Join Now
Join ePHOTOzine, the friendliest photography community.
Upload photos, chat with photographers, win prizes and much more for free!
If you look at a 3D photograph or film through the appropriate 3D glasses, then an optical illusion is created whereby your brain thinks you are seeing the image in 3D. The technology dates back to the 1930s when it was all the range in cinemas. Then, in the 1950s, Picture Post magazine printed some 3D photographs and gave away cardboard spectacles though which to view them. Typically one lens would be green and the other red.
(I can remember the 1950s photographs but not the 1930s cinema programmes 
)
.
I think you're missing the point, LeftForum. I think Tepot is on about 3D CGI programs, rather than stereoscopic 3D.
On which note, the big deal with 3D programs is that you can render an object ( for example ) from any angle you like. A 2D image is always from one viewpoint, unless you want to recreate it entirely again. I do actually know what I am talking about ( this time.. 
) as I have been using 3D graphics software for getting for 20 years......god, that makes me feel old....
Obviously any image that you come up with from a 3D program is eventually 2D and will be the case for a long time to come until we have holographic displays. From a personal point of view the stuff that I do is for games so we have the advantage of being able to manipulate objects, cameras and lighting to get the visual effects that we want, something that isn't as straight forward in 2D. And in a slightly related note to LeftFroum's post, we can quite easily get stuff rendering for stereoscopic displays if we need to / want to.
So I suppose it all boils down to flexibility in the end to a degree. And that third dimension adds more than a third to workload 
I think Tepot is referring to 3D software like 3DS, Blender Wings3D etc.
With these, we do have to view on a 2D screen, but we can build an object, or set of objects, and then view them from any angle, or view a cross section or wireframe structure.
With a building for example architects can walk through, test fire exits and so on, before the building is up.
The technology is extremely useful for medical students among others, with viewable 3D models of bodies or body parts.
If you want to make a straight 2d image, e.g with a street scene, landscape or whatever, you can choose your viewpoint and composition, adjust lighting, and take your "photo" much as you would in the "real" world. Producing a 2D image wouldn't usually be the main purpose, although you can find plenty of examples of that on the Deviant Art site.
Similar comments would apply in systems like Second Life, Opensim, Unity 3D etc., although the graphics in the first two can be a bit minimal.
Compare Space Invaders to Call of Duty, compare Pacman to Half Life, if you still can't understand why one is described as 2D and the other 3D you never will.
Here's a picture to illustrate my earlier post ( knocked it up this morning before starting work..the screengrabs, not the model. I did that a while back over a day or so. )
Anyway, the top row is setting up lighting, bottom row is changing the view. So you can see that it's a lot more flexible than just a 2D image....
I think you can sum up the difference as 'z'. 2d software lets you manipulate stuff in the x and y directions (horizontally and vertically if you like on screen). 3d software lets you move objects or the 'camera' in the z direction too. The Pacman example is valid, pixels only move horizontally or vertically, 3d games also have a z direction which is represented in 2d by pixels moving horizontally and vertically.
I'm a long term user of 3DS Max, it's a quick sum up of the difference. That 'z' difference applies to 3D software too.
OK Chris. Whatever you say.
I am also a long time user of 3D software, as I mentioned. Since 3d studio 1 ( before it was 3ds max, in about 92-93 ), in fact.
I think there are a lot more differences than merely Z between 3d and 2d software.
I'm not saying there aren't more differences Nik. Just that the main difference, the big difference, is the third dimension.
Add a Comment
ePHOTOzine, the web's friendliest photography community.
Upload photos, chat with photographers, win prizes and much more.
Join Our Free Newsletter
Awards
Current Competitions
Vanguard June 'Landscape' Competition - Win TIPA Awarded Gear!
1st June 2013 - 30th June 2013
This month, Vanguard are giving you the chance to get your hands on TIPA 2013 awarded gear in our 'Landscape' competition.Up for grabs are two ABEO Pro 2...
Featured e2 Photo
June's Photo Month
Check out ePHOTOzine's inspirational photo month calendar! Each day click on a window to unveil new photography tips, treats and techniques.
