The virtual world of Second Life™ is a three dimensional space, but we see it on computer screens which present flat representations of that 3D space to our eyes. In Second Life, we are all one eyed. And while, in the land of the blind, the one eyed person may be king, in a 3D space, the one eyed person does miss out on something. Not something vital (in case a worried one-eyed person is reading) but something which literally adds depth to the experience.

The University of Michigan 3D Lab had developed a 3D viewer for Second Life. It did require some special equipment, but they assured us the components were inexpensive. Now the Oculus Rift works with Second Life, allowing anyone with almost $2000 for computer and peripherals to have a peak.

For those waiting for more inexpensive components, stereo images of Second Life have been posted by the Montana State University Instructional Media Lab.

I found the only naked eyeball way to get this to work was to shrink the images until they are about 4.75 inches wide, take off my glasses (I'm nearsighted) and get my nose about eight inches from the monitor. Shrinking images may involve downloading them and resizing them in a graphic program, or adjusting the resolution of your monitor.

But what really works for me is the Loreo Lite 3D Viewer. I bought my first viewer from Berezin Stereo Photography Products. I liked it so much I ordered ten more directly from Loreo. (I am not associated with either company.) This viewer allows me to keep the images at their full size (about 6.75 inches wide on my monitor) and keep my glasses on. The result is Second Life still images in glorious 3D at a reasonable price.

Information on taking your own SL™ 3D images is available. It's really easy.