Need help with a stereogram puzzle cache

[+bladesedge]

I need help with reading a stereogram to get the coords for a cache.

 

I managed to get my eyes to hone in on the '3D-ness' yesterday, but still couldn't see the number. Today I can't even get that far.

 

I'm planning a cache trip out towards this cache, can anyone help me out with the coords?

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GC1P79H

[+hukilaulau]

I was able to do it at my work computer which is tilted at an angle and behind some scratched up plexi-glass. It took several tries to get all the numbers. I don't think it would be right for anyone to just tell you the numbers. What would be the point of that? Just keep trying, the numbers really are there!

[+bladesedge]

It also says that some people can do it and others can't.

 

Having trouble getting my eyes to focus back out again now but I finally found the numbers.... I hope! I unfocused and relaxed the eyes until the 3d kicked in then started moving back and forth and they popped out. I wanted to re-check the numbers, but I can't unfocus long enough to get to the second line.

 

S on the top and E on the bottom, about 3cm in height on each line.

 

Will see how accurate they are later on today.

 

Thanks anyway.

[+Method81]

A good trick to get these is to press your face up to the picture,focus, and then slowly bring your face out again holding that original focus. The image should gain depth and the numbers will pop out at you. Nice idea whoever thought of this puzzle

Edited October 2, 2010 by Method81

[+The Bongtwashes]

I find it easier if I save the image, then view it in a different program. Then you can expand it, which I find makes it easier to read.

[Clan Riffster]

After decades of trying every conceivable method, I've come to the conclusion that I am physically unable to read stereograms. To date, the cache owners who have these types of puzzles have been willing to work with me, once I identified the solution method involved.

[+popokiiti]

The leaning in and slowly backing up worked for me..as far as the 3D effect went. Almost got the numbers, then stuff on the desk messed with my vision! I need to have a larger screen. Well that's excuse #1 for a new computer, anyway! Thanks for that tip about backing up...

[+Lovejoy and Tinker]

What a brilliant fun idea for giving cache coordinates. Not seen it used before. A whole linked series with stereograms in each box leading to the next could either be loads of fun, or very frustrating, depending if you can read them or not

 

[Ephemeral Moment]

What a brilliant fun idea for giving cache coordinates. Not seen it used before. A whole linked series with stereograms in each box leading to the next could either be loads of fun, or very frustrating, depending if you can read them or not

 

 

I find these impossible as I can't see properly in my right eye - so 3D films are no real use either

[+Harry Dolphin]

Lots of people cannot read these things. I could, before cataract surgery. For one, we got a friend to read it for us. For another, I contacted the CO, explained the problem, and he was more than willing to give me the solution.

[+Great Scott!]

A good trick to get these is to press your face up to the picture,focus, and then slowly bring your face out again holding that original focus. The image should gain depth and the numbers will pop out at you. Nice idea whoever thought of this puzzle

 

Not claiming the idea... but I made a cache using stereograms back in 2005.

http://coord.info/GCRMET

[+Borst68]

If this is considered cheating or violating ethics, spirit of the game or etiquette, mods please delete this post.

 

I cannot see these darn things for the life of me. My wife is equally inept at these. I see we are not alone. I tried playing around with the image in question with Gimp to see if get the coords to pop. I was not successful but then again, I am not a pro at photography, graphics and the like. I found this. <link removed by borst68> I have not tried it yet but I plan on giving it a try just to see if it works. Again, if this link is uncool with TPTB, I have no problem with it being deleted.

 

ETA: I tried the software that I linked to. Within a minute or two I had the coords. The program worked great. So great I removed the link. There is software available on the net that will allow you to decode stereograms and make the hidden image pop. Google is your friend! Now if only this cache wasn't on the opposite side of the planet...

Edited October 3, 2010 by Borst68

[+Chokecherry]

I can't do stereograms on my computer at all and only minimally on paper. I stumbled across a puzzle cache around here that had that going on and just clicked off of it.

[+rjb43nh]

I've found that it is harder for me to see the hidden image in a small stereogram. If you can enlarge the stereogram to fill the screen it should be much easier.

[+Markwell]

You know, I can't scuba dive. I may learn some day.

[7rxc]

You know, I can't scuba dive. I may learn some day.

 

You could always use an Remotely Operated Vehicle with TV and Audio links plus a manipulator arm.

 

Why bother getting wet!

 

Technology isn't always the most fun option... for some it may be the only one other than don't do it.

I always believed my eyes would not allow me to see stereograms... but I saw the one in question here and many others... just had to find the method for ME. Plus a lot of ways to see them more easily... but with my eyes I can't say that those would work for others.

 

For all the non see-ers... one big thing to avoid is going cross eyed...

that works with two stereo paired images... most sterograms require your eyes to set convergence as if you are looking in the distance... that is why focusing on a reflection on the screen that is further away helps out providing it isn't too bright. This is a convergence problem... focus has to do with the clarity of the image on the screen... convergence is the angle at which the eyes look at the image to create the 3d part... I don't think that anyone without binocular vision can do it at all, but if you can see with both eyes one should be able to... should, not can.

 

Doug 7rxc

[+uxorious]

You know, I can't scuba dive. I may learn some day.

 

If you are trying to say those that cannot see these pictures just need to learn someday, in some cases you would be wrong.

 

There are those who have all kinds of eye problems that would prevent them from ever being able to see stereograms.

 

I love the things, and have a couple books of them. But I have met a few people over the years who simply cannot see them no matter how they try.

 

Don't get me wrong, if you cannot see them don't give up trying, unless you know the reason. However, if you have one of these puzzle caches, and someone tells you they can't see them, it would be nice to help.

[+Afterburned]

The trouble with the stereogram in the cache linked to above is that it has been set to a very shallow depth - the numbers do not pop out very far, and so are harder to read than they could be.

 

Quite often looking at these things you can see the largest depth first and the rest follows, so a larger depth makes for an easier stereogram.

 

But then again it's not always supposed to be easy!

[+Markwell]

You know, I can't scuba dive. I may learn some day.

If you are trying to say those that cannot see these pictures just need to learn someday, in some cases you would be wrong.

I thought someone might misconstrue that comment. I'm trying to say that not every cache is meant to be found by everyone. I cannot scuba dive right now. There are many caches that require seekers to scuba dive to find the cache. I will not worry about finding those caches, nor do I ask someone who can scuba dive to bring the box up to the surface for me to sign so I can log it as "found".

 

There is a great sense of urgency that seem to prevail among cachers to find ALL of the caches and to find more than everyone else. The day I decided I would not obsess about finding all of the caches was very liberating, as was the day that I realized this was not a competition sport. Now I cache at my own pace and selectively choose the caches I seek based on my previous experience of disappointment and enjoyment. I am reasonably sure that until I learn to scuba dive, I won't be going after a cache that's under 50 feet of water.

 

If you can't solve the stereogram puzzle for WHATEVER reason, why not just move on to another cache? There's plenty more fish in the sea.

[+Chokecherry]

I share that sentiment about stereogram caches. I can't see them on the computer. I move on to other caches I may solve. I don't know how to use computer programs to manipulate images to see coordinates either. I skip those.

 

If I'm not getting any particular enjoyment out of solving a puzzle I move on to a different one. There are some puzzles I enjoy doing (mainly those I can print out and solve in waiting rooms or my spare time) and some I just don't bother with. I don't feel I'm missing out on anything.

[+VT_EMT]

I used this program:

 

http://www.c14sw.de/downloads/StereoDemo01.zip

 

works pretty cool. Alot better at reading those darn magic eye tyhings than me.

[+T_M_H]

I'll make you a deal. I'll do the stereogram part if you fly me over there so we can do the cache together!

[+Rich1010]

I used this program:

 

http://www.c14sw.de/downloads/StereoDemo01.zip

 

works pretty cool. Alot better at reading those darn magic eye tyhings than me.

 

I'll recommend this too! infact I tried the stereogram from the link you gave and had the resulting coords in seconds!

 

I only use this software as I have a lazy eye an am unable to see anything in stereograms.

[+bladesedge]

Hi everyone,

 

 

Thanks for the help, but I managed to get solve it on my own - I had about half an hour between when I posted the question and when I was leaving on the cache hunt, so tried one more time....And I found the cache bang on the coords too!

 

 

Very trippy experience. I found a spot in the picture and then relaxed my eyes and tride to look through it until the bottom section looked flat and everything around it came forward in 3D. then the coords popped out of the image.... was hard to write them down at the same time as I looked at them.

 

 

Found that I could only do it once, the next time I tried I was only able to get the top line before my eyes refocused and I lost it.

 

 

Definitely makes your eyes go trippy for a bit and its hard to get them back to normal after!

 

 

Once again, thanks everyone that helped!

[+KDotBlueDot]

I figured out a way to see them in Photoshop. I knew the basic concept of how they are made and tried some things until I came up with a 'recipe'.

 

Never been able to see these things, so I am glad to be able to solve them.

[+germanybert]

I used this program:

 

http://www.c14sw.de/downloads/StereoDemo01.zip

 

works pretty cool. Alot better at reading those darn magic eye tyhings than me.

 

This link is broke but if you just google StereoDemo01.zip you can find a lot of places to download it. Came in handy today.

[+rickrich]

I use:

 

http://www.dfstudios.co.uk/2009/08/stereogram-viewer-released/

[+Viajero Perdido]

"reveal magic eye"

 

I figure, if computers can be used to create these puzzles, it should be fair for computers to solve them as well.

[+ras_oscar]

I once took a class that required us to read stereo maps. We used a dvice something like this.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/78168294/vintage-ww11-military-aerial-stereoscope

Not sure ifr they still exist, but I do not remember anyone in the class that was unable to view the image.

[+MartyBartfast]

I once took a class that required us to read stereo maps. We used a dvice something like this.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/78168294/vintage-ww11-military-aerial-stereoscope

Not sure ifr they still exist, but I do not remember anyone in the class that was unable to view the image.

I don't think those would work with these images as they're not actually stereoscopic images.

[+MKFmly]

One extra note...

 

For those who can read steroscopic images, the image size on the cache page is more difficult to read. Clicking on the magnifing button (Bottom RHC) of the image helps or just as simply zooming your browser page to 200%. No extra software or larger monitors requried.