<p>It’s called a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9seau_plate" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Résau plate</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>…a transparent sheet of glass or plastic engraved with a grid of crosshatches called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiducial_marker" rel="nofollow noreferrer">fiducial markers</a>. It was commonly used in film cameras (before the advent of digital cameras) for scientific and technical photography.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>These were <a href="https://history.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11-hass.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">used on several of the cameras on the Apollo missions</a>, which is probably where this pattern entered public awareness. From the NASA article linked above:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The crosses are recorded on every exposed frame and provided a means of determining angular distances between objects in the field-of-view.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-07-07T08:30:32.497Z
Wonderful, thank you!
xyz
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-07-05T17:23:30.607Z
2023-07-05T17:23:30.607Z
Noah Witherspoon
<p>I've seen this in a lot of animations of spaceships, as well as the intro sequence to The Expanse which I've attached a screenshot of. <a href="https://vimeo.com/734114243" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://vimeo.com/734114243</a> is also an example.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/RWCH7.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/RWCH7.jpg" alt="" /></a></p>
<p>The above screenshot again, but with the contrast boosted:
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/WX9Mo.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/WX9Mo.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>While in both cases this overlay has been added in post, what kind of camera setup are they trying to emulate?</p>

<camera><post-processing><space>
What is the name for a film overlay where there is an array of crosses?
xyz
# What is the name for a film overlay where there is an array of crosses?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-07-03)

I've seen this in a lot of animations of spaceships, as well as the intro sequence to The Expanse which I've attached a screenshot of. <https://vimeo.com/734114243> is also an example.

[![](https://i.sstatic.net/RWCH7.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/RWCH7.jpg)

The above screenshot again, but with the contrast boosted:
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/WX9Mo.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/WX9Mo.jpg)

While in both cases this overlay has been added in post, what kind of camera setup are they trying to emulate?

**Tags:** camera, post-processing, space


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-07-05. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

It’s called a [Résau plate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9seau_plate):

> …a transparent sheet of glass or plastic engraved with a grid of crosshatches called [fiducial markers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiducial_marker). It was commonly used in film cameras (before the advent of digital cameras) for scientific and technical photography.

These were [used on several of the cameras on the Apollo missions](https://history.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11-hass.html), which is probably where this pattern entered public awareness. From the NASA article linked above:

> The crosses are recorded on every exposed frame and provided a means of determining angular distances between objects in the field-of-view.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Wonderful, thank you!  

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