Cutting And Stitching 360 Degree Rasters For 180 Degree Projection
Overview of 360 Degree Raster Projections
360 degree rasters, also known as panoramic images, are photographic images with a 360 degree field of view horizontally and 180 degree field of view vertically. These wide angle images wrap around the viewer to provide an immersive experience, allowing the viewer to look in any direction just as they would in real life.
360 degree rasters have applications in areas like real estate, tourism, and event photography. They allow potential buyers and visitors to explore a location virtually and get a sense of actually being there. The ability to look around in all directions provides more spatial information and context compared to traditional photos. Additionally, interactive 360 content is highly engaging and memorable.
Compared to traditional images, 360 degree rasters reduce the number of photos required to capture an area which saves production time and cost. They also enable innovative presentation methods through digital viewers which allow panning, zooming, hotspots, and accompanying audio or media overlays. As virtual and augmented reality hardware continues to evolve, 360 imagery will play an important role providing immersive environments.
Preparing 360 Degree Rasters for Processing
Successfully cutting and stitching 360 degree rasters requires starting with high quality source panoramas. There are a variety of cameras available for capturing 360 imagery such as all-sky cameras with multiple lenses pointing in all directions. For professional results suitable for further processing, look for cameras that record very high resolution still photos greater than 50 megapixels.
Raw 360 degree images require post processing and projection corrections to correctly map pixels in the spherical image to a 2D raster. Most 360 camera apps automate equirectangular projections, but may introduce distortions especially near the poles. Manual corrections in photogrammetry software ensures accurate georeferencing critical for aligning imagery during cuts and stitches.
Tiling high resolution 360 degree rasters allows breaking extremely large images into more manageable sizes. The tiled pyramid structure also facilitates serving imagery efficiently across networks and the internet. There are no set standards, but aim for 256×256 or 512×512 pixel tiles levels following a 2x reduction scale.
Cutting 180 Degree Sections
Cutting a 180 degree wide section from a 360 degree raster requires first identifying the area of interest and desired viewing angle. This will determine the optimal vertical axis alignment to minimize distortion. Account for vertical edges later in stitching to create a seamless transition between the cut edges.
Specialized geomask tools in photogrammetry software enable extracting precision 180 degree slices following geo coordinates or pixel dimensions specifications. Feathering masks reduce any edge effects along the cut lines. Check that enough overlap is retained between slices to allow proper stitching correspondence.
Pay close attention to cut line positions across tile boundaries which may have slight discontinuities not visible at lower resolutions. The extracted 180 degree raster edges should align near seamlessly with no missing pixels between pieces.
Stitching 180 Panoramas
Arranging the generated 180 degree cut pieces sequentially in an image editor provides the foundation for stitching a cohesive panorama. Some pairing and alternating of opposing edges may help blend any color differences and create smoother transitions.
Software stitching tools analyze pixel data along cut edges to algorithmically align and blend pieces into a single image. Proper feathering and warping configurations are essential to prevent noticeable seams or distortions. Minor manual nudging can supplement auto-alignment in problematic regions.
Exporting the final stitched 180 degree panorama with a compressed GeoTIFF format retains georeferencing data and reduces file size for practical use compared to uncompressed rasters over 1 GB. The integrated raster can now be served for interactive viewing and exploration.
Displaying 180 Degree Views
360 degree raster viewers and related APIs are needed to take full advantage of the navigable wide angle perspective created by cutting and stitching processes. Viewers will handle spherical distortions allowing natural panning and zooming across the 180 degree field of view.
Additional interactivity can enhance experiences by overlaying informative hotspots pinned to locations across the scene. Integrating audio narration or linking to supplementary media adds more dimensions to virtual explorations. On-screen guides help orient users unfamiliar with manipulating 360 content.
With wide angle raster displays, seamlines become the most vulnerable area for visible stitching imperfections. Extra testing focus across transitions is advised to ensure no obvious misalignment or color differences remain from the stitching process. Careful work in earlier steps pays off with seamless displays.