An experimental 3D-animation from my image of IC 1396

I have tested a new method to publish my 3D-images as a form of Lenticular prints.

For this technique to work, I need series of images from different angles, in this case 24 images are needed. 

Lenticular printing is actually an old technique but in past few years it has become much more sophisticated.

The results can be stunning visually, image plane disappears and object floats in and outside of the frame.

Since astronomical objects are too far away, no real parallax can be imaged. Doe to that, I have developed a method to turn my images to various 3D-formats. My work flow is based on scientific data from the object, distance and the source of ionization are usually known. The different types of the nebulae has typical structures, pillar like formations must point to the source of ionization, the radiation pressure forms kind of hollow area, inside of the nebula, around newly born stars, dark nebulae must be at front of the emission ones to show, etc... rest of the missing information is then replaced with an artistic vision.

The whole process is pretty much like sculpting! 

An image set of IC 1396, used for a lenticular print, as an animation. 

(More of my experimental 3D-images under a folder "Volumetric 3D images" in my Portfolio http://astroanarchy.zenfolio.com/ )

 

Please, wait for few moments for animation to load, the size is ~7MB

The animation shows, IC 1396, a largish ionization zone in Cepheus.



AN UPDATE

08.01.2013



The astronomer Phil Plait collected an annual list of the best astronomical images for the year 2012.
This experimental image of IC 1396 was selected as one of them.

The Best Astronomy Images of 2012 
by an astronomer Phil Plait

THE LIST
My image is a sixth from the top.

Original image with details can be seen here:

http://astroanarchy.blogspot.fi/2011/10/ic-1396-home-of-elephants-trunk-nebula.html





Here is an image series showing the apparent scale of the IC 1396 in the sky:

http://astroanarchy.blogspot.fi/2011/07/ic-1396-scale-in-sky-zoom-in-series-in.html





All of my images can be seen in my portfolio:

http://astroanarchy.zenfolio.com/

(More of my experimental 3D-images under a folder "Volumetric 3D images")

I turned the original 2D-image to 3D by using a surface modeling software (TrueSpace).

Image is first divided to layers by its content, each layer is then projected to a 3D-surface.

To have good and realistic forms, I did use an other software, Bmp2CNC, it converts the shades in the image to a 3D-form. I have semi automated the whole process, it'll takes about 20 min. to make a 3D model like in this example is used.

A screen shot from the TrueSpace modeling software.

This kind of model gives much more freedoms to animate, than is used in this example.

A series of 24 images, with about one degree increments, are needed for the lenticular 3D print.