Import Panos (Public Beta)

Note: Note: The Import Panos option is in Public Beta at the time of writing and is available only to subscribers. Please refer to the Terms of Service for details about beta services.

Do you want to create a 3D tour without the Cupix processing server auto-aligning uploaded 360 photos(panos)? If so, you can use Import Panos. Import Panos allows you to manually position all panos after a 3D tour is generated using features in the Layout tab, or you can upload an optional JSON file containing the Scene Structure information (Cupix’s proprietary format) together with pano photos. Please read this article for more details about the JSON file format.

Here are three use-cases that benefit from using Import Panos:

  • Create a 3D tour from photo-realistically rendered images
  • Create a 3D tour from 3D scanner images
  • Create a 3D tour from a small number of panos without enough image overlap

Step 1: Plan Your Import

Before getting started, it is helpful to understand what files are accepted through Import Panos.

360 Photos (Panos)

Like the standard Create a 3D Tour feature, the width to height ratio of each uploaded pano is required to be 2:1. Only photos in JPEG format are supported. All panos will be arranged in one section unless a JSON Scene Structure file is uploaded together.

The JSON file

The JSON Scene Structure file is an optional file that you can upload. It should follow our proprietary format which contains information about each pano’s transformation matrix (the location and orientation), the section hierarchy, and so forth. If you would like to know more details about the JSON file, click here.

Step 2: Start Your Import

  1. Click the 'Create 3D Tour' button in the top left corner of the web app.

2. Select Manual Align Panos.

3. Follow on-screen instructions in the Manual Align Panos wizard.

Step 3: Arrange Panos

After receiving an email from Cupix that the 3D tour has been created, access the workspace to arrange pano positions and finalize the 3D tour.

If you also uploaded a correctly formatted JSON file, all panos are grouped into sections, and each pano is positioned and oriented as described in the file. No further arrangements of the panos are necessary.

If you did not upload a JSON file but know the coordinates of each pano, use the pano arrangement functionalities in the Layout tab to position each photo.

  1. Go to the Layout tab.
  2. Right-click a pano and choose Transform Pano.
  3. Enter X, Y, and Z coordinates in the Translate X, Translate Y, and Translate Z fields respectively.

4. Repeat 2 and 3 for all panos.

Upload Additional Photos

If you need to upload additional panos to a 3D tour that already exists, you can add extra photo(s) by using 'Upload and Import panos' in the Overview tab.

However, all alignment and transformation of the panos must be set manually. Newly uploaded panos in a 3D tour are grouped in a section titled ‘Unaligned’.

The list of unaligned panos will be available in the Layout tab to be manually positioned. You can see them when you click the following icon, which is located left of the tool bar in the Layout tab.

 

When you click an unaligned pano from the list on the left, a blue line links from the photo to your mouse to help guide the pano to the desired position on the grid. After the pano is roughly positioned, you will need to manually align the photo and connect it to nearby panos. These single panos are considered as a section, therefore elevation, camera height, and the Translate X, Y, and Z fields need to be filled in the 'Arrange Section' window.