Stereoscopic 3D Rig with Steadicam

See my previous post on a different 3D rig design, and a discussion of how to postprocess the videos in QuickTime Pro. I decided to build a Steadicam to help reduce jerkiness when recording while walking. I used the design from steadycam.org. This steadicam works with any camera with a tripod mount. So to mount two stereoscopic cameras, I found an 8” doorjamb striker plate that had two holes 6.5cm apart and a third hole for mounting on the steadicam.

I covered this with a thin layer of foam rubber, then attached the two cameras with 1/4” X 20 bolts, and attached the plate to the steadicam using a washer and toggle bolt. The cameras need to be slightly rotated to stay coplanar - because the screw holes in the plate are staggered.

So the cameras mounted on the steadicam look like this:

Here is a sample video shot with this rig.

Stereoscopic 3D Video Rig

I have access to two identical Flip Video camcorders.

I built a cheap $3 mounting bracket system so I could use them to shoot stereoscopic 3D video. I used two 1/4” X 20 screws (these fit the tripod mount on the cameras) and a couple of nuts and washers.

Also a bracket, I used some plumbing bracket. It was too large so I had to squeeze it smaller. You want the distance between the camera lenses to be about 6.5cm once they are screwed onto the bracket.

So the result looks like this.

When you shoot video, try to start both cameras at the same time. After shooting, you can use QuickTime 7 Pro to edit the videos, you will need Perian on Mac to handle the Flip DiVX AVIs. Trim each video so they start at the same time (use a clap board or something so you have a visual event to synchronize on) - use Edit

Trim to Selection in... Read More

PhotoCloth

My iPhone app, PhotoCloth, is finally available in the app store. PhotoCloth can turn any photo into a realistic 3D interactive cloth simulation. See demo videos and appstore link here.

Fixed Width Fonts in Gmail

I like to compose and read email with a fixed width font. Gmail now supports reading a message with a fixed width font using the Show in fixed width font option - but you have to do that on each message as you read it.

If you use Firefox, you can create a user stylesheet that is domain specific to force all non-HTML messages and the message composition textarea to display in fixed width.

The user stylesheet should contain:

@-moz-document domain(mail.google.com) {
    /* GMail messages and textarea should use fixed-width font */
    textarea.dV, div.ii.gt {
        font-family: MonoSpace !important;
        font-size: 9pt !important;
    }
}

Place the stylesheet (on MacOS) under your Firefox profile directory e.g. ~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/XXXXXXXX.default/chrome/userContent.css

Virtualizing Mac OS X Leopard Client

VMWare Fusion 2.0 beta2 supports virtualizing Mac OS X Server as a guest OS. If you try to install a Leopard Client guest, you get an error:

The guest operating system is not Mac OS X Server.

However, if you create an ISO/CDR image from your Leopard install DVD, mount it then do

touch "/Volumes/Mac OS X Install DVD/System/Library/CoreServices/ServerVersion.plist" 

then unmount it, you can now use that image to install Leopard Client into VMWare with no complaints. After you install, reboot VMWare from the install DVD ISO again, run Terminal and

touch "/Volumes/Macintosh HD/System/Library/CoreServices/ServerVersion.plist"

then reboot from the HD. This probably violates your license agreement so don’t do it, I certainly wouldn’t.

Update: You can automate the deletion and creation of the ServerVersion.plist file using a LaunchDaemon. Put the following xml in a new file /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.rectalogic.vmware.plist:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"> <plist version="1.0"> <dict> <key>Label</key> <string>com.rectalogic.vmware</string> <key>ProgramArguments</key> <array> <string>/bin/bash</string> <string>-c</string> <string>/bin/rm -f /System/Library/CoreServices/ServerVersion.plist; trap "/usr/bin/touch /System/Library/CoreServices/ServerVersion.plist; exit" SIGINT SIGTERM SIGHUP; sleep 999999 & wait $!</string> </array> <key>KeepAlive</key> <true/> <key>RunAtLoad</key> <true/> </dict> </plist>

Then...

Elevator Pitch

I was riding down to lunch in a relatively crowded elevator at work and two guys were in opposite corners carrying on a conversation about work over everyones heads. Then, this happened:

Guy #1:

You want go go out tomorrow night?

Guy #2:

Sure, I told you I’m single again right?

Guy #1, as if embarrassed by this personal detail in a public elevator:

Uhm, let’s talk about this over lunch.

and then Guy #1 continues:

By the way, I’m probably going to go for a ‘rub and tug’ after lunch, this Asian girl I go to is really into fiddling with my asshole.

Absolutely beautiful.