Building the 3D glasses is so simple that you can improvise them in no time as soon as you realize they are not included in the 3D DVD box you just purchased! Before you begin, make sure the video was shot with the old three-dimensional “red and blue” technology. Glasses to be able to appreciate 3D films produced with new technologies are difficult to build and it may be cheaper to simply order them online.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: "Red and Blue" glasses
Step 1. Use this method to be able to see 3D movies shot with this technique
Anaglyph glasses are the oldest form of three-dimensional imaging technology. The main figure is first drawn in red and then in cyan (a green-blue) slightly out of phase. When the image is seen through glasses with lenses of the same colors, each eye is able to see only the image of the opposite color. Since each eye perceives an image with a slightly different perspective, the brain interprets it as a three-dimensional object.
- Some DVDs (but not BluRay) and video games with "anaglyph" or "stereoscopic" mode work with this kind of glasses. Try searching online for the keyword "anaglyph video" and you will find many examples.
- Most 3D TVs and movie theaters use a different technology. If the 3D screen contains different colors besides red and cyan, these glasses are not able to give you the feeling of three-dimensionality.
Step 2. Make or reuse an eyeglass frame
The solution that offers more robust results is to buy a pair of glasses, even sunglasses, very cheap (such as those from the stall or that can be found in toy stores) and remove the lenses. At this point, however, you will not have saved much money compared to buying a ready-made pair of 3D glasses. For this reason, many people prefer to use cardboard or cardboard (or normal paper folded on itself) to create the frame.
- A sturdy cardboard will last much longer than other types of paper.
- Cutting out and folding an eyeglass template from card stock is pretty intuitive, but you can print, cut out, and transfer this template back to a sturdier surface if you like.
- Cut out clear plastic to use as lenses. Any type is fine, but try to cut shapes that are slightly larger than the housing of the eyewear lenses; in this way you will have the necessary space to fix them with the adhesive tape. Here are some solutions:
- Cellophane. This plastic material is thin and flexible, often used to package food or to wrap CD cases.
Step 3. The projector glossy sheet
You can buy it at stationery and office supply stores.
- The hard "jewel case" of the CD. This material should only be cut by a capable adult, due to the high risk of splinters. Score the material lightly and several times with a utility knife until the cut is deep. At this point, bend the plastic to break it along the incision.
- Acetate sheets (also called acetate films) are available in fine art stores or those that sell props. Often they are already available in red and cyan color and so you can avoid dyeing them.
Step 4. Paint one lens red and one blue
Use permanent markers to paint one face of each lens. Glasses will be most effective if you use cyan, but you can use a common blue marker.
Step 5. If the color seems uneven or blotchy, blend it with your fingers
Step 6. When looking at the room through these lenses, you should see darkness
If you feel that too much light is passing through, color the other side of each lens as well.
- Secure the lenses to the frame with tape. The red one goes to the eye left and the blue one goes to the eye right. Attach the lenses to the glasses, making sure that the adhesive tape does not cover their central area, otherwise you will see blurry images.
- Adjust the color and hue of the monitor. Put on your glasses and observe the 3D image. If you are watching TV or computer monitor and don't see any 3D effect, adjust the color and hue of the screen until blue becomes invisible through the right lens. When you have found the correct settings, you will notice it immediately because the image "suddenly appears" in 3D.
Method 2 of 2: Other Types of 3D Glasses
Step 1. Get to know polarized glasses
One of the most used 3D glasses in cinemas uses polarizing filters which, in combination with a polarized projection of light, produce three-dimensional images. Think of polarizing filters as windows with bars: vertically oriented (polarized) light passes through the bars and reaches your eye while horizontally oriented light cannot cross the barrier and is reflected. A filter is placed in front of each eye with the "bars" oriented differently, so that each is able to see only different images that the brain interprets as a three-dimensional object. Unlike red-blue glasses, these images can be colored in any shade.
Step 2. Build the polarized glasses
Making them at home probably requires more money than you would spend to buy new ones online, also because most TVs using this technology are sold with glasses included. However, if you are interested in this project, you can purchase film sheets with "linear" or "flat" polarization. Rotate the paper 45 degrees from the vertical and cut a lens. Rotate the sheet 90 ° in the opposite direction and cut out the second lens. This is the classic model of polarized glasses for 3D viewing, but it may be necessary to rotate the lenses while looking at the image until you find the correct angle. Remember to rotate the lenses simultaneously, as they are designed to work only when they form a right angle to each other.
The exact explanation for why this type of eyewear works is a bit more complex than what was described above. Modern 3D glasses based on circular polarization do not require the observer to keep his head still while looking at the image. To build such lenses at home, you need one sheet of counterclockwise polarized film and one sheet of clockwise polarized film. It is a much more expensive material than linear polarization filters
Step 3. Understand what synchronized glasses are
Some call this technology "active 3D" and it uses principles and models that cannot be reproduced at home. The 3D television monitor switches rapidly and constantly between two slightly different images (many times for every second) so as to send different images to each eye (which is the basic concept on which 3D technology is based). The special glasses you wear while watching this kind of movie are synchronized with the TV and each lens becomes transparent or dark following the monitor's image changes (thanks to very small liquid crystal cells and an electrical signal). This is considered one of the most effective and comfortable 3D glasses models for extended use, but it is not something you can build in your garage, not to mention that you also have to program the TV to act in sync with the lenses.
Advice
- If you are looking for video games that work with red-blue glasses, try "Bioshock", "King's Bounty: Armored Princess" and "Minecraft".
- To make them unique, decorate the glasses with the materials you have available.
- If you want a more robust solution, buy a pair of goggles at the hardware store and color the lenses directly.
- At the cinema you can see films shot with IMAX technology, which uses linear polarization, and those with RealD technology which uses circular polarization, even if it is an ever-changing field. Glasses designed for a specific three-dimensional viewing system do not work with the other.
Warnings
- Don't wear 3D glasses constantly as they can cause you headaches.
- Do not drive while wearing these glasses.
