Hologram

Operation

The most prevalent means of communication throughout the galaxy relied on hologram technology. Predominantly, holograms served as a substitute for screens in telecommunications. A holocamera, whether a recorder or receiver, would capture the measurements, shape, and movements of an object via ray scanning. Subsequently, this visual information could be transmitted to another location in real-time, or stored and replayed at a later time using a holoprojector. The resulting holographic projections were visible from all angles, despite lacking physical substance. Initially, holograms appeared in monochrome with a cyan tint, but following the Clone Wars, some holograms incorporated an additional layer of color. In two-way telecommunications, participants could view each other's holographic representations, creating the illusion of being in the same room, although their relative sizes were not always accurate.

Compared to screens, standard holograms were of a lower quality, primarily due to their monochrome nature and tendency to flicker. More advanced versions were capable of producing remarkably realistic full-color images and were primarily utilized for entertainment, such as at the Holographic Zoo of Extinct Animals or Hologram Fun World. However, they could also be employed for disguises and other forms of deception.

Uses

Small-scale holograms could be displayed through portable holovids. Furthermore, projectors were integrated into the communication systems of many starships, serving both pilots and passengers. Certain droids, like R2-D2, possessed the ability to record and project holograms.

When absent from Coruscant or otherwise unable to attend in person, members of the Jedi Council could participate in Council meetings via hologram. Their likeness would be projected onto their designated seat, allowing them to engage as if physically present.

Holograms also saw frequent use in scientific endeavors as schematic diagrams. Similarly, they were utilized in military briefings and operations. During the Battle of Naboo, R2-D2 projected a hologram of the Theed Royal Palace prior to the assault's organization. Leading up to the Battle of Endor, a hologram of Death Star II was used to illustrate the attack strategy to the Rebellion pilots.

Holograms were also employed for targeting practice. As an example, the Republic clone army utilized holographic representations of B1-Series battle droids and B2 super battle droids, in addition to holograms of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, to train their clone sharpshooters and refine their ability to differentiate between friendly and enemy targets.

An individual who fabricated holograms and presented them as authentic was known as a holo faker.

Sentient programs frequently employed holograms as a means of interacting with living beings. In some instances, such as with Holiday, the program relied on holograms as its primary mode of communication.

Storage of holograms

Holograms could be transmitted directly, or stored utilizing various storage mediums (such as holodiscs) and in astromech units, or other droid types. To access a stored image, the storage device would need to be connected to a holoprojector. Many droids featured integrated holoprojectors.

Hologram storage devices could be encrypted to protect sensitive or classified content. Morgan Katarn recorded and encrypted a hologram for his son revealing his Jedi lineage. This hologram was stored on a holodisc and could only be accessed by the Katarn family droid WeeGee. However, Jan Ors and Xiong Wong (assisted by Wires) were able to partially decrypt the hologram and display it, albeit at a poor quality, to Mon Mothma, Leia Organa and Luke Skywalker.