[HN Gopher] Make a "Magic Eye" image using Excel
       ___________________________________________________________________
        
       Make a "Magic Eye" image using Excel
        
       Author : noiv
       Score  : 83 points
       Date   : 2024-12-04 19:36 UTC (4 days ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (divisbyzero.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (divisbyzero.com)
        
       | matsemann wrote:
       | > _This one shows a surface: the graph of a multivariable
       | function._
       | 
       | Almost think textbooks should utilize images like these, worked
       | very well.
        
       | thih9 wrote:
       | Is there an app for "decoding" magic eye images like these? The
       | output could be a 2 frame gif showing perspective from each
       | eye[1], or a single image with depth of field simulated with some
       | blur.
       | 
       | Edit: found this https://piellardj.github.io/stereogram-solver/ ,
       | it works well for single layer images; but it isn't great for 3d
       | surfaces. Another one, though not online, seems better:
       | https://github.com/MikhailPedus/AutostereogramSolver
       | 
       | [1]: https://www.vexels.com/blog/stunning-3d-effect-with-
       | gif-2-fr...
        
       | a1o wrote:
       | Is everyone able to see this? I have even played a game on itch
       | that had these in real time, but these ones aren't "working" for
       | me.
        
         | mikojan wrote:
         | Working on my computer
        
         | waste_monk wrote:
         | I was able to perceive all of them, using the "focus on
         | something behind the plane of the monitor surface" technique
         | (rather than the "bring your face up close and slowly move away
         | while keeping your eyes focused the same" technique, which I
         | find has been a bit hit-and-miss).
         | 
         | I found that the p and [?] stereograms were easier for me than
         | the graph ones, as it's easier to snap to focus once you
         | recognise the general outline of the shape. The graph ones were
         | a bit harder for me, although that may just be the colours
         | used.
        
         | Jimmc414 wrote:
         | I used to be able to see these but as my nearsightedness
         | progressed at some point I lost the ability.
        
         | orphea wrote:
         | The intended way (when image floats above background, closer to
         | you) - no. I can see images if I cross eyes and let patterns
         | merge. However, this way images appear below background and are
         | harder to recognize.
        
         | technion wrote:
         | I remember when these things first came out and they were
         | everywhere. I've never ever gotten them to work for me.
        
         | foobarbecue wrote:
         | Works easily for me. There are two types of stereograms (cross-
         | eyed and parallel) so perhaps you had success with the other
         | type. I believe this are parallel (aka "wall-eyed".)
        
         | TonyTrapp wrote:
         | Every single time I tried it in the past, I failed. I never got
         | them to work for me.
        
         | acomjean wrote:
         | These posters were around in the 90s. After a few tries I "got
         | it" and was able to see them. It was frustrating initially.
         | 
         | Popular enough to be on Seinfeld.
         | 
         | https://youtu.be/Uy9D0lO_0y0?t=38&si=f9zczm_noVd9hsmN
         | 
         | "Computers make these.. big computers"
        
         | fweimer wrote:
         | When I was younger, my ophthalmologist was still testing for
         | depth perception through binocular disparity (the parallax
         | effect, I think). I could pass those tests (although my mother
         | is in the 20% or so of the population that can't do it), but I
         | never could see those stereoscopic images for some reason.
         | 
         | I haven't been tested for many years, but I assume I have lost
         | this type of depth perceptiion due to monovision after cataract
         | surgery. I still have functional depth perception, but it must
         | rely on other clues these days. And I still can't see
         | stereoscopic images.
         | 
         | At least there are tools now that can undo the process by which
         | these images are produced.
        
         | sim7c00 wrote:
         | i get colourful snow and a headache trying to make my eyes do
         | things. it just blurs and unblurs :'(
        
         | ASalazarMX wrote:
         | Seems not everyone, and it appears that seeing them is a
         | combination of skill and vision.
         | 
         | Never been able to see them, but my eves have different enough
         | vision that it is hard to make them work together at certain
         | distances.
        
       | ndr42 wrote:
       | I had my eyes focused to see the hidden image the same way I
       | always do. But this time I was scrolling the picture on an iPad
       | and the next one was coming up and it was directly in focus and
       | the next one too.
       | 
       | This was real incredible - no need to focus again - it is like
       | living in this hidden world.
       | 
       | If you never experienced this I recommend to try it - at least
       | for me it was a wow moment.
        
         | foobarbecue wrote:
         | I drive Curiosity and that's how I often view our raw downlink
         | images. They aren't stereograms, but the left and right eyes
         | are next to each other on the report, so I just cross my eyes
         | to get the stereo and scroll the page. Works great but despite
         | my trying to spread the good word I think I'm the only rover
         | planner who does this.
        
           | pavlov wrote:
           | _> "I drive Curiosity"_
           | 
           | "What kind of SUV is that? He can't mean... Oh, he does...!
           | Holy s**t"
        
             | andai wrote:
             | "My other car is Curiosity."
        
           | jasmcole wrote:
           | Wow! I just checked your CV (we were at Cambridge at the same
           | time :) ), and I will never dismiss a Geography degree again!
        
             | gorlilla wrote:
             | Too late.
        
           | AuryGlenz wrote:
           | It might be overkill but a VR headset would make that
           | significantly easier for people.
        
             | foobarbecue wrote:
             | We actually use NVIDIA 3D Vision 2 in 3D simulation
             | environments during planning. It's great but quite hard to
             | keep it working because NVIDIA doesn't support it any more.
             | Our software falls back to analgyph for systems that can't
             | run the 3D Vision and I end up using anaglyph a lot and
             | it's totally fine.
             | 
             | We've experimented with VR a bit but it hasn't caught on
             | yet. We've also been trying a few other 3D display
             | technologies.
        
           | ramses0 wrote:
           | Stupid funny-pages trick: "Spot the Differences", you can
           | cross your eyes and the things that "shimmer" are the
           | differences. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spot_the_differenc
           | e#Solving_te...
        
       | BiteCode_dev wrote:
       | ChatGPT can't read stereograms yet, so this would be a nice
       | captchas, if only most humans could read them too.
        
         | ramon156 wrote:
         | I'm trying man. I just don't get how it works
        
         | pavlov wrote:
         | Voight-Kampff test but it's just staring at stereograms with
         | sweat glistening on your forehead.
         | 
         | It's unfortunate that so many humans were initially retired,
         | but it was also helpful in motivating the population to finally
         | figure out Magic Eye.
        
           | dylan604 wrote:
           | Oh, so the image was a tortoise upside down? Now I see it
        
             | jonhohle wrote:
             | Tortoise? What's that?
        
               | syncsynchalt wrote:
               | You know what a U+1F422 is?
        
         | andai wrote:
         | I think you can decode a stereogram into the depth map with
         | like 5 lines of Python, but it's been a while since I've played
         | around with this stuff.
         | 
         | Meaning, maybe GPT can't (yet) see magic eye images, but it
         | shouldn't have trouble building itself a prosthetic that allows
         | it to see them.
        
       | starshadowx2 wrote:
       | > You shoud see a flat background with one large copy of the
       | letter p floating a little above the background (closer to you).
       | 
       | To me these all look like they're reversed from what this says,
       | like they're further away from me behind the flat part.
        
         | rokkamokka wrote:
         | I believe this depends on if you focus "beyond" or "in front"
         | of the image
        
         | stabbles wrote:
         | You should focus behind it instead of looking cross-eyed.
        
       | aclindsa wrote:
       | Could we... make a gif of these?
        
         | andai wrote:
         | https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stereogram_Tut_Ani...
        
       | gcanyon wrote:
       | Have stereograms advanced in some way over the past 30 years? I
       | know how silly that sounds, but: I remember back in the day when
       | the fad first broke, spending minutes, many minutes, trying "get"
       | it. And having to focus (heh) on focusing my eyes. And sometimes
       | failing. I haven't looked at a stereogram since then until now.
       | 
       | And these were easy. The first one literally took 15 seconds to
       | "drop in." The second maybe ten. The third was near-instant. The
       | only one that gave me any trouble was the continuous function one
       | like an egg crate, with no sharp edges, just dropping down and
       | up. That took maybe twenty seconds, and once I recognized what I
       | was looking for, it was easy.
       | 
       | So has the technique changed/improved? Or has my brain changed?
        
         | chime wrote:
         | I recently learned that there are two views:
         | https://www.reddit.com/r/ParallelView/ vs
         | https://www.reddit.com/r/CrossView/
         | 
         | And there is definitely a difference between them. If you try
         | to view a cross view image using parallel view, it will look
         | weird and not be easy to focus. Maybe the egg crate image was
         | different?
         | 
         | Here's a quick test: https://i.redd.it/g5ilwgk99r781.jpg
         | 
         | Parallel view is easy for me but it takes a bit of effort for
         | me to see cross view. For cross view, I start by looking cross-
         | eyed at my nose and then try to see the image without fully
         | uncrossing my eyes.
        
           | xiphias2 wrote:
           | Thanks for the link, I saw the Tokyo parallel view beautiful
           | crispy for the first time, now I can't do it again, I guess
           | my eyes became tired and need some time
        
           | gcanyon wrote:
           | I think the egg crate was harder because there were no sharp
           | edges to latch onto.
        
           | bfdm wrote:
           | I have the opposite experience. Cross view is easy for me but
           | focusing parallel view is very difficult to impossible.
           | 
           | When I try to relax my eyes to look past the screen to start
           | the parallel view (I think that's how it is done?) the image
           | is too blurry to resolve. When I let my eyes adjust that,
           | they fall apart to the separate images.
        
         | Cannabat wrote:
         | I've always been pretty quick to see the hidden image, but I
         | could see these faster than ever - almost instantaneously, even
         | the first one. I wonder if it's something to do with me having
         | stared at a screen for a decade since the last time I saw a
         | stereogram...
        
       ___________________________________________________________________
       (page generated 2024-12-08 23:01 UTC)