About three days ago, we started seeing a new gimmick on Facebook, images that appear to “move in 3D” when you scroll through them or move your mouse cursor over them. This is a parallax effect and it can be accomplished by providing Facebook with a depth map (e.g. “arches_depth.png”) along with the original image (“arches.png”). The two need to have the same resolution and the depth map needs to be generated in a way that close objects are white and far away objects are black.
How to create Facebook 3D photos in Photoshop
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You know those Facebook photos where you move your phone or your mouse and they move. Kinda like making you feel you are in the photo? Well, Unmesh Dinda totally nails it in explaining to to create those photo directly from your PC (ok, ok, or Mac) and upload them to photoshop.
The trick is done using depth maps. And as you may guess, those are maps that tell Facebook what is the depth of each part in the photo.
This artist transforms his face into stunning 3D optical illusions using only makeup
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Luca Luce has worked as a makeup artist for almost two decades, and he turned his craft into optical illusions that will mess with your mind. The Italian artist uses only makeup to transform his face, head, and hands into mind-boggling 3D optical illusions.
Facebook rolls out AI-based 3D images with simulated depth
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After announcing 3D photos and VR memories back in May, Facebook is now rolling out the feature that can turn your 2D photos into 3D. The new feature will work both in the News Feed and VR. The technology captures the distance between the subject and the background, so it brings scenes of 2D photos to life with 3D depth and movement.
RED is building an 8K 3D holographic camera for its Hydrogen One smartphone
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The release of RED’s new Hydrogen One holographic smartphone is drawing ever closer. We’ve known about its modular connectivity through the pogo pins on the back, but very little has been said about what they’re for. It’s been suggested that we’d perhaps see battery packs or small camera modules to use “real” lenses and that it may offer communication with RED’s range of cameras.
Well, the first of those cameras has been announced. RED has teamed up with a 3D VR camera company, Lucid on an 8K prosumer 3D camera. A camera not only shoots holographic content that can be viewed on the Hydrogen One but a camera which also uses the Hydrogen One as its “viewfinder” while shooting.
QooCam is a switchable 4K 360 & 3D 180 camera with refocusing capabilities
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We’ve all seen an assortment of 360-degree cameras in the past few years, but I have to say that QooCam‘s design is the most intriguing. Just imagine being able to switch from 4K 360 to 3D 180 by simply twisting it? Furthermore, it also features a depth-sensing technology that allows you to refocus after taking a photo. It appears to be quite a capable for a camera that’s slightly longer than an iPhone.
Google unveils a pair of 3D 180° point & shoot VR cameras by YI and Lenovo
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Well, this is pretty cool, a pair of new 3D 180° VR cameras, developed in partnership with Google for their VR180 app. They’re kicking the new VR180 platform with two offerings from Lenovo and YI Technology. While the hardware is similar to a 360° camera, the configuration makes the final result very different. Instead of having one lens facing forward and one facing back, two stare in the same direction side-by-side.
This setup allows for 180-degree stereoscopic 3D video or stills when viewed back on Google Cardboard or a VR headset. The first camera is the Lenovo Mirage, which has a pair of 13 megapixel fisheye lenses with 4K sensors. Likewise, the YI VR180 also houses a pair of lenses and sensors, but is capable of 16.6MP images and 5.7K video.
This AI tool makes a 3D model from a single portrait photo
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Creating a 3D model of someone’s face usually requires multiple shots taken from different angles. But researchers from the University of Nottingham and Kingston University have created an AI tool that makes it from a single portrait photo.
The scientists describe the 3D face reconstruction as a “problem of extraordinary difficulty.” However, they’ve managed to use neural networks to turn any 2D portrait into a 3D model. There’s also a free online demo for you to try it yourself.
3D scanning like a pro
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Almost any sensor yields more interesting results if mounted on a moving platform. Remember scanning thermometer? It’s time to mount TOF LIDAR (Time Of Flight / Light Imaging, Detection, And Ranging) on two precision rotary stages arranged for pan and tilt operation. Rig provides real-time position data along with distance to an obstacle. Using simple math we can calculate the position in Cartesian coordinate system. Data is collected point-by- point to reconstruct 3D object model.
These images may look like CG renders, but they’re actually photographs
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In a world where many CG artists are aiming for photorealism, one very skilled photographer seems to be going the opposite way. These images look like something straight out of 3DS Max or Blender. They’re not, though. They’re actually very carefully designed photographs, created by Norwegian design duo Lars Marcus Vedeler and Theo Zamudio-Tveterås at their studio, Skrekkøgle.
Looking at the final work is pretty surreal, and if nobody ever told you that they weren’t CG renders, you’d never be able to tell. In a way, it kind of makes you redefine “photorealism”. I mean, these are photos, so if your renders look like this, they’re photorealistic now, right?
