Can I turn the display so it's in landscape orientation?
No — the Looking Glass Portrait can only be viewed in portrait orientation. Our Looking Glass 15.6” and 8K displays are in landscape orientation – as well as the very first Looking Glass 8.9” we launched in 2018 right here on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lookingglass/the-looking-glass-a-holographic-display-for-3d-cre.
Last updated: January 14, 2021 01:01
How does this device compare to the first generation 8.9" Looking Glass?
Looking Glass Portrait is one of the most advanced holographic displays we’ve ever made. The overall resolution, in terms of pixel density, is comparable to our Looking Glass 8.9”, but the other optical improvements we’ve made makes this a huge leap forward.
Looking Glass Portrait has a sleek form factor — we’ve removed the block, making it slimmer and it now weighs just 1.5 pounds compared to the 5 pounds and 20 pounds first gen units.
Unlike the first generation of Looking Glass launched back in 2018, this next generation system has reworked the optical system so that the holograms are no longer “contained” in a volume. They can project in front of and behind the physical display, meaning you can literally touch these holograms.
Last but not least, Looking Glass Portrait can run standalone, meaning, it doesn’t require an external PC or Mac to run, allowing it to playback hours of looped holographic content while perched on your desk or bookshelf.
Last updated: January 14, 2021 01:07
Can I access the embedded Pi 4 in the Looking Glass Portrait?
Yes! You can access the Pi 4 by taking off the back of the display. We don’t currently have an API to modify its functionality, but it is hacker-accessible. Opening the back of the system will not void your warranty if you just want to take a look, but if you make modifications to the system, the warranty will be voided.
Last updated: December 03, 2020 10:11
I want to customize playback in Standalone mode (synchronize multiple displays, trigger events from custom peripherals, etc.). Is this possible?
We don’t yet have an established API to facilitate this but it is possible to create this kind of functionality for our system. Given how excited people are to customize the device, we’re looking at adding this to our 2021 roadmap!
Last updated: January 14, 2021 01:07
How does the light field photo rail work? Why does it cost $300?
The Looking Glass Light Field Photo Rail is a customized rail with a motor. It comes with a controller to facilitate capturing content and adjusting the speed of the capture. It is easy to use and provides a smooth capture, enabling the creation of stunning holographic visuals. We experimented with several rails before settling on this design, and we feel it is an excellent setup for capturing light fields.
However, if you feel you want to experiment with something else you put together at home, go for it! You’ll still be able to load content captured from custom rigs onto the Looking Glass Portrait.
Light fields are an exceptional form of capture for the Looking Glass Portrait because, with our software and the optics of our display, we can reproject each captured image — fully recreating the scene, including optical effects like refraction, magnification, and specular reflections.
Last updated: December 04, 2020 10:38
Can I view photos with depth data captured from my Android device?
Yes! After receiving so much excitement from Android users, we did extensive research and will be adding support the following devices over the course of 2021:
- Most of the newer flagship Samsung phones, including A7, A9, S10, S10e, S9+, S20, S20+, S20 Ultra.
- Some of the Huawei phones with “Aperture” mode, including Mate 20, Mate 20 Lite, Mate 20 Pro, P20 Pro, P30 Pro.
- Newer Pixel phones, including the Pixel 3, 4, and 5 models.
We’d love to support all Android devices, but the formats and encoding of depth data varies much more than with Apple, and the quality is often not as high. We’ll continue investigating other devices. You can follow our progress on that and contribute your own photos for evaluation here: https://docs.lookingglassfactory.com/HoloPlayStudio/#android-portrait-mode
Last updated: January 14, 2021 01:01
Can I wall mount the Looking Glass Portrait?
Yes, you absolutely can! In fact, we made a little video to demonstrate how to do this (hint: it’s easy): https://vimeo.com/490739978
Last updated: January 14, 2021 01:01
Can I see ANY photo in a Looking Glass Portrait?
As of 2021, the answer is a giant yes! Well, almost. Per this update (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lookingglass/looking-glass-portrait/posts/3066966), any 2D image can now be transformed into a holographic photo.
Any 2D photo, including scans of childhood photos, the thousands of non-Portrait-mode photos you might have in your photo album, and even many images from the internet, can now all be transformed into a super realistic three-dimensional holographic image in your Looking Glass Portrait.
We recently started working with a partner that’s pioneered a powerful new process for deducing high quality depth maps from 2D images, and now we’re excited to bring that capability to you and your Looking Glass! You’ll all be able to start experimenting with this when you receive your Looking Glass Portrait systems in March and April 2021, first on our website and then in an update the second half of the year as a premium feature in HoloPlay Studio. There’s no programming required to do any of this - it’s fully automated and takes just a few seconds per photo.
(Note that this is a cloud-based service, so it costs us money to operate so conversions will cost an additional small fee)
Last updated: January 14, 2021 01:07
What kind of plugs will be provided?
Depending on where we’re shipping to, we’ll be providing a separate US/Japan adapter as well as one for rest of the world that includes a couple of extra plug options.
Last updated: January 14, 2021 01:01
Are there built-in speakers for Looking Glass Portrait?
For audio there’s an AUX jack on the side of the systems for folks that want to plug in their own speakers. The holographic media that runs in Standalone Mode does oftentimes have an audio track (as is the case in some of the demos in the demo reel that you should have received). We imagine that some holographic messages that folks will share down the road will have audio, as will some demos, so we wanted a way for folks to be able to connect up their own high quality speakers to get audio playback from the system. As a side note, we did consider building speakers into the systems, but decided to focus on core holographic visual functionality instead and give users the option to plug in their own higher quality speakers. The AUX jack built into the systems is designed for audio out only. Of course, in the PC/Mac connected Desktop Mode, folks can create holographic apps with our Unity plugin and those apps can certainly have audio input via the connected PC or Mac.
Last updated: January 14, 2021 01:01
I have stereo photos (in SBS format) scanned into my computer. Can I convert these to be played in Looking Glass Portrait?
Absolutely!
We unlocked a stretch goal early on and announced that HoloPlay Studio will now support direct import of SBS format stereophotos for conversion for Looking Glass Portrait. This is in our schedule for release in the second half of 2021.
Last updated: January 14, 2021 01:07
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