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CRUMBLER ======== release 2.0 written in September-October 1994 by Carlo Moretti e-mail: moretti@cobra.csr.unibo.it or: moretti@zeus.csr.unibo.it (PLEASE forget the old e-mail addresses!!) CONTENTS ======== 0 - INTRO 1 - WHAT'S NEW 2 - WHAT'S "OBSOLETE" 3 - WHAT'S CRUMBLER 4 - INPUT/OUTPUT FILE FORMAT 5 - SYNTAX 6 - USING CRUMBLER AFTER A 3D PROGRAM 7 - USING CRUMBLER AFTER A 2D PAINTING PROGRAM 8 - EMBOSS, FILTERS & 2D IMAGES 9 - PATTERN FILE 10 - INPUT DEPTH IMAGE 11 - OUTPUT FILE COMPRESSION 12 - POSSIBLE PROBLEMS ? ---> POSSIBLE CAUSES ! 13 - IN CRUMBLER'S FUTURE 14 - BEWARE !!! 15 - PLEASE REGISTER 16 - CREDITS 17 - GREETINGS 0 - INTRO. ========== CRUMBLER is a simple program that creates SIRDS and SIS (STEREOGRAMS or HOLUSIONS). The first versions of CRUMBLER (releases 1.x) were implementing by using the simpler algorithm to create stereograms. Unfortunately, as it was easy to write it involved a lot of unwanted "ECHO" on the final result. CRUMBLER 2.0 uses a 'new' algorithm which avoids the unwanted echo. The implemented algorithm is the 'hidden surface removal' modified to obtain a "true-depth" appearance, so it avoids echoes and other nasty 'sliced' effect. CRUMBLER 2.0 is written in C language and compiled to work on every MS-DOS compatible computer and it DOESN'T require any kind of graphic board (well, you need one just when want to see the output image...). 1 - WHAT'S NEW ============== This is the third release of CRUMBLER and it has been updated quite a bit The following update were made from CRUMBLER 1.0 to CRUMBLER 1.1: . Crumbler 1.1 was able to produce SIRDS (without using a pattern file). . +f<> option was added (IN 2.0 THIS OPTIONS HAS BEEN REMOVED) . There was a 'Skeleton method' to create 'skeleton-like' effects. . There was a 3D Studio Material Library to map your 3d objects correctly. . There were 5 'gradient' images to map 3d objects in POV-Ray, and other 3d programs. . There were few pattern images ready to use. . There were input files to use as example. Here are the lastest updates in CRUMBLER 2.0: . Hidden surface removal algorithm, which reduces the echo. . A PATTERN-MAKER program has been added to the package, it's called PMAKER 1.0 . REMOVED the +f<> option!! . Transformed the +wXXX option!! (Based on DPI!!) . ADDED the +rXXX option (DPI resolution) . ADDED the +zXX.XX option (Depth of field) . ADDED +b (black & white SIRDS) and +g (grey shade SIRDS) options . ADDED +c option for CROSS-EYED holusions (Very quick too!) . Now crumbler reads compressed RLE, uncompressed, greyscale, 256-indexed, true-colour 24-bit TARGA files and writes 24-bit compressed RLE or uncompressed ones. . ADDED the +RLE option (Run-LEnght output TGA compression) . Crumbler 2.0 is SLOWER than 1.x!!! (Is this so great??) . ADDED a normal 'integer' (+INT option) stereogram (SIRDS and SIS) algorithm (produces classic sliced stereograms). Avoids blur effect on SIRDS. . A bug have been removed (the +o option didn't remove the old file and caused problems in previous versions) 2 - WHAT'S "OBSOLETE" ===================== As CRUMBLER 2.0 have been completely rewritten, lots of things changed. The .MLI file (Material Library for 3D-Studio) has been unchanged. The +p, +o, +s and +d options remain the same. 3 - WHAT'S CRUMBLER =================== The REALLY GREAT thing is that CRUMBLER is able to generate stereograms with !!!!! 16777216 !!!!! (read: 'more than 16 millions'!!!) of depth planes. Usually stereograms were generated with a limited number of depth planes (20 - 64 planes), and in 3d objects you may have problems to mark out small details. This new technique used, makes the program able to create a continuous 3d effect. CRUMBLER generates compressed or uncompressed TRUECOLOR .TGA files and reads 256 indexed, grey-scale or truecolor input and pattern files (compressed or uncompressed). The compression is quite simple, it's called Run-LEnght (RLE) and is very useful when you have a lot of pixels of the same colour, so it can be used for input images (for example, with a black flat background) but it's not very good for output SIRDS (in which all the pixels are different). CRUMBLER is easy to use after 3D Studio or other 3D good software's. It takes about one minute to 'crumble' a 1024x768 image on a 486DX2/66, by using 'SMARTDRV' or other I/O-buffers or either a CACHE controller, but it's generally quite slower than CRUMBLER 1.x. This because of the new algorithm. The execution time also depends on the source image complexity. CRUMBLER is able to crumble Targa files of ANY RESOLUTION: the only limit is your available memory. 4 - INPUT/OUTPUT FILE FORMAT ============================ As said before, the input images MUST be: "compressed or uncompressed 256, grey or 24 bit colour .TGA". For the RLE types, try using NO MASK: mask can cause problems to input file reader. Output images can be ONLY: "compressed or uncompressed 24 bit Targa files" (check +RLE option above). These are some of the programs that let you create the right source images: . 3D Studio (r1, r2, r3,...) . P.O.V.ray (r1.0, r2.0, r2.1, r2.2 and every other compatible version) . Alchemy (every version I know) by typing "alchemy -a10" or "alchemy -a1" . Photo Styler (1.0, 1.1, 2.0 ...) . PhotoShop (2.5, ...?) . Imagine 2.0, 3.0 (PC's versions) . many others... NOTE!!! that TGA 15, 16 and 32 bit colours ARE NOT considered readable!! 5 - SYNTAX ========== CRUMBLER 2.0 requires 2 ORDERED file names and 7 optional parameters: > CRUMBLER <input[.TGA]> <output[.TGA]> [+options] Input file is the same of version 1.x (see INPUT DEPTH IMAGE); output file is checked (see +o flag); pattern file is an option (see "+p<>"). When the end of the pattern file is reached, CRUMBLER 2.0 will re-start from its beginning. [OPTIONS]: +wXXX is only used to calculate the RESOLUTION in DPI (see +r option). Use this option (without "+r") if you have to create a SIS with a FIXED pattern file, so set "+w" as the X_res of the pattern file you want to use. But... *** This causes ECHO!!*** +rXXX is the resolution (DPI) for the output image. Consider, for a 14 inch monitor, a standard resolution of 72 DPI at 1024x768. If you set the "+w" option, you can't set the "+r" one. This option replaces the old "+w": the distance between two repeated pixels depends on the distance between your eyes (fixed in about 2.5 inches) and on the resolution of the output device (72 DPI for monitors, 150, 300, 600... for laser printers...) Anyway you can use "+r60" for a laser printer and "+r120" for a monitor, but you know that: - Higher the +r value, deeper becomes the stereogram. - Lower values decrease the output depth. Lower values can be easier to see, higher values could be hard! but, ->REMEMBER:<- ******************************************************************************* ********* DON'T STRAIN YOUR EYES TO RESOLUTIONS THAT ARE TOO HIGH ************* ******* WARNING ** THIS CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS TO YOUR EYESIGHT!!!!!!!! *********** ******************************************************************************* +zXX.XXX is the Depth of Field. Now, with "+z" you can specify the depth of the stereogram, in this way: The lowest value is 1.0 and creates the most deeper stereogram. Higher the value, squashed the output. Values greater than 10.0 make the stereogram appear flat. Default values: 2.0 for wall-eyed stereograms (def.) and 4.0 for cross-eyed ones (+c option). ********* ONCE AGAIN, THIS OPTION CAN BE DANGEROUS FOR EYESIGHT!!!! *********** +p<pattern_file_name[.TGA]> If specified, this tells crumbler to create a SIS using the given pattern file. If NOT used, crumbler will create and use a random pattern to produce SIRDS. Obviously, without the "+w" option, pattern file works in a different way! Every 'pattern raw' is copied few time over the same 'output raw' and the "width" or the distance between two repeated patterns is different for each "+r" value. Suggested width for pattern files is THE SAME of the input file to avoid echoes on SIS (OFTEN WILL BE USED ONLY THE <n> RIGHTEST PIXELS, depending on the +r value). This options WON'T work with "+b" or "+g". +b creates black & white SIRDS, but neither "+p<>" and "+g" must be set. +g creates grey-shade SIRDS, but neither "+p<>" and "+b" must be set. +dXXXX tells about source image: '256' will use a source image 'averaging' the RGB values for each pixels (more the pixel is bright, more it becomes near) This is common to use with a grey scale source image: every of the 256 Grays (from [0,0,0] to [255,255,255]) represents a depth level. A RGB colour (R=100, G=30, B=80) is like a 'grey=70' value and the depth level used is the 70th from background. '768' will 'add' the RGB values (R+B+G) to perform 768 levels (example: R=5, G=100, B=230 is evaluated as the 335th depth plane from background; more brighter, more near) With this option the RGB colour (R=10, G=70, B=123) is exactly equal to (R=40, G=102, B=61) and means the 203th depth plane from back. '4096' will evaluate the formula: r*16+g+b/16. This will give you 4096 depth levels. It's hard to create a source images of this type without a 3d program and an image map! '64k' this feature lets you create 65536 depth levels with a smoother appearance. There's a new map image for 3d software's which let CRUMBLER recognise 3d software's colours approximation like antialiasing or motion blur. It uses RED and GREEN primary colours: for each even RED values GREEN values are 0..255, while for odd RED values GREEN becomes 255..0 *** THIS ONE I SUGGEST!! *** '16m' tells CRUMBLER to evaluate: r*65536+g*255+b. Red is the most significant primary colour, blue could be omitted (I'm sure you can't see 'blue variation'). This is done for images created with 3d software's and mapping the objects with a given image map. DON'T try to use strange colour configurations if you want to see a nice result (read "a normal stereogram"). +f[l|c|r] Is not available anymore!! +o If the specified output file already exists, crumbler will now remove it and create a new file if '+o' is used; otherwise (if +o is omitted) it returns an error message. +INT Tells crumbler to use an integer classical algorithm. This will avoid possible problems like BLUR EFFECTS for large images, but doesn't create those "true-depth" effect. Nice for SIRDS. +RLE Tells crumbler to write compressed .TGA files. (see I/O file format) +sXXX tells crumbler to 'slice' the 3d object in "XXX" slices and inverting them. This will give a 'skeleton' appearance to your object (try using this and you'll understand what I mean!) +s0 means OFF (Default), every other values are good. +s1 means a CROSS-EYED view (just one big inverted slice) Suggested values between 10 and 30. +c tells CRUMBLER to generate a CROSS-EYED stereogram. This option is available ALSO with "+sXXX". 6 - USING CRUMBLER AFTER A 3D PROGRAM ===================================== If you are able to use a 3d program like 3D Studio (this is from AutoDesk and it's NOT a PD software), POV-Ray, Vivid, DKB, Imagine, LightWave or other 'render/raytracing' programs, I suggest you to use an image map as a texture for your entire scene as shown: (Back) ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ Black (0,0,0) ░░Top,░Bottom,░Left░or░Right░view.░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ^ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ | ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ | (...Dark grays...) ░░░░░░░░░/-----------------\░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ | ░░░░░░░░/░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░\░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ | ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒|▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒\▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ DarkGray (63,63,63) ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒|▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒\▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ^ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒|▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒----\▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ | ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒|▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒This▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒\▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ | (...MD grays...) ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒|___▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒|▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ | ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒|▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒is▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒|▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ | ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓|▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓|▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ MidGray (127,127,127) ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓/▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓your▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓|▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ ^ ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓/▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓|▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ | ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓|▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓3d▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓|▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ | (...ML grays...) ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓|▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓|▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ | ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓|▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓object▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓|▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ | ██████████\█████████████████████████|███████████ LightGray (191,191,191) ███████████\███████████████████████/████████████ ^ ████████████\_____________________/█████████████ | ████████████████████████████████████████████████ | (...Light grays...) █████████████████████████ This is your mapping █ | ████████████████████████████████████████████████ | (Fore) ████████████████████████████████████████████████ White (255,255,255) \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / ------------ | Place Here | | The camera | |____________| The planar mapping and the camera should be parallel, and the object should be lighter when near the camera and dark when away from it. Crumbler 2.0 is provided 5 image maps: y 256__cru.tga is a grey scaled map to use with +d256 option . 768__cru.tga is the map shown above to use with +d768 . 4096_cru.tga is to use with +d4096 (4096 raw to create 4096 depth levels) y 65536cru.tga for +d64k (again 16384 depth levels, but looks smoother) . 16384cru.tga to use with +d16m (creates 16384 depth levels) *THE BEST TO USE IS 65536CRU.TGA, BECAUSE IT GIVES THE SMOOTHEST OUTPUT* Actually I can't find a program to create (and use) a TGA file with up to 65535 raws, so if you want more depth levels you must create your source file your own (good luck!). No programs that I know can read a 16384 raw image file, so you should use a lower colour level map to obtain a lower depth levelled stereogram. Please, DON'T try to convert those map files with a JPEG compression, because it will cause a considerable amount of distortion in the input file. Hints : . The 3d program scene must NOT include any kind of light. . You must use ONLY the ambient light at the max. value. . Don't use anti-aliasing because it changes the real pixel colour (changing the depth too). . Don't use any kind f GAMMA CORRECTION too, to avoid any source image distortion. . Avoid any kind of dithering (also truecolor dithering is BAD!) to make sure you obtain a smoother output. 7 - USING CRUMBLER AFTER A 2D PAINTING PROGRAM ============================================== If you can't use a 3d good software you can create your source images by using a normal 2d painting program. This will obviously make you obtain a lower quality stereogram. You can work in 2 ways: a grey scaled source image (THE EASIEST WAY) or a coloured one. 1) Grey scale sources images could be created by using a black background and brightening the pixel you want to see nearest. Every grey level corresponds to a depth level. This is right with the +d256 options and give out a 256 depth level stereogram. 2) You can obtain a 768 depth level stereogram by 'emulating' an image map in this way: increasing a single value of the RGB palette you will work on the depth level nearest the last one used (e.g. [0,100,0] appears near [0,101,0]). In this way a [0,0,0] colour is the background, a [255,0,0] or [0,255,0] or [0,0,255] colour is the 255th depth level (1/3 from back), a [255,255,0] or [255,0,255] or [0,255,255] colour is the 512th level (2/3 from background) and [255,255,255] (white) is the last depth level (the nearest one to you). This is right with the +d768 option (will make you able to work on 768 different levels). 8 - EMBOSS, FILTERS & 2D IMAGES =============================== If you would like to use a 2d image like a photo and you want to try to 'stereogrammize' it, you can try to use an 'emboss' filter (PhotoStyler and other photoTouch programs are able to do that) before using crumbler. I don't suggest you use an heavy effect. This could give an interesting aspect to your stereograms. Use the +d256 option with crumbler and try to diminish the source image contrast if the stereogram seems too crumbled. Try also "blur" filters to smooth the output. You can try also to use CRUMBLER without changing anything in your source image; you will see "something like"..... the source image, but a lot depends on the illumination, the light position, the colours and so on. Use a high +z value and +d256 options. 9 - PATTERN FILE ================ If you set the '+p<patternfile>' option you need to know how the pattern should be constructed. The pattern file can be a compressed or uncompressed 256, grey or truecolor Targa image file, so you can convert any image you like using other programs like PhotoStyler, PhotoShop, Alchemy and many others, quoted before. You can use any kind of image and you can experiment new particular pattern files (I've tried with a little navel image, but it was too less coloured). It's important that the pattern has DIFFERENT COLOURS and NOT TOO MANY PIXELS THE SAME. Remember !! that a random pattern is ideal. It can also be done in black and white (right to be printed), but there must be irregular shapes in the pattern file. A nice pattern file could be generated using FRACTINT or other fractal programs. Try using 'PLASMA' and rielaborating the images with mirroring, deforming and changing colours & contrasts. CRUMBLER 2.0 is provided with a new program called PMAKER, (PATTERN-MAKER) which generates .TGA files right to be used as pattern files for CRUMBLER. This is a VERY useful tool to create nice stereograms, it is also VERY powerful ,if you know the right techniques to use. See PMAKER.DOC for more. 10 - INPUT DEPTH IMAGE ====================== The input image must be a depth image, so that it has gradient coloured 3d shapes to tell CRUMBLER how far to place that shape and how thick it should be. The input image should appear something like this: ░░░░░░|░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░|░░░░░░ ░░░░░░|░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░|░░░░░░ ░░░░░░|░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░|░░░░░░ ░░░░░░|░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░|░░░░░░ ░░░░░░|░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░|░░░░░░ ░░░░░░|░░░░░░░▒▒▒▓▓▓▓▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░|░░░░░░ ░░░░░░|░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▓▓▓▓▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░|░░░░░░ ░░░░░░|░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▓▓▓▓▒▒░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░|░░░░░░ ░░░░░░|░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▓▓▓▓▒▒▒░░░░░░░▒▒▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░|░░░░░░ ░░░░░░|░░░░░░░▒▒▒▓▓▓▓▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░▒▒▓▓████████▓▓▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░|░░░░░░ ░░░░░░|░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░▒▒▓▓████████▓▓▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░|░░░░░░ ░░░░░░|░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░▒▒▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░|░░░░░░ ░░░░░░|░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░|░░░░░░ ░░░░░░|░░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░|░░░░░░ ░░░░░░|░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░|░░░░░░ ░░░░░░|▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒|░░░░░░ ░░░░░░|▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓|░░░░░░ ░░░░░░|████████████████████████████████████████████████████|░░░░░░ | Not | | Not | | used| Draw here your painting | used| |<--->|<-------------------------------------------------->|<--->| 0 X_res. CRUMBLER 2.0 won't use the rightist and the leftist zone of the input image, while CRUMBLER 1.x didn't use the righter "+w" pixels. The unused pixels are about the same, it depends on the "+r" value you set. If you were using YASM by Mitchell Brandsma you'll notice that it works with the same input images, in facts if you set +d256 option you could use the same pictures you were using with YASM as input for CRUMBLER (after converting them into .TGA). I suggest you to compress the input file: for a 24 bit input image it's easy to obtain a drastically compressed file (also 40:1 for simple scenes without dithering!!!) although RLE is not a great compression method. I don't suggest to use a JPeG compression for input images, because you will loose a LARGE amount of data, degrading the stereogram quality. 11 - OUTPUT FILE COMPRESSION ============================ Output is a truecolor TGA RLE or uncompressed, and now you can compress it how you like. I suggest an high quality JPeG ("Alchemy -j80" or "-j100") or a scaled colour GIF. (high quality JPeG compression will NOT allow you to loose important information, and will help save disk space!! GIF format will make you loose more data, because of the colour scaling!!). Obviously, if you are using "+b" or "+g" options, you better convert to a black & white or gray-shade .GIF file. 12 - POSSIBLE PROBLEMS ? ---> POSSIBLE CAUSES ! =============================================== Crumbler could have bugs, I didn't find any. Check to see if you find a 'strange' (read 'jagged', 'overcolored', 'undercolored', 'tooMuchCrumbled', 'echoed' and so on) output file: 0) If CRUMBLER stops working after the first rows (and you CAN'T <CTRL-BREAK> it) check for the input .TGA: CRUMBLER has problems by reading COMPRESSED targa files WITH MASK!!! Try converting the "masked" .TGA to uncompressed or to "unmasked". 1) If the output file doesn't seem to be a stereogram and on the left side the pattern appears 'distorted' and quite different from the right side, it could depend on the '+d' parameter: check it to use the correct value. 2) If you see a non-continuous 3D object, first check the "+INT" option (must be omitted for the 'true-depth' effect), then check for the "+s" option (it inverts the slices it creates, breaking the 3D obj.). 3) If you find a soft echo when you are generating SIS, change the X_resolution of the pattern file you are using or generate a new one with a different "+x" value (inside PMAKER), or else, change the "+r", "+w" or "+z" value; that's because SIS are 'repeated patterns' and cannot be randomly selected, so a closely repeated little strip may appear giving an unwanted echo. 4) If you don't use a pattern file and you find the output SIRDS is not bright enough, you can compute the SIRDS by increasing the contrast or by transparency adding colours, gradient fitting or every kind of 2d image. This will cause you to see stereogram not so clearly but it will give you a nice appearance to the SIRDS. 5) If you don't use a pattern file and find the output too blur, try to set the "+INT" option. This will make SIRDS easier to see but not true-depth. 6) If the output image looks distorced, or looks like "sliced", sometimes black & white too, check for your input files: CRUMBLER 2.0 is not able to read 15, 16 and 32 bit .TGA, so convert them to 8 or 24 bit per pixel (256 or 16.7m colors). 13 - CRUMBLER'S FUTURE ================== I'm going to releasing another version of CRUMBLER, but I'm working on it ONLY in my spare time, so I think NOTHING before JANUARY 1995! Here's some new features that you can look forward too: . a DXF2TGA utility to convert ACAD files for CRUMBLER!!! (Thanx to Leandro!) . an easy-to-use GUI . a GIF file read/write option (I NEED HELP!!) . a PCX file read/write option (I NEED HELP!!) . a BMP file read/write option (I don't think someone needs another uncompressed feature, but...) . a TIFF file read/write option (I NEED HELP!!) . a WIN version . perhaps something else.... 14 - BEWARE!!! ============== I feel I must say that watching stereograms IS DANGEROUS for your eyes, so don't dedicate too much time to viewing stereograms. Your eyes are more important than the SIRDS!. 15 - PLEASE REGISTER ==================== This software is SHAREWARE (or DEMOWARE) and it's limited to images up to 640x480, so, if you use CRUMBLER after a trial evaluation period of 30 days, or if you need to use it on images larger than 640x480, i encourage you to pay a little registration fee. See REGISTER.DOC for more. 16 - CREDITS ============ Mega-thanx to: - Duzy Patel Special thanx to: - Peter Jennings for his feedback - Stefano Vitali, Simone Grassi, and all other testers. - Mitchell Bransdma for forst idea on SIRDS - Leandro Dardini (for the future!) and everyone else helped me realizing CRUMBLER project. 17 - GREETINGS ============== I would like to thank any one will e-mail moretti@cobra.csr.unibo.it or moretti@zeus.csr.unibo.it (PLEASE DON'T USE OLD E-ADDRESSES ANYMORE!!!) or mail Carlo Moretti v. R. Medri 2050 Gattolino, Cesena (FO) C.A.P. 47020 ITALY. by sending observations, suggests, answers of any kind, results, new P.D. SIRDS makers information's and documentation about new algorithms and what else can interest 3D and stereograms world.