I am confused. Anyone understand this new 3-D Facebook app?

Sounds like some kind of simulation. All I have seen is a wiggle GIF ish effect that is designed for single eyes If so, does it qualify as stereoscopic?

Language gets loosey goosey huh?. My idea is still separate images separated for each eyeball.   Anybody have a clue what is going on?

World will not fall apart. One eye works. Two eyes better.. There is already lots of confoosing lingo..will we see more?  Got to keep up with the millennials...:-)

Any info?

I think only one image is taken and some clever software does a 2d to 3d conversion and and as the smartphone tilts you can see slightly behind the main object in the front of the image. What is interesting is you can not only see around the sides of the object ( as in a standard stereo wiggle effect ) but also see over the top of the object as the smartphone is tilted so that the top of the smartphone comes towards you. - very clever.

I found this info which gives an insight to what is going on.

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Take Better 3D Photos for Facebook

You'll quickly notice that not all of your portraits will look good as 3D Photos on Facebook. To make sure yours look better, follow some of the below tips, which will also make better portrait photos in general.

1. Put your main subject at least three or four feet away from your phone.
2. Capture scenes with at least three layers of depth: foreground, your subject, and background.
3. Don't let your subject blend in with the background — use contrasting colors to make them stand out, and therefore pop in 3D.
4. Make sure the subject has some texture, as it won't pop as much without it.
5. Shoot subjects with solid edges, so there is a clear line of separation between other depth layers.
6. Avoid shiny objects, which could
7. Avoid transparent objects, such as glass or plastic, which could fool depth sensors.
8. Avoid added effects, like scene lighting. Portrait Lighting mode on iPhones may also work against you.
9. Avoid mono-style lighting that drowns out all of the colors that makes 3D photos stand out.

Processors and storage being what they are, I can see how manipulation can  render things any which way now..  My lingering thought is this:  Can one via this method,  see solid visual depth without separating the incoming data to each eye?  ...so there are physical constraints, maybe. Evolution made them to provide binocular vision is what I have been given to accept.

It tells me this much though.  I need to go back and start my  learning all over.  I will say that conversion in movies look pretty darn good. But the eye separation thing still puzzles me.

The "new" facebook 3D photos (where moving the mouse over the photo seems to move the viewpoint) is typically generated by use of a 2D image obtained by one main high-rez rear camera, and a depth map obtained by using a secondary low-rez rear camera that has a (very) small interaxial separation. Software generates the depth map (two files are generated).

There are many modern phones that have this arrangement, which is typically used to obtain a false bokeh (blurring of distant elements), as well as some other computational photography purposes.

These files are uploaded (they might be combined) and facebook performs the rest.

There are frequent artifacts generated by this technique, particularly around edges, where software has to "guess" at filling in obscurations, or other errors (such as partial pseudo stereo sections) arise.

Here's a side by side crosseye example of two views (capturing screen shots) of the extreme left and right renderings of an actual "facebook 3D photo".  While is works well, note the pseudo rendering of the closest stones at the bottom...

Note the problem pseudo at the bottom... also the background has been computationally blurred by the software.

Its obvious that with the close separation, it works best for close subjects.

Is it 3D?  Yes.

Is it "stereoscopic"? It can be, if you accept some computational errors.

There is currently a difference in meaning between "3D" and "stereoscopic".

So there are two images taken by the camera. I would need to see a diagram I guess. And the term "depth map" is new to me. Need to better understand it. I keep thinking of the Avatar movie where multiple cameras shot objects placed on the subjects to get a spatial profile which was then placed in a computer like a sort of clay model of the subject with pins on various targeted places on the clay model in spatial relationship which can be transferred to the final bronze casting ... Maybe I am getting at least closer to the concept.  Thanks for the help,to all who replied.

Here's an image of a modern smartphone with dual rear cameras:

Note the separation is only about 1/2".

One camera is 13 MP color, the other 2 MP B&W. This arrangement is sufficient to generate a depth map file, but is FAR from being capable true stereo photography.

One smartphone was made the DOES produce true stereo photos. That was the HTC EVO 3D. It also had a lenticular (glasses-free) stereo screen for stereo viewing.

The cameras are equal, 5MP color, with a separation of about 1 1/4". Note that the name used here is 3D, and is actually stereo!

Oh, and it takes stereo videos as well as stills...

About $30 or less (used) on eBay.

About depth maps (also called disparity maps)...

Here is what a depth map image looks like. Note that the shade of grey represents the values of the "Z" axis...kinda crude!

BTW, StereoPhotoMaker WILL generate a depth map, and enable uploading the "3D" files to Facebook.

Here's another crazy idea, sixteen lenses to produce one image!

The Light 16 camera.

Certainly "possible". Computer networks can recognize depth clues we learned from childhood. These clues include:

Obscurations

Shading/shadowing

Object size "dimunation" with distance

Reflections

We (humans) can certainly step into a furnished room with our eyes closed, open one eye, and immediately be able to navigate around, by applying those same (and other) depth clues. We can drive a car (and fly a aircraft) with sight in only one eye.

I suspect it works "best" with simple "scenes", such as a handful of computer-generated "objects" in a computer-generated "room", with computer-generated "colors" and "lighting". REAL WORLD everyday scenes could be a challenge, generating a lot of stereo "errors" (?)

Got any real world examples?

Currently, the Facebook App requires a depth mapping file...

Hi, and thanks all. I am a little less confused. I just opened a brief description on the NSA site which filled me in more. Quite interesting to keep up with the power of information tech. Examples and how to do it though it has a number of processing steps.. Likely not for me personally. I am pleased with two image results without mapping if I understand same. But such learning is always of some value.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/11288931988/?ref=bookmarks