Peter Bujok
Posts: 2
Location: United States
Registered: 13 Apr 2011
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What's Wrong With Auto Panoramic Software?
Posted: 13 Apr 2011 at 23:43 GMT
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I'm just getting into creating panoramas, and I want to create some for 360cities.net. I see you guys all talking about tons of complicated software, but what's wrong with just using Microsoft ICE to automatically stitch all my images?
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Henri Smeets
Posts: 242
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Registered: 28 Nov 2006
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Re: What's Wrong With Auto Panoramic Software?
Posted: 14 Apr 2011 at 0:11 GMT
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Just go ahead and see for yourself I guess!
There probably is a reason we are sticking with 'complicated' software 
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Juergen Schrader
Posts: 219
Location: Germany
Registered: 14 Jul 2006
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Re: What's Wrong With Auto Panoramic Software?
Posted: 14 Apr 2011 at 4:30 GMT
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Why do people stick to use complicated machines to get from A to B? Why not just walk?
And while looking at ICE you may also have a look at Panomonkey which might work for you if you have the right gear.
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John Houghton
Posts: 3487
Location: Hitchin, United Kingdom
Registered: 17 Jan 2005
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Re: What's Wrong With Auto Panoramic Software?
Posted: 14 Apr 2011 at 8:30 GMT
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Peter Bujok said: ... what's wrong with just using Microsoft ICE to automatically stitch all my images?
Peter, One major limitation of ICE is that it does not support fisheye lenses, which are commonly used for shooting spherical panoramas. Otherwise, it generally gives good results. However, for a variety of reasons, perfect stitching will not always be obtained and then the opportunities for manual intervention are limited. ICE does offer PSD layered output format, so many stitching problems can be addressed in Photoshop without too much difficulty. A program like PTGui offers far more manual control to cope directly with difficult stitches. As an extreme example, PTGui will even stitch images that don't quite overlap but merely butt together.
While ICE can give excellent results for single row rectlinear and cylindrical stitches, my own limited tests using a standard 20mm rectilinear lens for a full 360x180 panorama on a 5DII have not been as encouraging, there being many small stitching errors visible. But it will cost you nothing to try sphericals with ICE yourself, so by all means give it a try and let us know how you get on.
John
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Clay
Posts: 251
Location: Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada
Registered: 23 Aug 2004
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Re: What's Wrong With Auto Panoramic Software?
Posted: 14 Apr 2011 at 13:24 GMT
updated: 14 Apr 2011 at 13:34 GMT
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Peter,
Nothing wrong with ICE.
Although I use Ptgui, I gave ICE a try and was pleasantly surprised. I dusted off my very first 38 shot panorama and it stitched quickly and perfectly. Even better than ptgui ... I was amazed. (I retouched the nadir first in the source images)
photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=3f7d6eeb-3515-4059-9...
Only problem is, it stitches or it doesn't. Its then you will need PTgui. There are times you just can't avoid dicking with control points. Even IBM's Watson makes mistakes. 
Regards,
Clay
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Peter Bujok
Posts: 2
Location: United States
Registered: 13 Apr 2011
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Re: What's Wrong With Auto Panoramic Software?
Posted: 14 Apr 2011 at 14:47 GMT
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Thanks for the reply's all. I'm still new to the whole scene, but I'm learning a lot quickly. Is there any cheaper software other than PTGUI?
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hindenhaag
Posts: 729
Location: Netherlands
Registered: 7 Mar 2010
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Re: What's Wrong With Auto Panoramic Software?
Posted: 14 Apr 2011 at 15:29 GMT
updated: 14 Apr 2011 at 15:34 GMT
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Hi Peter,
one of those things with panos we have to deal with is to mask out the tripod.
To avoid to step over to Photoshop to do this, I would step over to PTGuiPro with a built in masking function and some other nice functions. It really is worth that extra money!
You can download a trial version. www.PTGui.com
Others work with Autopano from kolor. www.kolor.com/buy/ but even more expansive.
Hugin is free software with similar origin as PTGui.
result from google stiching software:
www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=stit...
Success,
Heinz
BTW: John is one of the very few I have seen in the forums to have used and tried ICE himself. He is one of the real experts in panorama since decades, and normally uses PTGui.
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mediavets
Posts: 1980
Location: Isleham, Cambs., United Kingdom
Registered: 8 Feb 2008
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Re: What's Wrong With Auto Panoramic Software?
Posted: 14 Apr 2011 at 15:30 GMT
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Peter Bujok said: Thanks for the reply's all. I'm still new to the whole scene, but I'm learning a lot quickly. Is there any cheaper software other than PTGUI?
Hugin is free...
hugin.sourceforge.net/
Andrew
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DennisS
Posts: 1292
Location: Los Anglels, United States
Registered: 1 Sep 2007
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Re: What's Wrong With Auto Panoramic Software?
Posted: 14 Apr 2011 at 15:37 GMT
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The latest versions of PTGui have introduced some advanced features that really cut down on stitching time when a panorama has stitching issues.
The preview screen allows you to zoom in on a seam, make control point adjustments and such and see the results IN REAL TIME! You used to have to do a full stitch in order to examine the seams. Now you can do the adjustments and examine the results without stitching.
Masking in PTGui is a complete time saver. Photoshop is no longer needed. You can also see the results of your masking IN REAL TIME using the preview screen.
The preview screen also has a mode which shows you exactly where the seams are.
ICE is good when things go completly right. For the rest of the real world, you often have to fiddle a bit with a panorama in order to get it perfect. This is where PTGui absolutly shines and saves you tons of time.
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John Hawkins
Posts: 71
Location: Las Vegas, NV, United States
Registered: 11 Dec 2006
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Re: What's Wrong With Auto Panoramic Software?
Posted: 20 Apr 2011 at 4:02 GMT
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Another vote for Hugin. I got sick of the PTGui price creep/upgrade treadmill.
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Tactus 360
Posts: 1245
Location: Tynset, Norway
Registered: 2 Sep 2010
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Re: What's Wrong With Auto Panoramic Software?
Posted: 20 Apr 2011 at 7:37 GMT
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John Hawkins said: Another vote for Hugin. I got sick of the PTGui price creep/upgrade treadmill.
That is all well and good, and it pleases me that you have found a program that suits your needs.
However, I cannot complain about the price increase/upgrade fee for PTGui. It is an excellent program and it has developed continually since I first purchased it some 4 years ago. I suppose the old adage of "You pay for what you get" comes into play here, but in all honesty, €150 or around $200 is not really that big a deal and in that time, I have only had to pay for an upgrade once.
I suppose you could look at it this way: a house extension is going to add value to a house, but when sold, no one would expect the cost to be the same as it would have been before the improvements. The same applies here, surely?
I know how much I pay on equipment, programs and the like, and it is a small proportion of that. Were it every 6 months, or every year, I would perhaps be complaining.
No one anywhere says that this is a cheap hobby or profession, and we would all like it to be possible with a smaller budget, but in so far as program costs are concerned, the two authoring tools I use, Pano2vr and PTGui, when combined in cost and then doubled still don't come to the cost of a single-user lisence for Photoshop.
Jon
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DennisS
Posts: 1292
Location: Los Anglels, United States
Registered: 1 Sep 2007
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Re: What's Wrong With Auto Panoramic Software?
Posted: 20 Apr 2011 at 13:39 GMT
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John Hawkins said: Another vote for Hugin. I got sick of the PTGui price creep/upgrade treadmill.
Does Hugin allow you preview the panorama? Does it highlight all the seams prior to stitching? Can you zoom in on problem areas and see the results of changes in real time? Does it provide masking and provide results in real time or do you have to stitch then examine the entire panorama in your viewer of choice before you can see stitching errors? Is Hugin updated on a regular basis and take customer suggestions? I have never used Hugin so I do not know the answers to these questions. I might ditch PTGui in favor of Hugin if Hugin has all the same advanced features PTGui has. Can't beat the price of Hugin.
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Doug Aurand
Posts: 3282
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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Re: What's Wrong With Auto Panoramic Software?
Posted: 20 Apr 2011 at 14:00 GMT
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John Hawkins said: Another vote for Hugin. I got sick of the PTGui price creep/upgrade treadmill.
Then stop creeping/upgrading...and miss out on the new features.
Damn those car companies for adding power brakes, automatic transmissions, air conditioning, air bags, etc, in their new models, I'll keep driving my 1957 VW Beetle
Doug Aurand
Albuquerque, NM
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iam360Texas
Posts: 298
Location: Fort Worth, Texas, United States
Registered: 12 Jul 2006
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Re: What's Wrong With Auto Panoramic Software?
Posted: 20 Apr 2011 at 14:27 GMT
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We have had several VW Beatles over the years to include 1 bus which we drove across Canada on the Kings Hiway. Finally we switched to Toyota Prius because of hybrid fuel efficiency.
Like transportation, we started out using Photovista and then later changed to PTgui because of better features and efficiency.
Yes, it is true, you get what you pay for... from where we sit, performance experience has shown that PTgui really is the best software for the job.
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Doug Aurand
Posts: 3282
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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Re: What's Wrong With Auto Panoramic Software?
Posted: 20 Apr 2011 at 16:37 GMT
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Dave
I had a 1957 Karmann Ghia that I partially restored and loved.
Thirty-six horsepower and 30mpg no matter how I drove it.
But no AC in New Mexico's summers is brutal.
I've learned to really like all those things Ford "upgraded" my 2002 Taurus with.
Doug Aurand
Albuquerque, NM
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