Your First Stereo Photo with StereoPhoto Maker
StereoPhoto Maker (SPM) is Masuji Suto’s freeware editor for stereoscopic photos. This tutorial walks the complete beginner path: take or choose a left and a right photo, let SPM align them, set the stereo window, and save an image you can actually view in 3D. It assumes SPM v6.41, which you can get from the download page — the program is portable, so unzip it and run the executable; there is nothing to install.
What you need
- Two photos of the same scene, taken from positions a few centimetres apart — roughly eye distance works well for nearby subjects. A stereo camera (such as the Fujifilm W3) produces these as an MPO file; a single camera works too with the cha-cha method.
- A static subject. Anything that moves between the two shots — people mid-step, leaves in wind, water — will fight the alignment.
- StereoPhoto Maker, unzipped with its DLL kept in the same folder. The 64-bit “Pro” build is the everyday choice; “Pro” is just the name of the 64-bit build, not a paid tier.
Step 1: Open the pair
Start SPM and open your left and right images (File > Open Left/Right Images), or simply open an MPO file and SPM splits it into its two views. The pair appears side by side. If the two halves look swapped — the scene “goes inward” instead of popping out — use the swap command to exchange left and right.
Step 2: Run auto alignment
Choose the auto-alignment command (Adjust > Auto Alignment). SPM compares the two images and corrects the errors every hand-held pair has: vertical shift, rotation, size difference and keystone distortion. For folders of pairs, the companion tool StereoAutoAlign does the same job in batch — see the auto alignment guide.
Alignment fixes geometry, not content. If one photo is blurred or the subject moved, no alignment pass can save the pair — reshoot it.
Step 3: Set the stereo window
The stereo window is the virtual frame your scene sits behind. Use the arrow keys (or the window adjustment controls) to move the pair horizontally until the nearest object sits at or just behind the window — nothing important should appear to float in front of the frame while being cut off by its edges, which causes the uncomfortable “window violation” effect. SPM also has border and mask options for a cleaner frame.
Step 4: Pick a viewing format and save
Switch the display mode to the format you will actually view:
- Side-by-side — the universal working format; view cross-eyed or parallel, and the input most 3D displays accept. Save a copy in this format as your master.
- Anaglyph — for red-cyan glasses; see the dedicated anaglyph tutorial.
- Interlaced / above-below — for specific 3D monitors and projectors.
Save with File > Save Stereo Image. SPM keeps the pair in standard formats (JPEG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, or MPO/JPS containers), so your master file stays readable by other tools.
Step 5: Check it like a viewer, not an editor
Open the saved file at full size and view it in 3D. Your eyes should settle in a second or two. If you feel strain, the usual causes are leftover vertical misalignment and a window set too aggressively — both are covered in the eye-strain troubleshooting guide.
Beginner mistakes worth skipping
- Too much separation. A wide baseline exaggerates depth and makes near scenes unviewable. Start near eye spacing.
- Zooming between shots. Any focal-length difference becomes a size mismatch; keep the camera settings fixed.
- Saving only the anaglyph. An anaglyph is a viewing copy, not a master. Always keep the side-by-side version.
Ready to view your first pair properly? A pair of red-cyan anaglyph glasses is the cheapest way to check anaglyph exports on any screen.
Affiliate link: this site may earn a commission at no cost to you. See our Affiliate Disclosure.