Transparent Monitors!

[SimonMTL]

You thought owning a Mac was cool?

See what's brewing in our French cousins' artistic minds at this address:

http://files.macbidouille.com/transparent/

This is simply mindboggling!!

How about it? Can anyone do better?!?

:cool:

C'mon North America, let's do one better against our friendly European Macheads!!!


Simon.

[Phat_Pat]

Thats Pretty Insane... maybe on weekend ill try it :cool:

[CaptainCaveMann]

That is freakin awesome! I hope they actually do make transparent screens one day. That would be so cool. Id be sold! :D

[ravenvii]

That's pretty damn cool...

[pdpfilms]

hot damn. So cool. So fresh. So in.



So...... Clear.

[Vader]

That is very cool!
I wonder how they got it perfectly matching like that.

[Lacero]

Some of them look very fishy. You can shoot the PBs with a bluescreen desktop and later composite it in flawlessly. Maybe lighten or darken the monitor screen so it doesn't look too real.

Some of them are fakes.

[Platform]

Is this simply VERY good pics or some sort of other thing that I can't come up with a name for :confused:

[jwtillema]

They're fakes!

1) If they were real, why aren't there any pictures of the rear of the monitors?
2) If you look at the pic of the Formac display, you can see the 3rd leg below the display, which should be mounted to the rear of the display in the middle somewhere, but strangely it's missing when looking through the display. Also missing is the cable from the iSight atop the monitor.
3) In the picture of the powerbook sitting by the window in the dimly lit room, the window mouldings don't line up.
4) There doesn't need to be a number 4. After 3 inconsistencies, I stopped looking. Sorry to burst everyone's bubble.

[tech4all]

1) If they were real, why aren't there any pictures of the rear of the monitors?

Why would there be?

Just to clear something up. These illusions are done my having wallpapers on the desktop that matches of what would be there if the monitor were see through, right?

[Doctor Q]

I think you could make one of these images by taking a photo with the monitor present, using a tripod, then repeating the photo with the monitor removed. Then you put the first photo over the second in Photoshop and make the screen area partially transparent. The monitor's screen would appear to see through to the background.

[CorvusCamenarum]

Reminds me of the computer screens they had in the film Minority Report.

[bellychris]

Why would there be?

Just to clear something up. These illusions are done my having wallpapers on the desktop that matches of what would be there if the monitor were see through, right?
yeah I thought it that was the purpose. Thats a great idea for stationary desktops

[redeye be]

Some of them are fakes.
I don't think any of them is real (in the way you want them to be)...

I agree to Q's thinking.

[Blue Velvet]

Looks cool but would be a nightmare to work on, especially photo-retouching. I've also got a gripe with the semi-transparent menus in Office 2004.

There's useful eye-candy and then there's ergonomically-unsound bells and whistles.

[tech4all]

While these may or may not be real, it is possible to do this as having the desktop's background be that image. Course in real-life, since you can see it at different angles, it would only work at one strict angle which would have to be determined prior to just shooting the photograph.

But for just showing the photo, Doctor Q's way seems to work, especially with a laptop. Just sit in front of the laptop, take a picture of it, then put the lid down while keeping the camera at the same spot and take another picture. Then do the magic in Photoshop.

Nonetheless, it's still a very interesting concept. It's similar to the one someone posted a while back where the background on the iMac G5 was a transparent image of the logic board and such behind the screen itself.

[CrackedButter]

http://img231.exs.cx/img231/2695/mine8td.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

All i did was set my camera up to the edges of the screen, close the lid. Then took the picture. Made that picture my desktop image and then took another photo making sure everything fits as best it can.

Its fun and not hard. It isn't my destop picture btw, I just did it and went back my normal set of images.

[.dan]

They're fakes!

1) If they were real, why aren't there any pictures of the rear of the monitors?
2) If you look at the pic of the Formac display, you can see the 3rd leg below the display, which should be mounted to the rear of the display in the middle somewhere, but strangely it's missing when looking through the display. Also missing is the cable from the iSight atop the monitor.
3) In the picture of the powerbook sitting by the window in the dimly lit room, the window mouldings don't line up.
4) There doesn't need to be a number 4. After 3 inconsistencies, I stopped looking. Sorry to burst everyone's bubble.

:rolleyes: :D

That's made my day that has. Of course they are fakes, silly. I think we'd know if there was transparent LCD screens available. They are all done with a camera and Photoshop (or another piece of image software)

[edesignuk]

They're fakes!

1) If they were real, why aren't there any pictures of the rear of the monitors?
2) If you look at the pic of the Formac display, you can see the 3rd leg below the display, which should be mounted to the rear of the display in the middle somewhere, but strangely it's missing when looking through the display. Also missing is the cable from the iSight atop the monitor.
3) In the picture of the powerbook sitting by the window in the dimly lit room, the window mouldings don't line up.
4) There doesn't need to be a number 4. After 3 inconsistencies, I stopped looking. Sorry to burst everyone's bubble.
Glad you're on the case, they almost had me fooled as well! :p :rolleyes: :D

[SimonMTL]

Glad you're on the case, they almost had me fooled as well! :p :rolleyes: :D

AHAHAHAHAH!!!

I am the originator of the thread, and I might have forgotten to explain how these pictures were made, simply because I didn't think there was a NEED for it! :rolleyes:

** Transparent monitors do not exist, these pictures are just optical illusions! :D

Nobody has used a blue screen for it, then Photoshop - the whole point is to be able to create the illusion by just taking the right picture and aligning it properly.

As ONE person figured out (Bravo CrackedButter!!!) you take a picture of the desk / background without the computer, then you crop it properly and use it as your desktop picture. You then put your monitor back on the table with your new desktop, and take a picture of that, making sure the illusion is complete and everything looks good (cables behind are always pretty entertaining and increase the effect!)

Having 2 or 3 screens in the illusion makes it that much harder to create (but so much more impressive!)

Have fun!

[Chaszmyr]

AHAHAHAHAH!!!

I am the originator of the thread, and I might have forgotten to explain how these pictures were made, simply because I didn't think there was a NEED for it! :rolleyes:

** Transparent monitors do not exist, these pictures are just optical illusions! :D

No way! I could have sworn someone actually installed a transparent LCD screen AND an invisible logicboard on that iMac G5. :rolleyes: :p

[Peyote]

Glad you're on the case, they almost had me fooled as well! :p :rolleyes: :D


Wait you mean there are not really ibooks and powerbooks with transparent screens!?!?!

LOL...I love all the "Pshop busters" these days...everyone thinks they know when something is photoshopped, and have to call it out to prove their superior photoshop skills or something.

Of course it's fake people...Apple has not released laptops with transparent screens, and the method used is much easier than photoshopping. It's a matter of taking a photo of what's behind your screen and setting it as the desktop wallpaper.

Now if someone could figure out how to turn an iSight around backwards and have the video from it be the wallpaper, that'd be something special!

[Peyote]

They're fakes!

4) There doesn't need to be a number 4. After 3 inconsistencies, I stopped looking. Sorry to burst everyone's bubble.


thanks man...now I'm depressed. :p

[EJBasile]

No one noticed on the iMac G5 pics that the screen had no computer chips etc behind it nor the power cord lol.

[Peyote]

No one noticed on the iMac G5 pics that the screen had no computer chips etc behind it nor the power cord lol.


Aha! So these effects are fake then! :D

[rainman::|:|]

oooookay.... i'm going to assume all the "they're fake!" pics are jokes, because you obviously missed the whole point.

I found these last night while surfing around, totally cool! Ever since I got my 17" iMac G5, I've wanted a desktop image that was a photograph (or scan) of the inside of the computer... Like, so it looked like you were seeing straight in to the logic board and components. Unfortunately, my partner won't let me remove the LCD panel to photograph the innards, so I have to hope someone else makes one...

[Doctor Q]

We're all going to be very sorry when all of our friends have transparent monitors, but we don't because we convinced each other that they don't exist! ;)

[CrackedButter]

oooookay.... i'm going to assume all the "they're fake!" pics are jokes, because you obviously missed the whole point.

I found these last night while surfing around, totally cool! Ever since I got my 17" iMac G5, I've wanted a desktop image that was a photograph (or scan) of the inside of the computer... Like, so it looked like you were seeing straight in to the logic board and components. Unfortunately, my partner won't let me remove the LCD panel to photograph the innards, so I have to hope someone else makes one...

The first one isn't a joke, that guy believed that they WERE really transparent. Something flew a mile high over his head. Everybody ELSE is joking.

[dornoforpyros]

doh next someone's gonna tell me the pictures of the g5 powerbook I found is fake too. I'm sure apple will make a 3" thick powerbook that weighs 10 pounds.

[Lau]

Paulwhannel, have a look at this: http://www.mekentosj.com/disctop/ The software makes it look as if the CD is going in behind the screen, and they have desktop pictures you can download that look like the inner workings of your iMac (at the bottom of page).

Unfortunately it's ghosted behind the standard desktop, but it might do you until you partner goes on holiday and you can get the screen off :p You could download them and not bother with the software (although it's quite a nice effect).

[altair]

Whats the deal with the pile of sausage? Do people usually pile sausage behind their powerbooks? I think its a FAKE!

[clayj]

Actually, transparent LCD alarm clocks DO exist... I've seem them at The Sharper Image. An alarm clock is crude compared to a full-blown monitor, but it demonstrates that a transparent monitor is most definitely POSSIBLE.

Now where'd I leave my Infinite Improbability Generator?

P.S.: Oh, yeah, you can also tell these are fakes by the lack of refraction of background images seen through the display... they should be shifted somewhat, but they're not.

[edesignuk]

Actually, transparent LCD alarm clocks DO exist... I've seem them at The Sharper Image.
Like this? :D

[clayj]

Like this? :DExactly. So one shouldn't be so quick to dismiss the possibility of a transparent LCD display... of course, the engineering would be quite difficult and costly. And, there's no point in doing it if you can't make the lid of the notebook clear, as well.

[CaptainCaveMann]

Exactly. So one shouldn't be so quick to dismiss the possibility of a transparent LCD display... of course, the engineering would be quite difficult and costly. And, there's no point in doing it if you can't make the lid of the notebook clear, as well.They could make the lid out of plexiglass.

[redeye be]

And, there's no point in doing it if you can't make the lid of the notebook clear, as well.
That would be the easy part. With some alcohol an iBook can be made clear very easily (sry to lazy to search)
The hard part would be backlighting i'd say. And it should be possible to un-clear the back as well (privacy - use-ability).

I like the idea, but (again) i'm to lazy to move my 21" studio display just to make a shot of some wall and wires...
Maybe some day.

edit: maybe some day (http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_747591.html ) (followed some links from an old /. post)
It's hoped the technology will be useful for surgeons frustrated their own hands and surgical tools can block their view of operations and pilots who wish cockpit floors were transparent for landings.
...And computer users who like to see their walls otherwise hidden by the screen :D

[clayj]

The hard part would be backlighting i'd say. And it should be possible to un-clear the back as well (privacy - use-ability).Actually, the backlight part's already taken care of... there's a system that shines light in from the edges of a piece of plastic... dots in the plastic reflect the light out through the face of the plastic. Stuff like this is commonly used in movie theatre poster displays and other signage that needs to appear backlit.

[wordmunger]

I saw transparent monitors on "This Old House." They do exist. You can use them as computer displays, or as big-screen TVs. In the house they showed, the monitor was huge, and served as a "wall" between the kitchen and dining room. You could turn the monitor off and just have a clear window between the rooms, or you could use it to display your favorite recipes in the kitchen, or to watch TV, either in the kitchen or dining room. Or you could just give a "smoked glass" appearance, to conceal the mess in the kitchen while entertaining in the dining room.

Also, anyone seen Minority Report? Lots of cool effects with transparent monitors in that film.

[redeye be]

Actually, the backlight part's already taken care of...
Cool, let's start the rumors on those see-trough pbG5s ;)

[SAdProZ]

here's my attempt. Couldn't bother to move the big monitor, just the powerbook.

Powerbook

[clayj]

here's my attempt. Couldn't bother to move the big monitor, just the powerbook.

PowerbookAnd there you've discovered one problem with this technique... the images you shot don't line up (look at the shelf), because the screen of the notebook was not at a 90 degree angle (perpendicular) to the line of sight of the camera. When you show the image as a wallpaper, the image is rotated WRT to the line of sight, and things don't line up.

[neut]

And there you've discovered one problem with this technique... the images you shot don't line up (look at the shelf), because the screen of the notebook was not at a 90 degree angle (perpendicular) to the line of sight of the camera. When you show the image as a wallpaper, the image is rotated WRT to the line of sight, and things don't line up.

you also have to take into account that this is two photos ... one of the desk and again with the image placed on the laptop. if these angle differ the effect will easily be thrown off, so your eyes have to be at the exact angle/distance the original photo was taken from; the blue tint of the LCD doesn't help either. :)


peace.

[SAdProZ]

you also have to take into account that this is two photos ... one of the desk and again with the image placed on the laptop. if these angle differ the effect will easily be thrown off, so your eyes have to be at the exact angle/distance the original photo was taken from; the blue tint of the LCD doesn't help either. :)true. i realized all these things after I posted. What I didnt realize was that people would actually call me out on it. Next time, it will be flawless and you will all be shocked in awe, and stange people in white costume will appear out of the walls with medical supplies and attempt to fix your lower lips as they have stretched to the floor from the extreme beauty you have all witnessed on DUN DUN DUN... MacForums. :cool:

[neut]

... and stange people in white costume will appear out of the walls with medical supplies ...

'stange people' ... ? they always told me they were 'aliens'. :p


peace | neut

[CrackedButter]

here's my attempt. Couldn't bother to move the big monitor, just the powerbook.

Powerbook

Still a good attempt.

[Doctor Q]

A good collection of transparent screen photos (http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/transparent/). This (http://www.flickr.com/photos/chriscrippen/7427780/) is my favorite among them.

A couple of not-very-well-done transparent self portraits (http://www.cacheop.com/archives/2005/03/transparent_gad.html).

[wdlove]

Now we will just have to wait to see if one of our members designs something for us to view. I don't think that we will have to worry. It sounds so cool, chances are Apple will offer this technology first. That is if its technologically feasible.

[Timelessblur]

weather or not they are fact is up for debate and I not going to agure it

I will state that is can be done wiht some work. the LCD panal it self is see though. It just a back lite screen. The guy could of removed the back part of it and the back lighting and just left the panel their and volla you have a transparent monitor.

[ravenvii]

weather or not they are fact is up for debate and I not going to agure it

I will state that is can be done wiht some work. the LCD panal it self is see though. It just a back lite screen. The guy could of removed the back part of it and the back lighting and just left the panel their and volla you have a transparent monitor.

Have you even read the thread?

*sigh*

[rainman::|:|]

Paulwhannel, have a look at this: http://www.mekentosj.com/disctop/ The software makes it look as if the CD is going in behind the screen, and they have desktop pictures you can download that look like the inner workings of your iMac (at the bottom of page).

Unfortunately it's ghosted behind the standard desktop, but it might do you until you partner goes on holiday and you can get the screen off :p You could download them and not bother with the software (although it's quite a nice effect).

I just found Disctop last week, actually, and i have to admit it's really cute. Hard to get the timing of the drive to be perfect, but it can be done. Those desktop patterns where right on, tho, i hadn't noticed those! I'm going to go hassle the author and see if I can get the original, before it was morphed... Or, yes, I may just send RJ to a movie and photograph it myself :) Since theirs seems to be from the back...

[SAdProZ]

So, lets just clear things up people (the very confused type):

The images, or 'transparent screens' are a fun illusion that anyone can create, using a digital camera, a computer monitor/screen, and photo-editing software.

The process is quite simple:
1. Stand infront of your monitor.
2. Remove monitor.
3. Take picture (as if monitor was there)
4. Replace Monitor
5. Load picture as desktop wallpaper

Bam! :D You got a transparent screen. Its not a 'REAL' transparent screen. No one suggested that it was. Its an optical illusion created with minimal brain cells. Everybodies got em, so stop questioning whether its fake or not. :cool:

[neut]

one of the guys at work tried one ... not too shabby for 15 min. his desk is a tight spot to work in; let alone taking a picture of it straight on. im surprised he was able to get back far enough to pull it off. :)

http://organech.com/images/examples/virtual_desktop.jpg

peace | neut

[Les Kern]

5 minutes in Photoshop. Layers, dude

[Timelessblur]

Have you even read the thread?

*sigh*


I read the tread. i was just stating how it could be dont for real.

LCD panal are clear. what you need is a polizied filter and a LCD panal. That a simple verson of what an LCD monitor is. All it is a back light, polized filter and the pannal.

I not stating if it is real or not. I was stating how it could be done for real

[minesgeek]

Aha! So these effects are fake then! :Dyep somethin to just pass the time. i am having trouble thinking of any use for a transparent monitor besides looking and admiring...

french people are still cool, eventhough they are fakes...the monitors that is.

[homerjward]

one of the guys at work tried one ... not too shabby for 15 min. his desk is a tight spot to work in; let alone taking a picture of it straight on. im surprised he was able to get back far enough to pull it off. :)

http://organech.com/images/examples/virtual_desktop.jpg

peace | neut

with the way he uses an ergonomic keyboard thing, it looks like it's seeing through water or something :p

[urban1985_]

Some of them look very fishy. You can shoot the PBs with a bluescreen desktop and later composite it in flawlessly. Maybe lighten or darken the monitor screen so it doesn't look too real.

Some of them are fakes.

"Some of them are fakes." It sounds like a damn horror movie. hahahahaha I love how negative your posts are.

[Sharewaredemon]

Here is my attempt

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/8774/transparentwires2no.th.jpg (http://img3.imageshack.us/my.php?image=transparentwires2no.jpg)

[Abstract]

Wow, old thread.

Sorry to all burst your bubble, but I don't think you just shoot 2 photos using a tripod, one with the computer, and one without. It CAN be that easy, but sometimes it's not. All the attempts so far have been head-on. Same with the iMac G5 photo in the original post.

Q: Why do I think it's harder than that?

A: Look at the 15" PowerBook photo from the original post. If you took away the 1st/front Powerbook and took a photo and made it your desktop background image, then in order for your background image to match up with the 2nd PowerBook behind it, the 1st PB would have to be facing us directly in the image.
But look at the 1st PB.........it's positioned at an angle. At an angle, the PB in the desktop image wouldn't match up well with the "real-life" PowerBook sitting behind it. The edges wouldn't align.

The sausages in the background also wouldn't align so perfectly. ;)


I'm not saying the technique doesn't work. It does for most shots, as some of you have proven, but only when the PB is facing us directly, and not at an angle. To do it at an angle, another trick is involved.

I think I know how to do it. :cool:

So imagine that the 1st photo taken (ie: the photo without the 1st PB being there) was taken 30 degrees to the right of the position used in the photo, and the photo was used as the desktop image. At this point, the 2nd photo needs to be taken, but instead of taking it from that angle, the 2nd photo is taken 30 degrees to the left relative to the position of the first. In other words, the 1st and 2nd photos are taken at 30 degree angles to each other.

If you set it as your background on the 1st/front PB, and you position it so that it's at a 30 degree angle relative to everything else, then all lines will match up.

[Bloo Ice]

Showed my sister "what Apple's new product is" and she totally bought it. lol, but this is the girl that I convinced that the USA was held up by metal poles under the ocean...yes, the ENTIRE US. No, shes not retarted or slow...just blonde

[jrv3034]

Showed my sister "what Apple's new product is" and she totally bought it. lol, but this is the girl that I convinced that the USA was held up by metal poles under the ocean...yes, the ENTIRE US. No, shes not retarted or slow...just blonde
:eek: :D

Q: How many blondes does it take to change a lightbulb?

A: Do I have a hickey?

:rolleyes:

[mdavey]

Exactly. So one shouldn't be so quick to dismiss the possibility of a transparent LCD display...

Might not be as far away as you would think:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8976160/page/2/

These researchers can create light-emitting diodes from carbon-nanotubes (a microscopic, hollow string of carbon that is electrically conductive). Due to the orientation of the carbon-nanotubes (CNTs) in the sheet, the sheet and the LED elements are virtually transparent when not illuminated.

By placing a CNT LED dot-matrix behind the LCD, when a particular LED dot is lit and the correpsonding LCD dots are transparent, the user would see a white pixel. Controlling the LCD dots gives you a choice between 16M colours as usual. Crucially, with both the LED dot off and the corresponding LCD dots off, that particular pixel would be transparent, allowing anything behind the screen to be seen. So, one could have solid GUI window panes but a transparent (or even translucent) backdrop.

Of course, the effect would be somewhat different in a MacBook (assuming a transparent lid), where there isn't anything behind the screen, when compared to an iMac (with circuit boards and other components). People might need to rethink how to hide the computer ;)

When privacy is important, the entire CNT LED matrix could be illuminated so that from behind, the screen would look white.

An added bonus is that the rear of the screen could be used to display information when the lid is closed (either white foreground on any dark coloured background, or any dark coloured foreground on a white background). Information could include dashboard widgets.

One final thought: Imagine a wall-hung TV in your living room where the display is transparent when turned off. You could either have your wallpaper shine through or even place your favourite piece of artwork behind the TV to be displayed when the the TV isn't in use.

[maccy-g]

I found these pictures and tried it myself...incredibly tricky and takes some fiddling and adjusting about, but then again they are very cool! anyone else wanna give it a go?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3221/2727695831_46358b0171_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3180/2727697235_bd11275cec_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3279/2728525024_fcda026f80_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3014/2727686953_0338be39b2_o.png

[bobfitz14]

hot damn that is awesome! i am jealous.

[heron88]

That is sweet!

tutorial?

[deggs37]

Holy crap I remember doing this 4 years ago when this thread was first created.
Basically you take a picture of what's behind your laptop and then set it as your desktop background. It will take a few tries to get it lined up correctly but is pretty sweet when you get it right.

[Benguitar]

Just make them with x-ray, and I'm sold.

lol :D

Apple will probably do something like that, as long as they are like a 1 way window, so I can see out but no one else can see my stuff from behind.

[Shannighan]

that last one is amazing. It actually looks like there is no screen.

[munson]

that last one is amazing. It actually looks like there is no screen.


Beacuse he cheated. THe pic is not his background. He just 'shopped out the screen.

[Shannighan]

Beacuse he cheated. THe pic is not his background. He just 'shopped out the screen.

i noticed that after I posted

[fireshot91]

How'd you figure he Photoshop'd it?

[toolbox]

That looks so awesome

[hatehereyes]

How'd you figure he Photoshop'd it?

there's not menu bar on the second one like in the first.