| Author | Message | ||
     Dann Groothuis (Stannmaple) Member Username: Stannmaple Post Number: 53 Registered: 6-2007 Rating: N/A |
Hi, This may have been answered before, but I can't seem to find it. Do I need a Nvidia graphics card to watch 3D on my PC, or just a special driver with any card? I'm not sure how this works. I have an ASUS extreme AX300. Thanks. Dann | ||
| Andrea (Heandrea) New member Username: Heandrea Post Number: 5 Registered: 5-2006 Rating: N/A |
Hi, if you want to play videogames in stereoscopic 3D, then you need an NVidia card and the stereo driver installed: this is the only way I know to automatically convert the scene generated in OpenGL or Direct3D in stereoscopic and to watch it using anoglyph glasses (red/cyan), shutter glasses or HMD. If you only are going to see 3D movies or picture, then you can use any video card and suitable software (like stereoscopic player, stereo photo maker, etc.). Remember that in order to use shutter glasses, you need a CRT monitor or a suitable DLP projector (there are some thread about that). Bye Andrea | ||
| Dann Groothuis (Stannmaple) Member Username: Stannmaple Post Number: 54 Registered: 6-2007 Rating: N/A |
Hey, Thanks Andrea, That's good news! I was only hoping to watch movies with my computer system (and hopefully projector in the future) so I should be ok. I'm all set with the correct monitor as well as stereoscopic player. Out of curiosity though, can you tell me more about games? Are you talking about games that are created for stereoscopic 3D viewing, or can it actually CONVERT a game to 3D? If so, how can it do that? Thanks. | ||
| Andrea (Heandrea) New member Username: Heandrea Post Number: 6 Registered: 5-2006 Rating: N/A |
Hi Dann, NVidia provide an extension to its video driver that allow to convert any scene generated by OpenGL or Direct3D libraries, in stereoscopic. Using those libraries, the software creates the scene by telling to the driver where the objects are and where the viewing camera is. The NVidia stereo driver duplicates the camera placing the new one next to the original, then outputs the two images (left and right) with the method you configured according to your display hardware. So the game (or any software) using those libraries doesn't need to be written specifically for stereoscopic 3D, the scene is converted by the driver. | ||
| Dann Groothuis (Stannmaple) Member Username: Stannmaple Post Number: 55 Registered: 6-2007 Rating: N/A |
Wow! Thanks for the info. I've been into 3D for a long time (mainly movies though) and I NEVER knew that. So, just to reiterate: I'm fine with my card if I just want to watch movies, but for games I would need to have a NVidia card. I have a GeForce 3 on my other machine, but it's an older machine and not the fastest thing in the world. It's an AMD 1600+ Any games I could play on that? Thanks. | ||
| Andrea (Heandrea) New member Username: Heandrea Post Number: 7 Registered: 5-2006 Rating: N/A |
Your card can be fine for movies: just be sure that your stereo display hardware (shutter glasses, hmd, etc) is supported by the software you use. The easyest way that surely works is the anaglyph: I think any player supports that mode and you only need a pair of red/cyan glasses... As far as the games, well, I'm not a real gamer, however my hardware is older than yours (AMD1300 and GeForce2) and I am able to play with old videogames like Boss Rally in 3D with no problems, using shutter glasses or a Z800 hmd. Only for curiosity, I tryed the demo version of GTR2 but with my machine, it was impossible to drive the car. |
