Employing Advancing Technology to Enhance Imagery of the Microscopic World
by Mol Smith (Co-founder Mic-UK)


Poser is a software package originally created for artists. It is now at version 7.0 and has become a mainstream package for creating and manipulating 3D objects. Software similar to Poser is used to create many of the dazzling CGI effects in the movie industry. I have been unable to find any microscopic subjects to show you examples of so I have used insects here in these pages instead.

 



This is a Darter Dragonfly, or at least a 3d model of one. It can be viewed and manipulated in the Poser software. I have used 2 cameras (there are many in Poser) to film the insect as I spun it around. I made 2 short movies, one from the left eye viewpoint and one from the right.

Afterwards, I combined the 2 animations using
3DCombine software to produce this web quality 3D movie. You need Red/Cyan 3D glasses to see it properly.

More sophisticated animations can be created and without the 3d effect I have applied here!
   
 



Poser 2D to 3D


This is the Poser Software work screen. Click the image to see it bigger! Many other software packages can be employed to use 3d objects: Lightwave, Bryce, Daz Studio (Free), Vue Espirit.

Someone very skilled has to create the 3D objects using software like
Shade. Object creators licence out the use of their objects so people like me can create images and movies with them. What we need is Microscopic subjects made into 3D objects.

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