Introduction
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important note: the results obtained using this script are not perfect, in fact there's image
distortions that may become very apparent. In the future i may return and improve this ... but not soon |
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This script helps you create spherical background panorama images ( aka equirectangular )
When panoramas of this type are applied on gigantic spheres
and your camera is inside that sphere, you get the illusion of being
at the same location this image was taken ( it's like Google Streetview and Quicktime VR )
History
--------------- initial release
28 june 2015 10:53 am - V2 fixed a bug
The script is in a zip package is found at the bottom of this page
unzip it in your daz content folder, typically
C:\Program Files\DAZ\Studio\content\
or
C:\Program Files (x86)\DAZ\Studio\content\
once installed, it will appear in your content library, under Studio / Scripts / mcasual
or
C:\Users\Public\Documents\My DAZ 3D Library\
once installed, it will appear in your content library, under My DAZ 3D Library / Scripts / mcasual
Pre-requisite 1 : imagemagick
You must install the imagemagick utilities ( just what they call the binaries ) on your PC
http://www.imagemagick.org/script/binary-releases.php
we only need the convert.exe and the montage.exe utilities
Personally i always install them in c:\imagemagick
but C:\Program Files\ImageMagick is also good
Then, at least once, you must run the mcjSphericalCam script
use the "Location of imagemagick" button
then browse to and select c:\imagemagick\convert.exe
pre-requisite 2 : mcjSqueeze
Actually this is optional, but the results are greatly improved if you install/use this
Install the mcjSqueeze.exe in the same folder where imagemagick's convert.exe utility is installed
Use
Create a camera, and select it. Make it your current view camera
While we're learning to use the script, preferable to set the Timeline's current frame to frame 0
Launch the script.
This script can animate the camera so that it scans the entire surface of an imaginary sphere around it
Usually you will set it up so that it covers the sphere in 72 camera poses ( 12 columns by 6 rows ) or 128 camera poses ( 16 columns by 8 rows )
For our example, set the "Horizontal tiles" slider to 12
The number of rows is always half of that: 6. So there will be 72 image tiles
Step 1 - Focus
This system only works if the focal length ( or field of vision ) is properly set up
You can use the "Auto Focal Length" button and the script will adjust your camera's focal length to an ideal focal length.
standard focal lengths are
Horizontal tiles : 16 ( 22.5 degrees )
Focal length at most : 83 mm.
FOV is 23.8121 degrees.
Horizontal tiles : 12 ( 30 degrees )
The focal length at most: 61 mm.
FOV 32.0148 degrees.
Step 2 - Animate the camera
"Click the "Animate Camera" button
The script created 72 poses for your camera ( starting at frame 0 if that's where you were )
Step 3 - Render your tiles
Exit the script
Render the 72 frames, as 72 images ( not as a movie file ), the only restriction is that the images must be square
if you use a rendered image size of 512 x 512 pixels
then the resulting panorama at the end of the process will be 12x6 x 512 x 512 ..... 6144 by 3072 pixels
Step 4 - stretch the tiles - Option A - Using mcjSqueeze ( Recommended )
Select your camera again
launch the script
( remember you were supposed to install mcjSqueeze in the same folder as imagemagic's convert utility )
click the "Create stretcher.bat" button
you will then be asked to select an image from your series of 72 renders
then you will be asked for the name to be given to your batch file
This batch file must be created in the same folder as the images
we suggest the name stretcher.bat
you can launch this batch file "manually" by double-left-clicking on it in Windows Explorer
or you can launch it by clicking the "Run Stretcher.bat" button
if your rendered images were named pic00.jpg, pic01.jpg ... pic71.jpg
then you will see 72 pictures appear in the same folder with the names
out_pic00.jpg, out_pic01.jpg ... out_pic71.jpg
The script with the help of the mcjSqueeze.exe utility, cropped and stretched just the useful areas of the rendered tiles
Step 4 - stretch the tiles - Option B - Using convert.exe ( not recommended )
this method uses an approximation of the tile shapes, the resulting mozaic is quite defective
click the "Create cropStretch.bat" button
you will then be asked to select an image from your series of 72 renders
then you will be asked for the name to be given to your batch file
This file must be created in the same disk folder as the images
we suggest the name cropstretch.bat
you can launch this batch file "manually" by double-left-clicking on it in Windows Explorer
or you can launch it by clicking the "Run CropStretch.bat" button
if your rendered images were named pic00.jpg, pic01.jpg ... pic71.jpg
then you will see 72 pictures appear in the same folder with the names
out_pic00.jpg, out_pic01.jpg ... out_pic71.jpg
The script with the help of the ImageMagick utility, cropped and stretched just the useful areas of the rendered tiles
Step 5 - Assemble the panorama-mosaic
Click the "Create montage.bat" button
you will then be asked to select an image from your series of 72 cropped and stretched images
the image out_pic00.jpg for example
then you will be asked for the name to be given to your batch file
This file must be created in the same disk folder as the images
we suggest the name montage.bat
you can launch montage.bat "manually" by double-left-clicking on it in Windows Explorer
or you can launch it by clicking the "Run montage.bat" button
and there should now be a big panoramic image in the folder !
Notes about mcjSqueeze.exe
( this section is for the not-yet-published version 3 of mcjSphericalCam )
You don't really need to know this, but FYI the command line format for mcjSqueeze is
mcjSqueeze.exe VSlices tileY FOV fileIn fileOut
