Everything You Ever Wanted to
Know About How to Create a
Virtual Reality Tour
Lynn Whitelaw
Director
Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art
William Haun
Web Programmer/Analyst
Web & Instructional Technology Services, St. Petersburg College
Agenda
• What Exactly is a Virtual Tour?
• The Different Tour Formats
• Which One is Best? - Pros & Cons
• What “Stuff” Do I Need to Create a Tour?
• Delivering Your Virtual Tour
• Other Issues to Consider with Virtual Tours
• Case Studies
• Discussion & Questions
What exactly is a Virtual Tour?
• A Virtual Tour allows a computer user to interact with an
environment via a series or collection of images (still
and/or moving).
• “Interact”
– “Virtual” is a reference to “Virtual Reality” - an artificial environment
which is experienced through sensory stimuli (as sights and sounds)
provided by a computer and in which one's actions partially determine
what happens in the environment
• “Series or Collection”
– Series can be individual images the user navigates between
– Collection can be several images “stitched” together into a single
panoramic image (0 to 360 degrees)
Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online: http://www.webster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=virtual+reality
What is NOT a Virtual Tour?
• Slideshows are NOT Virtual Tours
– http://www.inlandseas.org/Anfy/FadeShow.html
• Photo Albums are NOT Virtual Tours
– http://www.2004.com/virtual_tours.asp
• Videos are NOT Virtual Tours, they are Video Tours
– http://www.answersingenesis.org/museum/media.asp
Different Types of Tours
• HTML
• QuickTimeVR
• Java
• iPIX
• Shockwave/Flash
Different Types of Tours: HTML
• HTML is the code behind ordinary web pages
• These Virtual Tours usually involve a series of web
pages the user navigates through. Each page
usually consists of text, images, and/or multimedia
• Javascript can be used to enhance the Tour
(transitions and other features)
Different Types of Tours: HTML
Examples:
Basic HTML Virtual Tour:
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History http://www.mnh.si.edu/museum/VirtualTour/
HTML Virtual Tour with Javascript:
Henry Whitfield Historical Museum –
http://www.hbgraphics.com/whitfieldmuseum/
Different Types of Tours:
QuickTimeVR
• QuickTime VR is an extension to the popular video
format developed by Apple Computers.
• Was the first major virtual tour product on the market
(Jan. 1995)
• Can be embedded in a webpage or a stand-alone
QuickTime movie
• QuickTime Player is a free download from the Apple
website; ships with many products.
• Official Site: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/qtvr/
David Egbert’s Quicktime History Timeline - http://david.egbert.name/quicktime/history/
Different Types of Tours:
QuickTimeVR
Examples:
• Musée du Louvre
http://www.louvre.or.jp/louvre/QTVR/anglais/
• Sola Creo
http://www.solacreo.com/gallery.html
• MacWorld 2004 Location Promo
http://www.iqtvra.org/exhibit/MWBoston2004/MW_Boston_VR.mov
• Refrigerator
(placed 3rd place in Apple Computer’s 1998 QuickTime VR Contest)
http://www.mediacosm.com/refrigerator/index.html
Different Types of Tours:
Java
• Most common type of Virtual Tour on the Web
• Java is a plug-in* for internet browsers.
• Every browser has some form & version of Java
Virtual Machine
• Java “applets” are programs downloaded by the user
and run by the user’s Java Virtual Machine
* Plug-in - An auxiliary program that works with a major software package to enhance its capability - www.gurunet.com
Different Types of Tours:
Java
• Programmers can create an applet that can then run
on most computers.
• Any programmer can create applets or components,
so they come in all shapes and sizes
• Dozens of Do-It-Yourself Virtual Tour programs exist
that create Java applet Virtual Tours for you
* Plug-in - An auxiliary program that works with a major software package to enhance its capability - www.gurunet.com
Different Types of Tours:
Java
Examples:
• Roman Open Air Museum Hechingen-Stein
http://www.villa-rustica.de/tour/indexe.html
• Imperial War Museum
http://www.pan3sixty.co.uk/tours/iwm/java-select.html
Different Types of Tours:
iPIX
• Largest commercial vendor of Virtual Tours
• Has its own proprietary format that must be
created with its own hardware and software
• Has a national network of independent “service
providers” that can create iPIX tours
• Tours can be displayed as Java applets or using
iPIX’s own plugin
• Official website: http://www.ipix.com
Different Types of Tours:
iPIX
Examples:
• National Baseball Hall of Fame –
http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/news/2005/ipix_gallery.htm
• Greensboro Children’s Museum http://www.gcmuseum.com/explore/virtual/
• British National Maritime Museum:
Royal Observatory, Greenwich http://www.nmm.ac.uk/site/navId/00500000d
Different Types of Tours:
Shockwave/Flash
• Media created by Macromedia’s products Director
and Flash
• Flash is the most popular plug-in on the Net
97.6% of Internet users have the Flash plug-in
• Flash has evolved over the years from a animation
tool into a multimedia delivery system that is used
for design, streaming video, rich internet
applications, and even document creation.
Different Types of Tours:
Shockwave/Flash
• Though often used in website design & décor, Flash
is relatively new to the Virtual Tour scene
• Flash allows full customization and creativity
– Some Flash Tours are just a series of images
– Others offer 360 degree views
– Yet others have Quicktime Tours embedded in
them
• Some Do-It-Yourself Virtual Tour programs now
export their tours in the Flash format (*.swf)
Different Types of Tours:
Shockwave/Flash
Examples:
• National Museum of American History:
VOTE Exhibition
http://americanhistory.si.edu/vote/index.html
• Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art
http://www.spcollege.edu/central/museum/museumtour.htm
• Pickering Museum Village (with QuicktimeVR)
http://www.picnet.org/pickering/pmv/flash/default.htm
• Petra Virtual Tour with 3D animation (Shockwave)
http://vrm.vrway.com/projects/petra/
Format Pros & Cons:
Things to Consider
• Target Audience Computer Compatibility &
Requirements
• Plug-ins Required for End User
• Size of Download (Tour & Plug-in)
• Features & Customization options
• Quality of Image
• Resources Needed (Cost & Staff)
Pros: HTML
• Web pages work for everyone!
• No special plug-ins or large files to download
• Web pages are easy to create – even Microsoft
Word makes them (though they aren’t too pretty)
• HTML is free to create. All you really need is a text
editor (Notepad or Word). WYSIWYG editors are
available from $20 - $500
WYSIWIG – What You See Is What You Get
Cons: HTML
• Web pages work for everyone… so I wasn’t completely
telling the truth. Care has to be taken to make sure they
are cross-browser friendly
– Internet Explorer http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/
– Firefox http://www.getfirefox.com
– Netscape http://channels.netscape.com/ns/browsers/download.jsp
– Opera http://www.opera.com/
– Mozilla http://www.mozilla.org/products/mozilla1.x/
– Safari (Mac) http://www.apple.com/safari/download/
– Older versions archived at http://browsers.evolt.org
• Web pages are limited when it comes to interactivity
• Bottom Line:
They just don’t make very impressive Virtual Tours
Pros: Quicktime VR
• Very Reliable and Efficient – they’ve had one update to their
Authoring software since their 1995 release
• 64% of Internet users already have the Quicktime plug-in*
since it is used for so many other functions (video, music,
iTunes) – Mac users always have it
• Has built in Dynamic Perspective Correction (DPC)
• Allows Progressive Download – User doesn’t have to wait to
load the whole thing. Instead sees each piece as it is loaded.
• Allows Full-spherical views – 360 degrees and up & down
• Not only allows 360 views of rooms but of objects
• You can add Hot Spots, embed video clips, and more
*NPD Online survey, conducted June 2005
Cons: Quicktime VR
• 36% of Internet users don’t have the Quicktime plug-in
and the download size is now 23mb or more* (60
minutes on a dial-up modem!!)
• They are still in Version 1 of the Authoring Software
• A lot of newer features (stand-alone tour, maps, nodes,
additional interactivity) require purchasing 3rd party
software
*Download size for Quicktime 7 - Mac OS X: 25.7MB
Windows: 23MB
Pros: Java
• The most popular Virtual Tour format. There are dozens of
products available that create Java Virtual Tours for you.
• 87% of Internet users have some form of a Java Virtual
Machine (JVM) installed: It was built into Netscape,
Microsoft and AOL version 3.0 and later Web browsers.
• Because Java is a programming language, programmers
can create Tours that do, look, and act however they
want.
• Can have dozens of features (hot spots, DPC, fullspherical, stand-alone, and more)
Cons: Java
• Basic Java Tours do not require downloading a plug-in,
however some tours may need certain versions of Java
that the user doesn’t have.
Get the most recent JVM at http://java.com/en/index.jsp
• Java Tours can take a while to load since not only do the
images have to load but the Applet itself
• Java Tour interfaces often look primitive and are not very
visually appealing (not always though)
• Poorly coded applets can kill processor speed and
freeze up slow computers
• DPC is often missing or sub-par
Microsoft Java Virtual Machine Support - http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/java/
Pros: iPIX
• iPIX Tours can be created with the complete iPIX “kit”
• Very simple and easy to use
• Very easy process to put tours on webpages
• Only two shots create a single, 360 degree, spherical
virtual tour
• Great Dynamic Perspective Correction
• Customer Support
• Large network of experienced users with sites & forums
online to share info and help
Cons: iPIX
• $$$$$
• Their tours can only be created with certain cameras and
their proprietary hardware “kits” (starting at $595 - not
including cost of camera)
• Their tours must be created with their software which
must be re-licensed annually ($899 first year, $699 per
renewal year)
• Though the end user can view the
iPIX tours with Java, for best quality
they need to have the iPix plugin
installed
iPIX Software Pricing: http://www.ipix.com/products_studio.html
iPIX Hardware Pricing: http://www.ipix.com/products_photography.html
VRPhotography.com Case Study: QTVR vs. iPIX - http://vrphotography.com/data/pages/casestudies/qtvrvsipix.html
Pros: Flash
• Macromedia Flash is the world’s most pervasive
software platform, reaching 97.6% of Internet-enabled
desktops worldwide, as well as many popular devices*
* http://www.macromedia.com/software/flashplayer/
Pros: Flash
• Flash plug-in is a small 480K (1 minute download on
dial-up modem) file that installs itself from the
Macromedia website
• Unlimited interactive capabilities & fully
customizable
• Ability to be dynamic (database or XML driven)
• Virtual tour can be turned into a stand-alone
executable file for CD or DVD distribution. The user
does not need the plug-in or Internet access to view
it then.
Cons: Flash
• Macromedia’s “97.6% of Users have Flash” Statistic
can be deceiving*
Flash Version Worldwide Usage Statistics (June 2005)
100.00%
98.30%
98.28%
98.05%
97.65%
96.00%
87.85%
90.00%
80.00%
70.00%
60.00%
50.00%
40.00%
30.00%
20.00%
10.00%
0.00%
Flash 2
Flash 3
Flash 4
Flash 5
Flash 6
Flash 7
* http://www.macromedia.com/software/player_census/flashplayer/version_penetration.html
Cons: Flash
• Unlike Java Tours, there are not many stand-alone
applications that create Flash Virtual Tours for you
• For a customized Flash application you must have (or
hire) a Flash Developer to create the Tour and write the
ActionScript (code)
• 3rd party panorama stitcher software is needed (Flash
doesn’t do that)
• Macromedia Flash is expensive: $499 – however, it
does have many uses in addition to Virtual Tours
(interactive websites, animation, streaming video, and
much more)
Tools Needed
• The Hardware
–
–
–
–
–
Computer
Digital Camera
Tripod
Panoramic Head (optional)
Turntable (optional)
• The Software
– Stitching Software
– Tour Creation Software
– Webpage Creation Software
• The Method of Delivery
– Web Server
– CD-ROM
– DVD
Hardware: Computer
• Processor needs to be fast enough to handle complex
stitching algorithms
• Needs enough memory to hold large panoramic images
• Basic Suggestion
(minimum requirements)
– 2ghz processor
– 500mb memory
– Video card with 128mb memory
– 40 gigabyte hard drive
– USB 2.0 and/or IEEE 1394 (aka Firewire or i.Link)
– Windows XP or Mac OS X
Hardware: Digital Camera
• 3 megapixel will suffice for web & CD-ROM production
• Extra memory stick usually required since one room can
require 20-60 photos
• Some models have built-in stitching tools
• Camera may need to support addition of lenses (wideangle or fisheye)
• Cost from $150 - $infinity
• CNET.com feature/cost comparison site at:
http://shopper.cnet.com/Digital_cameras/2001-6501_9-0.html?tag=shfd.feature
Hardware: Tripod
• Tripod must be sturdy (flimsy $20 tripods don’t do
the job well)
• Must have good adjustment brackets & knobs
• Needs to have levels
• Cost: $50 - $250
Hardware: Pano Heads
(optional)
• Panoramic Heads attach to tripods and allow for taking
photographs at exact angles that provide the best
resulting stitched panoramas
• Not required but they make the image quality better and
the task of stitching easier
• Some stitching software requires images to be taken at
exact angles, so a panoramic head may be necessary
• Cost $200 - $1300
Hardware: Turntable
(optional)
• Object Turntables are used to photograph
objects so that the user can view them from all
angles
• Pricing ranges from small manual turntables to
large motorized ones that hold 200lb objects
and lighting gear
• Cost $75 - $6000
Software: Stitching Tools
• Stitching software takes your series of photos and
“stitches” them together into a single panoramic or
spherical image
• Some stitching software can create a 3D movie from a
series of object photos
• Software varies in image quality, image format, ease-ofuse, and automation
• Price Range: Free* - $500
Some Tour Creation software includes Stitching tools
* Helmut Dersch’s Panorama Tools are a free, open-source set of Java tools that are used by many VR professionals. However, they
are extremely complex and have no graphical user-interface - http://webuser.fh-furtwangen.de/%7Edersch/
Software: Stitching Tools
Realviz Stitcher 4.0
• Internationally recognized as the “industry-standard
software for creating panoramas”*
• Allows adjustments to accommodate most camera lenses
(can’t stitch from fisheye though)
• Allows exporting panoramas as QTVR movies, JPEG
images, layered Photoshop files, Shockwave, and more
• Available for PC and Macintosh
• Cost: $580 – Trial Version Available Online
• Stitcher 5.0 comes out this month
•
*3D World
http://www.realviz.com/products/st/index.php
Software: Stitching Tools
EasyPano Panoweaver 4.0
• Easy-to-use and powerful panorama software which can
stitch perfect 360*180 spherical and cubic panoramas
from fisheye images.
• Stitches automatically and allows manual stitching
• Only stitches from fisheye lens images
• Publish panorama as PTViewer, QTVR, MGI
Panoviewer, and VRML
• Available for PC and Macintosh
• Cost: $599
• http://www.easypano.com/pinfo_pw.html
Software: Stitching Tools
360 Degrees of Freedom – Panorama Pro
• Powerful panorama stitcher and simple-to-use virtual tour
builder
• Stitches automatically
• Features hotspots, transition effects, and zoom
• Unlimited technical support & 60 day money back
guarantee
• Available for Windows only
• Cost: $99
•
http://www.360dof.com/products/panorama-stitching-software/360-panorama-professional/
Software: Stitching Tools
Adobe Photoshop CS
• The world’s greatest image editor now has a built-in
photo stitching tool
• Completely automated stitcher – just point to the folder
with all your images
• Lack of manual controls when stitching is limiting; if
images aren’t take just right, results are disastrous
• Available for PC and Macintosh
• Cost: $649 (latest version CS)
Trial Version Available Online
•
http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/main.html
Software: Tour Creators
• These products take your panoramic images and create
interfaces for them
• Features vary from product to product. Features to look
for are:
– Final format of the interface (webpage, stand-alone,
Quicktime movie, Flash movie, etc..)
– Built-in stitching tools
– Interface’s ease of navigation (linked rooms, hotspots,
etc…)
– Ability to add images, video, audio, text
– Visual appeal of final Virtual Tour
• Price Range: Free - $500
(with a plethora of add-ons available)
Software: Tour Creators
EasyPano Tourweaver 1.30
• Create tours that not only include 360 and spherical
panoramas but sound, still images, slideshows, maps,
floor plans, and more
• Has unique features of interactive map with compass
effect, personalized viewer skin and customized
walkthrough
• Available for PC only
• Cost: $199 (standard) $499 (pro)
•
http://www.easypano.com/pinfo_tw.html
Software: Tour Creators
360 Degrees of Freedom - VRbrochure
• Build 360 panoramas and choose from a library of
templates when creating the multi-page VRbrochures
• Features 3D objects, photos, slideshows, interactive
floorplans/maps, and hotspots
• Tours created for both Java and Flash
• Available for Windows only
• Cost: $147 (lite) $297 (project) $497 (pro)
•
http://www.360dof.com/products/vrbrochure-authoring-software/
Software: Webpage Creation Tools
• There is no shortage of WYSIWYG programs for you
to choose from
• The most popular are:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Microsoft FrontPage $199
Macromedia Dreamweaver $399
Adobe GoLive $399
Macromedia Homesite $99
NetObjects Fusion $195
Microsoft Word $229 (Office Standard edition)
CoffeeCup HTML Editor $49
• Price Range: Free* - $400
Some free Webpage tools are listed at http://www.thefreecountry.com/webmaster/htmleditors.shtml#wysiwyg
Delivering Your Virtual Tour
• Web
• CD-ROM
• DVD-ROM
Delivery Method: Web
• To put any web pages or media on the Internet you need
two things:
– A domain name (aka mymuseum.org)
– Web Server that “hosts” it
• Every city has its own companies that host websites and
the internet has a million more
• Things to look for in a Web Hosting Package:
– Bandwidth: basically the amount of information that can be
downloaded from your site in one month
– Server space: how much storage space you have to hold all your
webpage files (images & video can take up a lot)
– Uptime: % of time your host guarantees your website will be up
and running
• Price Range: Free* - $500+ per month
*CAUTION: Free hosting packages ALWAYS incorporate advertisements on your site and greatly restrict bandwidth
Delivery Method: CD-ROM
• Price Range: $.20 per disc plus printing & packaging
costs
• Leepa-Rattner produces its CDs at an approximate
cost of $.60 per disc. That includes the CD media,
packaging, and printing of labels on disc.
Delivery Method: DVD-ROM
• Price Range: $1 per disc plus printing & packaging costs
• Virtual Tours created in the formats covered in this
presentation must be viewed on a computer and are not
viewable on a stand-alone DVD player and TV.
• Virtual Tours can be created for DVD and television but
are more like “Video Tours” and have very limited
interaction.
NOTE: The DVD edition of the first Harry Potter film has the best DVD Virtual Tour I have seen to date.
• As the next generation of DVD players are released, the
potential for Virtual Tours on DVD will grow significantly.
Other Issues to Consider
• Security of your copyrighted images
• Cost of Maintenance & Ability to Update
• Portability
• Accessibility
Case Studies
• Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art
– Flash & XML driven Virtual Tour
• Musée du Louvre
– Quicktime VR & HTML driven Virtual Tour
Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art
Virtual Tour
• Built with Macromedia Flash technology
• Pulls all content from XML files, making changes easy
• Images hidden and encoded to protect copyright
• Created for both web and CD-ROM
Web version allows user to pick bandwidth
• Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art
http://www.spcollege.edu/central/museum/museumtour.htm
Musée du Louvre Virtual Tour
• Combines QuicktimeVR with HTML Webpage interface
• Has about 60 individual panoramic images
• Has Java Tours on select rooms
• Users use a floorplan of the museum to navigate
between rooms
• Does not offer views of current and rotating exhibits
• Tours consist only of panoramic
images with no descriptions,
text, or closeups of
individual works of art
Misc. Resources
Resources
•
VRMag – Online Magazine dedicated solely to Virtual Tours & Photography
http://www.vrmag.org
•
VR Photography Case Studies http://vrphotography.com/data/pages/casestudies/casestudies.html
Tutorials
•
Creating Javascript & HTML Virtual Tours http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/server_archive/articles/creating_virtual_tours.html
Other Cool Virtual Tours
•
Arounder – Travel around the world via 360 full screen panoramas http://www.arounder.com
•
FullScreenQTVR – A directory of extreme locations shot in 360 panoramas
http://www.fullscreenqtvr.com
•
POSCO Museum in Korea – The inspiration for the Leepa-Rattner Museum
of Art’s Flash-based Virtual Tour http://museum.posco.co.kr/museum/docs/eng/mTour/s91b3060001m.jsp
Vendors
Tour Creation Software
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
360 Degrees of Freedom - http://www.360dof.com/
EasyPano – the virtual tour way - http://www.easypano.com
iPIX - http://www.ipix.com
Quicktime VR Authoring - http://www.apple.com/quicktime/qtvr/
Realviz - http://www.realviz.com
Squamish Media Group (QTVR extensions) - http://www.smgvr.com/
VRToolbox - http://www.vrtoolbox.com/vrthome.html
Hardware
• Kaidan Panoramic Heads, Lenses, & Motors http://www.kaidan.com/
• Manfrotto Panoramic Heads - http://www.manfrotto.com/303SPH/
Feel Free to Send Questions and Comments to:
William Haun
Email: haun.william@spcollege.edu
Phone: 727.394.6173
Website: www.williamhaun.com