History of "Multimedia" (Was:iMac AddOn (was:Future Collect

From: Doug Spence <ds_spenc_at_alcor.concordia.ca>
Date: Mon Nov 16 05:43:14 1998

On Tue, 10 Nov 1998, Tony Duell wrote:

> > Now all of the hype is "3D". I have used some 3D illusion systems, such
> > as StereoGraphics. But all of the "3D" stuff that is being hyped is on
> > purely two dimensional video monitors. What's going on?
>
> To get on-topic (I hope)... There were attempts at making 3D displays
> using LCD spectacles controlled by the vertical sync signal to the
> monitor. You saw one frame though each eye. It worked well, apart from
> the flicker (even at about 100 frames/second).
>
> Anybody have one of those in their collection?

I'm hoping to eventually locate some X-Specs 3D which worked at television
frequencies. I think they plugged into the Amiga joystick port, and just
liquid crystal shutters. The 3D modes were done on interlaced screens,
with the image for one eye drawn on the odd lines, and the image for the
other eye drawn on the even lines. The shutters would activate in synch
with the interlacing.

I *think* these glasses are classic by now.

Some 3D rendering software actually generates images for these glasses
(Imagine from Impulse at least) and I think I saw programming libraries
for them on Aminet.

Ah... here are some games on Aminet:

LanderGame.lha game/misc 257K 344+X-Specs 3D Lunar Lander game
RaiderGame.lha game/misc 77K 344+Space strategy game for X-Specs 3D

No sign of the libraries, but I've seen them somewhere.

One of the original games that shipped with the X-Specs involved giant 3D
killer space potatoes. Space Spuds? One of the local Amiga stores <sigh>
used to demo that game.

There were also freeware/shareware games that used the red-blue 3D
glasses. The ones I used to play were "3D Breakout" and "Orbit".

> -tony

-- 
Doug Spence
ds_spenc_at_alcor.concordia.ca
http://alcor.concordia.ca/~ds_spenc/
Received on Mon Nov 16 1998 - 05:43:14 GMT

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