As seen in Computer Graphics World Magazine - January 1994
· "Cool!" Perhaps not the most insightful
response, but that's the reaction many people have upon first
seeing one of Depthography Inc.'s 2D pieces of art. Not only do
these full-color, 2D images project a 3-D look that is much cleaner
and more vivid than your average hologram, if you tilt certain
images at just the right angle, you'll suddenly find yourself
watching an animation of remarkable sophistication.
The images produced by Depthography (New York) are printed on
cardboard-like material you can hold in your hand and view with
the naked eye. While the drama of the images is difficult to describe
in words, the unique quality of the images is obvious to those
who've seen them firsthand.
One example of Depthography's work is an image of a see-through
man. When you hold the image in your hands, the transparent body
of the man appears to float several inches above the background
of the image. Visible inside the body cavity of the man is his
heart as well as some arteries and veins. Even more impressively,
when you place your hand on the picture, your fingers appear to
actually slip through the man's body to a space somewhere behind
it. And if you tilt the image, you can see the man's heart start
beating.
While all this may sound like a hologram. Depthography balks at
the term, noting that the process of creating these images is
distinctly different. Holograms, explains Sara Cook, Depthography
spokesperson, are produced with lasers, and as such, they have
certain limitations. Colors can look washed out and the number
of producible colors can be limited, depending on the holographic
technique used. In contrast, says Cook, Depthography uses a photographic
process to produce its images, and one of the advantages of that
is that the images produced are of high resolution and in full
color. Additionally, Depthography claims its images have a wider
viewing angle than holograms (again, this depends on the holographic
technique used), and that its images don't need require specific
lighting.
Like stereoscopic and holographic technologies, the technology
upon which Depthography's process is based - lenticular technology
- has existed for years. "Other companies use a lenticular
process today, like with 3-D baseball cards," says Robert
Munn, president and founder of Depthography. "But they typically
do their image as a print - not as a photographic process, which
is what we do - and that breaks down resolution."
Munn, who has been working with stereoscopic images since 1978,
took existing lenticular technology as the base for his process,
but customized it. "We sort of set out to change the technique
to make images more distinct, and then we found out that we could
do continuous animation. Everything sort of rolled from there.
The process kept revealing to us more and more things we could
do with it," says Munn. "In a way, we ended up creating
a new medium."
It took Munn (along with the help of some friends) six years to
develop this lenticular process. Images are typically generated
from customers' computer files; acceptable file formats include
PICT, TIFF, TGA, EPS, PCS, and SGI. (Depthography also can work
with live models, dioramas, mattes, or even a combination of techniques
for varying effects.) To create these effects, Depthography interlaces
as many as 36 frames (computer screens) into one image. Says Munn,
"For example, we'll take a 3D image from a computer file,
put the image on screen, rotate it, say, 12 to 15 degrees and
while its rotating capture 36 images across that area."
The digital file is converted into a film product, onto which
an optical screen is applied. The result is a somewhat thick (about
1/8 inch) yet flat image that can protrude, move, or protrude
and move. "The optical screen that we apply to the surface
of the image acts as an automatic viewer, sampling what you see,"
says Munn. "So depending on the position you hold the image
in (or where you are standing), you see a different frame."
The results are pretty spectacular. For example, another image
recently produced by Depthography is a photo called "Muhammad
Ali in Action" that actually replays the left hook Ali delivered
to Cleveland Williams back in 1966. By rotating the photo, you
can see a dramatic animation of Ali delivering the lethal punch.
And by simply moving the image back and forth, you can see the
punch delivered over and over again - fast or slow. You can also
see the first few rows of the audience seated around the ring.
One man appears to be chewing gum as you rotate the image, another
man with a camera moves into position to take a photo.
It's a "cool" image, to be sure, and typical of the
kind of images Depthography regularly produces for its clients.
But if you want to view these "cool" images yourself,
you can do that too, says Cook. Just drop by Depthography's Virtual
Image Gallery in New York, where the images are on display. Donna
Coco, associate editor, Computer Graphics
World Magazine
CONTACT: R. Anthony Munn or Sara Cook TEL. 212-972-9044 · FAX 212-972-9037 or E-MAIL us at e-mail@depthography.com