rjung@castor.usc.edu (Robert Jung) (04/07/88)
It was speculated on the net of whether or not 3-D glasses can be used on
the Atari 8-bit, ala "Stereotek" for the ST's is being done from Antic.
Just to throw in my (ignorant) 2 cents here: I don't see why not.
In theory, all you need is a pair of LCD glasses that can switch the lens
transparency from left to right to left to right every 1/60th of a second,
and have that synchronized with two alternating images shown on the screen.
From a software point of view, you're probably talking about page-flipping
the pointers to screen RAM every 1/60th of a second, and sending a signal to
the glasses (via the joystick port?) to "switch" the glasses around
accordingly...
Of course, there's probably a very good technical reason why this can't be
done (Maybe a screen-refresh VBI can't do this much work?), and I really
don't know what I'm talking about (much less how to actually WRITE such
code B-), but it's too early for me to think coherently anyway...
--R.J.
B-)
P.S. The only other place where this glasses technology is being used is on
the Sega game system, which works exactly the same as the Stereotek
glasses...But then again, the Sega uses a 68000.
P.P.S. If anyone's wondering, the upcoming "3D" episode of Moonlighting (May?)
will *not* use anything this elaborate...
______________________________________________________________________________
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Just because it's 8-bits doesn't make it obsolete. ==== == ==== lackey@Alliant.COM (Stan Lackey) (04/08/88)
In article <666@nunki.usc.edu> rjung@castor.usc.edu (Robert Jung) writes: > > It was speculated on the net of whether or not 3-D glasses can be used... >In theory, all you need is a pair of LCD glasses that can switch the lens >and have that synchronized with two alternating images shown on the screen. > From a software point of view, you're probably talking about page-flipping >the pointers to screen RAM every 1/60th of a second, and sending a signal to >the glasses (via the joystick port?) to "switch" the glasses around >accordingly... You don't even need to do that. At the end of a display list, there is a wait-for-vertical-blank-then-jump instruction, with the jump addr normally being the beginning of the display list. This allows the graphics chip to do the alternating. You would have two display lists, one for each of the images, but instead of the jump at the end of each one being back to its top, have it point to the top of the other display list. A DLI at the very end of each display list could be used to flip the LCD glasses. I have used this technique to get more gray levels, but the image seems a little flickery. -Stan
c60b-at@buddy.Berkeley.EDU (John Kawakami -0^0-) (04/09/88)
As Robert Jung (rjung@castor.usc.edu) said, there should be little trouble for the software. A few pokes for the display list and a poke to the PIA chip. Of course, any program you were running would be a tad slow considering the extra work you would need to display 3D (even fake 3D like in 3D comics). I think the big hurdle would be the glasses and the attendant hardware. How much would the circuitry cost, and where would you get it from? Would you rip up a Sega 3D thingie? John Kawakami > c60b-at@buddy.berkeley.edu Flame baby flame < -O~O- Network inferno... > )o(
) (04/10/88)
In article <1552@alliant.Alliant.COM> lackey@alliant.UUCP (Stan Lackey) writes: >In article <666@nunki.usc.edu> rjung@castor.usc.edu (Robert Jung) writes: >> From a software point of view, you're probably talking about page-flipping >>the pointers to screen RAM every 1/60th of a second, and sending a signal to >> [DELETED] >You don't even need to do that. At the end of a display list, there is a >wait-for-vertical-blank-then-jump instruction, with the jump addr normally >being the beginning of the display list. >-Stan I don't have my Atari next to me here so I can't say for sure, but wouldn't the OS/VBI shadowing of DLISTL $D402 (?) from SDLIST $230 interfere? I believe you have to 'turn off' shadowing before you can really use the wait-VBI-jmp instruction. In any case the project from the software point of view is pretty trivial we all agree on that. Natuerlich! -------------------------------------------------------------- Loveletters & Hatemail to : wallman@yalecs Files to : WALLMANN@CTSTATEU (Bitnet) --------------------------------------------------------------
MORRIS@KSUVM.BITNET (Vince Morris) (08/23/88)
After hearing so much on how to do 3D on the Atari 8-bits, and being thoroughly convinced that it (3D) can be done on such an awesome (for it's day) computer, I went to my nearest Kay-Bee toy store and checked out the Sega LCD glasses. Has anyone else dared to look at the hardware?!? I was a little shocked to find that the glasses terminated in what everyone knows as a headphone plug. Humm...where's the 9 pin female connector? Well luckily, also included in the box, there was a gadget that plugs into the Sega ROM card slot (the ones the size of credit cards or so) and into the gadget plugs the glasses. It seems that not only do we have to write 3D code (of course we would have had to do that anyway...), but we must also have to build a hardware hack to use the (cheap?) Sega LCD glasses. We'd probably be better off if the people who make the ST's 3D glasses lowered their prices or came out with an 8-bit version; at least we know they would be semi-compatable to compatible w/o a hardware hack. I'm in the process of trying to obtain specifications on the glasses. Whether or not Sega just hands that stuff out to interested parties is yet to be known (that's why I'm 'in the process'). If I hear from them I'll post a summary of what they say. Sincerely Vince Morris MORRIS at KSUVM.BITNET
lackey@Alliant.COM (Stan Lackey) (08/23/88)
In article <8808230156.AA14818@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> MORRIS@KSUVM.BITNET (Vince Morris) writes: >After hearing so much on how to do 3D on the Atari 8-bits, and being >thoroughly convinced that it (3D) can be done on such an awesome (for it's >day) computer, I went to my nearest Kay-Bee toy store and checked out the >Sega LCD glasses. Has anyone else dared to look at the hardware?!? Yes, I have a Sega, half to play the games, and half to fool with the hardware. OK, my kids play the games and I fool with the hardware. Well, I looked at the signals going to the glasses, and can build the little widget to connect them to the Atari, and know how to do the software. Now for the big question! Who out there in atariland would be willing to PAY for me to build them a widget? :-) Come on guys, give me an excuse to invest the time in it! Not that I really need one... -Stan
cfchiesa@bsu-cs.UUCP (Christopher Chiesa) (08/24/88)
In article <2282@alliant.Alliant.COM>, lackey@Alliant.COM (Stan Lackey) writes: > In article <8808230156.AA14818@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> MORRIS@KSUVM.BITNET (Vince Morris) writes: > >Sega LCD glasses. Has anyone else dared to look at the hardware?!? > > Well, I looked at the signals going to the glasses, and can build the little > widget to connect them to the Atari, and know how to do the software. Now for > the big question! Who out there in atariland would be willing to PAY for me > to build them a widget? :-) Depends on HOW MUCH you intend to ask for! :-) With all the smileys floating around this article, I'll just say "if you get one or two (or more) of 'em built for a reasonable price (you tell ME the price, I'll tell YOU if I think it's reasonable) I'd probably be interested. Now, where in the world am I going to find a set of Sega glasses?? -- UUCP: <backbones>!{iuvax,pur-ee,uunet}!bsu-cs!cfchiesa cfchiesa@bsu-cs.UUCP