There’s a lot of information available on the internet when it comes to creating panoramic images, and while it may seem like a daunting task, it’s actually very easy.
You really do not need any special equipment, but there are a few solutions that do allow you to take pictures that work with Orby in only a few small steps.
Shooting
It’s essential to keep your camera as level as possible while taking your 360 degree images. You take a picture and then rotate the camera to take the next, overlapping by at least 25%, until you have rotated the camera all the way around.
By using a camera such as the 0-360, you can take one shot, and capture the entire scene. The 0-360 outputs images that work well on the web, and are optimized to download quickly into the OrbySPV viewer.
Orby uses Sequential Panoramic Images in order to display a “walk-through” experience. This means that you take images in a linear fashion thru your captured space by capturing one panoramic image, and then by moving the camera 1-3 feet (this can vary) to capture the next. These Sequential Panoramic Images are then used in Orby to create a seamless virtual tour experience.
Stitching
PhotoShop CS3 has some new tools that allows you to stitch images together, and it’s quite intuitive. An article on how it works is available here.
By using one-shot solutions, this step can be completely skipped.
Be sure to check out our tutorials on how to use your newly captured images in Orby, and how to customize the viewer.