QuickStitch
Average Rating:
Related products: QuickStitch 360 A simple image stitcher for creating larger images from a row or grid of rectilinear images. QuickStitch designed to stitch a few images only and not a full 360 degree panorama. |
See also
Rating: 
Updated: 21 Dec 2000 at 5:00 GMT,
by James Rigg
[Panoguide]
Quickstitch 2.0 is quite simply the most user friendly and easy-to-use mosaic and (partial) panoramic image stitcher there is. Its success and popularity is reflected in the number of times it can be found embedded within other software publishers' products, from MGI's Photo Suite III to Sierra Image Expert 2000.
It can stitch up to 8 pictures in a single row, or a grid of up to 6 x 6 pictures. This includes the possibility of a vertical panorama of course. The maximum field of view of the final picture is approx 120 degrees and Enroute recommend you use a lens longer than 28mm. What this means is that Quickstitch is aimed at the person that wants something with which to assemble mosaics (columns, rows, whatever) of hand held pictures (e.g. you couldn't walk back far enough to fit the Eiffel Tower, or the Empire State Building, into a single picture... so you took several). It is the job of Enroute's Quickstitch 360 to create more professional full 360 degree panoramic images for QuickTime VR.
The underlying stitching engine is the same in Quickstitch and Quickstitch 360 so it should come as no surprise that performance will be similar too. As Enroute themselves admit, Quickstitch is best used with longer focal lengths. With wider angle lenses you will probably need to manually align the pictures.
If you want a general purpose simple image stitching tool, Quickstitch 2.0 is it. But remember that it won't do full 360 degree panoramic pictures and it is not designed for wide angle lenses. If you are (or think you might become) a keen panoramic photographer (professional or amateur) you will probably find its sister product Quickstitch 360, Enroute's professional app Powerstitch, or competitor products, offer more features and better results.
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.