Jittering jumpy zones in 2.3? Crumbled lines? Buttons?

[Jochum]

Sorry if I got this my first thread posted wrong.
I just downloaded version 2.3 and threw the pano.swf in my first testfolder, I had before 2.1, however now I get same issue I read here somewhere before though I can't remember where but the picture is now somewhat separated and different areas is jumping around one or two pixels. It's like Europe and Asia on a worldmap is jittering around little. Sorry but English is not my native but maybe you understand anyway? So something seems to go wrong with 2.3. ...I should add I use equirectang... the output from PTGui you know and cylConverter.swf.

I have one more issue, the absolute nadir and zenit zones straight lines in picture are getting crumbled, scrambled, somehow, anyone else? That is the same in 2.1 and 2.3. Maybe its just for me and I'm doing something else wrong but I could ask I thought. It is OK in QTVR so it is not in the jpeg-picture.

A question when I have the speed up, is there anyone who has done some better looking fullframe button for free for download?

Otherwise it's look promising. Sorry if I sounded negative, but it's the issues you want help with.

regards Jochum!

[Jochum]

Now I also have a link:
http://illustrata.com/pages/sodermanland/pages/kyrkor/lid/lid_a/lid_a.html

It's version 2.1 so its just about the crumbled lines in nadir and zenit, the arch is funny, very obvious in the mirrorball on the floor. What's going on?



BTW, I forgot, but I guess you already know, on my mac at least the zoom-button doesn't work in fullframe. The scrollwheel on the mouse do it though but it would be nice if the buttons continued work for those who doesnt have a scrollwheel or dont know about it.

Regards J!

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

Hej Jochum.

Let me start with the last part:
That the zoom buttons on the keyboard don't work in fullscreen is not something that can be fixed. That is simply a standard feature (security concerns) applied by Adobe into the Flash player.

The crumbled lines in zenith and nadir is because you are using an equirectangular image. Until now, using FPP will result in this kind of distortion. The best results with FPP are obtained by using cube faces. You can get a free trial version of pano2vr and use it to convert the equirectangular image to cube faces (here: http://gardengnomesoftware.com/pano2vr_download.php )

A full screen button of your own design can be handled through Flashificator (not free), but along with it you have a lot of plugins and functionality, eliminating the need to hand code your projects for days/weeks/months .... (unless you are going for something very unique).

If you have hotspots moving one or two pixels (jumping) then that can be fixed by doing the following:

Make sure the images are sized in EQUAL numbers (0-2-4-6-8) and not odd numbers (1-3-5-7-9). For instance, if a hotspot image is 103x57 pixels, then it may jump. If you change the size to 102x56 pixels or 104x58 pixels, then it should be stable. If it is still jumping, you can give the hotspot BOX properties and disable the cacheAsBitmap which is standard.

Increasing segments will make less visual distortion in the project, same with hotspots, giving them segment value of around 10 would help keeping them sharp and nice.

I don't read your words as if you are negative, rather as if you are seeking a way to achieve your desired results, so don't worry.

[Jochum]

Hej Tuddi!!
Great, many thanks for your thoroughfully answer!

My sourcepicture is sized in odd numbers, maybe that will doing the trick, it's not the hotspots that jumps one or two pixel but large segments of the whole picture.

Increasing segment I already tried and it got better quality yes! (not solving the jumping areas though in 2.3)

Ouch, not good news about that cube faces is better, I bought this software of one reason it looked just as good and was cheaper, pano2vr is more expensive and I had hoped to not need to buy it, bad news, though nothing you can't help. I already downloaded it for a test before, what I recall the free version put stamps on the picture until I pay... but now I got unsure, maybe I remember another software, shall investigate further after breakfast. Would hate to pay even more, just bought PTgui, and I'm working on hobbybasis. But now I know, great many thanks!

regards J!

[Jochum]

Okey I tested pano2vr now and the crumbled lines getting stright as you predicted, it even solved the jumping areas issue too. However I got stamps everywhere in the trial version so I have to buy it to get rid of them. However that in turn making this software totally superflous, is not that a problem for our friend making and selling this otherwise great piece of software? I feel a little cheated, many uses PTGui I thought. Have I understand something wrong in this?

Regards J

[allSaints]

If you are running Windows you can download the free version of Pano2QTVR. Then you can convert your files to cube faces without cost...

Tommy

[Jochum]

I understood it should come a day when I regret having macintosh and this is the day. Thanks anyway.
However now I understand why it is not an issue. We macintoshers are a diminutive group.

Regards J

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

Isn't there someone here who knows of a free equirectangular - cube faces converter soft for Macs?

I'm sure there must be something somewhere. Don't regret having a Mac, nor should you regret having purchased FPP. Wait a little bit for someone to chime in on free converter that works for Macs. In the meantime you are welcome to send me a link to the files you need to convert, and I'll help you out so that you can get some work done until a solution is there.

[Jochum]

Thanks Tuddi that is really very awesome of you.
However I'm in no hurry, it's just a hobby, I can wait for a while, don't want to put others in doing my work. Though I want a working work process in a rather close future sometime, hope someone chime in for a good tip for a cubeface conv for mac, ...that is not expensive.

Maybe it is not FPP i should regret but buying PTGui, it's rather poor of them to only have one output alternative.

regards J!

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

You should ABSOLUTELY NOT regret buying PTGui, it is the best stitching software available, but yes, it is a serious drawback on their end not to have cube face output. It has been addressed in the past, and they say that it will become part of the package... but they offered no deadline on when that would happen.

Have you tried the Cubic Converter? http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/20568/cubicconverter

Does it plaster "Demo" over the images in free version or??

[Jochum]

Cubic Converter does not allow me to save anything untill I pay. However it is slightly cheapier than Pano2VR but it would hurt to pay so much for so little it does. But it is a alternative yes.

I choosed between PTGui and AutopanoPro but I thought PTGui allowed more manual control, slightly better stitch and was sligthly cheaper.

:)

[Jochum]

PTGui answered on my question about a cubic face converter that: "It's still planned for a future version.."
- Sounds like it could take a while...

[discocandy]

PTGui answered on my question about a cubic face converter that: "It's still planned for a future version.."
- Sounds like it could take a while...

yes It is not a preority for Joost. the creator of ptgui.
there are many programs making cubics. pano2 vr is a real good one to try once.

to cube is not for mac..
but a very good choice!!
http://www.tiempo-digital.com/en/software/tocube/tocube.html

[Jochum]

to cube is not for mac..
but a very good choice!!
http://www.tiempo-digital.com/en/software/tocube/tocube.html

Damn I wish I had a PC now!!!

Why is it so hard for him to port to mac? Isn't that just a click away nowadays?

[HansNyberg]

Hejsan Jochum
Lдnge sedan jag sett dig pе nettet.

Well better change to English.
Do you not still have PTMac. Check in the menu for Utility. You find a cubeface generator which can make tifs. Of course you have to compress them in jpg with Photoshop but actually Pano2QTVR also just makes tif.

Another option is to just use PTGui. Which BTW is absolutelly fantastic. I can assure you that it is the most professional stitcher available. You will need some practice though to learn all you can do with it.

Back to cubefaces, What you need is just 6 project files from PTGui with preset for generating the cubefaces.
I have made a set you can download here.
http://www.panoramas.dk/panorama/FPP/Cubes24-1600-79.zip

What does the name mean? It means that this needs an Equirectangular as source with the name 24.tif and it will make cubefaces of 1600x1600 with compression 79 which BTW is about the same as 50% in CubicConverter.

The 24.tif in the folder is just avery small one for demo.
Here what you do:
1. copy your panorama (which should be a TIF) to the folder and name it 24.tif
The size should be around 6000-7000 pixels for 1600 cubefaces.
2. Open PTGui and open an empty window, choose the Batch Stitcher from the Tools menu and click + and navigate to the folder. Choose all 6 pts files and open.
The conversion will start at once. Takes only 1.30 on my old G5 PPC Mac.

The namings of the cubefaces will be 1_f.jpg, 1_r.jpg etc. This is the default for the pano.swf.
You need of course to rename the files if you have several panos. I always name my cubefaces 1, 2, 3 etc so that I can use a template which have these names in the XML.

If you need to convert to another size you have to open each project file and change the output size.

Easiest is to make duplicates of the folder and edit them. You can make sets with different cubeface sizes or compressions so that you can easy make any size. You can also of course generate tifs for using them to edit Nadir and Zenith.
If you need to extract a nadir just use the D.pts as atemplate.

I am not an admirer of Pano2VR for doing these things, To get the same quality as using PTGui or CubicConverter you have to choose one of the slowest interpolators and doing the same conversion takes 5 minutes instead of 1,30.
The interface for converting panoramas to cubefaces in Pano2VR is just simply weird and very slow to work with.

Hilsen
Hans

[Jochum]

Hej Hans bдste vдn, ja det var ett tag sen!
Can add it was You who made me choose this software when I saw how well it worked on panoramas.dk. Thanks. You are a major contributor/salesman for panoramas in the world I think btw.

No I bought PTGui instead of PTMac, thought it was simplier.

How sweet it works, it works like a charm, thank you VERY much, now I don't need any cubic converter, it is though slightly little cumbersome but after doing it few times I think it will goes very well and fast enough. Beautiful! Exactly what I needed.
Especially I like I can edit the Nadir picture now, thanks. The conversion takes not even one minute on my mac mini.

Tack igen! Jochum.

[Jochum]

Forgot, I should write that the jumpy big areas was still there, because they were, however now when I should look at it again it was all gone! Something did it, I don't know what, maybe restart of the browser. However everything looks fine now.

[uudu]

Thank you Hans. It's really great way to make cube faces. Is it possible to convert in reversed order - faces to equirectangunal with PTGui using .pts file?

uudu

[HansNyberg]

Forgot, I should write that the jumpy big areas was still there, because they were, however now when I should look at it again it was all gone! Something did it, I don't know what, maybe restart of the browser. However everything looks fine now.

My guess is that you are talking about the dancing cubefaces in Flash 10 with the 2.3 version.
I was a little confused though as you said you saw it when using equirectangular. Perhaps it was just at the 360 wrap.

Here is a video I did to show it,
http://www.panoramas.dk/flash10/dancing-cubefaces.mov

This is a specific Mac problem unfortunately, which Denis has not solved. I have just written to him and complained again as I can se in the forums that a lot of Mac people are now leaving FPP just because of this.
Both Pano2VR and KRPano flash 10 do not have it.

Hans

[HansNyberg]

Thank you Hans. It's really great way to make cube faces. Is it possible to convert in reversed order - faces to equirectangunal with PTGui using .pts file?
uudu

Yes thats no problem.
Here is an archive with templates for both Nadir and Zenith.
Extracting them and converting back to Equirectangular.
http://www.panoramas.dk/panorama/FPP/Extract_N_Z-1600-tif.zip

You can just use them by importing your Equirectangular in PTgui and then applying them as a template. Same with the cubeface.
Remember that the oputput when you reverse the cubeface has to be exazctly the same as the original equirectangular.
After you reversed the cubeface you have to open your original and the reversed cubeface in Photoshop . Just paste your original to the reversed cubeface and drag it down under it in the layers box, then just flatten.

Hans

[Jochum]

My guess is that you are talking about the dancing cubefaces in Flash 10 with the 2.3 version.
I was a little confused though as you said you saw it when using equirectangular. Perhaps it was just at the 360 wrap.

Here is a video I did to show it,
http://www.panoramas.dk/flash10/dancing-cubefaces.mov

This is a specific Mac problem unfortunately, which Denis has not solved. I have just written to him and complained again as I can se in the forums that a lot of Mac people are now leaving FPP just because of this.
Both Pano2VR and KRPano flash 10 do not have it.

Hans
Yes Hans, it was exactly that issue, however I wrote the issue was solved before, however now when I should check this again I discover something strange, the pano is jumping with 2.3 locally on my computer every time, but the uploaded version is rock solid, no jumping there, I checked this several times, even uploaded files several times, cannot understand why this happens, check it out:
http://illustrata.com/pages/sodermanland/pages/kyrkor/lid/lid_a/lid_a.html

It is rock solid on my computer at least, on yours?

[HansNyberg]

No you have movements. It is more visible in fullscreen. And of course you have to use Flash 10.

Just got a mail from Denis. He says it is solved in the new 2.4 version which is the big update coming soon, and he will try to also get it optimized for the 2.3

Hans

[Jochum]

Strange, can't see it in fullscreen either, though there is clearly jumping when looking on my local copies. I use same browser all time (FF) and Flash 10.

Anyway good to hear he will solve it, hope he knows why it happens.

Cheers!

[Jochum]

God NO! Now it happens! Should just look a last time before closing and now I get jumping areas too. OK something is wrong clearly.

[Redshift-Blueshift]

No you have movements. It is more visible in fullscreen. And of course you have to use Flash 10.

Just got a mail from Denis. He says it is solved in the new 2.4 version which is the big update coming soon, and he will try to also get it optimized for the 2.3

Hans

Fantastic, the jittering was something that was driving me nuts. Probably the first time I was thankful that most of the world is on windows instead of Mac. As for the jittering coming and going, my experience is that its much worse full screen.

Cant wait for 2.4

Cheers,
Duncan

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

Back to cubefaces, What you need is just 6 project files from PTGui with preset for generating the cubefaces.
I have made a set you can download here.
http://www.panoramas.dk/panorama/FPP/Cubes24-1600-79.zip

What does the name mean? It means that this needs an Equirectangular as source with the name 24.tif and it will make cubefaces of 1600x1600 with compression 79 which BTW is about the same as 50% in CubicConverter.

The 24.tif in the folder is just avery small one for demo.
Here what you do:
1. copy your panorama (which should be a TIF) to the folder and name it 24.tif
The size should be around 6000-7000 pixels for 1600 cubefaces.
2. Open PTGui and open an empty window, choose the Batch Stitcher from the Tools menu and click + and navigate to the folder. Choose all 6 pts files and open.


BRILLIANT solution!

Thank you Hans for sharing this diamond of ingenuity!

[Jochum]

BRILLIANT solution!

Thank you Hans for sharing this diamond of ingenuity!

Yes indeed, can't be said enough!