3D Anaglyph from a 2D Image

If you've ever looked through a ViewMaster at a cartoon picture (i.e. Peanuts, Yogi Bear, etc.) you have seen a "3D" image which looks like it is created in layers.  These can be created by offsetting the green/blue in the background layer while leaving the foreground layer the same.

There are really two different approaches to this project:

1. Using two separate pictures to create a foreground and background
2. Using the same picture and separating objects from the foreground and background by making a copy of the image and erasing the background from the foreground image.

Example 1: Two Separate Pictures

In the example below, the Jellystone background was offset and the Yogi image was static -- making Yogi appear to be in front of the background (with red/cyan 3D glasses)

I began with these images:

 I pasted Yogi on to the Jellystone background and then removed the white background:

 

Next...

1. Select the "backdrop" (Jellystone in this case) layer
2. Select All (CTRL+A)
3. Copy (CTRL+C)
4. Select the CHANNELS tab
5. Select the Blue and Green channels (click blue and then shift-click green)
6. Paste (CTRL+V)
7. Click the "channel visibility" box (where the eyeball should be) to show RGB channels
8. Click the Move Tool (Black Arrow)
9. Press the Right Arrow (on the keyboard) a few times to offset the blue/green from the rest
10. Look at your image in 3D.

Note in this capture that the Blue and Green channels are selected but the "eyeball" is turned on for RGB.  That allows us to Move the Blue and Green channels while seeing all colors:

Example 2: One Picture into 3D

I wanted a picture that would demonstrate the difference between foreground and background -- and I found this cow:

Next I erased everything except the foreground.  Don't look too closely -- I did it as a quick example in class:

 

Next...

1. Select the "backdrop" (hills in this case) layer
2. Select All (CTRL+A)
3. Copy (CTRL+C)
4. Select the CHANNELS tab
5. Select the Blue and Green channels (click blue and then shift-click green)
6. Paste (CTRL+V)
7. Click the "channel visibility" box (where the eyeball should be) to show RGB channels
8. Click the Move Tool (Black Arrow)
9. Press the Right Arrow (on the keyboard) a few times to offset the blue/green from the rest
10. Look at your image in 3D.

Note in this capture that the Blue and Green channels are selected but the "eyeball" is turned on for RGB.  That allows us to Move the Blue and Green channels while seeing all colors:

Example 3: One Picture into 3 Layers

In this iconic image from Star Wars, I wanted to separate "layers" -- in this case, I wanted a background (the tunnel), a middle ground (Darth Vader) and a foreground (those pipes in the front).

 

The following pictures show the foreground, middleground, and background pictures that I used to create the final 3D image:

1. I placed the foreground on the top layer (no channel offset at all)
2. I placed the middleground in the middle layer (offsetting the green/blue channel a couple "clicks" to the right) 
3. I placed the background behind the middleground and offset the green/blue channels several "clicks" to the right.

The final copy shows the 3 layers in anaglyph 3d:

Here are some other examples: