I would like to add real 3D functionality in an app. Is there a free algorithm around which could be used ? I want to avoid to run in license/patent issues as the app is free itself and would not generate any income.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iOS Anaglyph and patents
- Thread starter ChristianVirtual
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Anything that has anything to do with computer 3D was or is patented. Some long ago by people at U.Utah, SGI, 3DFX, and many others. Any 3D graphics app will likely infringe on a whole bunch of these old patents (if they haven't expired already.) You can't avoid it. Which is why many think current patent law is just silly.
But IANAL (nor enrolled patent agent).
But IANAL (nor enrolled patent agent).
Yes, I use OpenGL ES. I used it now the first time and it's quite easy and fun to work with. Little shader code here and there.
Now I'm at a point that I would need to start rendering the image with two parts, color filtering (red/green, or whatever else glasses are around) and give the user a 3d experience. Like on Nintendo 3DS or Avatar movie or good old days with the paper frame glasses on our nose.
But here I see the risk that even it's kind of trivial technically these days someone has a patent on it and sue me out of water the day after I hit the AppStore.
That's why I would like to check if someone has a tip on free alternatives (or low cost).
Now I'm at a point that I would need to start rendering the image with two parts, color filtering (red/green, or whatever else glasses are around) and give the user a 3d experience. Like on Nintendo 3DS or Avatar movie or good old days with the paper frame glasses on our nose.
But here I see the risk that even it's kind of trivial technically these days someone has a patent on it and sue me out of water the day after I hit the AppStore.
That's why I would like to check if someone has a tip on free alternatives (or low cost).
Ah, thanks for clarifying what you meant by "real 3D".
I have no ideas for you, but wish you luck in finding something!
I have no ideas for you, but wish you luck in finding something!
Our company's app, FractalWorks (For mac) does stereo projections of 3D fractal images. One of the output methods is as a color anaglyph.
I was the developer. I used OpenGL (desktop version) and perspective projections.
I found articles on stereo projection online. Here is a current version of one of the more useful links I found:
Calculating Stereo pairs
OpenGL includes the ability to render images into stereo frame buffers. To create an anaglyph, the simple way is to only capture the red channel for the left eye, and only the green and blue channels for the right eye.
I don't know about patent issues. As the other poster said, there are lots of absurd software patents out there.
The effect can be quite good:
I don't think there's any way anyone could go after you with a patent over this. So long as you use only code you have permission to use plus code you've written yourself, then nobody can do anything to you.
Don't steal assets. Don't steal code. That's about all you have to do.
Don't steal assets. Don't steal code. That's about all you have to do.
Fully agree; I always check and recheck the license terms of libs and source codes when used from others. As a developer I also wouldn't like someone reuse my work without recognition. Mainly I produce myself; which is the fun part anyway.
With the assists is my concern: patent trolls are behind every corner these days with "their" inventions ...
I will first give it a shot and see how it will workout in my app; and try to use an "older" method where the patents most likely might expired.
But how would they ever attack you? Suppose they bother with threatening you, bother with actually requesting your presence in court, and bother showing up themselves. You're innocent until proven guilty, meaning they have to expose code they've written that will work - you show your own code, it's not the same, and it's over. They can't try you again (it'd be double jeopardy). They've wasted their own time, and potentially you can countersue for their having wasted your time. (I should note that IANAL, but that I would follow my own advice, perhaps naively assuming my constitutional rights would be upheld in a US court.)
Honestly, their technique is just scaring you and depending on the fact that some people are so unaware of their rights or so unwilling to drive to the court house that if they threaten you, you'll settle out of court. Don't do that. That's called feeding the trolls and will encourage them to repeat their terrible actions.
Unfortunately you are wrong. Patents have been granted for very broad definitions of an algorithm, and in that case anybody implementing that algorithm is guilty of patent infringement, even if the code is completely different.
The U.S. patent office is completely lost when it comes to what software should and should not be patentable, and have allowed many, many things to be patented that should not be.
Also double jeopardy only applies to criminal trials. Patent infringement is a civil matter.
Then there are the complexities of international patents. I don't claim to understand that even a little.