RE: panoramic photo for computer use

[Julie Stark <stark@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Panoramic Imaging Enthusiast,

Misinformation seems to be propagating like wildflowers lately...

Infinite Pictures, the developer of SmoothMove technology, introduced a product in mid-February that enables you to quickly and accurately capture and create fully navigable spherical panoramas using an ordinary 35 mm camera, 14 mm or longer lens, QuickPan panoramic tripod head and SmoothMove Photo Suite. 

This innovative product has no per-panorama royalties; provides tools to embed hotspots; includes PC and Mac viewers and browser plug-ins; supports QTVR output; and produces panoramas that are small enough to place on web sites, e-mail or insert into presentations. 

In late May, the SmoothMove Spherical Photo Solution will be available from Kaidan (http://www.kaidan.com). The key difference between SmoothMove software and QTVR is that the former can produce fully spherical (360 degree) panoramas as opposed to only cylindrical panoramas. 

In a recent Infinite Pictures press release, David Palermo, Apple's Product Manager of QuickTime VR said, "We're excited that Infinite Pictures is working to support QuickTime VR, our award-winning, cross-platform virtual reality technology, in their SmoothMove Spherical Photo Solution. It is an important development in the rapidly-expanding world of immersive imaging."

In early September, Infinite Pictures plans to have a Macintosh version of their SmoothMove Photo Suite. 

Kaidan and Infinite Pictures are both dedicated to providing professionals with the tools to create immersive images whether from CG drawings, photographs or video. To see the quality of their panorams, please see the demo section of their web site at http://www.smoothmove.com.

Julie A. Stark
Public Relations
Infinite Pictures
33 NW First Avenue, Suite 1
Portland, OR 97209
503/221-2449
stark@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.smoothmove.com


-----Original Message-----
From:	cozy3 [SMTP:jason@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent:	Tuesday, April 27, 1999 1:25 PM
To:	panorama-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject:	Re: panoramic photo for computer use

there are a number of solutions out there.
i think you've heard of IPIX, not recommended.
there also is QTVR from apple computer. www.apple.com/ search for QTVR
Live Picture has a solution www.livepicture.com
Ulead is basically a rip off of live pictures.
smoothmove, but also not recommended.
plus others.

If you want to put it on cd-rom, QTVR would be your best option.
they have intergration with apple media tool, director, and Mtropolis.
the nice thing about cd is that you don't have to worry to much about the size of the resulting movie.
if you want to put it on the web, you will need to either cut out the zoom to be able to download quicker or use Live Picture Flash Pix technology. this by far is the best. the only problem is that It isn't the easiest. and Live Picture doesn't have a Cd-rom solution.

what sort of camera do you plan to use?
another question would be what sort of budget do you have, this could answer what software you will have to use.

Jason Cozy
Photoartist
jason@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

>Hello
>
>I'm looking for the best technical solution to take a 360° photo. 
>
>This photo has to be treated and inserted in a CD ROM. The result to be 
>achieved is to give you the impression you are right in the center of the 
>taken photography, that you can turn around you and take various 
>orientations. 
>
>The technical problems :
>- the quality has to be enough good to support a zoom x2,
>- no movement is accepted yet places photographed might be full of 
>people,(snap shot)
>
>I have heard about a solution using a vertical camera and 2 complementary 
>spheric mirrors ahead.
>
>
>Thank you for your help.
>
>
>Franck MOULIN
>

application/ms-tnef