Physics for Game Developers, 2nd Edition

Chapter 24. 3D Display

For all the work we’ve done to make programs’ graphics more realistic, the best we can do is project our realistic simulations onto a two-dimensional screen. Although graphics libraries such as Microsoft DirectX and OpenGL can provide photorealistic renderings in real time, they still lack the ability to truly immerse the user in the works you have so carefully created. Three-dimensional display is something that the entertainment industry has attempted to make standard for some time. In reality, almost all “three-dimensional” display technologies are what are technically called stereoscopic displays. These displays use the way in which your eyes perceive depth to trick your brain into thinking it is seeing a three-dimensional image while the display remains two-dimensional. In contrast, displays that actually involve creating a rendering in three dimensions are called volumetric displays. We’ll cover these later as part of our effort to discuss emerging technologies.

Binocular Vision

The trick to displaying objects so that they appear to be three-dimensional depends on the method by which the human brain perceives the world around it. Indeed, animals that have two eyes engage in what is called binocular vision. Because each eye is in a slightly different position relative to the objects it is viewing, the left and right eye provide an image that is distinct to the brain. This is called binocular disparity. There are three possible results when the brain encounters ...