. Each color sorts and filters a part of the overall image, giving each eye a slightly different view, and the mind then merges the two different images for each eye. Thus, the blurry blue and red images are transformed into fantastic 3D videos and movies. Looking at the stereograms, which are also known as Magic Eye Pictures, they seem to use a random pattern of dots, but they rely on viewers putting their eyes in the right places and looking through the image in a specific way to see just the right part of the image for the eye to unlock the hidden depth information. Both methods have their drawbacks, of course. Red-and-blue glasses make it difficult to discern colors in 3D images, and viewing stereoscopic images is an art in itself and not a suitable method for gaming. Nonetheless, the underlying principle is the same: creating and controlling the two different images for the same view.
How easy is it to create these two separate images, one for each eye? The answer lies in how games are made. Not long ago, the graphics we saw on our personal computer screens were carefully designed inside the computer. I mean every frame individually of the animations and every different view of a character. So, if you wanted a dinosaur in your game, you would sit and draw the different faces of the dinosaur from all angles on the computer. These days, game designers sit with a group of 3D graphics and design the dinosaur in three dimensions. Once the designer finishes making the dinosaur, they do not worry about the different views of the shape or anything else. The computer now has a 3D model of the dinosaur in its memory, and the game simply works where the player looks, and the correct view of the dinosaur is drawn using the 3D model in its memory. In reality, everything you see through your screen in a modern 3D game is produced in the same way. The game is a giant 3D model, and the computer does what it needs to do to display it on your screen and generate the appropriate view. And because the computer is somewhat happy to create one view of the scene, there is no problem in slightly changing the view and creating another scene, then all you need is a way to get the correct image to the correct eye.
All this is under the control of LCD screens, like liquid crystal displays in watches that can change from transparent to black, as well as the lenses of 3D glasses that can be transparent or non-transparent. Has the picture become clear to you now? In other words, the glasses can control which eye can see the image on the screen and at the right time, you get a typical 3D image. Here is how this happens:
1. The generated images represent the scenes seen by each eye.
2. Both views are displayed on the screen in quick succession.
3. While the left view is being displayed, the right eye is closed by the 3D glasses, and vice versa for the right view.
All this happens so quickly that the mind is not fully conscious of the two merged images in the stereoscopic view. The same happens when we watch a film using an old film projector – the rapid succession of presenting still images on the screen is merged together to form the film.
In short, there have been four generations that have led to the current 3D glasses. The first generation modified the games themselves to fit stereoscopic 3D images, with game developers having to support all kinds of LCD glasses. However, there was no guarantee that the glasses you bought would work on your favorite game. As we can imagine, this was not convenient for many. A second solution was developed to bypass the idea of modifying or thinking about the game. In reality, this was about changing what was being displayed on the computer screen to work like it normally would except for the times when the computer was processing the image to make it 3D. The result was slower performance, low resolution, and distorted images, but it succeeded with hundreds of games, which was a decent improvement. The third generation worked in the same way by modifying the graphic driver software while maintaining image quality and avoiding more distorted images. Unfortunately, this generation was not suitable for many games, but it was a clear indication of the 3D glasses we now have. In the fourth generation models, high compatibility and complex work were overcome by the graphics card and lightweight 3D glasses that quickly switch between the two distinct images seen in crystal-clear 3D images.
Now, what is available on the market, and what should you buy? Despite the basic technology being the same for these glasses, there are different types available. Lightweight glasses, wireless glasses, and other types are out there, including cheaper ones. Visibility through these glasses relies more on your computer’s graphics card than on the glasses themselves, but you will find different glasses manufacturers offering additional software or incentives.
The idea here is that the stores and outlets around us will provide you with the opportunity to try these glasses before purchasing them. Do not hesitate to try them for an hour while playing a strong 3D game; perhaps you would want to spend a bit more to buy a slightly better model than the one you tried. Also, consider that if you have difficulty with your standard flat screen, you will surely need to try the glasses on your screen before buying them. Be careful if you have an LCD flat-panel monitor because this type of screen does not work well with current 3D glasses, so be sure to check the compatibility of your screen with the glasses before buying.
Also, examine the type of video card you have (manufacturer and model) and do a little research on these specifications before making a purchase. For example, X-Force 3D Game Glasses will only work on nVidia video cards. Many glasses will work with different graphics cards, but the only way to know for sure is to carefully read the box’s interface. I have informed you of what I own and what I can help you with, and so I have finished. I hope the article is useful to you, and thank you.
