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    OneShot360 software questions
    OneShot360 ver 1.3 questions
    OneShot360 ver 1.0 questions
    If you do not see your question here, please email support@virtualpicturetours.com.

    What digital cameras are supported by the OneShot360 web system?

    The OneShot360 web system currently supports the following cameras:
    • Nikon Coolpix 700, 900, 950, 990 Digital Still Camera
    • Olympus C2000, 3030
    • Epson 850 Z Digital Still Camera
    • Agfa ePhoto 1680
    • Kodak DC 4800
    • Sony DSC-S70 and DSC-S75

    Check back here for an updated list of supported cameras. Please send mail to support@remotereality.com if your camera is not on the list.


    Can I mount the OneShot360 attachment on a camera not in your supported camera list?

    The OneShot360 attachment is a precise optical device with specific settings for each digital camera, which can be found in the camera guide. Before we recommend using a camera with the attachment, it goes through a series of tests at RemoteReality. If you need to attach the OneShot360 to a camera not in the list of supported cameras, please send mail to support@virtualpicturetours.com. We will inform you whether the camera is compatible with the OneShot360 and the necessary camera settings.

    Why does the picture look like a doughnut?

    The picture encompasses a 360 degree by 210 degree field of view. This entire field of view is “compressed” into the projected view on the camera. The center of the circular picture corresponds to the point of view of the camera. The boundary of the circle corresponds to the outer edge of the mirror.

    Can I upload pictures directly from my digital camera to the OneShot360 web system software?

    Pictures cannot be directly uploaded into the OneShot360 web system software from a digital camera. The images need to be saved as jpeg format images first, which is normally accomplished through software supplied by the camera manufacturer. The saved jpeg images can be dragged and dropped into the OneShot360 web system application for further processing.

    Why is it necessary to mark the center and circle on the doughnut shaped picture?

    The center of the circle is the point of view from which you would observe the immersive image. The circle corresponds to the outer edge of the mirror. Accurate marking of both of these is essential for the best viewing experience.

    What are the new features in version 1.3?

    • The application has a new look. It starts full screen, has a new toolbar, wizard bar, and shows the number of digital film remaining.
    • The number of output file formats has been increased to six. They are
      • IBM HotMedia Viewer (.mvr).
        • IBM Hotmedia Authoring (.rr).
      • Apple Quicktime Viewer (.mov).
      • MGI Java Viewer (.ivr).
      • MGI Plug-in Viewer (.ivr).
      • Emailer (.exe).
    • The "donut" images can now be enhanced within the application.
    • The preview has higher resolution compared to version 1.0.
    • The users now have option to control the output image resolution and quality, view attributes such as width and height of the view port, and Codec type for quicktime file format.
    • The user can now save preferred settings for each output file format. There are two factory defaults - one for web quality and other for CD quality.

    Version 1.0 had "web quality" and "CD-ROM quality" publishing options. How do I get these options in version 1.3?


    Version 1.0 supported only MGI’s Java and plugin based viewers. The table below shows the equivalent settings in version 1.3.

    Version 1.0

    		 Version 1.3
    Web quality publishing MGI Java Viewer (.ivr)
    Compression – 75
    CD-ROM quality publishing MGI Plugin viewer (.ivr)
    Compresion - 75
    Resolution – 300

     

    What does the Image Enhancement tool do?


    The image enhancement tool balances light in images with non-uniform lighting. This tool is particularly useful in scenes with very bright areas and dark areas with subjects of interest to the user. A locally adaptive histogram equalization algorithm is used. An example is shown below:

    Before    		 After

     

    What purpose do the 'Compression' and 'Resolution' sliders serve in the 'Options' dialog box?

    All the output formats have file compression schemes built in which serve to reduce the file size of published images. The “compression” slider bar controls the level of compression desired. Larger values of compression result in better quality images with larger file size. Very small values of compression result in images with more “blockiness”, which is usually visible as square patches in areas of low detail. The “resolution” slider controls the number of pixels in the image. Larger values of resolution result in more pixels in the image. Very small values of resolution result in pixelation of the image when the user zooms in. These two controls used in conjunction can help in optimizing the image for particular applications.

    When I choose to export in QuickTime format, no .mov file is created.

    You must choose the "Full" installation of QuickTime when you first install the QuickTime viewer on your computer. Reinstall Quicktime and choose "Full," not "Minimum," and you will be able to export from the OneShot360 software in QuickTime format.

    What is the difference between web quality and CDROM quality pictures?

    CDROM quality pictures are of higher resolution than web quality pictures. The web quality pages use a Java applet from LivePicture. These images can be viewed with any Java and Javascript enabled web browser. No additional settings are required. To view the CDROM quality pictures, you need a plugin from LivePicture that can be found at http://www.livepicture.com/download/clients/lpviewer_content.html.

    Why do I need a plug-in to view the CDROM quality images?

    The LivePicture Java applet used to view web quality pictures can load pictures with a maximum resolution of 500,000 pixels. Since the resolution of CDROM quality pictures is significantly higher, the LivePicture plug-in is needed to view these pictures.

    I clicked on the “Create Web Quality” button. I get a dialog box. What do I do next to view the panorama and what does the directory contain?


    The “create web quality” button creates all the files needed to publish the immersive image to the internet. The dialog box indicates the full path of the directory where these files are located.

    If your original image file (doughnut shaped picture) is mypanorama.jpg, the created files would typically be:

    1. mypanorama_pf.htm
    2. mypanorama_pf.ivr
    3. mypanorama_pf_sp.jpg
    4. cyclologo.jpg
    5. lpjpano.zip
    6. lpjpanoNS3.zip
    7. lpjpano.cab

    To view the immersive image, open the file mypanorama_pf.htm in a java and javascript enabled browser.

    On opening the html file in a java and javascript enabled browser (IE3.0 & NS 3.0 and above), the following files are loaded in the order below:

    1. One of lpjpano.zip, lpjpanoNS3.zip, lpjpano.cab. These files constitute the java class files. The appropriate file is loaded depending on the client browser type.
    2. cyclologo.jpg - This file contains the RemoteReality logo which needs to be displayed as per the software license agreement.
    3. mypanorama_pf.ivr - This file contains information about the panorama, ie the field of view etc. The ivr file loads the spherical panorama jpg file.
    4. mypanorama_pf_sp.jpg - This is the spherical panorama jpg file.
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    Can I output other resolution options other than your default Web and CD-ROM quality resolution?


    The CDROM quality resolution is the best resolution you can get for OneShot360 immersive images. If your original image file (doughnut shaped picture) is mypanorama.jpg, the created files on clicking the “Create CDROM quality” button would typically be:

    1. mypanorama_pf.htm
    2. mypanorama_pf.ivr
    3. mypanorama_pf_sp.jpg

    Open the file mypanorama_pf_sp.jpg in a photo editing program. Resize the panorama to the desired resolution in the photo-editing program. Make sure the aspect ratio remains the same as the original panorama.

    NOTE: The intermediate resolution panoramas can be viewed only with the plugin based viewer. If the java based viewer is used on these panoramas, Netscape will generate an error message “Not enough memory to load panorama”. This is because the java applet can handle a maximum of 500,000 pixels, though IE may display the panorama as an ActiveX control is used in this case.