wwp@yahoogroups.com:
Re: Flash upload questions
Yahoo Account 2009-Aug-26 16:17:00
Hi Bryan,
I'll try and answer your questions as good as I can :)
>From: bryant_arnett
>Subject: Flash upload questions
>
>>Is Flash going to be the only option? Are we doing away with QT?
No, both Flash and QT are supported.
>>Pat mentioned that we would be uploading the equirectangular jpeg. Will there be options for things like starting view and maximum and minimum zoom?
Yes, you can pick these parameters. For the opening view, you can position a marker on the equirect image, and the minimum/maximum zoom values are entered via text input fields. I'm also working on an interactive interface where you simply move the panorama and press "set zoom min/max..." when you're happy with the settings.
From there on, the equirect JPEG is automatically converted to cube faces for the flash player, and to Quicktime MOV files for Quicktime.
There still is the option to upload the small and large files for Quicktime directly for those who don't like Flash at all, or want to have features that the "fixed default" processing from JPEG to both Quicktime and Flash does not do.
I can't reliably extract source data for Flash from Quicktime (note: I said "reliably" - I know that it's technically possible most of the time).
The processing of the equirect source JPEG doesn't happen in "real time" on the web server (tech specs and price are prohibitive), but I'm planning to have a second "workhorse" machine that will check & update every 10-15 minutes. Note the "planning to" part. Otherwise, the updating will happen once/twice a day like it did last time. Basically, I have a "live backup" machine at home, which synchronizes with the WWP public server, looks for panoramas that need processing, does so, and then uploads the resulting data.
>>Will there be options for panning variables? I ask this question because I have found that many flash panoramas I see lately have a very slow response time when panning. I find when I want to stop the panning (in other words, stop moving my mouse), the view sometimes takes too long to actually stop. I don't mind a tiny little bit of "softness" to the panning response, because it seems more natural than the old QT hard edge response, but some panoramas make me feel like I am on a merry-go-round that keeps spinning after I hit the brakes.
Uh-oh. The more variables I add to the database, the more complex it gets to handle it, so I hope you're happy with the defaults ;) We have user-configurable "opening view", "auto-spin", "zoom/tilt min/max", "thumbnail view".
Take a look at the last event "Time", you can already switch the player to Flash for it - use the tiny text "Prefer Flash" beneath the panorama, on the left side. It auto-detects Flash and QT, but unless you tell your browser which one you want, it'll go with Quicktime if installed. QT's smoother than Flash on lower-end machines. No QT? It'll go to Flash by itself then, if Flash source data is available.
>>If we only upload the equirectangular image, I'm not sure how I can add text and stuff in the nadir. Does anyone have advice on how to do that? I always made my cube faces using CubicConverter, and then exported and edited the bottom cube face to add that sort of stuff.
Yes, that's what I do, too. Usually, I keep the equirect image and re-convert with CC, then layer it in Photoshop and patch in only the parts that have changed, to avoid conversion losses.
Another way is to add the text as a "squashed" line above the bottom of the equirect, so that it ends up as a "circle" near the nadir. Depending on your stitching program, you may also pre-fab a "floor tile" and place it manually where you want it (e.g. using an un-stitched image layered on top of the tile-sphere in Stitcher, with a protective mask)
If you have any other questions, just ask.
-Markus