What is the Depthmap used for?

[John Pungello]

The title says it. Just wondering when or why I would use the depthmap.

[admin]

Depth maps, as generated by the 3D Stereo module, are used by a number of applications, services and algorithms to convert a corresponding 2D image into a 3D representation. E.g. it tells an app how far away a corresponding pixel is from the viewer in addition to what color that pixel is.

Android embeds depth maps on phones with stereo-capable cameras (many phones since 2014), while Facebook uses a depth map in conjunction with a regular image to generate 3D photos for use in people's feeds.

They are also a popular way to implement depth conveying effects for web content (for example like this).

Lastly, they are a convenient way of storing (and editing/modifying!) depth information for conversion to use in other formats.

Hope this helps!