swoolley
Posts: 16
Location: Canberra, Australia
Registered: 1 Apr 2008
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I'm starting a panoramic business - HELP
Posted: 3 Feb 2010 at 2:35 GMT
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Hi all,
I'm starting a panoramic business in Australia and needs some help. First a bit of background. I spent 15 years in the Army travelling the world and have been taking panos since 2000 (with a one megapixel camera and no tripod or fisheye). I have progressed a fair way since then and now sport a Nikon D300 + D3s, 10.5mm and 16mm, DiGPS Pro, Nodal Ninja 5, PTGUI, Pano2VR and Photoshop CS4.
Seeing as I just got the D3s + 16mm I am having a few paralax issues but will fix that this weekend.
My questions
- I have seen heaps of websites that show the panoramas marked on Google Earth which is exactly what I want to do. Are people getting the code custom written and if so who and how much. Like this one - www.singaporevr.com/map/map.html
- I am using Pano2VR to convert my .jpgs to .swf or .mov but is there something better? I'd like to customise my templates with my own logo as well?
Thanks everyone for any help you can provide. My website which is in the prcess of being built is www.ixl360.com.au
Simon Woolley
Canberra Australia
www.ixl360.com.au
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Re: I'm starting a panoramic business - HELP
Posted: 3 Feb 2010 at 5:55 GMT
updated: 14 Mar 2011 at 16:13 GMT
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swoolley said: is there something better?
Hi Simon.
My answer would be a definite "Yes".
I'm not impartial, but I am honest.
Check for yourself here:
www.panoramaphotographer.com/comparisons/web/fpp-...
It starts with my preferred player (FPP), but on the left side you can check out various others under the same conditions.
Trausti
flashificator.com/
flashificator.com/forums
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tacy
Posts: 10
Location: Canada
Registered: 28 Jan 2010
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Re: I'm starting a panoramic business - HELP
Posted: 3 Feb 2010 at 7:24 GMT
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Hi swoolley,
If you'd like to customize your template with your own logo in a virtual tour, I suggest a professional virtual tour software-Tourweaver 5 (www.easypano.com/virtual-tour-gallery.html), supporting almost all types of images, like cylindrical, normal, spherical etc and supporting exe, swf output.
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Re: I'm starting a panoramic business - HELP
Posted: 3 Feb 2010 at 7:39 GMT
updated: 14 Mar 2011 at 16:13 GMT
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 Hi tacy.
Funny that.
I linked to www.panoramaphotographer.com/comparisons/ where your software was actually to be amongst the other players, so that people could make a fair and just comparison. Only problem was that Easypano player could not handle the files that all the other players handle problem free.
So it was removed from the list.
Maybe you good folks are willing to provide a working example, where the same images as are displayed in the other panos can be used? If you are interested in that, you can contact Keith, and I'm sure he will be glad to help.
Surely it would be beneficial for people to try your player against other players?
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Smooth
Posts: 3729
Location: Mount Panorama, Australia
Registered: 21 Jul 2004
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Re: I'm starting a panoramic business - HELP
Posted: 3 Feb 2010 at 8:17 GMT
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Trausti,
Tourweaver is a good product and the viewer is OK. It is not to the caliber of FPP, KRP or P2VR but it is a capable Flash player and a really good piece of software for creating tours (albeit overpriced when compared to others if you have no way of making a return on investment). Still, if you are wanting an easy all in product it does suit a lot of people. I don't really think it should be shot down everytime you get the chance.
Sample at www.smooth360.com/downpage
This I through up to show sample for an Easypano customer for the use of linking via the viewer to a target point on the same page. Not meant to be anything else.
Not sure what the issue was with it on the comparison website? It works fine for me and plenty of others.
Regards, Smooth 
www.smooth360.info
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Re: I'm starting a panoramic business - HELP
Posted: 3 Feb 2010 at 8:52 GMT
updated: 14 Mar 2011 at 16:13 GMT
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Not trying to shoot it down... more like "pusing the buttons" if anything.
And as to the comparison page, I would sincerely like to see it there amongst the other players, in a working condition. I think it choked on the biggest files that are 8000x4000px equirect or 2309px cubeface images. Not sure why it got pulled though. I have wanted to ask Keith about that, but always forget.
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Dan Moylan
Posts: 31
Location: Australia
Registered: 22 Aug 2008
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Re: I'm starting a panoramic business - HELP
Posted: 3 Feb 2010 at 9:10 GMT
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Simon,
To have your panos marked on Google as with the singapore vr site, you need to register with google, then after logging in, go to my maps and create new map from there.
When done there is a link for embeding it onto a page.
Hope that helps
Dan M
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Hans Nyberg
Posts: 2760
Location: Denmark
Registered: 28 Aug 2005
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Re: I'm starting a panoramic business - HELP
Posted: 3 Feb 2010 at 9:43 GMT
updated: 3 Feb 2010 at 9:43 GMT
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The one at the Panorama comparison is Panorama2flash.
Is your example made with the same?
Is that was is included as the viewer in Tourweaver like it is in the Panoweaver.
Its really an old viewer made back in 2007 and has not been updated.
However I have to say that it does perform guite well for being a flash 9 pano viewer.
What made me trough it in the trash when I tried it was however the ridiculous interface for the application and it's extreme slow performance.
The navigation is like going back to OS9 on the Mac and you have to work through your harddisks without using the OSX finder.
No drag and drop feature either. And when you start creating the pano it runs fine in 1 minute, then it stalls at 97% for 4 minutes after which it finally completes the pano. I would have believed that it was frozen if I had not known how slow the stitcher performs on Mac.
Thats just for creating 1 single pano from a 6000x3000.
Hans
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Pete Loud
Posts: 395
Location: United Kingdom
Registered: 14 Oct 2006
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Concentrate on marketing
Posted: 3 Feb 2010 at 10:32 GMT
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The main problem in setting up such a business is marketing not choice of camera, lens and software. Whether one system is better than another is splitting hairs. Getting people to pay for your work is the problem.
It would be worth reading through lots of Doug Aurand's messages.
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Smooth
Posts: 3729
Location: Mount Panorama, Australia
Registered: 21 Jul 2004
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Re: I'm starting a panoramic business - HELP
Posted: 3 Feb 2010 at 11:18 GMT
updated: 3 Feb 2010 at 11:20 GMT
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Hans Nyberg said: The one at the Panorama comparison is Panorama2flash.
Is your example made with the same?
This example is from Tourweaver 5.0 I'm unclear if it is Flash 9 or Flash 10 as Easypano state the following for an update of the superseded Tourweaver 4.
Easypano Website said: Easypano Tourweaver 4.00, Nov.5th, 2009
Builder: 4.00.091105
Added features: [+]Add playing engine for Flash 10. [+]Support Windows 7.
Hans Nyberg said: Is that was is included as the viewer in Tourweaver like it is in the Panoweaver.
Its really an old viewer made back in 2007 and has not been updated.
However I have to say that it does perform guite well for being a flash 9 pano viewer.
Flash 9 or Flash 10?
Hans Nyberg said: What made me trough it in the trash when I tried it was however the ridiculous interface for the application and it's extreme slow performance.
The navigation is like going back to OS9 on the Mac and you have to work through your harddisks without using the OSX finder.
No drag and drop feature either. And when you start creating the pano it runs fine in 1 minute, then it stalls at 97% for 4 minutes after which it finally completes the pano. I would have believed that it was frozen if I had not known how slow the stitcher performs on Mac.
Thats just for creating 1 single pano from a 6000x3000.
Hans
Can't quote on what it did or does on a Mac as I use only PC. I don't have those issues. The interface of the GUI is based on the Adobe layout and like any GUI it takes time to understand and learn it. Like FFC is to Trausti, Tourweaver is to me, fast easy and well understood. Working from one to another is a completely different work place.
All I'm saying is that Tourweaver cops a lot of undeserved bagging on this forum and in reality it performs quite well.
Trausti, I know "exactly" where you were/are coming from! 
Regards, Smooth
www.smooth360.info
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Smooth
Posts: 3729
Location: Mount Panorama, Australia
Registered: 21 Jul 2004
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Re: I'm starting a panoramic business - HELP
Posted: 3 Feb 2010 at 11:27 GMT
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Trausti said: ...... as to the comparison page, I would sincerely like to see it there amongst the other players, in a working condition. I think it choked on the biggest files that are 8000x4000px equirect or 2309px cubeface images. Not sure why it got pulled though. I have wanted to ask Keith about that, but always forget.
I'd like to know also, so if you do hear back from Keith and would like a working example please forward me the "test" panorama image.
My example is 6000x3000 and is an equirectangular image not cube faces. I don't think 8000x4000 would effect it at all. In fact, Tourweaver allows low res/hi res with a tick of a check box and understands what state it is in small viewer or fullscreen.
Regards, Smooth
www.smooth360.info
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Hans Nyberg
Posts: 2760
Location: Denmark
Registered: 28 Aug 2005
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Re: I'm starting a panoramic business - HELP
Posted: 3 Feb 2010 at 12:34 GMT
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Smooth said: Trausti said: ...... as to the comparison page, I would sincerely like to see it there amongst the other players, in a working condition. I think it choked on the biggest files that are 8000x4000px equirect or 2309px cubeface images. Not sure why it got pulled though. I have wanted to ask Keith about that, but always forget.
I'd like to know also, so if you do hear back from Keith and would like a working example please forward me the "test" panorama image.
My example is 6000x3000 and is an equirectangular image not cube faces. I don't think 8000x4000 would effect it at all. In fact, Tourweaver allows low res/hi res with a tick of a check box and understands what state it is in small viewer or fullscreen.
Regards, Smooth
www.smooth360.info
Smooth
The Easypano standalone flashplayer is on the Flashpanorama comparision page. Look for Panorama2flash
I do not know what Trausti is talking about.
If you look at Easypano here.
www.easypano.com/panorama-software.html
Youcan see that the Panoveawer includes the Panorama2flash which you can also download and buy separately.
They also say abouit Panoveawer
Export panoramic images to full screen Flash, QuickTime and Java players for immersive view. View Gallery
However if you go to that Gallery the flash examples you see is with another navigation bar than the only one you can ad with Panorama2flash.
You can also see on the page that the Panorama2flash is from 2007
Easypano Panorama2Flash 1.00 for Macintosh (Aug 28th, 2007)
Price: $49.95/€49.95 which is more than KRpano and FPP
So its a Flash 9 viewer but you can see it with Flash 10 like all other Flashpanorama viewers.
There is not a word anywhere about the Tourveawer flashviewer being different but from your page I can see that it is, The swf viewer is 216kb while the Pano2flash is just 20kb like FPP.
Anyhow as it is not an independent viewer it does not really belong on the comparision site.
Hans
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Smooth
Posts: 3729
Location: Mount Panorama, Australia
Registered: 21 Jul 2004
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Re: I'm starting a panoramic business - HELP
Posted: 3 Feb 2010 at 13:23 GMT
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Hans,
I won't quote all you have said, but I will give you my view.
Panorama2Flash is a budget entry piece of software that I have never used in anyway.
My belief is that the same viewer is used between all Easypano releases that are up to date. Is Panorama2Flash up to date? I have no idea. Check with Easypano or their website. But it's release was to offer something in the price range of FPP, KRP and the like for simple Flash output.
Tourweaver just like Panoweaver both use the same viewer and both are equally entitled to be shown in the same field as all the other Flash players shown on the comparison website. I can't fathom why you feel they should be excluded. You don't have to stitch with Panoweaver to produce the Flash movie, just import a spherical or cubic panorama image and publish.
I would suggest if Tourweaver 4 uses Flash 10 then Tourweaver 5 would indeed also use Flash 10. What the current version of panorama2flash uses I don't know (or really care for that matter).
I find it odd that if you going to run (not you personally) a comparison site that not all Flash players are shown in complete fairness. Nobody has ever asked me or on the Easypano forums for an example directly. On top of that, as we both know there are parameters to be set with all of the software packages to get the best from them. How does anybody know how these have been implemented and how does anyone know if certain viewers have had the bias set in there favour? Not that I'm saying this has or would happen you understand.
Regards, Smooth
www.smooth360.info
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Doug Aurand
Posts: 3282
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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Re: I'm starting a panoramic business - HELP
Posted: 3 Feb 2010 at 17:12 GMT
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Simon
After looking at your website, I think you need a lot more focus on what industry(s) you want to target and a lot less on the Google Map navigation.
Singaporevr.com is a city/regional site that attracts visitors to the site with virtual tours of interesting places and sells advertising on the site.
I have a similar site, www.VirtualAlbuquerque.com, but kept the complexity down by buying a map graphic instead of using Google Maps.
My site started ut just as a "demo" of how virtual tours could be used and it grew into a travel & tourism site of its own. But I make very little money from it.
Most of my income comes from real estate virtual tours, still photos and measured home floorplans, secondarily from hotels, resorts and B&Bs in the last 12 months.
The most important thing is to keep moving ahead, not getting stalled on Google Map navigations and other gimmicks
"Fortune favors audacity"
Doug Aurand
Albuquerque, NM
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Doug Aurand
Posts: 3282
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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Re: I'm starting a panoramic business - HELP
Posted: 3 Feb 2010 at 17:33 GMT
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Guys
Tourweaver hasn't been considered a "VR Viewer" like FPP, KRPano, Pano2VR and the many viewers on PanoramaPhotographer.com
Its one of the first WSIWYG Virtual Tour Authoring programs, features of which are now being added to FPP, KRPano and Pano2VR. Tourweaver has had the Map/Floorplan Radar for years, it being one of TW trademark features.
I've thought the panoramaphotographer.com comparison was incomplete because of the obvious exclusion of the iPIX Java Viewer which is still one of the most supported VR formats on the Web; Realtor.com, Marriott.com, Hilton.com, Apartments.com, etc
You guys may hate and dismiss iPIX, but there are still thousands of .ipx images being viewed on the Internet every day. On my site alone the iPIX Java Viewer was loaded 2498 times in January 2010
So with viewers like FPP and Pano2VR adding more "Tour Type Features", I think it makes sense that Tourweaver should be included as a "viewer" as should the iPIX Java Viewer
Doug Aurand
Albuquerque, NM
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