[Chimera-users] Setup for 3D workstations?

[Kenward Vaughan]

On 07/30/2014 12:38 PM, Dougherty, Matthew T wrote:
> (the contraction you were speaking about, Mathew?) Yes, little
> disorganized there.  I had to go through corporate to let them know
> their S3D email address contact was bouncing. The size of the
> manufactures  & models compared to 4 years ago is 10-20%. Dell tech
> support is not responding to direct questions about S3D on their
> laptops.  Sales say all ok.  Will find out when delivered. Generally
> in the industry, tech support is MIA when it deals with S3D.


One thing I have learned is that Dell (and other places, I'm sure) uses 
OEM packs of the Quadro cards. If you are getting the K4000 or K5000 
variety, as in my case, they don't include a critical additional bracket 
that comes with the retail pack (from PNY).  The use of nVidia's Vision 
system is impossible without that, and PNY won't sell you one.  The tech 
support is from outer space when doing 3D, as you point out.

Pays to carefully research the details...


> can you send me more details as to nvidia and passive monitors? The
> vision pro is active usually with Acer monitors

Both the Vision Pro and Vision 2 systems are active.  The gamer version 
is IR, the Pro is RF.  Either can work in a crowded room, even the IR if 
you are careful about placement.  The IR can be attenuated.

I haven't seen anything saying the cards don't work with passive 
systems.  I believe nVidia supports a number of approaches to 3D, not 
just their own system approach.


>> HDMI 1.4
> safest position to own equipment.  HD 1080p and future improvements
> will dominate the display industry. Intel builds chips around it.

I see conflicting opinions coming from the TV industry. Sony apparently 
is working hard to sell their 4K sets despite dire predictions about the 
state of 3D.  Samsung seems to be well in it, too.  I think it comes 
down to the lag in content and quality.

**  Something about what Greg pointed to... using HDMI 1.4 causes a 
slowdown in frame rate to 24 fps due to hardware issues because of the 
standard.  V2.0 basically ups the data rate to where you can get 60 fps, 
and what little I have seen asserts this is a hardware (not cable) 
limitation.  V2.0 is supposed to be backwards compatible.

Since Quadro cards like the K4/5000 use a simple after-card DVI-I to 
HDMI cable adapter, I am curious whether the card's output is up to the 
level of v2.0.  I haven't checked other cards.  Guess we have to wait 
for someone to plug their 3D PC into their v2.0 home theater system to 
find out...



> Matthew Dougherty National Center for Macromolecular Imaging Baylor
> College of Medicine

Cheers,


Kenward



> From: chimera-users-bounces at cgl.ucsf.edu
> [chimera-users-bounces at cgl.ucsf.edu] On Behalf Of Kenward Vaughan
> [kay_jay at earthlink.net] Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2014 8:59 PM To: Greg
> Couch; chimera-users at cgl.ucsf.edu List Subject: Re: [Chimera-users]
> Setup for 3D workstations?
>
> On 07/28/2014 12:01 PM, Greg Couch wrote:
>> For 3D stereo viewing in a lab with multiple systems viewing in
>> stereo at the same time, you need to avoid using an infrared-based
>> system. That means, either an active glasses setup with the NVIDIA
>> 3D Vision Pro that uses RF, or a passive glasses setup with a
>> row-interleaved stereo monitor (the same glasses that are used for
>> Reald 3D in movie theaters). The problem with row-interleaved
>> monitors is that Chimera's 2D dialogs are hard to read when looking
>> at the screen with the glasses, so I'd recommend the NVIDIA 3D
>> Vision Pro solution if you have the money.  And, for Chimera, you
>> will need a NVIDIA Quadro graphics card like the K4000 that you
>> mentioned.  See
>> http://www.nvidia.com/object/3d-vision-professional-users.html for
>> details.
>>
>> I don't know of any 3D TVs that use RF to control active glasses,
>> so there is no need to explore using 3D TVs, i.e., a HDMI solution
>> is not for you (but for people setting up a single 3D stereo
>> system, a great solution is a Windows 8 computer with an AMD Radeon
>> w/HD3D graphics card, and a 3D TV).
>>
>> HTH,
>>
>> Greg
>
> My thanks to both Mathew and you for your replies!  After doing some
> further work on this, I believe I'll be going with the nVidia Pro
> setup for each station, as soon as I can verify that they are still
> being made (the contraction you were speaking about, Mathew?).  The
> monitors I plan to get have multiple input types including HDMI-1.4,
> and work with passive systems as well (in case the Pro stuff dies).
>
> I am also drooling over the idea of using a 3D capable TV (one of
> the newer 4K Sony's or the like, along with passive glasses for the
> whole class in a small class setting (i.e. not an auditorium).  It
> turns the interleaved images into a normal HD image.
>
> If I go that route, is there a reason to use the Radeon card as you
> mention above instead of the nVidia one?  I would want to have
> things manage the whole available resolution, obviously, but I'm
> guessing the Radeon does that?  I'll see what I can find out-perhaps
> it has a direct HDMI output...
>
>
> Kenward -- In a completely rational society, the best of us would
> aspire to be *teachers* and the rest of us would have to settle for
> something less, because passing civilization along from one
> generation to the next ought to be the highest honor and the highest
> responsibility anyone could have.     - Lee Iacocca
>
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>


-- 
In a completely rational society, the best of us would aspire to be
*teachers* and the rest of us would have to settle for something less,
because passing civilization along from one generation to the next
ought to be the highest honor and the highest responsibility anyone
could have.     - Lee Iacocca