A recent conversation on h2g2 discussed the features of the operating system Windows 10. I've had a Windows 10 computer for a few months now, but I admitted that I had seen but not clicked on a curious 'app' called Paint 3D.

My first guess was that Paint 3D somehow turned images into ones that you could look at through some sort of glasses to get a 3D effect. Part of me also wondered if my laptop screen somehow had the ability to superimpose two images on top of one another so as to enable 3D viewing without glasses. My third thought wondered if the program had the ability to create stereograph images out of a single image so the 3D effect could be viewed using the 'magic eye' technique.

The only way to find out which, if any, of my hypotheses were correct was to open the app and have a go.

I was very surprised to discover that, in fact, Paint 3D is like a feeble version of the Blender program that Asteroid Lil makes excellent use of.

I found it quite easy to get started, thanks to the image library that was available. First I chose a random floating tree thing to use as a base. I was happy to discover a fantastic rose in the image library, so I planted a few tiny ones on the floating island and added a large rose in the 'sky' just for fun, so that the detail could be appreciated better!

Next I added a robin from the image library, and finally I added a slightly strange-looking fairy (nearly but not quite entirely unlike the fairy in my logo).

I then found the basic objects library, and also discovered a difficulty with the program. While the objects in the image library were easy to place on my base image, the basic objects decided they wanted to be behind the base image, but only in places. In particular this meant I could have placed a blue 'man' in such a way that his head was above ground, his body was buried and his feet were sticking out underneath the island, but that was too disturbing, so I erased him and selected a cone instead.

I found a place where the cone could sit, then I tried adding a cat. Sadly, there was no place for the cat to sit comfortably, so it ended up levitating next to the island, behind a root. Finally I added a 'capsule' and was surprised to discover that it sat happily on top of the island with no problem. I selected another 'capsule' with the hope of being able to create some sort of slug-like creature out of the basic objects, but sadly the second 'capsule' decided it, too, wanted to be behind the island so the planned slug antenna disappeared.

I'm glad to have tried the program now, and I might have another go with a blank canvas to see if I can build a slug or something without the components disappearing, but overall I think the regular Paint program is still most useful for what I need to do for h2g2!

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SashaQ

05.03.18 Front Page

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