Spherical panorama (virtual panorama, 3D panorama) is one of the types of panoramic photography. It is intended primarily for display on a computer (using special software). Spherical panorama used primarily for showing on the computer using special software.

The basis of a spherical panorama is assembled from several separate frames of a spherical image in a spherical (equidistant, equilateral, spherical) or cubic projection. A characteristic feature of spherical panoramas is the maximum possible viewing angle of space (360 × 180 degrees).

One of the advantages of viewing 3D panoramas compared to ordinary photos is the effect of presence. It seems that you personally were in this place. You can visit places where you have never been, using spherical panoramas.

There are many possibilities for using spherical panoramas. This is the creation on their basis of virtual tours of the beautiful places and attractions of different countries, museums. A good advertising move may be the use of 3D panoramas to attract even more attention to cafes, restaurants and hotels. Looking at such panoramas on their own computer, visitors have the opportunity to virtually visit these places.

Another type of commercial activity in which you can use the possibilities of spherical panoramas are the services of selling or renting commercial and private real estate. Real estate agencies can use spherical panoramas to advertise the sale or rental of real estate. Spherical real estate panoramas will be another argument in favor of the client choosing your offer.

Equidistant projection of spherical panorama

An example of a spherical panorama image file is in equidistant projection. Aspect ratio 2:1.

Panorama example.

Due to the fact that the spherical projection introduces certain distortions in the image (especially in the upper and lower parts), spherical panoramas are never displayed in print or as a regular graphic file. The website truevirtualtours.com performs viewing of spherical panoramas in equidistant projection using HTML technologies. The viewer sees the illusion of presence inside the sphere, on the inner surface of which the image of the surrounding space “stretches”. At the same time, optical distortions (spherical aberrations) are not visible.

Stitching spherical 3D panorama

Today there are devices (cameras, smartphones, tablet computers) that independently collect images into a spherical panorama. However, to create high-quality panoramas, it is recommended to shoot on a digital camera, and then stitch individual frames using special computer programs. The choice of these programs is quite wide:

• Kolor Autopano
• PTGui
• Panorama Tools
• Hugin
• Autodesk Realviz Stitcher
• PTAssembler
• PTStitcher NG

If your spherical panorama is ready, you can upload it to the website truevirtualtours.com The website truevirtualtours.com has management tools that allow you to change the viewing direction (up-down, left-right), as well as zoom in or out. The viewer sees the place where the photos were taken as if he himself was there.

Cubic projection of a spherical panorama

After stitching the original photos into one image, the spherical panorama is usually an equidistant projection. The 3D image of a spherical panorama is as if it unrolled on a plane. Equidistant projection is not interactive. In some cases, to view a spherical 3D panorama on a computer screen, it must be converted to a cubic (VR) projection.

You can change the spherical panorama of an equidistant projection into a cubic one on the website truevirtualtours.com. Although you can use the website truevirtualtours.com as a free online converter of spherical 3D panoramas from equidistant projection to cubic one, first of all, the website truevirtualtours.com is free hosting of 3D panoramas. In addition, customers of 3D panoramas will be able to find here a photographer who will prepare a spherical panorama, and photographers can find here orders for the production of 3D panoramas and virtual tours.

Start working with truevirtualtours.com very simple. Check out a short video about how to very quickly and simply place an interactive spherical panorama on your website.