Windows VR Authoring Tools

This page provides an overview of authoring tools (available on the Windows platform) to create and distribute immersive images. Generally, there are two basic components to immersive imaging technology: 360 degree panorama movies and object movies. A third aspect deals with combining scenes using the basic components. In addition, attention must be paid to how the images are to be distributed over the web. The tools are broken out into four sections.
The products examined were chosen on the bases of "first awareness"; the list will be expanded as more products are reviewed. A good source for information on authoring tools can be found on the Immersive Imaging page of the International Association of Panoramic Photographers.
Other reviews:
James Rigg's Guide to Panoramas giving specs and reviews of stitching tools
eVox Productions' Comparision Chart of products
Information on the camera used to obtain the images on these pages.

Distribution options - plugins vs Java applets
The choice for distributing VR images is either to require users to download special plugins or to prepare the files as a Java applet. Basically, viewing a VR movie works like this: click on the image, then, holding the left mouse button down, scroll to the left or right. With the current state of the technology plugins allow a viewer to experience a lot more than moving around a scene. They allow a viewer to zoom in/out and can support accompaning audio, video, and 3D object movement within a scene. The two most popular VR plugins for which a Windows user can author movies are
Latest QuickTime by Apple to view QuickTime VR (or QTVR) movies and
Live Picture Viewer to view scenes produced with Live Picture products.

Click here for plugin comparisons.

Java applets are available for delivering JPEG based images, not for QTVR. The advantage of a Java applet is that it avoids requiring a viewer to download a plugin. Because of the time involved many viewers simply go elsewhere when asked to do this. Panoramas delivered using Java applets allow the navigation of scenes and linking to hotspots which may be other scenes. Applets do not support the bells and whistles (like audio) available through plugins, nor do they currently support the use of progressive JPEG. Their use seems to be to give a flavor of a site to encourage a visitor to get the plug-in for the whole experience. The available Java applets are
Cylpan by Thrift.com+Nemeng.com,
HotMedia by IBM,
Live Picture Viewer-Java version by Live Picture, and
VRTour by PictureWorks Technology.

Click here for features of the individual applets.

Panorama makers
 The following authoring tools for single node full 360 degree panoramas and partial panoramas (approximately 180 degrees) have been (or will be) tested:
PhotoVista by Live Picture (as part of the Reality Studio suite).
Spin Panorama by PictureWorks Technology, and
Visual Stitcher by PanaVue.
Cool 360 by Ulead.
VR Pano Worx by VRToolbox.
SmoothMove by Infinite Pictures (due out in April).
Click here for a comparison of the features and the results of using each product.

One other company, Interactive Pictures (or IPIX) produces spherical panoramas. Because of this company's bulling practices and questionable ethics to eliminate competition, its products are being boycotted by the international QTVR community. For more information, see history or the International QTVR Association.

EXAMPLES: Panoramas created with each authoring tool are presented below in several ways. Remember, to pan around a scene click on the image; then, holding the left mouse button down, scroll to the left or right. After viewing an image, click the browser Back Button to return to this page.

PhotoVista: Live Picture Viewer/Plug-in
(File 418 K, 4688x466 px)		 Live Picture - java version
(File resized to 197 K, 2414x240 px)
  CylPan Java player
(File resized to 197 K, 2414x240 px)		  
Spin Panorama: QuickTime 3.0
( File 725K)		 VRTour applet
(File 383 K, 4579x400 px)
Visual Stitcher: QuickTime 3.0
(File 497 K)		 VRTour applet
(File 169 K, 5194x407 px)
Cool 360: QuickTime 3.0
( File 4040K)		 Cool 360 Viewer
(File 1003K, 5078x454 px)


Object movie makers
 An object movie is a form of panorama where an object can be rotated to be viewed from any side. Some tools allow for rotation in more than one plane. Plug-ins are required to view these movies; Java applets do not support them. The two products examined here are

Object Modeler (part of Reality Studio) by Live Picture and
SpinPhoto Object by PictureWorks Technology
PanaVue doesn't produce an object movie maker. Click here for a comparison of the features and the results of using each product.

EXAMPLES: An object movie produced with each program is given below. To move around an object click on the movie, then drag the curser horizontally while holding the mouse button down.
Object Modeler Example (Live Picture Viewer plug-in needed)(Size 611 K)
SpinPhoto Object Example (QuickTime 3.0 plug-in needed)(Size 102 K)


Multiple-node scenes
 Multiple-node scenes are formed by linking two or more single node panoramas using hotspots and (possibly) adding other types of media files. Below scenes are presented with the CylPan and VRTour Java applets,the Live Picture Viewer-Java applet and the Live Picture Viewer-plugin. Currently, there are no authoring tools (for Windows) for composing a multiple-node QTVR scene. If a project involves more than linking together panoramas with hotspots, the Plug-in version is necessary; either the plugin or applets may be used if only vistas are linked. Click here for additional information.

EXAMPLES: The first four examples below link three panoramas and include a link to a close-up in the first panorama. The 5th example places an object model in a vista and the 6th includes audio.
Example 1 CylPan/PhotoVista Example 2 VRTour/Spin Panorama
Example 3 Reality Studio/Plug-in Example 4 Reality Studio/Java Applet
Example 5 Reality Studio/Plug-in
  (Object/Vista combo)(418 K + 611 K)		 Example 6 Reality Studio/Plug-in
       (Vista with audio)(333 K + 727 K)

For a more extensive multiple-node scene see the Brief tour of The Citadel South Side.

Updated 27 May 1999