wwp@yahoogroups.com:
Re: Help with WWP entry choice
spinview 2004-Mar-29 22:21:00
Rolf -
Ah, flattery gets me every time, even when it's not deserved.
I have encountered similar messages on several occasions when using
QTVRAS. When it says "not 360," I've found that I accidentally included too=
many instances of a source image or I have too much overlap between
images for the software to auto-calculate the stiching/blending points and =
it
thinks (sometimes correctly) that I have more than 360 degrees of image
content.
btw--There isn't an OSX-native version, so I think everyone is using QTVRAS=
under Classic (If I'm wrong about this anyone, please correct me!). I've fo=
und
this software has performed well throughout my upgrades, and continues to
function normally under Panther.
I use a Nikon Coolpix 995, no special lens.
My original photos, if oriented in portrait position, are typically 1536 wi=
de and
2048 high. If I took my WWP pano as an example, after stitching 24 source
images (15-degree rotation from image to image) I resulted in a source pano=
15313 wide and 1984 high.
The height difference on WWP pano (loss of 64 vertical pixels) was because =
I
did a bad job in keeping my camera level from shot to shot. After de-skewin=
g, I
typically end up with some junk at the top and bottom of the pano which has=
to
be cropped. I don't let QTVRAS do my cropping, because I've found instances=
where the area at the top or bottom can be filled in with innocuous "cloned=
"
texture or color (example, a blue sky or a patch of concrete).
Likewise, I don't let QTVRAS do my sharpening.
I use Photoshop (other comparable image editing program) to do my editing, =
sharpening, cropping, resizing, etc.
When I go back to QTVRAS to make the pano, I create a new project and
import the newly edited source pano.
But back to stitching; I don't know what the lens setting should be for you=
r
Coolpix 8700 camera, but there is a good fov calculator (along with a lot o=
f
excellent nuggets of information) on Panoguide.com (http://
www.panoguide.com/reference/lens_calculator.html). One excellent point
raised in the technique section of that web site talks about specifying the=
lens.
It says, "You will probably find that the settings that give you the best r=
esults
do not match up to the specification of your lens...If you used a 24mm lens=
,
don't be surprised if you get the best results when you tell the stitching =
software you used a 26mm lens."
In other words, stitching isn't always exact science. Only the pros have
developed the nearly full-proof automated processes, and that's out of
necessity--the people who do this for a living are processing many more
panos than those of us who are hobbyists (generally speaking). Another good=
starting guide, albeit a bit dated, is Lawler's article "QuickTime Virtual =
Reality:
How to Make Panoramic Images" (http://www.imaging-resource.com/TIPS/
LAWLER/PANOHOW2.PDF).
Here are some QTVRAS-specifics you might consider.
1. When you're feeding QTVRAS your lens settings (down while "editing" your=
lens), use the Estimate function. Really spend some time fussing with this.=
2. Experiment with manual alignment of your source images. In one situation=
,
I was forced to manually align every image because I had used a disposable =
35mm camera and handheld the pano. My source images had some much
variety in their overlap it was the only way I could get any decent results=
.
I hope this helps,
-Jim
--- In #removed#, "sirflor1" <#removed#> wrote:
> Jim, your message is one of the best tutorial I ever found on web.
> I also use QTVRAS (unfortunatly with Classicmode).
>
> My biggest problems are:
> -> with the original pictures, QTVRAS often won't stich, comes up with a =
me=
> ssage like
> "note 360?, or the fov is false a.s.o.
>
> -> I don't know the best lens-data for my Nikon coolpix 8700.
>
> What kind of camera do you use?
> What photosize are you originals?
> Do you only use Photoshop to do resize the stiched photos?
>
> I hpe you'll share your know-how with us.
>
> Thank you
>
> Rolf
>