QuickTime VR
Encyclopedia
QuickTime VR is a type of image file format developed by Apple Inc. for QuickTime
. It allows the creation and viewing of photographically-captured panorama
s and the exploration of objects through images taken at multiple viewing angles. It functions as a plugin for the standalone QuickTime Player, as well as working as a plugin for the QuickTime Web browser
plugin.
They can be "stitched" together from several normal photographs or 2 images taken with a circular fisheye lens
, or captured with specialized panoramic cameras, or rendered from 3D-modeled scenes.
There are two type of VR Panorama:
VR Panoramas are further divided into those that include the top and bottom, called cubic or spherical panoramas, those that do not are usually called cylindrical.
A single panorama, or node is captured from a single point in space. Several nodes and object movies can be linked together to allow a viewer to move from one location to another. Such multinode QuickTime VR movies are called scenes.
Apple's QuickTime VR file format has two representations for panoramic nodes:
Each of these are typically subdivided or tiled into several smaller images, and stored in a special kind of QuickTime movie file, which requires the QuickTime plugin.
Hot spots can be embedded into the panorama, which when selected can invoke some action, for example moving to another panorama node.
The simplest type of Object VRs to capture are single row, typically captured around the equator of an object. This is normally facilitated by a rotating turntable. The object is placed on the turntable, and photographed at equal angular increments (usually 10°) from a camera mounted on a tripod
.
Capturing a multi-row object movie requires a more elaborate setup for capturing images, because the camera must be tilted above and below the equator of the object at several tilt angles.
The image source does not have to be photographic. 3D renderings or drawings can be used.
QuickTime
QuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
. It allows the creation and viewing of photographically-captured panorama
Panorama
A panorama is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography, film/video, or a three-dimensional model....
s and the exploration of objects through images taken at multiple viewing angles. It functions as a plugin for the standalone QuickTime Player, as well as working as a plugin for the QuickTime Web browser
Web browser
A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...
plugin.
Panoramas
VR Panoramas are panoramic images which surround the viewer with an environment (inside, looking out), yielding a sense of place.They can be "stitched" together from several normal photographs or 2 images taken with a circular fisheye lens
Fisheye lens
In photography, a fisheye lens is a wide-angle lens that takes in a broad, panoramic and hemispherical image. Originally developed for use in meteorology to study cloud formation and called "whole-sky lenses", fisheye lenses quickly became popular in general photography for their unique, distorted...
, or captured with specialized panoramic cameras, or rendered from 3D-modeled scenes.
There are two type of VR Panorama:
- Single row panoramas, with a single horizontal row of photographs.
- multi-row panoramas, with several rows of photographs taken at different tilt angles.
VR Panoramas are further divided into those that include the top and bottom, called cubic or spherical panoramas, those that do not are usually called cylindrical.
Apple's QuickTime VR file format has two representations for panoramic nodes:
- cylindrical (consisting of one 360° image wrapped around the viewer)
- cubic (consisting of a cube of six 90°x 90° images surrounding the viewerSkybox (video games)A skybox is a method of creating backgrounds to make a computer and video games level look bigger than it really is. When a skybox is used, the level is enclosed in a cuboid; and the sky, distant mountains, distant buildings, and other unreachable objects are projected onto the cube's faces , thus...
).
Each of these are typically subdivided or tiled into several smaller images, and stored in a special kind of QuickTime movie file, which requires the QuickTime plugin.
Hot spots can be embedded into the panorama, which when selected can invoke some action, for example moving to another panorama node.
Objects
In contrast to Panoramas, which are captured from one location looking out at various angles, objects are captured from many locations pointing in toward the same central object.The simplest type of Object VRs to capture are single row, typically captured around the equator of an object. This is normally facilitated by a rotating turntable. The object is placed on the turntable, and photographed at equal angular increments (usually 10°) from a camera mounted on a tripod
Tripod (photography)
In photography, a tripod is used to stabilize and elevate a camera, or to support flashes or other photographic equipment. All photographic tripods have three legs and a mounting head to couple with a camera...
.
Capturing a multi-row object movie requires a more elaborate setup for capturing images, because the camera must be tilted above and below the equator of the object at several tilt angles.
The image source does not have to be photographic. 3D renderings or drawings can be used.
See also
- Free viewpoint televisionFree viewpoint televisionFree viewpoint television is a system for viewing natural video, allowing the user to interactively control the viewpoint and generate new views of a dynamic scene from any 3D position....
- MotionVRMotionVRMotionVR is the name of a 3D imaging software application written by the programmer Jacob Uzon-Miller. The purpose of motionVR is to inexpensively and quickly create a photographic virtual tour of a real location. Another goal of the projects is to enable anybody with an internet connection to...
- Panoramic photographyPanoramic photographyPanoramic photography is a technique of photography, using specialized equipment or software, that captures images with elongated fields of view. It is sometimes known as wide format photography. The term has also been applied to a photograph that is cropped to a relatively wide aspect ratio...
- QuickTimeQuickTimeQuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
- Virtual tourVirtual TourA virtual tour is a simulation of an existing location, usually composed of a sequence of video images. They also may use other multimedia elements such as sound effects, music, narration, and text....
- VR photographyVR photographyVR photography, or virtual reality photography, is the interactive viewing of wide angle panoramic photographs, generally encompassing a 360 degree circle or a spherical view....