Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About How

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/Fade. Show. 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 • Quick. Time. VR • Java • i. PIX • 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/Virtual. Tour/ HTML Virtual Tour with Javascript: Henry Whitfield Historical Museum – http: //www. hbgraphics. com/whitfieldmuseum/

Different Types of Tours: Quick. Time. VR • Quick. Time 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 Quick. Time movie • Quick. Time 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: Quick. Time. VR Examples: • Musée du Louvre http: //www. louvre. or. jp/louvre/QTVR/anglais/ • Sola Creo http: //www. solacreo. com/gallery. html • Mac. World 2004 Location Promo http: //www. iqtvra. org/exhibit/MWBoston 2004/MW_Boston_VR. mov • Refrigerator (placed 3 rd place in Apple Computer’s 1998 Quick. Time 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. pan 3 sixty. co. uk/tours/iwm/java-select. html

Different Types of Tours: i. PIX • 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 i. PIX tours • Tours can be displayed as Java applets or using i. PIX’s own plugin • Official website: http: //www. ipix. com

Different Types of Tours: i. PIX 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/nav. Id/00500000 d

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/museumtour. htm • Pickering Museum Village (with Quicktime. VR) http: //www. picnet. org/pickering/pmv/flash/default. htm • Petra Virtual Tour with 3 D 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/mozilla 1. 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, i. Tunes) – 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 23 mb 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 3 rd party software *Download size for Quicktime 7 - Mac OS X: 25. 7 MB Windows: 23 MB

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: i. PIX • i. PIX Tours can be created with the complete i. PIX “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: i. PIX • $$$$$ • 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 i. PIX tours with Java, for best quality they need to have the i. Pix plugin installed i. PIX Software Pricing: http: //www. ipix. com/products_studio. html i. PIX Hardware Pricing: http: //www. ipix. com/products_photography. html VRPhotography. com Case Study: QTVR vs. i. PIX - 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 480 K (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* * 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 Action. Script (code) • 3 rd 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) – 2 ghz processor – 500 mb memory – Video card with 128 mb 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 200 lb 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 3 D 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/%7 Edersch/

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 • *3 D World http: //www. realviz. com/products/st/index. php

Software: Stitching Tools Easy. 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. 360 dof. 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 Easy. Pano 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 3 D 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. 360 dof. 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 Front. Page $199 Macromedia Dreamweaver $399 Adobe Go. Live $399 Macromedia Homesite $99 Net. Objects Fusion $195 Microsoft Word $229 (Office Standard edition) Coffee. Cup 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/museumtour. htm

Musée du Louvre Virtual Tour • Combines Quicktime. VR 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 • VRMag – Online Magazine dedicated solely to Virtual Tours & Photography • VR Photography Case Studies - http: //www. vrmag. org http: //vrphotography. com/data/pages/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 - • Full. Screen. QTVR – A directory of extreme locations shot in 360 panoramas http: //www. arounder. com 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. kr/museum/docs/eng/m. Tour/s 91 b 3060001 m. jsp

Vendors Tour Creation Software • • 360 Degrees of Freedom - http: //www. 360 dof. com/ Easy. Pano – the virtual tour way - http: //www. easypano. com i. PIX - 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/303 SPH/

Feel Free to Send Questions and Comments to: William Haun Email: haun. william@spcollege. edu Phone: 727. 394. 6173 Website: www. williamhaun. com