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Table of Contents

This page gives details on how the settings for the Stereo 3D Camera work.


Overview


The VRayStereoscopic object is a helper that sets up stereoscopic rendering. The helper allows the definition of two virtual cameras based on the currently selected render camera and the VRayStereoscopic settings, or alternatively, the two cameras can be defined explicitly through the VRayStereoRig controller.  


UI Path: ||Create menu|| > Helpers > V-Ray...

 

||V-Ray menu|| > Create > Helpers > V-Ray Stereoscopic


||Create menu|| > Helpers > V-Ray > V-Ray Stereoscopic


||Command panel|| > Create tab > Helpers > VRay category > V-Ray Stereoscopic


Basic Parameters


enabled – Turns the VRayStereoscopic helper on or off. 

eye distance – Specifies the eye distance for which the stereoscopic image is rendered. This parameter is ignored if the current camera has a VRayStereoRig controller, which causes the position of the left and right cameras to be taken from the VRayStereoRig controller itself.

specify focus – When enabled, defines the point of focus with the focus distance parameter.

focus method – Specifies a focus method for the two views. This parameter is ignored if the current render camera has a VRayStereoRig controller.

None – Both cameras have their focus points directly in front of them. 
Rotation
 – The stereoscopic effect is achieved by rotating the left and right views so that their focus points coincide at the distance from the eyes where the lines of sight for each eye converge called fusion distance. 
Shear
 – The orientation of both views remains the same but each eye's view is sheared along z so that the two frustums converge at the fusion distance.

interocular method – Specifies how the two virtual cameras will be placed in relation to the real camera in the scene. This parameter is ignored if the current render camera has a VRayStereoRig controller.

Shift both – Both virtual cameras will be shifted in opposite directions at a distance equal to half of the eye distance. 
Shift left
 – The virtual cameras are shifted to the left so that the right camera takes the position of the original camera. The left camera is shifted to the left at a distance equal to the eye distance. 
Shift right
 – The virtual cameras are shifted to the right so that the left camera takes the position of the original camera. The right camera is shifted to the right at a distance equal to the eye distance. 

view – Specifies which of the stereoscopic views is rendered. 

Both – Both views are rendered side by side. 
Left
 – Only the left view is rendered. 
Right
 – Only the right view is rendered. 

adjust resolution – When enabled, automatically adjusts the resolution for the final image rendered. For example, if Both is selected for view and the specified image resolution for the render is 640x480, the resulting render will be a single image with a resolution of 1280x480 with both views side by side.

output layout – Specifies the format in which the Stereoscopic renders are output to the V-Ray frame buffer.

Side-by-Side – Arranges the cameras side by side. 
Top-Bottom
 – Arranges the cameras one on top of another.

show cones – Controls when to show the cones of the virtual cameras created by the stereo rig. Only the cones of cameras assigned to a viewport are shown. 

Selected – The cones are shown only when the stereo rig is selected. 
Always
 – The cones are always shown. 
Never
 – The cones are always hidden.



Panoramic pole merging


The options in this section are used when rendering a panoramic view with stereoscopy (for example a Spherical camera with FOV=360 degrees). These options allow you to avoid artifacts when looking upward and downward. This is achieved by gradually decreasing the eye distance and thus the stereoscopic effect. The eye distance value is kept the same until the viewing angle reaches the angles specified in the properties below after which the eye distance is gradually decreased until it reaches a value of 0 when looking directly downwards or upwards.

top/bottom merge angle – Specifies the viewing angle (0 degrees is the horizontal plane) at which the pole merging effect described above starts.





Example: Side-by-Side



Side-by-Side enabled





Example: Top-Bottom



Top-Bottom enabled



Notes


  • Starting with V-Ray Next, update 2, the shade map parameters are obsolete and removed from the UI.
  • Cosmos browser is using a built-in browser window in 3ds Max 2019 and newer, and opens an external window with previous 3ds Max versions.