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NVIDIA 3D Vision is the most immersive gaming experience for the PC
A combination of high-tech glasses and advanced software, 3D Vision glasses transforms your PC to a fully immersive stereoscopic 3D experience. With NVIDIA 3D Vision glasses, you can play over 500 PC games, watch Blu-ray 3D movies, and enjoy the largest online community of 3D photos and videos at 3DVisionLive.com. When paired with a GeForce GPU and “3D Vision-Ready” display, you can be a part of the action for the first time in crystal-clear stereoscopic 3D. Just slip on the stylish and comfortable glasses to experience characters and environments as they burst in and out of the screen.
Give your eyes something to talk about with NVIDIA 3D Vision.
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(3D Vision glasses sold separately)
All rights reserved. NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, GeForce, PhysX, CUDA, and NVIDIA 3D Vision are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the United States and other countries.
3D Vision and Surround Technology
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Note: This is a legacy SDK. Developers may download and continue to use, but it is no longer supported.
Imagine immersing yourself in the world of 3D content like never before. Monsters, bullets, and landscapes jump out of your flat monitor and into your imagination, making you part of the game. With NVIDIA® 3D Vision, gaming will never be the same.
2011 is a big year for 3D entertainment, with blockbuster 3D film releases, brand new 3D HDTVs, and expanding the 3D Vision technologies that make stereoscopic 3D for home users an inexpensive and high-quality option.
What surprises most game developers is just how little they may have to do to fully 3D in the games they are making. In fact, many shipping games that were never originally written for stereo already look great in 3D with 3D Vision. Just check out our latest list of supported games!
Lots of games need no modification, but there are simple things that developers can do to make the experience really fantastic — and a few stumbling blocks that developers can avoid to ensure that their game plays well.
How Does It Work?
The NVIDIA 3D Vision products supports the leading 3D products available on the market, including 120Hz desktop LCD monitors, 3D projectors, and DLP HDTVs (complete list of supported displays). The NVIDIA 3D Vision driver can process any game to support all of these displays, so specifics of the display are isolated from the application and game developers don’t need to worry about the details. The 3D Vision driver architecture even supports HDMI 1.
4 3D TVs using NVIDIA 3DTV Play software.
Inside the driver, each 3D scene gets rendered twice — once for the left eye, and once for the right eye. The driver is able to automatically modify typical 3D game vertex shaders “in flight” so that it can generate the correct images at run time. User options allow players to adjust settings like inter-ocular distance (that is, the amount of “depth”) to their own preference. Developers can explicitly control the stereo aspects of the experience, or just let the driver do its job.
For the best experience, of course, there are a few simple steps that a developer can take to ensure that their game plays its best with 3D Vision, including making sure that player HUD elements are displayed at screen depth, that UI’s like crosshair reticules show in depth correctly (screen reticules can be confusing, but laser sights look *incredible* in 3D, as do projectile ballistics!), and that render-to-texture passes follow a few simple rules (that most developers already follow without realizing it).
With a little more effort, developers can take the reins to control their own 3D stereo experiences, altering subtle player-attention controls like dynamic convergence or adding startling out-of-the-screen special effects.
Developer Resources for NVIDIA 3D Vision Technology
- NVIDIA 3D Vision Automatic Best Practices. (Updated, Sept 2011)
- Stereo Unprojection *New*
- Stereo Unprojection Sample. *New*
- Developer Conferences Presentations
- GDC 2008 — Video (second half of this twin-talk) and Presentation
- GDC 2009 — Presentation
- GTC 2010 — Implementing Stereoscopic 3D in Your Applications
This document exposes the technical problems faced in stereo with NVIDIA driver automatic mode when the fragment position must be unprojected in mono space in the pixel shader.
NVIDIA Surround Technology
Imagine expanding your gaming real estate across three displays in Full HD 3D for a completely immersive gaming experience with NVIDIA Surround technology.
With the introduction of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 400 GPUs, you can now use the award winning NVIDIA 3D Vision to build the world’s first multi-display 3D gaming experience on your PC.
NVIDIA Surround technology supports both 2D and 3D Vision modes, allowing end users to take advantage of wider field of views.
Developer Resources for NVIDIA Surround Technology
- Surround System Information
- Surround Best Practices
- Frequently Asked Questions
Glossary
Glossary
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3D Vision
NVIDIA® 3D Vision™ is a set of stereoscopic glasses and software that lets you view a variety of PC games, videos, and digital photos in stereoscopic 3D. NVIDIA 3D Vision requires a compatible NVIDIA video card, a 3D Vision capable display, and a computer running Windows Vista or later.
3DTV Play
nine0002 NVIDIA® 3DTV Play™ is software that allows you to experience stereoscopic 3D effects on HDMI-enabled 3D TVs. NVIDIA 3DTV Play requires a 3D Vision capable GPU, a computer running Windows Vista or later, and an HDMI 3D TV with compatible 3D glasses.
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frame lock
Frame locking includes the use of frame synchronization hardware on each display in a cluster of systems. nine0003
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GP
Processors (chips) NVIDIA designed to process graphic data are called graphics processors (GPU). This video card uses an NVIDIA GPU.
D
dialog box
Dialog boxes are user interaction windows that contain command buttons and various options that allow you to perform specific commands or tasks.
For example, in the Windows «Save As» dialog box, you must specify the folder to save the document and the name of the document to be saved. nine0003
analog display
Analog displays generally refer to CRT displays. The terms «CRT display» and «analog display» are used interchangeably in this manual.
digital display
The digital display can be a flat panel display or an LVDS laptop display.
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multi-display configuration
A configuration in which multiple displays, such as an analog display, digital display, or TV, are connected to multiple NVIDIA GPU video cards installed in a computer. nine0003
single display configuration
A configuration in which only one display is connected to an NVIDIA video card installed in the computer.
dual video card configuration
A configuration in which multiple displays (such as an analog display, digital display, or TV) are connected to two NVIDIA video cards installed in the computer.
multi-card configuration
A configuration in which multiple displays (such as an analog display, digital display, or TV) are connected to two or more NVIDIA video cards installed on the computer. nine0003
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RAID
Short for r edundant a rray of i independent d isks (Redundant Array of Independent Disks), a method of using multiple disk drives to increase performance and disk space or protect data.
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general synchronization
External clock source used to synchronize all displays in a frame lock or sync pulse setup. nine0003
window
A window is any independent window on the desktop. Applications such as Microsoft® Windows® Outlook® or File Explorer may have many windows within a single application. Windows can be dragged around the screen, opened, closed and resized.
The nView Desktop Manager application (described in the NVIDIA nView Desktop Manager User Guide) allows you to perform other actions on windows, such as making them transparent or always placing them on top of other windows. nine0003
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control panel (Microsoft Windows)
The Windows Control Panel window is opened from the Start > Settings > Control Panel menu on the Windows desktop taskbar.
control panel (NVIDIA display)
The NVIDIA Display Properties «Control Panel» is the entire NVIDIA window with a drop-down NVIDIA display menu containing menu commands. Each of these commands opens a separate configuration page.
control panel (nView Desktop Manager)
The nView Desktop Manager «Control Panel» is the entire nView Desktop Manager Control Panel window (tabbed or NVIDIA menu style) in which nView Desktop Manager can be configured. See nView Desktop Manager User’s Guide — Current Driver Version for details.
nView Desktop Manager is also represented by an icon in the Windows Control Panel icon group. If you click the icon, the nView Desktop Manager «control panel» will appear.
nine0002 pixel
Short for Picture Element (picture element). A pixel is a single point in a graphic image.
profile
Stored list of unique display settings that usually take effect when games are launched.
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work table
The desktop is the work area on the Windows screen that displays windows, icons, menus, and dialog boxes.
nine0002 C
smoothing
Method for eliminating aliasing — jagged lines that should be smooth.
clock pulse
The process of synchronizing the scanning of the pixels of one or more displays by the synchronization source.
frame synchronization
Display pixel scan synchronization process by synchronization source.
Stereoscopic 3D
A method for representing two-dimensional images that gives the impression of depth. This effect is created by presenting slightly different images for each eye. nine0003
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HDTV
High definition television (HDTV). A television signal transmission system with substantially higher resolution than the National Television Committee (NTSC) standard. An HD TV must display at least two million pixels, as opposed to a conventional TV with 360,000 pixels.
SLI technology
NVIDIA SLI multiprocessor technology takes advantage of the increased bandwidth of the PCI Express™ bus architecture, which allows multiple GPUs to work together to improve graphics performance. nine0003
The NVIDIA SLI system consists of a PCI Express motherboard with two physical slots that can be used to connect two NVIDIA PCI Express video cards. These two video cards must be connected to each other using the NVIDIA SLI connector.
If the appropriate graphics drivers are installed, SLI mode can be enabled or disabled. With SLI disabled, you can use all supported nView multi-display modes, including using four monitors connected to two SLI video cards. When SLI is enabled, nView’s multi-display modes are not available. In this mode, two video cards drive a single display, providing enhanced 3D performance in DirectX and OpenGL applications. nine0003
For more information on NVIDIA SLI technology and an up-to-date list of compatible hardware and software, visit www.SLIZone.com.
Optimus Technology
NVIDIA® Optimus™ is a GPU power saving technology that automatically turns on and off the high-performance NVIDIA GPU based on what programs are running. See Using NVIDIA GPU Power Saving Technology.
DisplayPort
The
DisplayPort is a digital audio/video interface designed primarily for use between a computer and a display, or between a computer and a home theater system.
G-SYNC
NVIDIA® G-SYNC™ is a state-of-the-art technology that allows you to set your monitor’s refresh rate to match the GPU’s frame rate. G-SYNC eliminates tearing, stuttering and lag for faster, smoother gaming. G-SYNC requires a G-SYNC compatible display to work. nine0003
HDMI
HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a high-definition multimedia interface.
HDMI 3D Video
HDMI 3D Video is NVIDIA software for viewing stereoscopic Blu-ray 3D video using HDMI on 3D TVs. This software requires a graphics processor (GPU) capable of 3D Vision, a PC running Microsoft Windows 7 or later, compatible Blu-ray 3D playback software (by CyberLink, ArcSoft, Corel or Roxio), Blu-ray Disc 3D and 3D TV with HDMI 1.4 and compatible 3D glasses. nine0003
NVIDIA 3D Vision Technology | HYPERPC Article
Category: Technology
NVIDIA 3D Vision Technology
3D in your computer starts with a processor inside your PC called a graphics processing unit (GPU).
The main task of the GPU is to render and display images on your PC monitor. In the case of 3D PCs, GeForce GPUs are specifically programmed to render and display two images, one each for the left eye and the right eye. The monitor and 3D glasses work with the GeForce GPU, so each eye sees the image intended for it. Since each eye receives a separate image, your brain perceives the resulting signal as 3D. nine0003
Active Shutter Glasses
Working with the most advanced LCD monitors supporting 120Hz LCD technology, NVIDIA 3D Vision PCs deliver incredible 3D performance with active shutter glasses. This method assumes that the images for the left and right eyes are displayed in consecutive frames, and since the monitors used are capable of 120Hz, each eye still receives a signal at 60Hz, which is equivalent to the refresh rate of standard LCD monitors today. 3D Vision PCs support LCD monitors with resolutions of 1680×1050 and 1920×1080. These features provide a number of benefits:
- Full resolution for each eye: In 3D mode, each eye sees an image with maximum resolution, quality of text and objects.
- Wide Angle 3D: Each image is displayed in full on a rolling frame, overriding any restrictions on the angle of view in 3D.
The user can move their head vertically and horizontally within the full viewing angle of the display without losing sight of the 3D effects and at a constant high definition image. Such advantages give a long excellent game and watching movies. nine0182
- Great 2D performance: And if you decide to go back to 2D, 3D Vision PCs support a higher refresh rate of 120 Hz, enhancing clarity and reducing motion blur typical of traditional 65 Hz displays.
- Just for you: Designed and built by NVIDIA, high-tech active shutter glasses feature premium optics, customizable nose pads, and a design reminiscent of modern sunglasses. nine0182
Automatic 3D detection and dynamic adjustment
With 3D Vision PC, working with 3D is quick and easy. Certified games automatically launch in 3D. Since the 3D effect is provided by the GeForce GPU, you can increase or decrease the depth of 3D, as well as turn it on / off in real time.
A complete ecosystem of certified hardware and content
Today, NVIDIA 3D Vision is supported by an extensive ecosystem of products. NVIDIA’s 3D Vision-Ready software simplifies the product selection process for users and flags components or content that are compatible with or created for 3D Vision PCs. Only certified products carry the NVIDIA 3D Vision-Ready badge. nine0003
- 3D Vision-Ready Components: Monitors, graphics cards, cameras and other equipment are certified to run smoothly with 3D Vision at the highest quality and support the widest list of 3D PCs.
- 3D Vision-Ready content: Created following the principles and guidelines of NVIDIA’s The-Way-It’s-Meant-To-Be-Played program. For example, games with the icon are guaranteed to provide smooth 3D cutscenes, cutscenes, cutscenes and main scenes.
3D VISION Features and Benefits
Convert Standard Games to 3D
NVIDIA® advanced software allows you to convert over 400 games to stereoscopic 3D without special game patches.
Top class 3D solution
High-tech active shutter glasses with state-of-the-art optics provide twice the resolution per eye and an ultra-wide field of view compared to passive shutter glasses.
Maximum display flexibility 3D Ready
Designed for DLP HDTV, true 120 Hz LCD monitors and 3D projectors, delivering crystal clear, smooth 3D games and movies.
Designed for your comfort and style
Comfortable glasses with a modern sunglasses design are a stylish and lightweight alternative to traditional 3D glasses.
Wear over your medical spectacles
Even users with corrective medical spectacles can enjoy breathtaking 3D. What’s more, the customizable nose bridge will give every wearer incredible comfort. nine0003
Reliable wireless communication
Zero-configuration solution with up to 15 ft range using IR. Multiple users can connect to the same IR transmitter at the same time.
Over 40 hours of play on a single charge
Easily recharge your 3D glasses using a standard USB connection without having to change batteries, giving you a week of gaming without having to recharge your glasses. The glasses’ special power design automatically turns them off after 10 minutes of inactivity to conserve battery life.
