TriDef Photo Transformer
Terminology
Depth Data
Depth Data describes the relative positions of objects in an image by using shades of gray to indicate distance from the viewer. White means 'closest to the viewer' and black means 'furthest from the viewer'. Selected Depth Data points have blue centers. Each Depth Data point may have a colored outline, to help distinguish it from the image. This colour is set in Edit > Preferences/Visibility. You have the option of adding a colored border to each Depth Data point to make them more visible.
Photo Transformer generates a Depth Map by using the Depth Data points you paint on your 2-D source image. For Example:
This is an image of the boy in the tyre as used in the tutorial. The white and gray Depth Data points indicate relative depths of the objects, and the red dots are Transparent points which help to define shapes. Most of the Depth Map for this image is built using the Background Ramp, not shown here.
You don't have to fill in an entire image with Depth Data to create a complete Depth Map. Photo Transformer compares these Depth Data points with the matching parts of the image and fills in the rest of the Depth Map for you. How it does this depends on the Depth Map options in Preferences.
If there isn't enough Depth Data to create a complete Depth Map, Photo Transformer uses the Background Ramp to fill in the gaps.
While you have a choice of scales to use while adding Depth data (Percent or Values) you can switch any time and it has no effect on the result: the gray shades do not change. You can tell which scale you are using by looking at the Toolbar, above the Depth Picker. When in Percent mode a % symbol is drawn there.
Please also refer to: Tutorial - Working with Depth Data
Depth Data Ramps
Depth Data Ramps are effects that can be applied to selected Depth Data points to create more realistic 3-D effects. All Depth Data Ramps create smooth gradients between two depth values; Depth1 and Depth2
All Depth Data Ramps have to be applied to a selection of existing Depth Data points; you can't draw Depth Data Ramps directly onto an image which has no Depth Data. This selection can be any shape.
Photo Transformer offers 3 types of Depth Data Ramp, all available through the Toolbar.
 Linear Ramps are used to represent flat planes such as walls, tabletops and the ground. Depth values vary in a smooth gradient from Depth1 to Depth2. This effect is applied over a selection of Depth Data points using the Linear Ramp tool. [ Example]
See Applying a Linear Ramp
 Cylindrical Ramps are used to represent curved surfaces like coffee cups and tree trunks. Depth values vary from Depth1 on the center line to Depth2 along the edges. This effect is applied over a selection of Depth Data points using the Cylindrical Ramp tool. [ Example]
See Applying a Cylindrical Ramp
 Radial Ramps are used to represent hollows and bumps. Depth values vary from Depth1 at the center of a circle or ellipse to Depth2 on the outside edge. This effect is applied over a selection of Depth Data points using the Radial Ramp tool. [ Example]
See Applying a Radial Ramp
See also Tutorial - Depth Data Ramps
Depth Maps
A Depth Map is a representation of the depth values used to create a 3-D version of a 2-D image.
Depth maps are used to produce 3-D image out of 2-D image. The quality of the 3-D image depends in a large part on the quality of the Depth Map, plus the suitability of the 3-D Settings and 3-D Display setup.
Unlike Depth Data points, which only describe the depths at particular points on the image, a Depth Map describes the relative position of every single part of the image. However, a Depth Map does not have to reflect every single lump and bump in the image: beyond a certain level of detail the viewer cannot tell the difference. How much detail your Depth Map needs also depends on the size and type of your 3-D Display, and even how long the image are displayed for.
Photo Transformer builds complete Depth Maps by taking the Depth Data points you provide and filling in the gaps as you work. How it fills in those gaps depends on the Search Radius and Search Tolerance settings. Source Blur and Bias XY settings also help to create cleaner and more accurate Depth Maps. These settings are all found in Edit > Preferences > Depth. See Tutorial - Advanced Depth Map Settings for more information.
Depth maps can be exported from Photo Transformer as BMP, PNG or JPEG files.
Depth Map Options
There are several options available to you which affect the way in which Photo Transformer turns Depth Data points into a Depth Map. You will find that different types of image require different types of settings to produce the best Depth Map from the fewest number of Depth Data points.
All settings are found in Edit > Preferences > Depth. You can also leave these settings alone if you wish and just add a few more Depth Data and Transparent points to complete your Depth Map. This is the recommended approach for beginners. These settings become most useful when working with either larger image or slower machines, when having fewer points helps to keep the software responsive.
See Tutorial - Advanced Depth Map Settings
Depth Picker
The Depth Picker is located at the bottom of the Toolbar. Click on a gray or drag the line to select a depth value. The currently selected depth value is displayed in a swatch at the top. When you select a Ramp tool (including the background Ramp tool) a second line appears which you use to select the second depth value required for ramps.
Transparent points
Transparent points can help to define the edges of objects. They indicate where Photo Transformer should use the Background Ramp as a source of Depth Data, rather than manually added Depth Data points. Transparent points appear on the screen as red dots. Selected Transparent points have blue centers.
Change to drawing Transparent points by clicking the red box at the bottom of the Toolbar.
The keyboard shortcut to switch between drawing Depth Data points and Transparent points (and back again) is T.
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