Class 2, Assignment 3 : Six Monocular Depth Cues

Interesting Points from the Reading:

"Our brain receives these two visual images, one from each eye, and combines them into a single three-dimensional picture having depth; we “see” in 3D because of our stereo, or binocular, visual system (p. 64)."
"In the real world our binocular vision is combined with single-eye, or monocular, depth cues to give us the full sense of the objects around us. However, on flat surfaces such as an art canvas, computer display, or photograph, only monocular depth cues are available to give us a sense of the third dimension (p. 67)."
"Monocular depth cues are visual hints about the depth and location of objects that can be recognized with only one eye (hence the term monocular depth cues)."
"Our visual systems pick up on these depth cues without any conscious effort on our part, just as our eyes and brain give us stereo vision automatically (p. 67)."

The Types of Monocular Depth Cues:

"Objects that are further away from us appear smaller than objects that are closer. ... These size differences are visual clues that help us determine how close or far objects are from us, and where they are positioned in relation to one another (p. 68)."
In this example I found in the Monte Carlo Festival world in Cloud Party, it is an example of how size differences of objects can indicate the distance of an object. In this picture, another visitor to the island is walking away toward the sky line getting further away. This visitor is much smaller than my own avatar, indicating the difference in distance from the camera.

"Objects that are closer to us can block, or occlude, objects that are further away. This seems to place objects “in front” of others, which tells us about their relative position to one another (p. 67)."
In this example I found in the Monte Carlo Festival world in Cloud Party, it is an example of this type of Monocular Depth Cues. In this case that I have circled, the trees are blocking the circus tent, which signals to me that they are closer to me than the tent.

"When light strikes an object that has depth, the surface of the object that is hit directly by the light appears to be the brightest, while the sides are shaded progressively darker. The back side of the object, meanwhile, is the darkest because it receives the least amount of light. The light seems to pour over the object to create gradients of bright to dark; light is most intense at the point of impact and gradually becomes less intense on surface areas further from the light source (p. 68-69)."
In this example that I found at the MOYA island in Cloud Party, you can see the affect of light and shading on the perception of depth. Where the sun is hitting the statue most directly is the brightest, with everything getting darker.

"Real-world textures (such as the repeating tiles of a floor, shingles on a roof, or the stones in a wall) appear to become more dense the further away they are, which is a direct result of objects appearing smaller at greater distances (see Size Differences) (p. 69)."
In this example I found in the world of Ancient Egypt in Cloud Party, the size and texture of the stones that are a part of the pyramid get progressively less and less clear to distinguish as they get further away. The stones that are closer are larger, but the texture and separation between them is more easily seen.

"Lines that are parallel to our line of sight, such as railroad tracks, appear to narrow as they recede, eventually converging at a point in the far distance known as the vanishing point (p. 69)."
This example that I found in Pirate Haven in Cloud Party, shows linear perspective. Here the depth change of the dock into the water is apparent by the narrowing of the dock as it continues into the distance and if it went further, would converge into one point.

"Objects that are close to us generally appear very sharp and detailed, while those in the distance are less detailed and often fuzzy. ... Objects in the distance also tend to have a blue or monochromatic appearance, while the colors of nearby objects are typically more vibrant and vivid (p. 69 - 70)."
This example that I found in the Starting Build Island in Cloud Party I thought was a good example of Atmospheric Perspective. The island in the distance is hazy and fuzzy. The trees are less defined; the island looks almost like it is covered by a cloud.

SV - MT358