Stacked layers build one frame

In the picture

1. 1The top transparent sheet: grey-brown fur strokes with one bright eye-shine dot
2. 2The second transparent sheet: green grass blades
3. 3The third transparent sheet: dark shadow blobs and a pale light wash
4. 4The left display panel: the same meadow scene as its neighbour, shifted by a small angle
5. 5A tower in the back row: a second full copy of the same frame being computed

Examples

• Animated films and game cutscenes keep characters, shadows and effects on separate layers that are flattened into the finished frame.
• A 3D cinema screening needs two rendered images for every frame, so studios spend about twice the render time.

Quiz: Stacked layers build one frame (Age 16)

1. 1

   According to the card, what is a finished animated frame usually assembled from?

   • two identical copies made for the left and right eye
   • several transparent sheets, each holding one part of the picture
   • one opaque sheet containing every part of the picture
2. 2

   In stereoscopic 3D, what happens to each frame?

   • it is rendered twice, with a slightly different image for each eye
   • it is rendered once and reused unchanged for both eyes
   • only the background is rendered twice while everything else is rendered once
3. 3

   What effect does stereoscopic 3D have on computing work?

   • it does not change the computing load
   • it roughly halves the computing load
   • it roughly doubles the computing load

The answers, each with its explanation, are in the app. This lesson has left the free week, so its quiz is part of the subscription.