International Day of 3D
By: María José González 10ºB
The international day of 3D is celebrated on December the 3rd. This special date was chosen by its initials; 3 being the day and D for December. Yet it was also chosen to celebrate the 3-dimensional technologies that began in the cinema.
3D refers to an object, figure or space that is characterized by having a certain height, depth and width. This is linked to the way in which things are seen and perceived according to each person. In cinemas, it refers to the projection of cinematographic films that can be perceived with a sense of depth thanks to stereoscopic vision.
The techniques used usually imply that, in the filming process, two cameras are used simultaneously to obtain images with two different perspectives. In this way the superposition of the images is achieved and the effect of three dimensions is visualized. One of the main traits of this method is the constant use of a filter so that the images can be received independently by each eye. Through this, it is achieved that the visual cortex interprets a sense of depth when receiving different points of view.
On cinema?
Although this technology seems new, historians have linked it to the late nineteenth century, precisely in 1890 when the first 3D system created by William Freese-Greene was patented. William Freese-Greene is known as an English professional photographer and inventor who is regarded as a pioneer of today's photography and moving images. 10 years later, Frederick Eugene Ives, another American photographer and inventor, created the camera with two lenses. Over the years his creation helped to separate images in two colors. It is during this time that lenses with two different colored crystals are associated with this effect.
On September 27,1922, the first 3D film to be projected in commercial cinemas was made. It used a system of two projectors to be able to superimpose the sequences of the films and to be able to carry out the three-dimensional effect. Its title was The Power of Love. However, what can be called the first 3D projection was carried out on June 10, 1915 at the Astor Theater in New York. This 3D projection was made up of 3 short scenes from a documentary on Niagara Falls, rural images of the United States, and some scenes from the King of Scam.
This method began to be taken seriously in the 1950s when televisions in the United States began to be quite a strong competition for projection rooms. As an effect, new advances reached theaters much faster to make them attractive. In the sixties, new recording systems such as Space-Vision 3D were implemented, making it easier to print the superimposed images to use a single film strip and a special lens. Later in 1980 IMAX would come out on the market and help the developers of 3D cinema.
Nowadays it is more expensive to make 3D films, costing twice as much as a 2D film, and not to mention those of digital animation.
Printing in 3D?
The history of the 3D printers began in 1980 when Dr Kodama, was the first person to file a patent of the Rapid Prototyping (RP); however, the authorities denied his application because of a deadline. Later, in 1986 the American inventor Charles Hull created the very first 3D printer, the SLA. The SLA was the first device that printed real physical parts from a digital computer file.
In the early 2000’s started the commercial boom of the 3D world. By 2009, the “new” printers were in the spotlight, providing advantages for different areas, like systems or even medicine.
Therefore, December the 3rd is an especially important day that honors all the human advantages in technology.
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