From: "Adam Mercado" Received: from homiemail-a144.g.dreamhost.com ([208.97.132.208] verified) by media-motion.tv (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 6.1.0) with ESMTPS id 7126432 for AE-List@media-motion.tv; Thu, 02 Aug 2018 02:17:25 +0200 Received: from homiemail-a144.g.dreamhost.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by homiemail-a144.g.dreamhost.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8809517C005F for ; Wed, 1 Aug 2018 17:26:33 -0700 (PDT) Received: from [IPv6:2607:fb90:22c8:bc12:e102:c109:b7a6:e589] (unknown [172.56.16.168]) (using TLSv1 with cipher DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA (256/256 bits)) (No client certificate requested) (Authenticated sender: adam@influxx.com) by homiemail-a144.g.dreamhost.com (Postfix) with ESMTPSA id D9DD217C005C for ; Wed, 1 Aug 2018 17:26:32 -0700 (PDT) Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=Apple-Mail-C27ADEB6-986F-4016-B6DE-2793A826641E Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Mime-Version: 1.0 (1.0) Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2018 17:26:31 -0700 Subject: Re: [AE] [OT] Photoshop Panoramic 360 imaging Message-Id: <3C74AF9E-BE0D-4F74-9D11-A29E768B70D7@influxx.com> References: In-Reply-To: To: After Effects Mail List X-Mailer: iPad Mail (15G77) --Apple-Mail-C27ADEB6-986F-4016-B6DE-2793A826641E Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Well after two days testing and experimenting with the different softwares, I= had to pass on the project. Nothing was working and I didn=E2=80=99t have t= ime to do a deep dive learn on this. Either I=E2=80=99ve become seriously la= me in my old age or software companies have become bloody lazy in their tech= nical documentation. I=E2=80=99m sure it=E2=80=99s a bit of both. My head is= spinning with so much useless UI explanation I can=E2=80=99t see straight. I= t=E2=80=99s so dry and unhelpful. And poorly translated. Photoshop works rea= lly great, to a point, then stops. The others are just so obtuse it was impo= ssible to get anything near acceptable results and lack all the color correc= tion tools I=E2=80=99m used to.=20 I=E2=80=99d love to get up to speed so I can not be so sucky the next t8me a= round so if anyone can point me in the direction of better learning resource= s on either PTGui or AutoPano. Or maybe it=E2=80=99s true old dogs can=E2=80= =99t learn new tricks. Considering I=E2=80=99m completely self taught in eve= ry 2D 3D audio and video program, that=E2=80=99s a turn for worse. Sigh Cheers Adam Sent from my iPad > On Aug 1, 2018, at 10:39 AM, Adam Mercado wrote:= >=20 > Steven, Nick, Brian >=20 > Thanks all for swift responses.=20 >=20 > I had downloaded demos of PTGui and AutoPanoPro but tried Photoshop first a= s I already have it, it=E2=80=99s free and I know it. I am playing with APP n= ow, but PTG is about the same price so that=E2=80=99s not a factor. It=E2=80= =99s not as straightforward as PS but there=E2=80=99s video lessons at least= .=20 >=20 > As far as the nodal ninja is concerned I=E2=80=99ve heard Alex Lindsay dis= cuss these in the past. In this case I think it=E2=80=99s overkill. I=E2=80=99= m not about to invest in something I=E2=80=99ll likely only use once. If thi= s client calls back and I do these regularly then it will become something I= =E2=80=99ll need.=20 >=20 > FWIW the PS stitching within the edges is brilliant. No complaints at all.= It=E2=80=99s unfortunate that it falls short in other areas (the full 360).= And that=E2=80=99s what really chaps my hide about Adobe these days/years. W= e are forced to pay every month for gimmicks and half baked features month a= fter month, but real tools or real performance updates are few and far betwe= en. They add so called features like Photomerge, but we end up having to go b= uy other software anyway. I wish they would do away with creative cloud and l= et us choose if we want to upgrade or not. Give them a proper incentive to p= roduce tools we need and can use. >=20 > Tangential rant over, thanks for the ideas. > Adam >=20 > Sent from my iPad >=20 >> On Aug 1, 2018, at 9:37 AM, Stephen van Vuuren w= rote: >>=20 >> We did a tremendous amount of panoramic stitching for my giant screen fil= m and stopped using Photoshop early in the game. Although the UI is not exac= tly modern, PT Gui puts all other apps to shame that we tested a few years a= go. Plus has blazing GPU acceleration and good user community and the viewer= works very well. >> =20 >> Best, >> =20 >> stephen van vuuren >> 336.202.4777 >> =20 >> http://www.insaturnsrings.com/ >> http://www.sv2studios.com/ >> http://www.sv2dcp.com/ >> =20 >> A film is =E2=80=93 or should be =E2=80=93 more like music than like fict= ion. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what=E2=80= =99s behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later. >> =E2=80=93Stanley Kubrick >> =20 >> From: After Effects Mail List =20 >> Sent: Wednesday, August 1, 2018 12:32 PM >> To: After Effects Mail List >> Subject: Re: [AE] [OT] Photoshop Panoramic 360 imaging >> =20 >> I use a Nodal Ninja like the one linked along with a program called PT Gu= i for my pano work, but I shoot them CG/HDR usage. To get rid of your seam, t= ry the offset filter in Photoshop. Offset it to reveal the seam in your ima= ge, clone it out, then offset it back by the original amount and you should b= e good to go. >> =20 >> It has a heavy CG bent, but I learned how to do all this stuff from this b= ook, which is great: >> http://www.hdrlabs.com/book/ >> =20 >> -b >> =20 >> On Wed, Aug 1, 2018 at 11:07 AM Nick Fox-Gieg w= rote: >> Try Mettle tools that were recently integrated into AE--that should give y= ou a way to get your logo into an equirect without distortion, and also a re= liable way to view the result.=20 >> =20 >> As for creating better panoramas, that's a huge question, and as much abo= ut hardware as software. I'd say (except via photogrammetry) you can't do go= od 360 video or stereo panoramas with a DSLR or ball-of-GoPros, no matter ho= w many of them you have. You need a purpose-built 360 camera--here's a bit m= ore detail on why: >> https://developers.google.com/vr/jump/rendering-ods-content.pdf >> =20 >> However for a mono still panorama, which sounds like your situation, ther= e's a much simpler solution--one regular DSLR with a NPP ("No Parallax Point= ") tripod mount like this:=20 >> https://shop.nodalninja.com/nn3-mk3-series/ >>=20 >> Nick >> =20 >> On Wed, Aug 1, 2018 at 11:46 AM, Adam Mercado w= rote: >> Hi gang, this is not an after effects problem, but the great minds in thi= s group probably have some experience here that I can tap into. >>=20 >> Got a request from a new client to produce a 360 image built from photos I= shoot with their logo added in. I did a bit of google research and spent y= esterday afternoon shooting some test shots in my back garden. I brought the= se shots into Photoshop and used Photomerge to combine them into (a) a cylin= drical map and (b) a spherical map. I added a logo to the long flat combined= image, but when viewed in the 3D viewer there were some problems.=20 >>=20 >> 1. The image is squished horizontally so everything is tall and narrow. O= bviously a no go where client logos are concerned. The settings in the dialo= g box to view the pano seem to have no relevance here as changing them made n= o difference to the results.=20 >>=20 >> 2. The ends of the pano do not blend like the middle shots do, creating a= distinct seam at one point of the 360 pano. I shot ten images, left to righ= t, overlapping 30-40% each side. Files are named 1-10 and added to the Photo= merge panel in that order. Photomerge then sets image 5 as the first layer a= nd blends all the others in sequence, even wrapping around from 10 back to 1= in my shots. It does not wrap the =E2=80=98ends=E2=80=99 of the image creat= ing a seamless 360, which turns out to be images 5 and 6.=20 >>=20 >> 3. In the Adobe help page for Photomerge it suggests having a top/bottom o= r ceiling/floor images to create 360 x 180 pano, but never gives the steps t= o do this. Also, the menu item in the help page does not correspond to the v= ersion of Photoshop I have (19.4.1 if I recall). It=E2=80=99s CC2018 and I=E2= =80=99m sure the latest update >>=20 >> I also downloaded some free pano shots from wpanorama.com to test with Ph= otoshop 3D viewer, and while the 360 wrap was seamless the horizontal squish= was still present. So, why are my photos not wrapping properly, how can I f= ix or ensure better shots? And is the Adobe 3D viewer just bunk and I should= try something more reliable? >>=20 >> Any ideas of where to look or what other app to use to pull off this job m= assively welcome. My first foray into anything VR so it=E2=80=99s a bit of a= learning curve, which is fine, but every how-to page I=E2=80=99ve found jus= t makes it sound bing-bang-boom easy as pie you=E2=80=99re done.=20 >>=20 >> I can supply files if anyone=E2=80=99s that interested >>=20 >> Thx >> Adam >>=20 >> Sent from my iPad >>=20 >> +---End of message---+ >> To unsubscribe send any message to >> =20 >>=20 >> =20 >> -- >> brian higgins | creative director >> Flavor >> ny =E2=80=A2 chicago =E2=80=A2 la =E2=80=A2 detroit =E2=80=A2 tokyo >> 312.706.5500 >> brian.higgins@flavor.tv >> flavor.tv >> =20 --Apple-Mail-C27ADEB6-986F-4016-B6DE-2793A826641E Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Well after two days testing and experimenti= ng with the different softwares, I had to pass on the project. Nothing was w= orking and I didn=E2=80=99t have time to do a deep dive learn on this. Eithe= r I=E2=80=99ve become seriously lame in my old age or software companies hav= e become bloody lazy in their technical documentation. I=E2=80=99m sure it=E2= =80=99s a bit of both. My head is spinning with so much useless UI explanati= on I can=E2=80=99t see straight. It=E2=80=99s so dry and unhelpful. And poor= ly translated. Photoshop works really great, to a point, then stops. The oth= ers are just so obtuse it was impossible to get anything near acceptable res= ults and lack all the color correction tools I=E2=80=99m used to. 
=
I=E2=80=99d love to get up to speed so I can not be so sucky t= he next t8me around so if anyone can point me in the direction of better lea= rning resources on either PTGui or AutoPano. Or maybe it=E2=80=99s true old d= ogs can=E2=80=99t learn new tricks. Considering I=E2=80=99m completely self t= aught in every 2D 3D audio and video program, that=E2=80=99s a turn for wors= e. Sigh

Cheers
Adam

Sent from my iPad

On Aug 1, 2018, at 10:39 AM= , Adam Mercado <AE-List@media-= motion.tv> wrote:

Steven, Ni= ck, Brian

Thanks all for swift responses. 

I had downloaded demos of PTGui and AutoPanoPro but tried Ph= otoshop first as I already have it, it=E2=80=99s free and I know it. I am pl= aying with APP now, but PTG is about the same price so that=E2=80=99s not a f= actor. It=E2=80=99s not as straightforward as PS but there=E2=80=99s video l= essons at least. 

As far as the nodal ninja is= concerned I=E2=80=99ve heard Alex Lindsay discuss these in the past. In thi= s case I think it=E2=80=99s overkill. I=E2=80=99m not about to invest in som= ething I=E2=80=99ll likely only use once. If this client calls back and I do= these regularly then it will become something I=E2=80=99ll need. 

FWIW the PS stitching within the edges is brilliant. No= complaints at all. It=E2=80=99s unfortunate that it falls short in other ar= eas (the full 360). And that=E2=80=99s what really chaps my hide about Adobe= these days/years. We are forced to pay every month for gimmicks and half ba= ked features month after month, but real tools or real performance updates a= re few and far between. They add so called features like Photomerge, but we e= nd up having to go buy other software anyway. I wish they would do away with= creative cloud and let us choose if we want to upgrade or not. Give them a p= roper incentive to produce tools we need and can use.

Tangential rant over, thanks for the ideas.
Adam

Sent from my iPad

On Aug 1, 2018, at 9= :37 AM, Stephen van Vuuren <AE= -List@media-motion.tv> wrote:

=

We did a tremendous amount of panoramic stitching for= my giant screen film and stopped using Photoshop early in the game. Althoug= h the UI is not exactly modern, PT Gui puts all other apps to shame that we t= ested a few years ago. Plus has blazing GPU acceleration and good user community and the viewer works very w= ell.

 

Best,

 

stephen van vuuren=

336.202.4777

 

http://www.insaturnsrings.com/

http://www.sv2studios.com/

http://www.sv2dcp.com/

 

A film is =E2=80=93 or sh= ould be =E2=80=93 more like music than like fiction. It should be a progress= ion of moods and feelings. The theme, what=E2=80=99s behind the emotion, the= meaning, all that comes later.

=E2=80=93Stanley Kubrick<= /span>

 

From: After Effects Mail List <AE-List@media-motion.tv>
Sent: Wednesday, August 1, 2018 12:32 PM
To: After Effects Mail List <AE-List@media-motion.tv>
Subject: Re: [AE] [OT] Photoshop Panoramic 360 imaging

=

 

I use a Nodal Ninja like the one linked along with a p= rogram called PT Gui for my pano work, but I shoot them CG/HDR usage. To get= rid of your seam, try the offset filter in Photoshop.  Offset it to re= veal the seam in your image, clone it out, then offset it back by the original amount and you should be good t= o go.

 

It has a heavy CG bent, but I learned how to do all t= his stuff from this book, which is great:

 

-b

 

On Wed, Aug 1, 2018 at 11:07 AM Nick Fox-Gieg <AE-List@media-motion.tv> wrote= :

Try Mettle tools that were recently integrated into A= E--that should give you a way to get your logo into an equirect without dist= ortion, and also a reliable way to view the result. 

 

As for creating better panoramas, that's a huge quest= ion, and as much about hardware as software. I'd say (except via photogramme= try) you can't do good 360 video or stereo panoramas with a DSLR or ball-of-= GoPros, no matter how many of them you have. You need a purpose-built 360 camera--here's a bit more detail on w= hy:

 

However for a mono still panorama, which sounds like y= our situation, there's a much simpler solution--one regular DSLR with a NPP (= "No Parallax Point") tripod mount like this: 


Nick

 

On Wed, Aug 1, 2018 at 11:46 AM, Adam Mercado <AE-List@media-motio= n.tv> wrote:

Hi gang, this is not an after effects problem, but th= e great minds in this group probably have some experience here that I can ta= p into.

Got a request from a new client to produce a 360 image built from photos I s= hoot with their logo added in.  I did a bit of google research and spen= t yesterday afternoon shooting some test shots in my back garden. I brought t= hese shots into Photoshop and used Photomerge to combine them into (a) a cylindrical map and (b) a spherical m= ap. I added a logo to the long flat combined image, but when viewed in the 3= D viewer there were some problems.

1. The image is squished horizontally so everything is tall and narrow. Obvi= ously a no go where client logos are concerned. The settings in the dialog b= ox to view the pano seem to have no relevance here as changing them made no d= ifference to the results.

2. The ends of the pano do not blend like the middle shots do, creating a di= stinct seam at one point of the 360 pano. I shot ten images, left to right, o= verlapping 30-40% each side. Files are named 1-10 and added to the Photomerg= e panel in that order. Photomerge then sets image 5 as the first layer and blends all the others in sequence,= even wrapping around from 10 back to 1 in my shots. It does not wrap the =E2= =80=98ends=E2=80=99 of the image creating a seamless 360, which turns out to= be images 5 and 6.

3. In the Adobe help page for Photomerge it suggests having a top/bottom or c= eiling/floor images to create 360 x 180 pano, but never gives the steps to d= o this. Also, the menu item in the help page does not correspond to the vers= ion of Photoshop I have (19.4.1 if I recall). It=E2=80=99s CC2018 and I=E2=80=99m sure the latest update
I also downloaded some free pano shots from wpanorama.com to test with Photoshop 3D viewer, and while the 360 wrap w= as seamless the horizontal squish was still present. So, why are my photos n= ot wrapping properly, how can I fix or ensure better shots? And is the Adobe= 3D viewer just bunk and I should try something more reliable?

Any ideas of where to look or what other app to use to pull off this job mas= sively welcome. My first foray into anything VR so it=E2=80=99s a bit of a l= earning curve, which is fine, but every how-to page I=E2=80=99ve found just m= akes it sound bing-bang-boom easy as pie you=E2=80=99re done.

I can supply files if anyone=E2=80=99s that interested

Thx
Adam

Sent from my iPad

+---End of message---+
To unsubscribe send any message to <ae-list-off@media-motion.tv>

 


 

--

brian higgins | cre= ative director

Flavor<= /o:p>

ny =E2=80=A2 chicag= o =E2=80=A2 la =E2=80=A2 detroit =E2=80=A2 tokyo

312.706.5500=

brian.higgins@flavor.tv=

flavor.tv

 

= --Apple-Mail-C27ADEB6-986F-4016-B6DE-2793A826641E--