Another method for obtaining a higher grade is to add hotspots to my QTVR. Again, this is extra credit so I will only add these if I have the time but I have decided the research it in case I do have the time to add them. There is a website called IATH which has guidse to digital panoramic photography, including a guide to QTVR [1]. In this guide they explain what hotspots are:
"Most stitching programs offer the possibility of embedding “hot spots” within the QTVR movie. A hot spot is an area of the panorama that has been image-mapped, so when the mouse passes over the hot spot the cursor changes to indicate the existence of the hot spot."
They also discuss the uses of hotspots:
"When clicked, any number of actions might be launched: loading a new panorama (navigational link), loading a detail image, loading a video file, opening a website, launching an executable script, etc. One of the most common uses of hot spots is in virtual tours that link a series of panoramas together."
Using hotspots to link to my other QTVRs would be both useful and appropriate because they are being assessed and viewed as part of a project, although there are no natural hotspots within the images. This would possible mean overlaying graphics on to the panoramas to create a suitable area for linking, but the graphics may look bad depending on their design. It is something to consider anyway.
Sources:
[1] http://www.iath.virginia.edu/panorama/section6.html
Showing posts with label QTVR. Show all posts
Showing posts with label QTVR. Show all posts
Extra Credit: Adding Audio
In an attempt to boost my grade I have looked in to ways of improving my work once completed. One of these ways would be to add some audio to the QTVR. The QTVRs I have created are in fairly common locations, so the audio required would be some fairly low key ambient sounds to add to the feeling of the piece, further immersing the user and getting closer towards the virtual reality it is named under.
There is a very useful guide to adding looping and non looping audio to QTVRs on a VR photography website blog [1] which will assist me in adding the audio, as it is not something I currently know how to do. Also, due to the time constraints I may be unable to source and add audio to my pieces, but I am looking in to the possibility so that I am able to if I have time.
Sources:
[1] http://ivrpa.org/blog/495/an_easy_way_to_add_looping_audio
There is a very useful guide to adding looping and non looping audio to QTVRs on a VR photography website blog [1] which will assist me in adding the audio, as it is not something I currently know how to do. Also, due to the time constraints I may be unable to source and add audio to my pieces, but I am looking in to the possibility so that I am able to if I have time.
Sources:
[1] http://ivrpa.org/blog/495/an_easy_way_to_add_looping_audio
Project Progress: Part 3
Following from my last project progress blog, I took the decision to go in a different direction and decided on a theme of playgrounds. I went around the town of Seaford and took my panoramas in the middle of 3 different playgrounds. I realize this is risky considering the deadline in under a week away, but I want to obtain a decent grade and am confident I will still be able to produce my QTVRs as I am willing to work hard to complete the project.
PAN 1:
These images are fairly dark, but that can be solved in the colour and lighting correction stage. The shoot was very successful and I managed to keep make the photos fairly levels across the 360 degrees.
PAN 2:
These images vary alot in brightness as you turn but again this can be corrected in photoshop. This image will be harder to stitch because of the metal fencing.
PAN 3:
This shoot was the least successful of the 3. The photos across the 360 degress are not as level as they could have been, and in some of the shots water has got on the lens. I was aware of this at the time so I took some doubles, but some of them have water on them, but less. This can be corrected in photoshop with some effort through cloning.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I believe these new images are much more interesting than the previous ones, and the theme is immediate and links much more strongly than the previous set. The previous set of images where not a complete waste of time however, as I gained valuable experience in shooting my images with the camera. I also gained valuable experience in the techniques needed to stitch my photos together in Photoshop.
PAN 1:
These images are fairly dark, but that can be solved in the colour and lighting correction stage. The shoot was very successful and I managed to keep make the photos fairly levels across the 360 degrees.
PAN 2:
These images vary alot in brightness as you turn but again this can be corrected in photoshop. This image will be harder to stitch because of the metal fencing.
PAN 3:
This shoot was the least successful of the 3. The photos across the 360 degress are not as level as they could have been, and in some of the shots water has got on the lens. I was aware of this at the time so I took some doubles, but some of them have water on them, but less. This can be corrected in photoshop with some effort through cloning.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I believe these new images are much more interesting than the previous ones, and the theme is immediate and links much more strongly than the previous set. The previous set of images where not a complete waste of time however, as I gained valuable experience in shooting my images with the camera. I also gained valuable experience in the techniques needed to stitch my photos together in Photoshop.
Project Progress: Part 2
I am currently in the process of editing my photos in to seamless 360 degree images. After attending my lectures and watching the tutorial DVDs I have learnt techniques that have been useful in stitching the photographs together. The techniques I have been using include non destructive editing using layer masks and destructive editing using the free transform tools warp, scale, rotation and perspective functions. It is unfortunate to have to use destructive editing techniques but I do not know of a non destructive method while performing the same function as the free transform tool. I have also been saving my PSDs progressively so I have created an organised list of PSDs containing the various stages in the stitching process.
Here is a preview of the stitching:
I have however noticed a flaw in my entire project. My choice in theme is fairly poor, and on top of that there is nothing in the images to suggest any theme because there are no signs or people walking their dogs to suggest that these are dog walking areas. This is a problem because the images on their own are not very visually interesting. There is a bit of variation between foreground and background but neither are too interesting and to achieve a relatively high grade this is not acceptable, and I am considering taking new images under a different theme.
Here is a preview of the stitching:
I have however noticed a flaw in my entire project. My choice in theme is fairly poor, and on top of that there is nothing in the images to suggest any theme because there are no signs or people walking their dogs to suggest that these are dog walking areas. This is a problem because the images on their own are not very visually interesting. There is a bit of variation between foreground and background but neither are too interesting and to achieve a relatively high grade this is not acceptable, and I am considering taking new images under a different theme.
Project Progress: Part 1
After conducting some research I have been out to take my photographs for the 360 degree panoramic photograph that I will begin stitching together in Photoshop. For a while I was unsure what to use as a theme for the images but decided to dog walking areas around the town I live in (Seaford, East Sussex). Here are some example images from my first shoot.
PAN1:
I did run in to some problems though. While taking the photos certain areas are over exposed and largely white because the sun was very bright at the time so when the camera was facing towards it the images have come out badly. Another problem I faced is that on the third shoot I had accidentally left the tripod bag and my jacket in view of the camera and so this has ruined the third set of photographs beyond use, so I must redo that one.
PAN1:
I did run in to some problems though. While taking the photos certain areas are over exposed and largely white because the sun was very bright at the time so when the camera was facing towards it the images have come out badly. Another problem I faced is that on the third shoot I had accidentally left the tripod bag and my jacket in view of the camera and so this has ruined the third set of photographs beyond use, so I must redo that one.
Research: Part 4
Continuing my research I have decided to look at examples of QTVR of a mansion in America called The Elms [1]. It has 360 panoramas of the different rooms in the mansion. I have also decided to look at another QTVR of the view from Blackpool tower [2] and on a real estate website.
Example 1:
Ball Room [3]
This QTVR is of the ball room in the mansion. It does a good job of giving you a view of what it is like to be inside the mansion and what the room looks like. The stitching looks seamless but the QTVR is low resolution, even if you choose to view it in high resolution and the dimensions are very small which lowers the level of emersion considerably and makes it less interesting to look at due to the lack of detail.
Example 2:
Blackpool Tower [2]
This QTVR is the view from the top of Blackpool tower. It’s a cylindrical QTVR that shows 360 degrees around the tower so you can see the town and the beach. This has uses in tourism, because if you have never been to Blackpool this gives you a very good sweeping view of the area from a famous location. The disadvantage though is because of the high altitude the buildings are small, and the resolution/quality is low so you cannot zoom in without a lot of pixilation so it limits its use to just a broad view of the area.
Example 3:
A Master Bedroom from Kitsap Real Estate [4]
This is another good example of QTVR used for commercial purposes. Here it is being used to show the different rooms in a house for sale at Kitsap Real Estate. You can take a look around the room in 360 degrees and this is very useful to a prospective buyer because it gives them a sense of space and feeling for the location greater than what is portrayed in a photograph.
Sources:
[1] http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carnegie/sfeature/tour.html
[2] http://www.blackpool.com/bttop.html
[3] http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carnegie/sfeature/t_ballroom_hi.html
[4] http://www.bprowse.com/images/virtual_tours/rossiter/Master_bedroom.html
Example 1:
Ball Room [3]
This QTVR is of the ball room in the mansion. It does a good job of giving you a view of what it is like to be inside the mansion and what the room looks like. The stitching looks seamless but the QTVR is low resolution, even if you choose to view it in high resolution and the dimensions are very small which lowers the level of emersion considerably and makes it less interesting to look at due to the lack of detail.
Example 2:
Blackpool Tower [2]
This QTVR is the view from the top of Blackpool tower. It’s a cylindrical QTVR that shows 360 degrees around the tower so you can see the town and the beach. This has uses in tourism, because if you have never been to Blackpool this gives you a very good sweeping view of the area from a famous location. The disadvantage though is because of the high altitude the buildings are small, and the resolution/quality is low so you cannot zoom in without a lot of pixilation so it limits its use to just a broad view of the area.
Example 3:
A Master Bedroom from Kitsap Real Estate [4]
This is another good example of QTVR used for commercial purposes. Here it is being used to show the different rooms in a house for sale at Kitsap Real Estate. You can take a look around the room in 360 degrees and this is very useful to a prospective buyer because it gives them a sense of space and feeling for the location greater than what is portrayed in a photograph.
Sources:
[1] http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carnegie/sfeature/tour.html
[2] http://www.blackpool.com/bttop.html
[3] http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carnegie/sfeature/t_ballroom_hi.html
[4] http://www.bprowse.com/images/virtual_tours/rossiter/Master_bedroom.html
Research: Part 3
Continuing my research I have decided to look at different examples of QTVR by Denis Gliksman [1]. Denis Gliksman is a big name in QTVR and has a website featuring a lot of QTVRs that he has photographed and put together himself.
Example 1:
Gorges de la Restonica in France [2]
This QTVR is another good example of one of the advantages of QTVR. These photographs were taken high in the French mountains. For some people it would be too much to climb to these locations or may be unable to. It allows the user to look around and as a cubic QTVR it allows them to look 360 degrees around in all directions. The quality of the photos enhances the emersion and gives you that sense of vertigo looking down the mountain which is why I think this one is so successful.
Example 2:
San Francisco Peninsula Watershed, California, USA [3]
This is an interesting one from his website because it is quite different from the rest of the QTVRs on his website because it is a very neat, quiet and flat area whereas his other settings are more natural. The water is very calm and you can see the reflections very clearly with the neatly trimmed trees around the edge of the pool of water. Unlike most of his work this one is cylindrical QTVR so you can only look 360 degrees along the X axis. The setting looks good, but it isn’t very unusually so isn’t as successful as the others on his website because it’s similar to typical locations in western countires.
Sources:
[1] http://www.la-grange-numerique.com/
[2] http://geoimages.berkeley.edu/worldwidepanorama/wwp1207/fullscreen_audio/DenisGliksman.html
[3] http://geoimages.berkeley.edu/worldwidepanorama/wwp605/fullscreen_audio/ErikGoetze.html
Example 1:
Gorges de la Restonica in France [2]
This QTVR is another good example of one of the advantages of QTVR. These photographs were taken high in the French mountains. For some people it would be too much to climb to these locations or may be unable to. It allows the user to look around and as a cubic QTVR it allows them to look 360 degrees around in all directions. The quality of the photos enhances the emersion and gives you that sense of vertigo looking down the mountain which is why I think this one is so successful.
Example 2:
San Francisco Peninsula Watershed, California, USA [3]
This is an interesting one from his website because it is quite different from the rest of the QTVRs on his website because it is a very neat, quiet and flat area whereas his other settings are more natural. The water is very calm and you can see the reflections very clearly with the neatly trimmed trees around the edge of the pool of water. Unlike most of his work this one is cylindrical QTVR so you can only look 360 degrees along the X axis. The setting looks good, but it isn’t very unusually so isn’t as successful as the others on his website because it’s similar to typical locations in western countires.
Sources:
[1] http://www.la-grange-numerique.com/
[2] http://geoimages.berkeley.edu/worldwidepanorama/wwp1207/fullscreen_audio/DenisGliksman.html
[3] http://geoimages.berkeley.edu/worldwidepanorama/wwp605/fullscreen_audio/ErikGoetze.html
Research: Part 2
Continuing my research I have decided to look at different examples of QTVR on the website Kiku. [1]
Example 1:
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu [2]
I liked this QTVR because it a great example of QTVR in the context of tourism. I have never been to Japan, but this gives me a good look at this location and I can see the birds, the buildings, the tourists and the trees. While it may not be the same as me being there it’s good to be able to see around an area. The pictures are not very high resolution, which lowers the overall emersion in the location so it would have been better at a higher resolution.
Example 2:
Takashima Island - 2 [3]
This is another QTVR this time showing an island in Japan but I don’t think it is a good example. The landscape all across the 360 degree view is very plain and there are not many interesting objects. Another flaw in this example is that all of the detailed and interesting objects are in the background. The background is filled with the sea, various buildings and big trees but in the foreground it is just grass so there is nothing there to really keep your attention. However, the editing is quite good and the general mood of the photographs is that it is quite peaceful and relaxing so it has use in the context of tourism but to look at is not very interesting.
Sources:
[1] http://www.kiku.com/qtvr/index.html
[2] http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~eb3y-kktk/quicktime_vr/tsurugaoka.mov
[3] http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~eb3y-kktk/quicktime_vr/takashima_b.mov
Example 1:
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu [2]
I liked this QTVR because it a great example of QTVR in the context of tourism. I have never been to Japan, but this gives me a good look at this location and I can see the birds, the buildings, the tourists and the trees. While it may not be the same as me being there it’s good to be able to see around an area. The pictures are not very high resolution, which lowers the overall emersion in the location so it would have been better at a higher resolution.
Example 2:
Takashima Island - 2 [3]
This is another QTVR this time showing an island in Japan but I don’t think it is a good example. The landscape all across the 360 degree view is very plain and there are not many interesting objects. Another flaw in this example is that all of the detailed and interesting objects are in the background. The background is filled with the sea, various buildings and big trees but in the foreground it is just grass so there is nothing there to really keep your attention. However, the editing is quite good and the general mood of the photographs is that it is quite peaceful and relaxing so it has use in the context of tourism but to look at is not very interesting.
Sources:
[1] http://www.kiku.com/qtvr/index.html
[2] http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~eb3y-kktk/quicktime_vr/tsurugaoka.mov
[3] http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~eb3y-kktk/quicktime_vr/takashima_b.mov
Research: Part 1
The best way to get an idea of how QTVRs should be and what they look like is to look at examples. I started off by using Google to do a quick search of QTVR. I found many websites with many different QTVRs from various photographers that demonstrate the different uses of QTVR and looks. The first website I looked at was Fullscreen QTVR. [1]
Example 1:
Photographs by Giuseppe Pennisi [2]
This one caught my eye. The photographs are very high quality and high resolution, and the editing is seamless. There are no obvious seams, and I couldn’t notice any under closer inspection. This QTVR also included sound which I thought was a nice touch, and added to the feeling you get from the 360 degree view. The reason why I believe this QTVR is successful is because the colours are very vibrant and help everything stand out individually, enhancing the detail in the image.
Example 2:
Photographs by Nasa - Hans Nyberg [3]
This second one caught my eyes because it’s so different and unique. There are a couple of QTVRs on this website of the moon and Mars, but these are from rare photographic opportunities, because not that many exist and you can’t just go and take some more. The image is very powerful partly because it is in black and white, meaning that the tonal range and contrast between then light and the shadows is more powerful. It really captures the idea of the moon being a barren landscape covered in rocks.
The small buggy and the astronaut are in colour which draws focus and also emphasises how out of place they are as nothing other than what is in black and white exists on the moon. The editing is flawed, but it is a fault of the images as each of the photographs has a cross at the centre.
The reason why I believe this is successful as a QTVR is it’s unique nature and use. We have all seen images of the moon, but the QTVR gives us a real feel for the surroundings and a complete 360 degree shows what the landscape is like all over.
Sources:
[1] http://www.fullscreenqtvr.com
[2] http://www.fullscreenqtvr.com/bretagne/
[3] http://www.panoramas.dk/moon/apollo-17.html
Example 1:
Photographs by Giuseppe Pennisi [2]
This one caught my eye. The photographs are very high quality and high resolution, and the editing is seamless. There are no obvious seams, and I couldn’t notice any under closer inspection. This QTVR also included sound which I thought was a nice touch, and added to the feeling you get from the 360 degree view. The reason why I believe this QTVR is successful is because the colours are very vibrant and help everything stand out individually, enhancing the detail in the image.
Example 2:
Photographs by Nasa - Hans Nyberg [3]
This second one caught my eyes because it’s so different and unique. There are a couple of QTVRs on this website of the moon and Mars, but these are from rare photographic opportunities, because not that many exist and you can’t just go and take some more. The image is very powerful partly because it is in black and white, meaning that the tonal range and contrast between then light and the shadows is more powerful. It really captures the idea of the moon being a barren landscape covered in rocks.
The small buggy and the astronaut are in colour which draws focus and also emphasises how out of place they are as nothing other than what is in black and white exists on the moon. The editing is flawed, but it is a fault of the images as each of the photographs has a cross at the centre.
The reason why I believe this is successful as a QTVR is it’s unique nature and use. We have all seen images of the moon, but the QTVR gives us a real feel for the surroundings and a complete 360 degree shows what the landscape is like all over.
Sources:
[1] http://www.fullscreenqtvr.com
[2] http://www.fullscreenqtvr.com/bretagne/
[3] http://www.panoramas.dk/moon/apollo-17.html
Why use QTVR?
To help me come up with a theme I have decided to look at why QTVR is used as a medium. This is not the same as how it is being used, which is a topic I will cover in a later blog.
One of the main reasons to use QTVR is to show people a large area. Instead of a limited 60 degree field of vision, in a photograph, QTVR allows people to see much more. In a cylindrical QTVR you can view a 360 degree panorama and cubic QTVRs allow you to see in all directions. This gives more freedom and bring me to the net use: control. QTVR gives control of what they are viewing to the user. Instead of limiting the user to a single image, or a gallery of images it gives them to freedom and control to move around a 360 degree panorama and decide which part to look and move around to other parts with ease.
This also brings up a disadvantage of using the medium, as giving the user the freedom to view 360 degrees or more means that nothing is hidden. When taking a photo you can change the content of the frame by positioning the camera so certain things that you don’t want to be seen (for whatever reason) are not in the shot. In panoramic though everything can be seen, so it might not be a desirable medium in certain instances.
A third reason why QTVR might be used is to give the user a sense of place. If the purpose of displaying an image is to show the viewer a location or even a specific location, creating a panoramic shows the user the things outside of the shot you would have had if you had only take a photo. This might give you a greater scope for the feeling of the location. For instance, a beach shot might show you the sea, but a panoramic might show some more plants which look like they are blowing in the wind and rough waves giving you the feeling that it is very cold and windy.
It can also give the user a better idea as to the location or relative distances within the panorama. If you had an album of holiday photos, with one of the beach and one of your hotel which is just across from the beach which is conventionally acceptable. However, in a QTVR scenario a cylindrical QTVR would allow you to be able to see both the beach and the hotel. By moving around it you would be able to see them and all points in between giving you that sense of distance and location, enhancing the users feeling of what it is like to be there without actually being there.
One of the main reasons to use QTVR is to show people a large area. Instead of a limited 60 degree field of vision, in a photograph, QTVR allows people to see much more. In a cylindrical QTVR you can view a 360 degree panorama and cubic QTVRs allow you to see in all directions. This gives more freedom and bring me to the net use: control. QTVR gives control of what they are viewing to the user. Instead of limiting the user to a single image, or a gallery of images it gives them to freedom and control to move around a 360 degree panorama and decide which part to look and move around to other parts with ease.
This also brings up a disadvantage of using the medium, as giving the user the freedom to view 360 degrees or more means that nothing is hidden. When taking a photo you can change the content of the frame by positioning the camera so certain things that you don’t want to be seen (for whatever reason) are not in the shot. In panoramic though everything can be seen, so it might not be a desirable medium in certain instances.
A third reason why QTVR might be used is to give the user a sense of place. If the purpose of displaying an image is to show the viewer a location or even a specific location, creating a panoramic shows the user the things outside of the shot you would have had if you had only take a photo. This might give you a greater scope for the feeling of the location. For instance, a beach shot might show you the sea, but a panoramic might show some more plants which look like they are blowing in the wind and rough waves giving you the feeling that it is very cold and windy.
It can also give the user a better idea as to the location or relative distances within the panorama. If you had an album of holiday photos, with one of the beach and one of your hotel which is just across from the beach which is conventionally acceptable. However, in a QTVR scenario a cylindrical QTVR would allow you to be able to see both the beach and the hotel. By moving around it you would be able to see them and all points in between giving you that sense of distance and location, enhancing the users feeling of what it is like to be there without actually being there.
Initial Research
Before conducting any further research I have decided to first look at what QTVR and Panoramic photography are. Having a greater understanding of what QTVR and Panoramic photography are should enable me to produce better work for this project. From this I will conduct further research, more specifically looking at QTVR.
Panoramic photography involves using a wide-angle lens to capture photographs that show a large area, or taking several regular photographs which are later edited or merged to form one long image to give the appearance of one view. Wikipedia defines a panorama as:
“In its most general sense, a panorama is any wide view of a physical space. It has also come to refer to a wide-angle representation of such a view — whether in painting, drawing, photography, film/video, or a three-dimensional model. Further, the motion-picture term, pan or panning, is derived from "panorama".” [1]
In the context of this project I will be using a camera and a tripod to take several regular photos which I will then ‘stitch’ together in Photoshop to form one complete image representing a 360 degree view of the area.
QTVR stands for ‘QuickTime Virtual Reality’, with ‘QuickTime’ referring to the popular video player created by Apple and ‘Virtual Reality’ referring to the effect gained from producing a 360 degree image that is mapped cylindrically to give the appearance of being able to look around a point. As the creators of QuickTime, Apple is very involved in QTVR and this is how they define it on their website:
“QuickTime VR moves the photographic image from the flat 2D world into the definitive immersive experience — complete with 3D imagery and interactive components.
QuickTime VR enables viewers to explore virtual worlds using nothing more than a computer and mouse — no cumbersome goggles, headsets or gloves required.” [2]
While this might be an exaggeration of what we conventionally think of when we hear the word virtual reality, it uses existing technology (photography) and applies new technology (QTVR) to create something closer to virtual reality then what was possible before.
Sources:
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panorama
[2] http://www.apple.com/quicktime/technologies/qtvr/
Panoramic photography involves using a wide-angle lens to capture photographs that show a large area, or taking several regular photographs which are later edited or merged to form one long image to give the appearance of one view. Wikipedia defines a panorama as:
“In its most general sense, a panorama is any wide view of a physical space. It has also come to refer to a wide-angle representation of such a view — whether in painting, drawing, photography, film/video, or a three-dimensional model. Further, the motion-picture term, pan or panning, is derived from "panorama".” [1]
In the context of this project I will be using a camera and a tripod to take several regular photos which I will then ‘stitch’ together in Photoshop to form one complete image representing a 360 degree view of the area.
QTVR stands for ‘QuickTime Virtual Reality’, with ‘QuickTime’ referring to the popular video player created by Apple and ‘Virtual Reality’ referring to the effect gained from producing a 360 degree image that is mapped cylindrically to give the appearance of being able to look around a point. As the creators of QuickTime, Apple is very involved in QTVR and this is how they define it on their website:
“QuickTime VR moves the photographic image from the flat 2D world into the definitive immersive experience — complete with 3D imagery and interactive components.
QuickTime VR enables viewers to explore virtual worlds using nothing more than a computer and mouse — no cumbersome goggles, headsets or gloves required.” [2]
While this might be an exaggeration of what we conventionally think of when we hear the word virtual reality, it uses existing technology (photography) and applies new technology (QTVR) to create something closer to virtual reality then what was possible before.
Sources:
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panorama
[2] http://www.apple.com/quicktime/technologies/qtvr/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)