IVR 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_ita/hid_ivr.html.

About IVR
Creating an IVR panorama using the Wizard
Creating an IVR panorama using the Classic interface
Saving an IVR panorama
Capabilities of the IVR export filter
Importing an IVR panorama
Capabilities of the IVR import filter
Installing support for IVR on your computer
References

About IVR

NOTE: The IVR viewer (Zoom viewer) is produced by iSeeMedia, 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 iSeeMedia, Inc.

IVR format is based on the Image Worlds [1] extension to the VRML 2.0 file format. At this writing (June 2004), the IVR format and its viewers are maintained by iSeeMedia, Inc. [2]. The Zoom viewer from iSeeMedia 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.

Saving an image in IVR format actually creates two files: a JPEG image and an IVR file. The IVR file contains panoramic attributes and hotspots.

IVR 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 an IVR panorama using the Wizard

To make an IVR panorama using the Wizard, simply select IVR for the output format on Wizard step 5/9/ - Selezione tipo panorama / Select panorama type.

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Creating an IVR panorama using the Classic interface

Follow these steps to make an IVR panorama:

1. Create a panorama using the Unione / Stitch command or the Unione a 360° / Stitch 360 command (Nuova immagine / New image menu). Be sure to use the Unione a 360° / Stitch 360 command if this is a full 360 degree panorama. You can select either Proiezione cilindrica / Cylindrical projection or Proiezione sferica / Spherical projection on the Proprietà fotocamera / Camera properties dialog box before creating your stitched image.

2. Crop the stitched image using the Rifila / Crop command (Nuova immagine / 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 Salva immagine corrente con nome... / Save current image as... command from the File / File menu and then select IVR format from the the Save as type dropdown list of the Salva immagine con nome / Save Image As dialog box.

See also Chapter 4, “Using the Classic interface, step by step.”

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Saving an IVR panorama

To save your IVR panorama, select the Salva immagine corrente con nome... / Save current image as... command from the File / File menu and then select IVR format from the the Save as type dropdown list of the Salva immagine con nome / Save Image As dialog box.

NOTE: Use the Salva immagine corrente con nome... / Save current image as... command to save and name the current image. To save the entire Panorama Factory project, use the Salva progetto / Save project command, Salva progetto con nome... / Save project as... command or Salva archivio progetto con nome... / Save project archive as... command instead.

Choosing IVR enables other choices on the Salva immagine con nome / Save Image As dialog box. You may create a web page containing an IVR viewer, create a thumbnail image and preview your web page in your computer's web browser.

You can also control attributes of the saved IVR image file by selecting the IVR Impostazioni ... / settings... button to display the Impostazioni IVR / IVR settings dialog box.

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Capabilities of the IVR export filter

The IVR export filter supports only a subset of the IVR format. This section describes this subset and explains the relationship between Panorama Factory panoramas and hotspots and the IVR format.

Single-vista VR images only — A Panorama Factory image can be exported to a single-vista IVR image. There is no provision for combining multiple images into a multi-vista IVR file.
Partial panoramas and 360 degree images — The Panorama Factory can export partial panoramas as well as full 360 degree images.
URL hotspots only — The Panorama Factory supports hotspots that link to web URL. It does not support other types of IVR hotspots.
Rectangular hotspots — The IVR format supports rectangular hotspots only. Other shapes are saved as the smallest rectangle that encloses the hotspot shape.
Hotspot name — The IVR ActiveX and Plug-in viewers preserve hotspot names. The IVR Java viewer does not—hotspots will be renamed hotspot1, hotspot2, etc.
Show hotspot is not supported — IVR does not support the show hotspot attribute.
Hotspot color is not supported — IVR does not support hotspot colors.
Text message supported by Java viewer only — The IVR Java viewer displays a hotspot's text message in the browser status line. The IVR ActiveX and Plug-in viewers do not support the text message.
Cylindrical and spherical projection only — IVR supports three panoramic formats: cylindrical, spherical and cubic. The Panorama Factory only exports cylindrical and spherical images.
Image quality — The Panorama Factory can control the JPEG image quality. Lowering the image quality can produce smaller file sizes.

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Importing an IVR panorama

To import an IVR panorama, select the Importa immagini... / Import images... command from the File / File menu and then select IVR format from the Files of type dropdown list of the Importa immagini / Import Images dialog box.

You can select an .IVR file to import a single IVR file or select an .HTML or .HTM file to import all IVR images that are referenced from a web page.

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Capabilities of the IVR import filter

The IVR import filter supports only a subset of the IVR format. This section describes this subset and explains the relationship between Panorama Factory panoramas and hotspots and the IVR format.

Multi-vista VR images — The Panorama Factory can import multi-vista IVR images. Each panoramic vista 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 IVR hotspots.
Rectangular hotspots — The IVR format supports rectangular hotspots only. Other hotspot shapes will be converted to rectangles when they are exported.
Cylindrical and spherical projection only — IVR supports three panoramic formats: cylindrical, spherical and cubic. The Panorama Factory only imports cylindrical and spherical images.

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Installing support for IVR on your computer

In order to view IVR images you may need to install the appropriate viewer (for internet browsers). These components are available directly from iSeeMedia, Inc.

ActiveX

You do not need to explicitly install the ActiveX viewer. Internet Explorer will prompt you to install it the first time you view a web page that needs it. If you publish a web page containing the ActiveX viewer, visitors to your web site can follow this same procedure.

Plug-in

You do not need to download the Plug-in before creating your first panorama. The browser will display a box that you may click to visit the download page at iSeeMedia's website. Follow the installation instructions for the download.

If you publish a web page containing the Plug-in viewer, visitors to your web site can follow this same procedure.

Java

You must obtain the Java viewer directly from iSeeMedia, Inc. The iSeeMedia Java viewer download package includes several viewers packaged as a Zip file. The viewer supported by The Panorama Factory is identified as

java_viewers\panoapplet.jar.

After downloading the viewer, you should place the panoapplet.jar file into the folder on your computer that contains The Panorama Factory application. This is normally:

C:\Program Files\Smoky City Design\The Panorama Factory

When The Panorama Factory exports an image for the IVR Java viewer, it tries to copy panoapplet.jar from its application folder to the folder into which you are exporting. This enables your web browser to find the JAR file when you view a web page.

If you publish a web page containing the Java viewer, you must be sure to copy panoapplet.jar to your web site.

One advantage to using the Java viewer is that visitors to your web site do not need to install any additional software on their computers.

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References

This section contains references to web pages at other web sites.

1. Image Worlds File Specification, RealSpace, Inc., July 29, 1996

2. iSeeMedia, Inc. website,
http://www.iseemedia.com/

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_ita/hid_ivr.html.

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