QTVR image file format
- See also Import image file formats and Export image file formats in this chapter for tables comparing the different image formats.
- You may also wish to visit this same web page at The Panorama Factory website to check for updates: www.panoramafactory.com/help_deu/hid_qtvr.html.
About QTVR
Creating a QTVR panorama using the Wizard
Creating a QTVR panorama using the Classic interface
Saving a QTVR panorama
Capabilities of the QTVR export filter
Importing a QTVR panorama
Capabilities of the QTVR import filter
Installing support for QuickTime on your computer
References
About QTVR
NOTE: The QuickTime viewer is produced by Apple Computer, Inc. and is not a product of Smoky City Design, LLC. When using this viewer, please be sure to comply with licensing requirements (if any) imposed by Apple Computer, Inc.
QTVR is a media type within Apple's [1] QuickTime [2] data format that provides for panoramic images. The QuickTime viewer from Apple displays a segment of a panoramic image, re-projecting the image to have conventional perspective. By click-dragging on the image, you can look around as though you were standing in the middle of the scene.
QTVR images can contain hotspots. These are areas on the image that do something when you click on them. For more information, see Adding hotspots to your panoramas in Chapter 7, Making a virtual tour.
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Creating a QTVR panorama using the Wizard
To make a QTVR panorama using the Wizard, simply select QTVR for the output format on Wizard step 5/9/ - Panoramatyp wδhlen / Select panorama type.
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Creating a QTVR panorama using the Classic interface
Follow these steps to make a QTVR panorama:
1. Create a panorama using the Heften / Stitch command or the 360 Grad heften / Stitch 360 command (Neues Bild / New image menu). Be sure to use the 360 Grad heften / Stitch 360 command if this is a full 360 degree panorama. For best results, select Zylindrische Projektion / Cylindrical projection on the Kameraeinstellungen / Camera properties dialog box before creating your stitched image.
2. Crop the stitched image using the Zuschneiden / Crop command (Neues Bild / New image menu). You may change the height of the cropping rectangle if you wish, but for best results do not change its angle or width.
3. Resize, sharpen or otherwise enhance the image.
4. Make sure the final image is displayed as the current image. If it is not, you should double-click its thumbnail to make it the current image.
5. Select the Aktuelles Bild speichern unter... / Save current image as... command from the Datei / File menu and then select QTVR format from the the Save as type dropdown list of the Bild speichern unter / Save Image As dialog box.
See also Chapter 4, Using the Classic interface, step by step.
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Saving a QTVR panorama
To save your QTVR panorama, Aktuelles Bild speichern unter... / Save current image as... command from the Datei / File menu and then select QTVR format from the the Save as type dropdown list of the Bild speichern unter / Save Image As dialog box.
NOTE: Use the Aktuelles Bild speichern unter... / Save current image as... command to save and name the current image. To save the entire Panorama Factory project, use the Projekt speichern / Save project command, Projekt speichern unter... / Save project as... command or Projektarchiv speichern unter... / Save project archive as... command instead.
Choosing QTVR enables other choices on the Bild speichern unter / Save Image As dialog box. You may create a web page containing an PTviewer viewer, create a thumbnail image and view your web page in your computer's web browser.
You can also control attributes of the saved QTVR image file by selecting the QTVR Einstellungen... / settings... button to display the QTVR Einstellungen / QTVR settings dialog box.
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Capabilities of the QTVR export filter
The QTVR export filter supports only a subset of the QuickTime format. This section describes this subset and explains the relationship between Panorama Factory panoramas and hotspots and the QuickTime format.
- Single-node VR images only A Panorama Factory image can be exported to a single-node QTVR image. There is no provision for combining multiple images into a multi-node QTVR file.
- Partial panoramas and 360 degree images The Panorama Factory can export partial panoramas as well as full 360 degree images.
- 255 hotspots The QTVR format imposes a limit of 255 hotspots in a single QTVR image.
- URL hotspots only The Panorama Factory supports hotspots that link to web URLs. It does not support other types of QuickTime hotspots.
- Arbitrary shaped hotspots The Panorama Factory can export hotspots of any shape.
- Hotspot name is not supported QTVR preserves the hotspot name.
- Show hotspot is not supported QTVR does not support the show hotspot attribute.
- Hotspot color is not supported QTVR does not support hotspot colors.
- Text message is not supported QTVR does not support hotspot text messages.
- Cylindrical projection only QTVR supports two panoramic formats: cylindrical and cubic. The Panorama Factory only exports cylindrical images.
- Compression formats The Panorama Factory can export the following QTVR compression formats: JPEG, Sorenson, Cinepak and PNG.
- Image quality The Panorama Factory can control the QTVR image quality. Lowering the image quality can produce smaller file sizes.
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Importing a QTVR panorama
To import an PTViewer panorama, select the Bilder importieren... / Import images... command from the Datei / File menu and then select QTVR format from the Files of type dropdown list of the Bilder importieren / Import Images dialog box.
You can select a .MOV file to import a single QTVR file or select an .HTML or .HTM file to import all QTVR files that are referenced from a web page.
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Capabilities of the QTVR import filter
The QTVR import filter supports only a subset of the QuickTime format. This section describes this subset and explains the relationship between Panorama Factory panoramas and hotspots and the QuickTime format.
- Multi-node VR images The Panorama Factory can import multi-node QTVR images. Each panoramic node will be imported to a separate image in The Panorama Factory.
- Partial panoramas and 360 degree images The Panorama Factory can import partial panoramas as well as full 360 degree images.
- URL hotspots only The Panorama Factory supports hotspots that link to web URLs. It does not support other types of QuickTime hotspots.
- Arbitrary shaped hotspots The Panorama Factory can import hotspots of any shape. Some shapes may be slightly different than when they were exported. For example, polygon hotspots may not have exactly the same vertexes although they will cover the same area.
- Cylindrical projection only QTVR supports two panoramic formats: cylindrical and cubic. The Panorama Factory only imports cylindrical images.
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Installing support for QuickTime on your computer
NOTE: The QuickTime viewer is produced by Apple Computer, Inc. and is not a product of Smoky City Design, LLC. When using this viewer, please be sure to comply with licensing requirements (if any) imposed by Apple Computer, Inc.
Before you can create QTVR images with The Panorama Factory you must install the QuickTime Authoring components. You should also install the QuickTime plug-in (for internet browsers) to view your images in the Wizard. You may also wish to install the QuickTime viewer application program.
These components are available directly from Apple Computer. Visit the QuickTime download page [2] at Apple Computer, Inc. to download the QuickTime viewer.
When you install QuickTime, be sure to install these components:
- QuickTime Essentials
- QuickTime Internet Extras
- QuickTime Still Image
- QuickTime Authoring
You must either choose the Recommended option or explicitly select the components required by The Panorama Factory in the Custom Install option.
If you have already installed QuickTime, you must run the QuickTime Updater to add the QuickTime components that are required by The Panorama Factory. To run the QuickTime Updater, use the Windows Start menu (usually in the lower left hand corner of your screen) and select Programs, then QuickTime and then QuickTime Updater. When the QuickTime Updater starts, click the Custom button and select the components required by The Panorama Factory.
NOTE: After using the QuickTime Updater it may be necessary to reboot your system to make The Panorama Factory recognize that the new components are available.
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References
This section contains references to web pages at other web sites.
1. Apple Computer, Inc.
http://www.apple.com.
2. QuickTime
page at Apple Computer, Inc.
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/.
NOTE: There is no guarantee that these web addresses will remain valid over time. If they are no longer valid, please visit this same web page at The Panorama Factory website to check for updates: www.panoramafactory.com/help_deu/hid_qtvr.html.
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