The Quest for the Scepter: A Stereogram Animation

[vtorialyn]

Your work is amazing! I could follow this pretty good until the end, then I couldn't really tell what he was doing..I thought at first he was hitting himself in the head, then I thought he was juggling lol. It's still awesome! Your work is the best I've seen on the net.

[ThePhantomChick]

@vtorialyn -- Thanks for the comments, I'm glad you like the videos! :) I think I got a little too sloppy with the ending for this one... seems like everyone has trouble seeing what he's doing. He's supposed to be dancing back to the entrance, waving his hat and waving the scepter like a cane. Thanks again for watching!

[Cemalula]

Bahh i can`t see anything...For me it seems like screen when the girl in The Ring is going to appear...

[ThePhantomChick]

@Cemalula -- Sorry you can't see it... Have you tried some of the tips in the video description? I hope they help! Love the Ring reference! :)

[27alli]

I don't really understand the end. Was he hitting himself on the head?

[ThePhantomChick]

@27alli -- No, he was supposed to be dancing out of the dungeon and waving the scepter back and forth. But it does kinda look like he's hitting himself -- blame my sloppy animation for that one. Thanks for watching! :)

[t0m0s1]

awesome!! its the best animation/illusion on youtube .... in my opinion :D

[elewint]

@ThePhantomChick That's cool, I didn't know Art of Illusion could do animation. The late reply is fine, it's way better than no reply at all.

[woboin]

Awesome! I've always wanted to see one of these made well. Ideally I want a really well made feature length film made

[ThePhantomChick]

@woboin -- Ooh, a feature length film would be awesome! But when you were done watching it, I wonder how long it would take to focus on normal objects!!

[elewint]

Did you make this on Art of Illusion too? Because this is a quite complicated animation.

[ThePhantomChick]

@elewint -- Yes. AOI has some bugs, but I'm more comfortable with it than learning a different animation software. (BTW, sorry for the late reply.)

[micahgatley]

You have the most random endings

[ThePhantomChick]

@micahgatley -- Ha ha, yeah... I like random. Thanks for watching!

[fkpvffk]

Waaaaaaaaaao the best 3d thaaaaanks waoooooo

[ThePhantomChick]

@fkpvffk -- Ha ha! Thank you, I'm glad you liked it! :)

[UKzNemesiSXTc]

fucking amazing!!!!!!!

[ThePhantomChick]

@UKzNemesiSXTc -- Thanks for watching!

[PureDanceFTW]

N1 xD

[ThePhantomChick]

@PureDanceFTW -- Thanks!  :D

[11m4357r0]

thought he was a gonner when he fell in the hole ;p

[frankgegna]

WOOOWWW!!!! GREAT!!!!!!!!!! WANDERFUL!!!!!!



[ThePhantomChick]

@frankgegna -- Thanks for the nice comment! I'm glad you liked it! :)

[luanrong]

omg.. cant see it quiet good.. :( cant focus it too longg...

is he dancing n jumping around...?

[ThePhantomChick]

@luanrong -- Bummer... maybe with practice you can focus longer? But you got it right -- he is dancing and jumping... he starts out by walking through a trap-filled dungeon and jumping out of harms way, then once he gets the scepter he just dances all the way back.

[luanrong]

@ThePhantomChick i dunno.. when i focus too long.. my eyes start twitching.. so i'll lost my focus.. :( yay.. haha.. at least i get it rite.. :D

[whoam153]

@ThePhantomChick wow I use to look at Stereogram pictures when I was 5 and was good at it (can't say that for the rest of my family HA HA) and I am in my 20 now and I have not looked at any type of Stereogram for over 8 years now (this being the first) and I still have no problem seeing any off it, thanks for the upload.

[ThePhantomChick]

@whoam153 -- Thanks for the comment! I'm glad you liked it! Yeah, I love stereograms. If you haven't seen stereograms in a while, I'd recommend doing a google search for stereogram tetris or stereogram python. The programmer, 3dimka, did some amazing stuff! :D

[whoam153]

@ThePhantomChick I will have a look, thanks for the recommendation. :)

[MellowYellow109]

It looks like he's doing a slam dunk at one point, haha

[ThePhantomChick]

@MellowYellow109 -- Ha ha, yeah... I think I know the part you mean. At 1:25 when he's jumping over the pit? Thanks for watching!  :D

[flyawayhome3]

why is he waving at me? what does he want me to do?

[ThePhantomChick]

@flyawayhome3 -- Ha ha! Thanks for the comment - I had to hold back laughter as I read it since I'm on a public computer. He's supposed to be dancing with the scepter and his hat, not trying to get your attention. :D

[Chaokid9]

Is this bad for the eyes >.<?

[ThePhantomChick]

@Chaokid9 -- I think it's actually good for your eyes... exercising muscles to focus on different depths instead of just focusing on a flat video. (But if I'm wrong and stereograms ARE bad... well, I love 'em anyways!) Thanks for watching!

[Chaokid9]

@ThePhantomChick Stereograms themselves, such as on paper, are good for your eyes, i was wondering just about the computer screen and all.

[Squeezle420]

Simply amazing, I could never get stereograms to work for me until today, so it's quite the thing to see it taken this far - just amazing, I am truly impressed.

[ThePhantomChick]

@Squeezle420 -- Cool - thanks for the comment! I'm honored to have made one of the first stereograms you saw! :)

[willemotten]

nice idea putting the stereogram in a animated gif format! why is the guy smacking his head on the way back? you should consider a game in this format ;)

[ThePhantomChick]

@willemotten -- Thanks for the comment! He's supposed to be waving the scepter around in a dancing fashion, but it does look like he's hitting himself. The game Pitfall was one of my inspirations for this! And speaking of stereogram games, search for "stereogram Tetris" and "stereogram python" some time... they are fun!

[iSmkoeBluntsToMyFace]

wow. turns out "magic eye" posters weren't just a fad. holy shit. and there's a tetris version of this? damn. the human eye is fucking awesome to play with.

[ThePhantomChick]

@iSmkoeBluntsToMyFace  -- Yeah, the stereogram tetris (and python) games are great! Thanks for watching this!

[sayanchakravarty]

hi. i am interested in the evolving field of human computer interaction (HCI), so I ask a related question. is there any scope of making this thing more interactive and engaging?

like using the whole concept of stereogram images and animations in interaction design?

[ThePhantomChick]

@sayanchakravarty -- Yes, there is! The first and best example that comes to mind is the Stereogram Python game programmed by 3Dimka. Google "stereogram python game" to find it. He also made a stereogram version of Tetris, and there are probably other stereogram games, as well... like I've heard about a Quake II engine hack that renders as a stereogram!

I know you didn't specifically ask for games, but those are the most fun examples of interactive software I can think of. :D

[sayanchakravarty]

@ThePhantomChick - Thanks :)

[sayanchakravarty]

@ThePhantomChick - Thanks :)

[sayanchakravarty]

This is amazing! Great going.

[ThePhantomChick]

@sayanchakravarty -- Thank you, I'm glad you liked it!

[TheSieblercousins]

is it just me or did his head fall off in the end

[ThePhantomChick]

@TheSieblercousins -- It kind of looks like it, but he's actually removing his hat and taking a bow. Thanks for watching! :)

[618033988749]

Fantastic! I've been waiting for someone to do something like this for 20 years!

[ThePhantomChick]

@618033988749 -- Better late than never! Thanks for watching. :)

[zagrunty]

THE MOST WIN THING EVER!

[ThePhantomChick]

@zagrunty -- Ha ha, thanks!  I'm glad you could see it! :)

[DIAVOLOO]

How do u make them ? :D

[ThePhantomChick]

@DIAVOLOO -- I use 3DMiracle. It's the only software I've found that can turn an animated depth map into a stereogram video. I made the greyscale depth map animation with the open-source 3D animation program Art of Illusion, but other 3D animation software (like Blender, Maya, 3D Studio, etc.) should be able to make the depth map. Thanks for watching!

[DIAVOLOO]

@ThePhantomChick

thx for reply.. have a nice day :)

[1991alsnowman]

Best one I've seen so far! 

[ThePhantomChick]

@1991alsnowman -- Thank you, I'm glad you liked it! :)

[ThePhantomChick]

@kiats99 -- I used Art of Illusion (AOI) to make the animation as a black-and-white "depth map", (but any CGI animation software that can save as depth maps would work... like Blender, 3D Studio, etc.), and 3DMiracle to turn the depth map animation into a stereogram. AOI is free open-source, and 3DMiracle is pretty cheap... and as far as I'm aware, the only program that can turn an animated depth map into an animated random-dot stereogram. Thanks for watching! :)

[pandarsson]

That was awesome, but what was flying at his head as he approach the... thing... he was after?

[ThePhantomChick]

@pandarsson -- The one at :20, where he ducks & rolls? It's an axe swinging out from the wall. Thanks for the nice comments, and the subscribe! :)

[gdnaipaul]

LOVE IT!! Nice animation

[ThePhantomChick]

@gdnaipaul -- Thanks for the nice comment! :)

[flo123meters]

Cool

[ThePhantomChick]

@flo123meters -- Thank you!  :)

[LeeWoolco]

Adorable, and hilarious. Kudos.

[ThePhantomChick]

@LeeWoolco - Thanks for the comment, I'm glad you liked it! :)

[Iam18yearsolddddd]

Indiana Jones?

[ThePhantomChick]

@Iam18yearsolddddd -- Yes! Indiana Jones and the game Pitfall were my inspirations for this one. Thanks for watching! :)

[brichards71993]

1 person got crushed by the ceiling and then fell in the hole.

[ThePhantomChick]

@Mdog2590 -- Yeah, it kind of looks like that... but he's supposed to be dancing, swinging the scepter back and forth like a cane. Thanks for watching!

[Dalladuck]

the best animated stereogram i have ever seen..WELL DONE

[ThePhantomChick]

@Dalladuck -- Thank you!  :)

[kricriweb]

Just amazing.

Very good work.

[ThePhantomChick]

@kricriweb -- Thank you. I'm glad you liked it! :)

[jazzkomp]

I watch this at the library before......they think im dumb cause only i can see the animation...hahahhha.....a stick guy quest for stick??

[ThePhantomChick]

@jazzkomp -- Ha ha, yeah... if you're the only one in a room who can see a stereogram, people tend to think you're a liar or crazy. :D I'm glad you could see it!

[brichards71993]

@ThePhantomChick i know that from experience. nobody believed me that i could see something in a bunch of dots

[ThePhantomChick]

@brichards71993 -- Lol... at least I believe you, man! ;) Thanks for the comments!

[ThePhantomChick]

@destructobg -- Lol -- there are supposed to be some narrow misses, but it might look like he hits his head. :)

[DIAVOLOO]

ThePhantomChick make the best stereogram animation.. thank you :)

[ThePhantomChick]

@DIAVOLOO -- Thank you for the nice comments! :)

[bandboy13]

epic. best animated one yet.

[ThePhantomChick]

@bandboy13 -- Thanks! I'm glad you liked it and could see it!

[SoffiXWinny]

cool! It's like 3d cinema!

[ThePhantomChick]

@SoffiXWinny -- Thank you for commenting! :)

[kakasuke2]

damn that was sick. I'm so glad I figured out how to "see" these

[ThePhantomChick]

@kakasuke2 -- Thanks for the comment! I'm glad you liked it.

[anmeldungscrack]

This animation is soo great !!

[ThePhantomChick]

@anmeldungscrack -- Thank you! :)

[nalmeena1wild]

this is so cool!

[ThePhantomChick]

@nalmeena1wild -- Thank you -- I'm glad you liked it! :)

[looneyticks]

LOL! That was cool! This is the first of its kind I've seen. :) Reminds me of the old Prince of Persia platform DOS game. The music does a lot for the animation, too. Great job. :)

[ThePhantomChick]

@looneyticks - Thank you, I'm glad you liked it! The music inspired me to make an animation that was a cross between Indiana Jones and the old Atari game Pitfall. I haven't played the old DOS Prince of Persia, but I can certainly see the resemblance. Thanks again! :)

[watevur125]

This is cool, did you actually make this

[ThePhantomChick]

@watevur125 - Yes, with Art of Illusion (to make the animated black-and-white depth map) and 3DMiracle (to turn the depth map into an animated stereogram). Thanks for watching! :)

[slayer66616]

i don't get it i see a kinda see-trough human shape moving. it's kind of hollow and unclear. Don't see anything in as great detail as some of here claim to see them.

[slayer66616]

@slayer66616

I'm very good at crosseye 3D stereograms. is there a different technique. I have tried to see trough the monitor, but nothing. the only way i get any sensible movement and shapes is when i combine couple similar patterns with my eyes.

[slayer66616]

@slayer66616

Ok so i have been trying all this time(end of my vacation so i have time to waste.) and i can finally see it. it takes a lot of effort. The cross eye thing i can do easily under a second to any picture, but this it's doable but hard. impossible for me to do fullscreen.

[ThePhantomChick]

@slayer66616 - I'm glad you saw it!

I'm not sure what method you use, but you might want to try the parallel stereogram viewing techniques listed at the bottom of vision3d(dot)com/3views.html

My Dad uses the "putting your nose into it" method. When I was new to stereograms, I liked the reflection method... but it only worked with glossy surfaces like my Magic Eye books or the framed pictures they sold at the mall.

Thanks for watching! :)

[lllunatix]

dang i kept seeing 2 ppl, and he kepts going off the screen lol

[zakopako82]

the best animated stereogram i have ever seen so far :D

[ThePhantomChick]

Thank you very much! :)

[TheInnocentPossum]

I can't do these, any help? Great idea though.

[ThePhantomChick]

It's easiest to practice with still image stereograms, like on 3dimka(dot)deviantart(dot)com

To see the stereograms, try to unfocus your eyes and look through the screen, until the repeating pattern merges and you see the 3D image. It might help if you focus on the wall behind and above your computer screen, then *keep your eyes focused at that distance* but move them down so that you are looking through the screen. Or, if you have a CRT monitor, try focusing on the reflections in the screen.

[Etiainen]

Amazing work, mate :) Hats off to ya

[MegaDoomking]

I finally saw it all the people are the same color so its hard to see but the guy in the end takes a bow and from what i see hes carring a cane and a top hat no?

[ThePhantomChick]

Glad you saw it! You are very close... it's an adventurer wearing an Indiana Jones style hat, and he makes his way through the trap-filled dungeon to grab the scepter. On his way back out, he dances with the hat and scepter, then takes a bow.

The background can make it harder to see. You might want to check out 3dimka's Deviant Art page... he has a fantastic Pink Panther walk cycle that is in color: 3dimka(dot)deviantart(dot)com/­art/3D-Pink-Stereogram-3581430­3

[katimeana]

omg thats the most awesome thing ive ever seen!! lol good work!! how long did it take to make? just wondering...

[ThePhantomChick]

Thanks for the comment, I'm glad you like it! :) I spent an hour or two on it per day, for a little over a week.

[Crayven89]

lol...that's awesome :)

like it!

[ThePhantomChick]

Thanks! :)

[jacksawild]

There must be a part of my brain missing

[ThePhantomChick]

@jacksawild - I take it you don't see the hidden image? Are you able to see still stereograms?

[jacksawild]

@ThePhantomChick Hi. No I've never been able to see an image, to the point where I'm convinced that no one can and you're all lying. Are you lying? Are you? Maybe not. I am a martial artist and was taught some funky tricks with eye focussing, so I've always assumed that has messed me up sterogram-wise somehow. The short of it is, when I defocus my eyes I am unable to view details of what I see, it's just a continuous blur. cest la'vie

[ThePhantomChick]

@jacksawild - I have trouble focusing on crosseye stereograms. They start out really blurry for me, so I kind of know what you mean.. Parallel stereograms (like the ones I make) are much more natural for me to see... probably because I'm used to staring blankly into space. :)

Anyway, some folks see crosseye stereograms easier. If you haven't tried viewing a crosseye stereogram yet, you might want to try. I like the crosseye videos from Youtube user xyoureyes.

[NOMNOMNOMingAllDay]

AWESOME

[ArmaHighVoltage]

Poor little man. Ahah!!!

Very nice! :)

[ThePhantomChick]

Thanks -- I'm glad you liked it, and could see it! :)

[ArmaHighVoltage]

Eheh, it's not easy :)

[billydiggler]

ha ha, nice work!! check out my new 3d video in my favs if you are interested and let me know what you think!

[FlashX97]

Haha I SAW it! I liked the last part.

[ThePhantomChick]

Thanks for commenting! I'm glad you liked it!

[wizardkombat]

How do I use stereograms I never knew how I always wanted to and I tryed wiki I need like a realy guide

[ThePhantomChick]

The goal is to look *through* the image (like you are looking off into the distance) until the repeating pattern merges, and you are able to see a 3D image.

It might help if you focus on the wall behind and above your computer screen, then *keep your focus at that distance* but bring your eyes down so that you are looking through the screen.

[ThePhantomChick]

Post part 2 of 2 (since I ran into YouTube's comment limit):

It's probably easiest to start with still stereograms. My favorite stills are 3Dimka's on deviantart(dot)com. Another good site is focusillusion(dot)com -- and they have some other viewing tips, like using your monitor's reflection. (So I guess it's not always a good thing to have a flat-screen monitor?)

I hope this helps!

[wizardkombat]

all I see is moving buildings

Like somone is driving a car through the bridge

passing buildings

[ThePhantomChick]

Sorry you can't see it. What look like buildings are actually traps that an Indiana Jones type of adventurer is passing. Spikes coming up from the ground, a stomping device, etc.

If they are looking like buildings, maybe you are viewing this crosseyed? If you're trying to see this with the crosseye method, it will be inverted. The stereograms I made use the parallel viewing method.

[NikkiandAnthony]

haha when he was dancing with the hat and cane at first i thought he was hitting himself with a rock.lol but i got it. this is SO cool!! im subscribing to you. make more!!! :)

[ThePhantomChick]

Ha ha, yeah... it does kinda look like he's hitting himself. I'm glad you like it! Thanks for the nice comments and the sub! :)

[prisoner109]

definitely awesome. glad to be among others that can see these easily, seems nobody can anymore. just wish i was as capable in 3d programs! I can only do my best by hand in photoshop

[ThePhantomChick]

Thanks for the nice comment! I know what you mean about seeing them... a bunch of my friends and family can't see stereograms. It feels like having superpowers, or being part of a secret club or something. :)

[januzzzz]

i love this ,stereograms in animation.

please keep posting this animations,because i can watch this all day:D.

greetings from holland

[ThePhantomChick]

Thank you very much, I'm glad you like them!  :)

[figaroatl]

Damn, these never work for me, I hate missing out!! Hey, if anyone could help out, that would be cool. I'm doing research on this sort of thing and want to make my own, so if someone knows how to do that too, help me out! ...please.

[ThePhantomChick]

Are you able to see non-animated stereograms? If not, start with those. It might help if you try to focus on the wall behind and above your computer screen, then *keep your focus at that distance* but bring your eyes down so that you are looking through the screen. Searching for "how to see stereograms" might give other helpful tips, too. Basically, you try to look *through* the image until the repeating pattern merges, and you are able to see a 3D image.

[ThePhantomChick]

And as for how I made this, I used Art of Illusion (AOI) for the animation (but any CGI animation software that can save as depth maps would work... like Blender, 3D Studio, etc.), and 3DMiracle to turn the depth map animation into a stereogram. Then I used Ulead VideoStudio to add in the music and title/credits. AOI is free open-source, and 3DMiracle is pretty cheap. If you decide to try out AOI, they have an active forum at friendlyskies(dot)net if you have any questions.

[njra123]

He´s hiting his face.  Very stupid.

[ThePhantomChick]

You mean when he goes back through after he has the scepter? He's not hitting his face. He's dancing with his hat, repeatedly taking it off and putting it back on. Inspired by Michigan J Frog's dance routine.

[NokiGP]

awesome :)

[ThePhantomChick]

Thanks for watching and commenting! :)

[CometLemonBubble]

WOW amazing =D great Video thanx :)

[ThePhantomChick]

Thanks for the nice comment! I'm glad you liked it! :)

[BonyGabee]

HD version of this would be nice :)

[WARSUG]

moral of the story..

don't let obstacles bring you down, and when you get to your goal, never forget where you came from and dance your way goinng back there hahahahah

[ThePhantomChick]

Uh... yeah... that's... uh... I mean, you got it! I *totally* intended for this to convey a deep philosophical meaning! ;)

Thanks for the comments, I'm glad you liked the vids. :)

[Spark190]

lol!! dancing his way back hahaha! nice animation, he hit his head a lot of times! wow ahha

[ThePhantomChick]

Thanks for commenting! I'm glad you liked it! :)

[AndNys81]

I can't focus on this one :(

[ThePhantomChick]

Thanks for the nice comments! I'm glad you could see it! :)

[Mountaindewdudezxcvb]

Lol. That was great. I love how he just goes back through everything else with ease once he has the scepter

[developero09]

Yeah,that remined me of some kind of game. Like those old platformers where you try to avoid obstacles. Cool

[ThePhantomChick]

XD Thanks for the nice comment -- I'm glad you liked it!

[Mr42andaSn33kyAlien]

nice dancing at the end

[ThePhantomChick]

Thanks. :) I'm glad you were able to see it!

[plexnoid]

This was great! I love the comedic ending...  This film was easier to watch than other stereographic movies I have seen.... you picked a good eye distance. Thank you! Good job!

[ThePhantomChick]

Thanks for the nice comment!  I'm glad you liked it! :)