![[3-D SPEX]](images/3DSPEX.GIF)
Also included are several 3-D games on CD, which I haven't tried yet. The games are meant to be run in DOS mode. They are: "Whiplash" by Interplay (TM)/Gremlin, "Slipstream 5000" by Gremlin and "Descent (TM) II: Destination Quartzon" by Interplay (TM). The glasses are compatible with a number of other games including Quake.
The product release date is January 16, 1998. The package will be sold for $49.95 (US) and I think it's a pretty hot deal. It runs on a PC with DOS >= 5.0 or Windows 95. The 3-D SPEX plug into your parallel port, apparently co-existing with your printer (I don't have a printer on my parallel port so I can't comment on how well that works). The quality seems good -- the glasses are sturdy plastic. The documentation is pretty decent and includes instructions and advice for making your own 3-D images. NuVision offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
The glasses work by shuttering in synchronization with the vertical refresh rate of your monitor (up to 160 times per second). On alternate refreshes, a right-eye view is shown with the left lens opaque, then a left-eye view is shown with the right lens opaque.
The benefit of LCD Shutter glasses is that you get full-screen full-color Stereoscopic 3D.
The 3DPIX Editor is capable of viewing from separate left and right images but the preferred image format is JPS. The Editor runs in Win95. When you activate the glasses, it uses DirectX to bypass Win95 going directly to the monitor in the video mode of your choice.
You can make a JPS image using any good graphics program. Just make a JPG image consisting of two images side-by-side, then change the file extension from ".JPG" to ".JPS". Pretty easy.
For my computer system, the best image quality with the least flicker was at 800x600 resolution,16-bit color. "Ghost" images (where one eye sees the other eye's image) are somewhat noticeable--I suspect that this is the fault of my monitor. Also I have learned that I must turn off the fluorescent lights in the room to minimize the flicker.
See my notes on NuVision's "3DPIX" plugin.
The bottom line is that "3-D SPEX Online" is a pretty cool product -- quite a deal for $49.95 (US).
--Mark Newbold
People can buy the 3-D SPEX directly from NuVision for $49.95 plus shipping. The package includes the three DOS games and the Windows 95 viewing software. Customers can reach us via email at sales@nuvision3d.com or by phone at (800) 920-9327.