How Total 360° Images for Virtual Tours are Produced
NETSTROM uses a high-end Nikon CoolPix digital camera with a fisheye
lens attachment to capture the raw ("still") images onsite. Each Total 360° image is composed of two raw images
that are "stitched" together using software from Internet Pictures Corporation (iPIX). For our high-end tours we use only Internet Pictures's professional Interactive Studio software which allows for the greatest about of digital enhancement to the images using Adobe Photoshop. To produce the Real Estate Virtual Tours (REVTs), a specialized software application licensed only for the Real Estate industry is used that automates both tour production and posting online to MLS Web sites such as Realtor.com.
Netstrom has developed specialized techniques for digitally correcting and enhancing Total 360° images, both before and after the stitching of the two 180° fisheye images. The extent to which the images are digitally enhanced is a key determinant of image pricing. The other component is on the image capture side. Netstrom's clients choose the level of editing and finished quality they require before the project begins. High-end projects not only receive significantly more editing than standard projects, but a far greater number of images, shot at different exposures, are captured onsite over a longer period of time (i.e., to wait for the best lighting conditions).
Limitations & Constraints
The Seam -
After the raw images are shot onsite they are uploaded into the computer and "stitched together" using
the iPIX Interactive Studio software. Each raw, hemispherical image technically covers a 185° field of view. There is therefore
5° overlap between the two images -- think of placing two bowls together with their openings touching
to form a sphere. (The area all around the bowls where they overlap is the "seam.") The seam goes all the way around the image and is precisely aligned by the software.
The lighting in each hemisphere significantly affects the visibility of the seam. The seam is almost always
visible - the extent is determined by the lighting conditions at the time the raw images are
shot AND the precise placement of the camera by the photographer. The seam is most
visible when shooting indoors with a plain, solid color ceiling or outdoors with a clear, deep blue sky.
Netstrom edits our high-end Total 360° images to significantly reduce the presence of the seam.
About the formats - Plug-In and Java Versions
Netstrom produces Total 360° images in a variety of formats. For our high-end tours clients receive multiple resolutions and formats. These include a standard resolution Java-compatible format for use online without any plug-ins and QuickTime versions as well, necessary for Mac users. The high resolution QuickTime versions are great for presentations or inclusion on a CD-ROM.
The Real Estate Virtual Tours (REVTs) utilize Java-compatible Total 360° images -- no plug-in is required. The REVT software also
produces a "downloadable" tour -- a single, self-executing file (.exe file extension) that incorporates
viewing software and the Total 360° images along with the Realtor's name and contact info. The file is small enough to fit on a single floppy disk or
be attached to an e-mail. REVTs are composed of three or more Total 360° images, additional images can be
added for an additional fee - please see the Real Estate Virtual Tour information here online for more information and pricing.
Note: All Total 360° images can be viewed offline with free software.
The Tripod Cap - or Lack Thereof
Since the camera with its fisheye lens attachment captures raw images with more than a 180° field of view, the
tripod supporting the camera is visible when the Total 360° image is initially stitched on the computer.
There are two options for dealing with the tripod. The first is to place a customized graphic
over this part of the Total 360° image - this graphic is referred to as the "tripod cap." The second is to digitally
"erase" the tripod altogether. In actually, this process involves covering the tripod with flooring/ground
captured from other parts of the image and pasting it over the tripod. This is truly digital art and
Netstrom is an industry leader in this technique. Examples in the Total 360° Gallery
include both images with customized tripod caps and images where the tripod has been digitally erased. You may also wish
to view the "After & Before" examples in the section below. Customized tripod caps are included in all standard tours. The basic Real Estate Virtual Tours have a standardized tripod cap automatically inserted by the software.
Editing Capabilities
Several examples of Netstrom's Total 360° digital editing expertise are provided via the links below. In each case,
the finalized, edited image is provided first with a link to the unedited version. The first two examples
illustrate a common problem (and solution) in "omniramic" photography -- lighting conditions that differ dramatically from indoors to outdoors.
When shooting indoor images, views out a door or window will be completely "washed out" by sunlight (or "blacked out" when shooting indoors at night). This happens because the photographer must typically use the correct exposure for the lighting inside and therefore must sacrifice correctly exposing for the outside lighting. Netstrom shoots the raw images anticipating this problem and potential solutions to implement later when the images are imported into Adobe Photoshop and our high-end Total 360° images are created.
After & Before ~ Digital Editing Examples
Below are links to six before and after examples. In each case you'll see the "after" image first, and then the "before" image. The first three images are examples of filling-in
washed-out outdoor portions of indoor scenes. The fourth image is a sample Real Estate Virtual Tour image shot in a master bathroom where the photographer and camera were visible in the mirrors and had to be digitally removed. The fifth shows typical digital editing done on an outdoor scene, and the last image shows how we are able to remove the tripod completely when needed and give the viewer a feeling floating in mid-air. These images are available in the iPIX Plug-In version only. If you have yet to install the iPIX Plug-in you can get it free online right now. Enjoy!