How to create Anaglyph in ERDAS Imagine

Data Requirement

To create the Anaglyph in ERDAS Imagine, we need:

• DEM data and
• Satellite imagery of same area

You may refer 'Download DEM Data for offline use' and 'Download and geo-refercne imagery for offline use' if you are not sure how to get the data.


In this tutorial, satellite image is downloaded from the Google Earth and geo-referenced in QGIS. Geo-referenced image is re-sampled in ERDAS imagine .img format. Here is how it looks:





Major Step Involved are as below:

1. Step 1: Import DEM data into img format.
2. Step 2: Create Painted Relief from elevation grid data
3. Step 3: Crate Anaglyph and Obverse

Step 1: Import DEM data into img format

Import DEM data into .img using ERDAS IMAGINE file format.

• Open ERDAS IMAGINE
• Click on Manage Data tab and click Import Data tool

Import window open set the Import window as shown below:

• Select the Format as DEM
• Navigate the Input File to your folder and select .dem file
• Navigate the Output File to your folder

• Click OK

Your DEM file will be save in .img file in your folder.

Step 2: Create Painted Relief from elevation grid data

This step guide you on how to crate Shaded relief using the DEM data or elevation data.

• Click on the Terrain tab and select the Painted Relief tool

The Painted Relief window open and you will input all required criteria

• In Input DEM, navigate to your folder and select the GESurface.img (this DEM data)
• In Output File, navigate to your folder name it PaintedRelief.img
• Click the radio button of Ignore Zero in Output Stats.

The Painted Relief window should look as shown below:

• Click OK

The PainterRelief.img file is saved in your folder and look as shown below





The Data for anaglyph is prepared. you will create the anaglyph in the ERDAS Imagine.

Step 3: Create Anaglyph and Observe

• Open the ERDAS IMAGINE if not open
• Click on the Terrain tab and select the Anaglyph tool

The Anaglyph Generation window open

• Input DEM, navigate to your folder and select the PaintedRelif.img
• Input Image column, navigate to your folder and select GEImage.img
• Output Image column, navigate to your folder Anaglyph.img
• Change the Exaggeration to 2 (this is to magnify vertical effect)
• Change the scale Output Scale to 10000

Now the Anaglyph Generation window look as shown below

• Accept all other default setting as it is and Click OK

The Anaglyph image is generated and open it on 2D View window of ERDAS IMAGINE and anaglyph image look like as shown below:





Use your 3D glasses to view the imagery. you should be able to visualize 3D effect of terrain.