David Hutchison died
3D-News Posted: Friday, May 12, 2000 (17:33 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
David Hutchison, author of the famous 3D-book "Fantastic 3D", died at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City early on the morning of May 3rd after a six-month battle with pancreatic cancer, which he conducted with amazing bravery and good humor. There will be a memorial service in New York later this year. He was a good friend of your Webmaster and will be sadly missed by the whole 3D-community.
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	Stereoscopic Displays and Applications XII (EI07)
3D-News Posted: Thursday, May 11, 2000 (9:42 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
Announcement and Call For Papers Conference Chairs: Andrew J. Woods, Curtin Univ. of Technology (Australia); John O. Merritt, The Merritt Group; Stephen A. Benton, MIT Media Lab. Program Committee: Neil A. Dodgson, Univ. of Cambridge (UK); Janusz Konrad, INRS-Telecommunications (Canada); Shojiro Nagata, Japan 3D Forum/InterVision (Japan); Vivian K. Walworth, Rowland Institute for Science; Michael A. Weissman, Karl Storz Imaging, Inc. This conference will focus on recent advances in stereoscopic imaging covering topics such as 3D display hardware, developments in computer software and digital techniques, and applications that illustrate the user-interface issues and cost/benefit trade-offs of stereoscopic 3D displays. In both real-world and computer-generated imaging applications, stereoscopic 3D display technologies can enhance the user's ability to perceive objects in their correct spatial locations, to move through display space easily, and to manipulate objects efficiently and accurately. The parallel focus on human factors issues and applications requirements is intended to help guide future display system development and task-based evaluation of 3D technologies. The conference will help practitioners and researchers from industry and academia exchange current information on stereoscopic 3D techniques and applications. Hardware demonstrations of 3D technologies and applications are highly encouraged at the demo session that follows paper presentations. Facilities for large-screen stereoscopic projection (both still and video) will be available for the presenters. Papers are solicited for, but are not limited to, the following topics: advances in stereoscopic display technologies: autostereoscopic displays, "virtual window" displays, stereoscopic projection, and other 3D displays; methods for recording, playback, transmission, and processing of stereoscopic video digital stereoscopic imaging: digital processing and compression of stereoscopic imagery; stereoscopic image synthesis: 2D to 3D conversion, depth map generation, and multi-viewpoint generation; transmission standards supporting digital stereoscopic images; software and hardware issues for computer display of stereoscopic images 3D image acquisition/generation techniques: single- and multi-lens camera systems; motion parallax, volume projection, graphical construction, and other stereoscopic image generation techniques design, development, and evaluation of stereoscopic display systems for teleoperation, telerobotics, telepresence, telesurgery, and augmented reality applications of stereoscopic displays in areas such as scientific visualization, medical imaging, teleoperation and telepresence, industrial inspection, communications, entertainment, broadcast/cable TV, training, CAD/CAM, molecular modeling, advertising, and others human factors issues in stereoscopic display system evaluation: benefits for processing and compression of stereoscopic images; task performance comparisons between stereoscopic and non-stereoscopic displays; side-benefits of stereoscopic display techniques; evaluation methodologies (e.g., depth-acuity measurement) and task-performance testing user-interface issues in stereoscopic display system design: perceptual and cognitive guidelines for stereoscopic displays; 3D remote manipulation and control of viewpoint; ortho-stereo, hyper-stereo, and the geometry of 3D perceptual space standards for stereoscopic imaging. Abstract Due Date: 26 June 2000 Final Summary Due Date: 20 November 2000 Manuscript Due Date: 18 December 2000 Conference Dates: 3 days during the period 21-26 January 2001 (final dates to be advised) Location: San Jose Convention Centre, San Jose, California. Visit the conference website for abstract submission details: http://www.stereoscopic.org/2001

	Elsa's New Gladiac Accelerator in Stores - Compatible with 3D Revelator Glasses
3D-News Posted: Tuesday, May 2, 2000 (22:06 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
ELSA, Inc., a world leader in computer graphics and communications solutions, announced last week the early shipment of its new ELSA GLADIAC 3D graphics accelerator with 32MB of memory. Based on the recently announced GeForce2 GTS from NVIDIA, ELSA GLADIAC delivers pure 3D speed and intense realism to games on AGP-enabled PCs. Priced at $349, ELSA GLADIAC is available at all Bay Area Frys Electronics stores since Saturday, April 29 and will be deployed nationwide Thursday, May 4. Electronics Boutique plans to have product available nationwide beginning today, Tuesday, May 2. "ELSA is thrilled to make such awesome graphics horsepower available to the masses this soon", said Charles Watson, director of product marketing for ELSA, Inc. "Gamers don't want to wait for the hottest 3D technology, so we've worked swiftly to provide a quality product as quickly as possible." ELSA GLADIAC utilizes the NVIDIA Shading Rasterizer (NSR), a radical new technology that enables advanced per-pixel shading capabilities. This new engine delivers a tremendous breakthrough, performing 7 pixel operations in a single pass on each of four pixel pipelines, simul- taneously. All of this makes GeForce2 GTS the world's first eight- texel-per-clock architecture. GeForce2 GTS delivers 1.6-billion texels (or 1.6-Gigatexels) per second, more than three times the texture processing power of any previous consumer graphics product. "ELSA continues to demonstrate technological leadership combined with engineering respected worldwide and the GLADIAC accelerators are the latest examples," said Dr. Jon Peddie, president of Jon Peddie Associates (Mill Valley, CA) the leading market research firm tracking digital media. "Our research indicates the new class of T&L-based games that will exploit GLADIAC could reach a million units in sales this year and three times that in 2001." The GLADIAC Retail Package The retail version of GLADIAC will be standard with 32MB of DDR memory, Windows 9X, Windows 2000, Windows NT and Linux drivers as well as ELSA's suite of desktop utilities and a software DVD player. Additionally, GLADIAC can be upgraded with a video in/video out (VIVO) module and is compatible with the popular 3D REVELATOR stereo gaming glasses for immersive, life-like 3D. Also included in the package is the industry's first custom software bundle, ELSA Best Select, pro- viding customers two free titles from a list of 10 of the hottest games this season. Additionally, GLADIAC customers can purchase up to three more titles at extremely low prices. ELSA provides a six-year warranty. In addition to Electronics Boutique and Frys, GLADIAC will be available by May 5th from the following ELSA merchants Buy.com, Computers4sure.com, D&H, Egghead.com, Ingram-Micro, MicroCenter, Outpost.com and TechData as well as on the company's online store at www.shopelsa.com. The 3D REVELATOR glasses are available now and the VIVO module will be available exclusively on ELSA's online store later in May.

	Canadian Photographer Debuts New 3D Print Medium
3D-News Posted: Tuesday, May 2, 2000 (21:42 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
First exhibit of its kind in Canada TORONTO - Simon M. Bell, photographer of five stereo nature books, exhibits his work in a new medium, displayed for the first time in Canada, called the StereoJet print. The exhibit, StereoJets: Travels in the Third Dimension, runs from May 6th to May 31st at the Alchemy Artist Centre, 3038 Dundas St. West, at High Park Ave., in Toronto. Gallery hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 12-6 PM, Thursday till 8 PM. Combining the traditional techniques of stereo photography with advanced digital printing technology, these images transcend the normal viewing experience. Large, full colour, polarized prints allow the viewer to see these remarkable images in all three dimensions. The photographs have been chosen to reflect Mr. Bell's wide ranging interests and travel destinations. From the mud and mayhem of Woodstock '94 to the delicate threads of a spider's web, each image is enhanced by the added third dimension. "There are limits to what we are capable of seeing with our standard- issue eyeballs", says Mr. Bell. "By expanding or contracting the 3rd dimension, stereography gives us a magic window into our world. We see a flower as a bee might see it. We see clouds as if we were giants." Mr. Bell has produced five 3D children's nature books for Somerville House Books Ltd. He is currently working on the sixth and seventh books in the Eye-to Eye series, "Butterflies and Moths" and "Animals of the Serengeti". The exhibit will be the first in Canada to use a newly developed stereo-print technology. The idea for polarized printing was originally developed years ago by Edward Land, the inventive founder of Polaroid. Today the Rowlands Research Institute, in Cambridge Massachusetts, continues his work. By combining polarization with digital ink-jet technology, they have created a new kind of colour print that shows full depth when viewed with polarized glasses. StereoJets: Travels in the Third Dimension is part of CONTACT 2000, the 4th annual Toronto Photography Festival.

	StereoGraphics Offers Stereoscopic Visualization Technology for Low-Cost Graphics Cards
3D-News Posted: Tuesday, May 2, 2000 (21:32 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
3Dlabs Oxygen VX1 Graphics Card Features Stereo3D Support StereoGraphics®, the world’s leading supplier of stereoscopic visualization products, announced in late April that the 3Dlabs® Oxygen® VX1 graphics accelerator now offers Stereo3D™ support when used in conjunction with StereoGraphics' new StereoEnabler. By incorporating StereoGraphics patented technology into its PowerThreads™ OpenGL® drivers for the Oxygen VX1, stereo visualization is now available for OpenGL applications at a new affordable price. "3Dlabs' sole focus is delivering high performance graphics solutions at affordable prices to our professional design customers," said Neil Trevett, vice president of marketing, 3Dlabs. "While many design professionals understand the benefits of stereoscopic visualization, the necessary hardware has been too expensive for widespread use. The integration of 3Dlabs' and StereoGraphics' technologies has now produced the Oxygen VX1-Stereo - a compelling complete stereo solution at a price point that will enable a wider audience of design professionals to gain the productivity benefits of viewing in stereo." The Oxygen VX1 card is a powerful 3D graphics card, not normally providing stereoscopic visualization support but containing all the architecture necessary to support stereo visualization. Working closely with StereoGraphics Corporation, 3Dlabs added stereoscopic visualization capabilities through the use of a stereo adapter, the StereoEnabler. The StereoEnabler attaches directly to the SVGA connector on the Oxygen VX1, providing a clean pass-through of the video signal and automatically generating a stereo sync signal output to a standard VESA stereo connector. The package works with all stereo software applications supported by OpenGL on Windows NT and Windows 2000 and works with all StereoGraphics Stereo3D products. "This is the first time that complete, professional-quality, high-resolution stereo has been available below $600. This is an achievement made possible only by the close cooperation of two industry leaders such as 3Dlabs and StereoGraphics," said Ian Matthew, director of marketing, StereoGraphics Corporation. "The plug-and-play functionality of our package is a simple solution that is an especially attractive and sensible option for professionals in the MCAD and AEC CAD markets as well as for experimental chemists who need to visualize complex molecular structures. We are confident that our joint development efforts will allow a multitude of design professionals to experience an easy transition into the world of viewing in Stereo3D." Pricing and Availability 3Dlabs' Oxygen VX1 graphics accelerator and StereoGraphics StereoEnabler can be purchased together with StereoGraphics' CrystalEyes® Wired as the Oxygen VX1-Stereo bundle for a suggested list price of $599(US). The three products can also be purchased separately, and carry suggested list prices of $299(US), $59(US) and $299(US) respectively. About Stereo3D Technology Stereo3D is the use of computer technology to recreate the way we naturally see depth -- stereoscopically. Stereoscopic viewing describes how we use both eyes, each with a slightly different perspective, to perceive depth and perspective in a physical environment. Stereo3D delivers the most realistic visual representation possible of complex digital models, giving architects, engineers, scientists, and medical and graphics professionals the best possible understanding of three-dimensional information and yields levels of technical pro- ficiency not available using a typical 3D view. StereoGraphics Stereo3D products have been in use for over a decade in key design and engineering centers within organizations such as General Motors, Ford, Caterpillar and NASA. Stereo3D products such as CrystalEyes®, CrystalEyes® Wired and Monitor ZScreen® 2000i allow professionals dealing with large multi-dimensional data sets to visualize images more naturally, enabling earlier detection of design errors, enhanced design review and faster time-to-market. About StereoGraphics StereoGraphics Corporation is the world’s leading supplier of Stereo3D visualization products. StereoGraphics products allow architects, engineers, scientists, and medical and graphics professionals to visualize large, complex data sets naturally and interactively. Today, over 75,000 users utilize StereoGraphics products to enable earlier detection of design errors, enhance design review and accelerate time-to-market. StereoGraphics products are sold worldwide through a network of authorized resellers. For additional product, sales or reseller information on the StereoEnabler and other Stereo3D products from StereoGraphics, customers can call 800-783-2660 (in the Detroit area, 734-591-4035 and outside the United States, 415-459-4500), visit the company’s Web site at www.stereographics.com or send an email to sales@stereographics.com.

	Celebrate The Century 1990s - With Virtual Reality Stamp
3D-News Posted: Tuesday, May 2, 2000 (18:30 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
Issued today, May 2nd, in Escondido CA 92027 is the "Celebrate The Century 1990s" stamp pane, which also features a stamp about Virtual Reality. The 1990's may have marked the end of the 1900's, but it was also the beginning of many breakthroughs. The World Wide Web and cell phones became important tools in many Americans' lives. Computer art and graphics created movie-making history in such epics as 'Titanic' and 'Jurassic Park'. We also witnessed breakthroughs in space exploration and species recovery. Virtual Reality became a reality and sport utility vehicles became the hot new thing. records were broken in both the Special Olympics and Major League Baseball. Improving education became a national priority. During all these innovations, we had a few laughs with Jerry Seinfeld and gang. And a lot of smiles when the Gulf War veterans returned victorious. Illustrated by Drew Struzan, these 15 stamps embody an era the USA are proud to remember.

	Stamp with Hologram from Finland
3D-News Posted: Tuesday, May 2, 2000 (8:30 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
Science and scientific education have always been valued in Finland, and lately they have only increased in importance. At the beginning of the new millennium, Finland is one of the world's forerunners in high-tech - the base for their present economic growth. Finland Post wants to draw attention to this remarkable development with a three-stamp miniature sheet challenging you to mathematical thinking. The stamps of the sheet form the Tangram Puzzle - an ancient Chinese puzzle. The purpose is to form two smaller squares of equivalent sizes by reorganising the pieces of the puzzle. The stamps are basic geometrical units: a triangle stamp features girls in a laboratory, a parallelogram has DNA research as its topic, and a square symbolises digital communication. A triangular hologram is located on one of the stamps. The sheet's designers are Ms Susanna Rumpu and Mr Ari Lakaniemi. The stamps are priced at FIM 3.50 so the entire sheet costs FIM 10.50. Issue date: 30 May 2000.

	3D-News now with Feedback Option
3D-News Posted: Monday, May 1, 2000 (10:39 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
Stereoscopy.com is proud to announce that the 3D-News have now a built-in feedback option on some subjects. You may add your own comments after registering. You may try it out with this news item - and let us all know is and how you like the website, and what type of news you would like to see here.
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	Biggest Stereoscopic Society Convention ever
3D-News Posted: Monday, May 1, 2000 (0:27 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
Next week's Stereoscopic Society Convention, taking place in York, England, from May 5th to 7th, will be the largest convention ever, with more than 150 people attending. Your Stereoscopy.com Webmaster will allso be there and is looking forward to seeing some of you there. For more information, please have a look at the Stereoscopic Society Homepage.

	Subscription Service
3D-News Posted: Monday, May 1, 2000 (0:17 UTC) | Posted By: Webmaster
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