Different Virtual Tour Formats

Once your 360 degree panoramic image (virtual tour) has been created by either single-row or multi-row stitching (a technique to merge images together) of several photographs together, in either cylindrical, spherical or cubic projection using stitching software, the picture needs to loaded in a viewer.

Virtual Tour Formats

The following are virtual tour formats:

  1. Java.
  2. QTVR (Quick Time Virtual Reality).
  3. Adobe Flash.
  4. IPIX Virtual Tour.
  5. Macromedia Shockwave w3d Virtual Tour
  6. VRML.
  7. X3D.

Differences Between Virtual Tour Formats

  1. Java.  Java is built in every personal computer and does not require additional software. However, it does not work very well with some of the older Mac computers. When you go to a web page, there is a small program called applet that is sent to your computer which plays the virtual tour. When you are finished, the applet goes away.  Java tours load quicker than QTVR (Quick Time Virtual Realty) tours.
  2. Apple’s Quick Time Virtual Realty (QVTR). QTVR is a free software download available at Apple’s website and is installed in every Mac as well as many Windows applications. It works well with both PC’s and Macs. QTVR tends to create a more integrated experience and a better image quality for the user.
  3. Adobe Flash.  Since over 90% of computers have Adobe Flash installed, it is easy for viewers to use. The major benefit of Adobe Flash is that you can now integrate flash tours with a flash movie.
  4. IPIX is proprietary to IPEX only. Bubble tour with the effect of stepping inside the picture and looking around. Works well with high quality images, voiceovers and music.
  5. Macromedia Shockwave w3d Virtual Tour. Displays, manipulates and outputs three-dimensional models.
  6. VRML.  Allows viewers to display three-dimensional values.
  7. X3D.  File is available through XML editing applications. 3d applications.

Virtual Tour Projection Types

  1. Flat and planar projection.   Allows you to pan left and right without immersive feeling.
  2. Cylindrical projection. Most common format.  Allows you to pan left and right with immersive feeling. Viewed as if curved around inside of a cylinder.
  3. Spherical. Allows you to pan left, right, straight up and down with immersive feeling like being inside a sphere.
  4. Cubic.  Apple QuickTime 5 made this popular. Allows you to pan left, right straight up and down.  Allows images to be edited and modified easier with editing software because there is no distortion.

Okanagan Virtual Tours

For all tours created by Okanagan Virtual Tours in Kelowna use both Java and Flash. We have our player setup so that it will try to load a Java version of the virtual tour by default, but if your computer doesnt support Java, or if its too slow, it will load a Flash player. With the two Virtual Tour players working in tandem it is the best possible setup to allow the highest percent of users to see the tour. The chances are extremely slim that a potential client will not have Java OR Flash on their computer.