PowerStitch

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Updated: 21 Dec 2000 at 5:00 GMT, by James Rigg [Panoguide]

Powerstitch is, funnily enough, a pretty apt name for this image stitching tool. The emphasis is definitely on empowering the user. The interface comprises two main windows: a virtual 3D workspace for positioning images in, and a window containing your list of images. You can freely swap between positioning images numerically by adjusting the settings in the image list, or just drag and drop, pan and rotate, scale and roll images within the workspace.

The 3D virtual workspace makes it easy to know exactly "where" you are at any time while working on your panorama, and makes it very easy to navigate around. The thing that makes this all possible is the use of a 3D grid and jog wheels for navigation. The image list makes it easy to keep track of which image you are working on, and allows you to manipulate one or several images at once. You can not only accurately position images and set the focal length (in the form of the FOV of the longest edge), you can also adjust the image centre and compensate for linear distortion.

If you adopt a systematic approach (highly recommended), by positioning each image in turn and locking it in place, you can quite quickly and easily assemble a large panoramic scene. The controls provided by the image list window allow you to even vary the image settings, to account for, say, a mixture of lenses being used, or perhaps to allow for inaccuracies during scanning or processing.

The biggest minus point has to be the steep learning curve, which Enroute admit within their own documentation. When you first start Powerstitch you are prompted and advised to follow the tutorials first. Personally I found that providing you adopt a one-image-at-a-time systematic approach of gradually building up the scene, you should be fine. The really annoying thing though is that, as all experienced panoramic photographers know, the best results may be achieved by using a focal length other than that of the lens actually used. In Powerstitch this means that you should align each picture in turn and, if when you reach the end the ends either overlap too much or don't overlap enough, then adjust the focal length. But there is no automation of this process - something that the competitor product REALVIZ Stitcher offers and which speeds up the whole alignment and stitching process immensely.

Powerstitch also requires a Windows machine with a compatible AGP 3D graphics card... so it is not suitable for everyone. Also, despite being capable of stitching mosaics, cylindrical and spherical panoramas, it can only save in cylindrical projection.

Powerstitch is for the user who wants everything. Only Helmut Dersch's PanoTools offers more functionality than this, but PanoTools is not quite as easy to use! Even so, Powerstitch does still have a fairly steep learning curve and there are alternatives that are easier and offer similar functionality (albeit perhaps not as many features or controls).

If you still haven't decided whether Quickstitch is for you, the decision is probably made for you by knowing that Enroute have discontinued all their still image stitching tools (Quickstitch, Quickstitch 360 and Powerstitch) in favour of video solutions. See the Enroute website (www.enroute.com) for more details. So if you think you would have bought Powerstitch but for the fact it has been discontinued, either look around for a second hand copy, or check out REALVIZ Stitcher or Helmut Dersch's PanoTools.

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