Interactive Panoramas: Techniques for Digital Panoramic Photography (X.media.publishing) [Hardcover]

Corinna Jacobs (Author), J. Parrish (Translator)

Book Description

Series: X.media.publishing | Publication Date: November 18, 2004

Explores the range of techniques for the production of digital interactive panoramas and object movies Details of all the necessary steps involved in panoramic photography Professional tips and tricks from a professional photographer and web designer

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the reviewers: "Written in a comprehensive, yet easy-to-understand format, this book details all of the necessary steps … . This book introduces the concept of producing cylindrical and spherical panoramas … . This useful information adds an exciting dimension to panoramic photography and leads to high-quality results that speak for themselves." (Photo Life, July, 2005)

From the Back Cover

Panoramas have a captivating effect in almost every application imaginable: whether they are integrated in a personal homepage or professionally used in architecture, in museums or in company or product presentations. Written in a comprehensive, yet easy-to-understand format, this book details all of the necessary steps involved in panoramic photography: from the production of digital and analog picture sequences, to "stitching" using appropriate software tools, all the way to publishing interactive panoramas on the Internet. The book introduces the concept of producing cylindrical and spherical panoramas and explains how to link individual panoramas to create virtual tours. The production of interactive object presentations - or so-called object movies - also is described. Software products that receive mention include REALVIZ Stitcher, VR Worx and PanoTools, with attention also being paid to Internet publication using QuickTime VR, PTViewer, VRML, iPIX and other panorama viewers. Regardless if the digital pictures are taken with a panoramic camera, a fisheye lens or using the single row or multi-row technique: this book offers practical tips and tricks for every alternative. Detailed comparisons of the individual techniques make it easier to decide on the appropriate method for specific goals. This useful information adds an exciting dimension to panoramic photography and leads to high quality results that speak for themselves.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 262 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 1 edition (November 18, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3540211403
• ISBN-13: 978-3540211402
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,754,985 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing in approach. Vastly overpriced., July 10, 2005

By 

Jerry Saperstein (Evanston, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Interactive Panoramas: Techniques for Digital Panoramic Photography (X.media.publishing) (Hardcover)

I sincerely wish Corinna Jacobs had tried a bit harder or had a different publisher and editor because this book could have been a classic.

Jacobs attempts to provide a comprehensive overview of digital panoramic photography. Unfortunately that's precisely what she does. The book is long on overview, some of it of no interest to the average photographer. The sections on $20,000 panoramic imaging systems could easily have been eliminated. Where she describes techniques of panoramic photography and, more importantly, putting the panorama together, the sparsity of detail takes it toll. In the end there is littl, if any, information here that you couldn't find on the web or in the Help files that accompany the stitching software she speaks of.

While "Interactive Panoramas" could serve as a passable reference manual, the price of over $50 rules this out. I would pay not more than $25 for this book and even that would be a stretch. I suspect this book is intended as a college text: my heart goes out to those who are forced to expend their limited budgets on this book.

Hopefully, Ms. Jacobs will find the opportunity to expound on the subject for O'Reilly or another publisher with a different, better attitude toward the reader. I am sure she knows the subject and has much valuable insight to impart: but it just doesn't happen in "Interactive Panoramas."

Jerry

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the whole world of digital panoramic photography, December 26, 2004

By 

Luca Vascon "Luca Vascon" (Venice, Italy.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Interactive Panoramas: Techniques for Digital Panoramic Photography (X.media.publishing) (Hardcover)

Software manuals come and go, as fast as software versions. This is not the case.
This book is quite unique, is one-of-a-kind, an "all ways and softwares existing to do this" manual.
But not only. Is a book on immersive imaging itself, leading the reader through the whole process, from taking the pictures to the final way to show them, in presentations or over the web.
The amazing thing is that quite all workflows are considered, with any kind of camera, hadrware, software and result combination. Any software has his own detailed and exaustive explanation, its features etcetera.
A vademecum, able to lead you in the world of creating panoramas and VR objects, even if you do not know anything about it. But it is so complete that even an expert can use it as reference. Simple language, very good diagrams, pictures, snapshots and explanation, and very tidy and clear.
Well, it is like a complete surfing on the net, through thousand pages, tutorials, links and bonus, trying to understand how these tings works, plus some months trying to make work many software demos. All this work is done and put in a tidy form for you, in this book. And it is something that remains, over the aging of softwares, since it gives you all the informations and links you need to stay up to date.

Dr. Luca Vascon
Teacher in immersive imaging technologies.
IUAV University of Venice, Italy.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction for true novices, September 5, 2005

By 

Christopher Glick (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Interactive Panoramas: Techniques for Digital Panoramic Photography (X.media.publishing) (Hardcover)

Yes, this is an expensive book, and it probably is meant as a textbook (and would be a decent one), but if you are a true photo novice seeking to get involved with interactive panorama photography, this is fairly cheap once you consider the money you will likely eventually spend for camera, lens(es), software, tripod, and panohead. By putting in one place much information you could cull for free from various sources on the Internet (namely, software reviews, analog vs. digital camera comparisons, nodal point, lenses, and codecs), this book might help you make better choices when it comes time to buy your equipment and start shooting and stitching. For the absolute beginner, 4 stars.

This book covers much software, for both Windows and Macintosh, quite thoroughly in terms of its operation (however, software development cycles will probably soon render this section of the book out-of-date). However, for Mac users, it omits the software from Click Here Design.

If you've already shot a few panoramas, even bad ones, this book will offer you little benefit (2 stars). Case in point: I use "VR Worx 2.6" and feel that software's manual provides almost as much information as this book, which in fact covers "VR Worx 2.5." I was looking for tips, techniques, ideas, and examples when I bought this book, but that's not really what I found in it.