openKMQ / openOverUnder

What is openKMQ / openOverUnder ?

openKMQ is the name of an open source / open hardware project to bring affordable and high quality stereoscopic previewing to every 3D/VFX artists and stereo photographers workplace.

The acronym KMQ stands for the surname initials of 3 physicists who designed the main component in the 1980's, the prism glasses made out of optics grade PMMA.
These glasses change the viewers sight of view : The right eye looks slightly up, the left slightly below the normal eye line.

Stereoscopic viewing is achieved by placing a landscape image pair (left/right) bottom/top at a matching distance to the glasses.
Because of this over/under type layout, this method is also referred to as OverUnder stereo viewing.
For a paper print of letter/A4 size, the viewing distance is approximately 50cm. Smaller image pairs have a shorter distance, stereo images of poster size need a larger distance.

There are two drawbacks with this method :

1. There is a small amount of colour fringes because of the prism effect.
2. The user has to search and maintain the exact distance from the image pair.
   That's why I provide some fixtures and stands for order and DIY download.

Download area

Wear it like spectacles

This is the smallest kit. It adds two flexible and durable fixtures to the KMQ viewer.
They're laser cut from sheets of PET-G (the plastics, most soda bottles are made of)

download EPS

download AI

download bill of material

order precut Europe(exkluding Switzerland) outside Europe

Keep optimum distance from your screen

This kit mounts to your desk infront of your keyboard and keeps your KMQ viewer in a fixed distance to your LCD screen.
The flexible metal gooseneck was originally made for a magnifying glass.
Use the retaining ring (M10/1) to fix the laser cut Acrylic to it and use elastics to fix the KMQ viewer.

download EPS

download AI

download bill of material

order precut Europe(exkluding Switzerland) outside Europe

The KMQ stand for the mighty Apple iPad

Place your iPad in this stand to comfortably keep the optimum viewing position.
The kit is laser cut from 3mm High Density wood Fibre (HDF) plates.
The photos show the prototype design. The downloadable design is more advanced and less clunky.

download EPS

download SVG

download bill of material

order precut Europe(exkluding Switzerland) outside Europe

3D Software

List of software, supporting either fixed or variable distance KMQ viewing.

If you cannot find your favourite program in the list above, please help us by ...

1. asking its developer team to intergrate either fixed or head tracked KMQ layout to their product.
2. trying to set up a simple fixed over/under layout for yourself and then this for others.
3. spreading the news about openKMQ in your user community.
4. do some coding (plug-in, add-on, library, ...) or help with translating or enhancing DIY documents.

eMail newsletter

To keep informed about new software, upcoming photobook templates and the planned open source stereo web-gallerys you may subscribe or unsubscribe from our english openKMQ mailing list.

Links

• Latest news on the project related blog : http://openKMQ.blogSpot.com
• Wikipedia: KMQ, openKMQ (tbd)
• YouTube: (tbd)
• Use iRotate to switch between Landscape and portrait mode - much better than with NVidia/ATI controls!
• Another device using adjustable first surface mirrors instead of fixed prisms: Tyrell-Innovations (Poland/USA). I recommend it!
• OverUnder compatible Stereo3D image galleries :
  KMQ at fotocommunity
  Demo openKMQ gallery (for portrait mode LCDs !)
• FAQ about the stereo base
• FAQ and downloads about computer animated 3-D movies : Invazion
• Stereo3D consulting, workflow/plug-in coding and film recording/scanning services: PIXEL PARTNER ®

Thanks to

Webmaster :

Trademarks:
iPad™ is a trademark and a great product by Apple Inc.
Adobe and Flash are trademarks of Adobe Inc.;
YouTube is a trademark of Google Inc.;

PIXEL PARTNER® is a registered trademark of Thomas Kumlehn.