The Transparent Desktop Trick

[orphia nay]

http://stupid-ideas.blogspot.com/2006/07/transparent-desktop-trick.html

Found that on the intertubes, and thought I'd give it a go. Here's my attempt, although it's not as good as some of them:

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w194/orphia/windowanddesktop.gif

Anyone else fancy giving it a try and showing us your attempt? :)

[arthwollipot]

Yes, I StumbledUpon that idea on the weekend. All my monitors are backed into corners, so there's not a lot to be seen through them.

[zenotter]

Neat! Unfortunately what's behind mine is a bunch of blank wall next to my front door. Boring view. :(

[arthwollipot]

Well, I had a go, and the proportions were all wrong. So it didn't work all that well.

[monoman]

It'd be interesting to try it with a web cam...

[fuelair]

It'd be interesting to try it with a web cam...
I just assumed that was how you do it!!:)








But, I'm not really a computer person.:)

[hcmom]

My monitor backs into a mirror, which might make a curious effect, but I'm not sure I could do a very good job of it.

[Smike]

This would be easiest with a laptop (at the very least a flatscreen is needed) and a tripod for the camera (or at least a specific place to put it).

Take a photo with the lid up, then close the lid and retake the picture.

I'll have a go this evening, although i don't have a tripod.

[alfaniner]

I saw that on Instructables.com, tried it and didn't quite get a pleasing effect.

Now a company is producing Skinits, covering graphics stickers that go on the laptop lid. The thing is, when you are using the laptop (at meetings and such), the graphic is mostly for other people to look at.

I got a free one, but if they weren't so pricey I'd probably get a couple other ones, like a great optical illusion like Mr. Angry & Mrs. Calm. I also thought of getting a screenshot of my Desktop and using that, so people would say "Why are you using your laptop backwards?"

[Gaspode]

Not that I'm cynical but I wonder how many of these made use of Photoshop or something similar?

[orphia nay]

Sorry for the shameless bump, but I just came across this lolcat who belongs here:

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w194/orphia/lolcats/laptop_cat.jpg

[RayG]

Not sure I get the point. It seems like a lot of work to make the monitor appear to be transparent, when it isn't.

Is this the latest fad or something?

RayG

[Ron_Tomkins]

Sorry for the shameless bump, but I just came across this lolcat who belongs here:

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w194/orphia/lolcats/laptop_cat.jpg

:D

[Kaylee]

http://stupid-ideas.blogspot.com/2006/07/transparent-desktop-trick.html

Found that on the intertubes, and thought I'd give it a go. Here's my attempt, although it's not as good as some of them:

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w194/orphia/windowanddesktop.gif

Anyone else fancy giving it a try and showing us your attempt? :)

Wow. Ideally, what kind of camera would have the best shot of giving you the best effects? I know nothing about digital cameras.

[arthwollipot]

Not sure I get the point. It seems like a lot of work to make the monitor appear to be transparent, when it isn't.

Is this the latest fad or something?

RayGNot exactly a fad, as such, but an interesting trick which provides, as the lolcat said, a moment of cognitive dissonance.

And I'm all for that.

[alfaniner]

Unfortunately it only works from the angle BKACo, aside from which no one else would get it.

[RayG]

Ummm... yeah, because of the way it's positioned, the only one seeing anything on the screen of my computer would be... me.

I'm all for having a cool desktop, but this just doesn't strike me as cool.

RayG

[Wudang]

Meh - a lot to look at here
http://www.wincustomize.com/skins.aspx?libid=31&sort=rating

[Kaylee]

Not exactly a fad, as such, but an interesting trick which provides, as the lolcat said, a moment of cognitive dissonance.

And I'm all for that.

Yes, I'm all for that also. I think its really cool.

But to make it look convincing I suspect that one needs a high end digital camera with a large MP. (Not sure if I'm using the right phrase because I know very little about this area.)

[Soapy Sam]

Best version of this I ever saw was done on an old laptop.
The owner sawed the screen out, leaving the frame.
With the lid open, it looked amazing. It was in front of a window (ie a real window) and just for a second, the effect was quite inexplicable.

[arthwollipot]

Yes, I'm all for that also. I think its really cool.

But to make it look convincing I suspect that one needs a high end digital camera with a large MP. (Not sure if I'm using the right phrase because I know very little about this area.)Not really. Just about any old digital camera could do it, especially since you're taking a photo of the result with what is probably the same camera. The hard part about the lolcat that Orph posted to reanimate this thread would have been getting the cat to sit still while the laptop was perfectly placed so that the picture and the actual cat lined up properly.

[Wowbagger]

The hard part about the lolcat that Orph posted to reanimate this thread would have been getting the cat to sit still while the laptop was perfectly placed so that the picture and the actual cat lined up properly.It helps when you see very little of the cat behind the monitor.

[arthwollipot]

It helps when you see very little of the cat behind the monitor.Having had some experience at photographing cats (http://www.arthwollipot.com/photography/miscellaneous/pets/Portia), I can agree with you there.

[geni]

Not sure I get the point. It seems like a lot of work to make the monitor appear to be transparent, when it isn't.

Is this the latest fad or something?

RayG

Many people like interesting wallpapers. This probably qualifies. For those of us who don't well I've been useing my current wallpaper for longer than I've had this computer.

[Kaylee]

Not really. Just about any old digital camera could do it, especially since you're taking a photo of the result with what is probably the same camera. The hard part about the lolcat that Orph posted to reanimate this thread would have been getting the cat to sit still while the laptop was perfectly placed so that the picture and the actual cat lined up properly.

Hmmm.

I have a laptop with a 15" diagonal screen. It measures 13 by 8.25 inches. I always thought to take a picture that can be enlarged to fill a space that big, and not end up looking very blurry, requires a camera with a lot of MPs.


Now lining up the cat... that required Photoshop* or GIMP -- no doubt. No real life cat would allow itself to be lined up.

BTW, really liked the photos of your cat!


*as Gaspode said.

[geni]

Hmmm.

I have a laptop with a 15" diagonal screen. It measures 13 by 8.25 inches. I always thought to take a picture that can be enlarged to fill a space that big, and not end up looking very blurry, requires a camera with a lot of MPs.


Doubtful. Size is less the issue compared to resolution. Print is ~300 dpi but most screens are not close to that. If they were you would be able to view this image at 100% without haveing to scroll around:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Torpedo_tube_on_holland_1.jpg

[Kaylee]

Doubtful. Size is less the issue compared to resolution. Print is ~300 dpi but most screens are not close to that. If they were you would be able to view this image at 100% without haveing to scroll around:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Torpedo_tube_on_holland_1.jpg

That's a very helpful example geni. Thanks. Very cool picture too btw.

I think you intended me to go to this link though:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Torpedo_tube_on_holland_1.jpg

as the first link goes to a photo with a much smaller resolution.

And for anyone else wrestling with this topic, this link helped me understand geni's post:

http://www.pixagogo.com/tutorials/digitalphotography/Tutorials.aspx?p=MegaPixelsResolution