360 Panorama

[manumuskin]

I took my first 360 today using my new Panosaurus 2.0.I actually took two but the second did not turn out.I believe the free spftware I'm using to stitch photos with was not up to par for that one since overhead was a meshwork of virginia pine branches some of which were floating in air and large parts of that pano were absent.The first pano came out quite nice however for an experiment anyway.The sunny parts of the tunnel ends are over exposed but I set my exposure on the darker portions of the tunnel and the same exposure has to be maintained throughout the shooting.I think I may end up having to splurge for software that will allow me to manually match up photos so if the auto version gets overwhelmed I can match them by hand.
I will use this thread to post any panos I do on the Photosynth site and I have one pano pending for Google earth that i took last winter.Wether it is accepted remains to be seen and This Pano I post here is pending review on 360 Cities and if it passes then will be reviewed for Google Earth.In any case this is the junction of Gravelly Run with Snow Hill Road in the Edward G. Bevan a.k.a. (Millville) WMA. A very neat tunnel which is gated off this time of year so I was not bothered by vehicles.The stream is prettier when the water is up.This is just upstream from where I soak my deer hides before graining.
http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=b420fce5-18a5-44bd-bd96-17e60dd0dc7f
Al

 

[Teegate]

You did a nice job with that Al .... I am impressed. The next time we meet up I will have to talk with you about this more. I want to get into that. Maybe we can try to make one together.

Guy

 

[manumuskin]

Be glad to Guy. You can actually make them hand held without a pano head if you limit your pano's to things further away but if you want to take pano's surrounded by close up vegetation you will need a pano head and can use mine to see if you like it first.Mine is only 100 bucks and was created so the average Joe can afford it.Most pano heads are around 400 bucks and made out of expensive metal alloys and have automatic stops.Mine you have to look at the dial and count out where you want to stop.
Look at it this way.If you make a record of a buried stone with your tripod head over top of it and you carried some kind of device into the field allowing you to vies the pano you'd be able to find that stone again real easily
Al

 

[dogg57]

Nice job Al. Thanks for sharing

 

[manumuskin]

http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=ccb81f55-4a37-48b7-a39b-e3c5f3f693b9

one i just took today.I had originally intended to take this from the road which is barely visible in the pano.I forgot that it is summer and brush prevents this now,I would then have preferred to have got out in the bog but I wore my good work boots and did not want to go to work tonite in soggy boots.As you can see i have a couple of small black triangles in the pano and the first pano i took had a small triangle in it also.I may have to drop from snapping shots every four clicks to every three when i do my 40 degree angle row of shots.I am obviously missing small spots so taking a few more shots at the 40 degree angle may fix this.I am learning here so hopefully they'll get better as i go.
Al

 

[pinelandpaddler]

Nice!

 

[manumuskin]

Thanks Gabe.
I get really good and I'll do some Mullica Pano's for you.
Al

 

[Teegate]

You are doing well for sure!

Guy

 

[PancoastDrifter]

Great stuff! Can you post a link or name to the inexpensive pano head?

Edit: I thought Panosaurus 2.0 was the software and not the head. Can you name the free software?

 

[dogg57]

I believe it is
http://photosynth.net/about.aspx

 

[manumuskin]

The pano head or device i use on the tripod is the Panosaurus 2.0 ordered from Missouri off the home site.the software to sticth the photos together is Microsoft ICE ( Image Composite Editor) Photosynth is a website with a panorama viewer that ICE will import your assembled pano into so you can viuew it.ICE will allow you to view the assembled pano in a JPEG forum which it assembles for you but to actually see the pano as is and spin it you need to put it in photosynth unless you have a pano viewer installed on your computer.You can then join 360 cities and attempt to get your panos excepted and put on google earth but they have rejected mine so far because of the black triangles.I think i know how to get them out but haven't tried it yet.,when it cools off i will hit the woods again and see if i can recitfy the triangles.

 

[dogg57]

Thanks Al.... Was not trying to jump ur answer Was bored this morning

 

[manumuskin]

www.fsoft.it/panorama/FSPViewer.htm#Download

this site will allow you to download a panorama viewer that does not need to be installed but is a zip file and runs on your computer.This way you will not have to depend on a website to view your panoramas.
no problem with the answer jump.New at this myself so any help is appreciated.
Al

 

[PancoastDrifter]

OK - thanks so much. I will check this all out and try one soon.

 

[turtle]

Wow! So that's what is keeping you busy these days.... Great work. I like to pan slowly and identify the vegetation..... It would be interesting to pick a favorite location and do a four-season documentation.

Really Al....."Brisk Iced Tea" ?

turtle

 

[manumuskin]

I was planning on that four season thing you speak of Particuarly at some areas along the Tulpe.
I have been tanning those hides.I went through all five and bucked and grained them and let them dry to rawhide now I am doing the braining and stretching.Got one done and doing the second thursday.When i hget them all as buckskin then this fall I will find a secluded spot and smoke all five at once and then to get my wife and mother in law to help me make an outfit out of them because sewing is definitely not in my list of survival skills.The first skin and this next onbe are the ones that were dry salted i got from you.They have the least holes,the others are full of holes and need more care taken.I have enough to make a shirt but will probably need another skin or two to make the pants.
AL
ps
The BRISK had to do since I didn't have of your husbands famous blend to get me through the heat.These panoramas were just experimental so I didn't bother to clean up till I was done but once i get good you'll see nothing but a glass of famous Turtle Tea in my panos from then on

 

[manumuskin]

Ok folks I need some help.This is the link to my latest pano attempt.It's my house and dog
http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=d470ff02-cc12-4ad2-aad9-081b2d35a74f
as you can see I got rid of the black triangles by taking more photos at the lower and upper 40 degree angle layer but now i have another problem.You will see the date and time I took the pano in a couple places in bright yellow.I did not put this there intentionally and do not want it there.At first i thought it was my new pano viewer doing it but the time/date shows up on photosynth as you can see and when I open it up as a paint file it is also there only at the bottom of the photo instead.When I open the individual photos that make the pano the date/time is not there so something happened while making the pano to put that there.I thought the camera did it and while it had to have been the camera that put the info in the photos it must be something in the software printing it on the pano but not the separate shots.Does anyone know how to get rid of this?I looked my guide over to the camera and it says nothing about turning of the date/time feature though it does show how to change date/time.I can now make a decent pano but have this crap plastered all over it.HELP!
Al

 

[manumuskin]

I think I just figgered it out.I overlooked the date/time feature in my camera menu.I had it on.I remember screwing around with the menu a couple days ago and must have turned that on not knowing it would show in my panos.funny how it shows in none of the separate images.on second look it does but it doesn't show in the thumbnails,i had to blow up the pics.I think the mystery is solved.My next pano should be without the annoying date/time insignia.I will now start attempting some worhtwhile panos,the last three were practice.barrens here I come

 

[Teegate]

They are turning out quite nice. Well done Al.

Guy

 

[manumuskin]

Thanks Guy.
I've also been experimenting with Photomatix that Ben is using to do HDR.I am using the free version now but like it and will probably spring for photomatix lite. I want to do an HDR pano but if a regular pano takes 52 photos an HDR pano will take 150 if i do a complete bubble.This calls for rechargeable batteries.I can do three 360 panos on a set of regular alkalines now before the batteries are shot so on 360 hdr pano will wipeout a pair of batteries so the spots I choose will be prime.
Al