If you want to use your own depth map with Stereogram, all you need is a 3D model. Here are the steps to generate a depth map from a 3D model:
- Go to a website like archive3d.net or turbosquid.com (registration required) and download the 3D model of your choice (check the licenses, single reselling/redistribution of the models is prohibited) and if needed, unzip it.
- Download Meshlab for Mac OS X (you can open .3ds and .obj files with it).
- Open a new project in Meshlab and choose „File → Import Mesh“ and choose your downloaded .3ds or .obj file.
- Choose „Render → Shaders → depthmap.gdp“ which will create a depth map of your model.
- In the form window, go to uniform variables and choose the values for zmin and zmax. You get nice results for zmax = 0% (leftmost position) and for zmin 50-60%.
- Deactivate the trackball via „View → Trackball → Show Trackball“.
- Then rotate your model to your preferred position and make a snapshot (or screenshot) of it. The snapshot function of Meshlab doesn’t work well, but your build in screenshot funtionality should do the work, too.
- There’s no step 8.
Your depth map should look like this:
The snapshot now is ready for generating autostereograms with Stereogram.