Frequently Asked Questions

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TriDef Photo

What is a TriDef Photo?

A TriDef Photo is a 3D Display-independent media format for showing still images on any TriDef enabled 3D Display.

What is TriDef Photo Transformer?

TriDef Photo Transformer allows you to convert your favorite 2D images to 3D. Transformer's intelligent algorithms greatly simplify this task, so it takes only a few minutes to create your first 3D TriDef Photo.

What is TriDef Photo Viewer?

TriDef Photo Viewer allows you to view your (or other people's) TriDef Photos. Simply drag and drop TriDef Photo files onto TriDef Photo Viewer to create Slideshows you can view on any TriDef enabled 3D Display. Adjust the 3D effect for maximum 3D impact, set the Slideshow to loop and watch your audience stop for a longer look.

What is TriDef Photo Builder?

With TriDef Photo Builder you can create a stereoscopic 3D image from:

  • a 2D image, using automatic conversion
  • an exisiting left/right stereo pair
  • multiple views

TriDef Photo Builder supports a number of stereoscopic image formats, including TriDef Photos and open format 3D images

Alternatively, you can now use the same Automated Playtime Conversion technologies as those found in TriDef DVD Player to quickly create a TriDef Photo. This image can then be opened in TriDef Photo Transformer and tweaked if necessary.

What is TriDef PowerPoint Plug-in ?

This allows you to insert a TriDef Photo into any Microsoft PowerPoint XP slide. The 3D settings can be modified from within Microsoft PowerPoint, and the presentation can even be exported for use on another machine (even one without TriDef PowerPoint Plug-in installed).

Please note that this product has been retired.

I can't start one of the TriDef Photo applications. Why?

Please see the above section on TriDef License Activation.

Even if the TriDef PowerPoint Plug-in is not activated, you should still be able to use the rest of the non-TriDef functions in Microsoft PowerPoint without any problems.

Why isn't my 3D Display listed in the TriDef Control Panel?

New 3D Display Profiles are like printer drivers: they are developed as new 3D Displays come on the market and can be obtained from DDD. If you wish to learn more, please send us a Support Request.

Why can't I adjust the 3D Focal Point or the 3D Scene Depth in TriDef Photo Viewer, TriDef PowerPoint Plug-in or TriDef Photo Builder?

You cannot adjust the 3D Settings for Multi-view TriDef Photos (or other types of Multi-view)

Why can't I edit a TriDef Photo in TriDef Photo Transformer?

TriDef Photos of any kind created in TriDef Photo Builder cannot be edited in TriDef Photo Transformer. To check the origin of a TriDef Photo, open it in TriDef Photo Viewer or with the TriDef PowerPoint Plug-in. View Photo Properties/Photo Info/Created With. You can also open the file in TriDef Photo Builder and check File > Properties.

The same applies even if the file was originally created in Photo Transformer but has subsequently been resaved in TriDef Photo Builder.

Why does the 3D effect look wrong?

Make sure that you have selected the correct 3D Display in the TriDef Control Panel.

Make sure that you are using the correct resolution and refresh rate for your 3D Display.

Calibrate the 3D Display

TriDef Photo Builder: If you are creating a Multi-view TriDef Photo make sure the views list from Left (first) to Right (last) down the list.

TriDef Photo Transformer: Check the quality of your depth map.

TriDef PowerPoint Plug-in: A change of 3D Display will not update the Presentation until it has a chance to redraw. If you are not sure a Presentation is reflecting the correct 3D Display Type, choose TriDef > Refresh Presentation

TriDef PowerPoint Plug-in: The aspect ratio of the page setup (page height and width) is automatically set when you choose a 3D Display type. If you change this it will adversely affect the 3D. Choose TriDef > Refresh Presentation to reset the Page setup to the current 3D Display aspect ratio.

You may be viewing the result of a combination of settings, rather than just the one you were expecting. Slideshow Modifiers adjust but do not replace the original values in the TriDef files. If there are Custom overrides in individual file/slides then the final result is a combination of the Custom settings and Modifiers.

PowerPoint Viewer and PowerPoint 2000 are not supported. They scale all images slightly and this affects the quality of the 3D.

Why does the 3D stay the same even when I change the 3D Display in the TriDef Control Panel?

There are several reasons why changing the 3D Display in the TriDef Control Panel would not affect the 3D effect: The image you are looking at is a 3D Image (3D PNG/BMP). These images are designed to only work on a single 3D Display type with a fixed 3D Scene Depth and 3D Focal Point, specified when they were created.

TriDef PowerPoint Presentations exported as a 'Final' format contain fixed 3D effects very similar to 3D Images (3D PNG/BMPs) and are designed to only work on a single 3D Display type with a fixed 3D Scene Depth and 3D Focal Point. TriDef PowerPoint Presentation Properties contains an option to use a specific 3D Display type and ignore the TriDef Control Panel. If you have chosen a specific 3D Display here (or inherited such a setting from an import/export with another TriDef application), then changing the TriDef Control Panel will have no effect on your Presentation.

Powerpoint Master slides created by using the Apply To All Backgrounds method use a fixed 3D effect very similar to 3D Images (3D PNG/BMPs). To update a Master slide created this way you have to change the 3D Display, update the original slide containing the TriDef Photo, and then Apply To All again. Changing the 3D Display selection in the TriDef Control Panel while any 3D Preview is on the screen will have no effect until the 3D Preview has been Updated

Why does the 3D stay the same even when I change the 3D Settings?

There are several reasons why changing the 3D Settings would have no effect on the 3D effect: The image you are looking at is a Multi-view TriDef Photo (or another type of Multi-view) . These images do not respond to any change in 3D Settings, so while you may be able to change a Slideshow or Presentation 3D Setting Modifier, this will not affect any Multi-view TriDef Photos in the Slideshow or Presentation.

The image you are looking at is a 3D Image (3D PNG/BMP). These images are designed to only work on a single 3D Display type with a fixed 3D Scene Depth and 3D Focal Point, specified when they were created.

TriDef PowerPoint Presentations exported as a 'Final' format contain fixed 3D effects very similar to 3D Images (3D PNG/BMPs) and are designed to only work on a single 3D Display type with a fixed 3D Scene Depth and 3D Focal Point.

PowerPoint Master slides created by using the Apply To All Backgrounds method use a fixed 3D effect very similar to 3D Images (3D PNG/BMPs). To update a Master slide created this way you have to adjust the 3D Settings of the original slide containing the TriDef Photo, and then Apply To All again.

There is a cap on the range of each 3D Display. At extreme 3D Scene Depth values, 3D effects will only be drawn as far in front and behind the screen as that particular 3D Display can handle. Moving the 3D Scene Depth Slider any further will have no additional effect.

Why do my Crop settings suddenly look all different?

Crop settings are based on the relationship between the size of the Photo and the size of the 3D Display selected at the time. If you change 3D Displays, or give a TriDef file to a friend for viewing on a different 3D Display then the Crop options will need to be reviewed.

I can't Crop my Photo. Why?

Crop controls are all designed to minimise the loss of Photo area as Photos are scaled to fill the screen. This is based on the relationship between the Photo and the 3D Display sizes. The Crop controls are not designed to crop the Photo for general layout purposes. If no Crop slider becomes enabled when you choose the Crop To option, this means that the Photo and the 3D Display share the same aspect ratio and there is no need to crop it.

My Photos have gone missing from my TriDef Slideshow. Where are they?

A TriDef Slideshow file only contains references to the individual Photo files. When you move a Slideshow file you must also move the Photo files and maintain the same relative position. The easiest solution is to keep the Slideshow and Photo files all in the same folder, and only move the whole folder at onc.

Photos will also go missing from a Slideshow if the Photo files are renamed, deleted or moved.

You can relocate a Photo file by double-clicking on the 'Missing' icon or on the red Photo name.

I exported a TriDef Slideshow to PowerPoint and now it looks all different. Why?

There are two ways 3D effects can change between Photo Viewer and PowerPoint: 3D Settings Modifiers and 3D Display: If the Slideshow 3D Settings Modifiers are different from the TriDef Presentation 3D Settings Modifiers then the final 3D effect will look different. Photo Viewer always uses the 3D Display selected in the TriDef Control Panel to produce 3D, but the PowerPoint 3D Presentation Properties may be set to use a different 3D Display.

When I give my friends Photos to view they get error messages. Why?

Multi-view TriDef Photos can only be read by TriDef Photo applications earlier than V1.5 if they include a depth map. Slideshows created by Photo Viewer V1.5 cannot be read by Photo Viewer V1.1.

The 3D Display is black, flickery or badly distorted. Why?

Some clone or dual display setups (one 2D and one 3D) have different resolutions and refresh rates on the two displays. The TriDef Control Panel reports the settings on the primary Display which is most likely to be the 2D Display. With such a setup you should review the video card driver software to check the actual settings of the 3D Display. See Dealing with cloned displays.

Some displays may require the use of a third-party tool to set an unusual resolution or refresh rate. One such tool is PowerStrip. If you have to use PowerStrip to achieve a certian refresh rate (e.g. 56Hz for some displays), the desktop 'Properties' dialog will not reflect this - it may say 60Hz. Only the PowerStrip software reflects the true refresh rate.