Stitching software

[Chillinbro07]

I just ordered my NN5 so I have no idea which software to use. Could all of the bright minds here help to compile a KISS (keep it simple stupid) comparison chart off the most popular stitching software and/or combinations there of? I know everyone has thier "goldenboy" but the obviously act differently and a choice from among them should be made by what you want to accomplish with them. Many thanks for your help!

~Chillinbro07

[Tri3]

You can get a demo of PTGui. You should find that that works great.

[Bill Bailey]

Photoshop seems to have such a generic stitching ability I guess the only reason it is so popular here is due to the fact many already have it.
With CS4 just released with greatly enhanced stitching capability it'll be interesting to see how many folks will go for the new version and rely on this as their primary stitching software. I've already heard of some weak points in the software.
Bill

[TackleTour]

Has anyone tried VR Worx 2.6 or later?

I tried demos of other programs but I want one app if possible that's good for Object VR and Pano VRs.

So far from my demos, PTGUI has been the best for pano VRs. Stitched a 6 photo room pano first time without issues (except the parallax issue I had because I was using a tripod without a pano head. Ordered a NN3 II this week, it's on it's way!)

[dlancaster]

Just discovered Microsoft ICE (Image Composite Editor). I had been using Autostitch for a lot of my pans but found that ICE did a much better job. As much as I hate to admit that Microsoft has done something really good, this program is definitely worth a look. Best of all, it is free!! It has a lot of features and allows you to manipulate the horizons or change the aspect quite easily.

http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/...roups/ivm/ICE/

[PrOxY]

I just picked up a Lic for AutopanoPro 1.4.2 and find it very easy to use.

[jwigum]

I just bought a NN3MII, and have been using Hugin for stitching, with Photoshop CS2 for adjustments after construction of the panorama. If I ever want to charge for these services I'll have to find a program with a professional license(Hugin does not allow for commercial work, if I recall correctly), but I think it uses a process similar to other major panorama stitching programs.

From what I can tell, most of these programs are GUI/front end for Panorama Tools... Anybody have some insight on that, and it's impact on professional(for profit) work?

I should note, I'm using a PC. It appears several of the coolest programs are set up for Mac/OS X only

[ok360tours.com]

I just bought a NN3MII, and have been using Hugin for stitching, with Photoshop CS2 for adjustments after construction of the panorama. If I ever want to charge for these services I'll have to find a program with a professional license(Hugin does not allow for commercial work, if I recall correctly), but I think it uses a process similar to other major panorama stitching programs.

From what I can tell, most of these programs are GUI/front end for Panorama Tools... Anybody have some insight on that, and it's impact on professional(for profit) work?

I should note, I'm using a PC. It appears several of the coolest programs are set up for Mac/OS X only

Jwigum, I think you are misreading the purposes of the Hugin and Panotools licenses. They are saying that no other entity can copy, modify, or put up for sale any version of their product, without their written approval. I am sure that any for-profit GUI for panotools is paying rights or has written consent to make use of the algorithms contained. This does not mean that you can't use it to produce products for commercial sale, so long as they are products of using Hugin and not variations of Hugin. In fact, what you said would be like saying that you cannot use your PC to create panoramas based on the copyrighting of Windows by Microsoft. As long as you don't take a Microsoft- or Hugin- product and sell it as a creation of yours then you are fine.

Programming code is intellectual property owned by the creator, much the same as the photographs you produce. When you "sell" your VTs commercially you are not, or rather should not, hand complete rights of them over to the client. Instead, common practice is to license the use of your intellectual property (photographs and VTs) for use by the client. This goes without saying that if a client was willing to pay extra for exclusive rights that you should not try to sell it to them, but in general practice you still "own" the VTs you produce for others.

Many programmers design applications like Panotools and Hugin simply for recognition and to showcase their talents, to bring in further clients. Much of the opensource projects you see are built on the premise that the attention begotten from it will lead to more business for the creators.

[Terrywoodenpic]

I just bought a NN3MII, and have been using Hugin for stitching, with Photoshop CS2 for adjustments after construction of the panorama. If I ever want to charge for these services I'll have to find a program with a professional license(Hugin does not allow for commercial work, if I recall correctly), but I think it uses a process similar to other major panorama stitching programs.

From what I can tell, most of these programs are GUI/front end for Panorama Tools... Anybody have some insight on that, and it's impact on professional(for profit) work?

I should note, I'm using a PC. It appears several of the coolest programs are set up for Mac/OS X only

ok360tours has it right... there is no restriction on the use of these programmes professionally....

The copyright in the front end of these programs is another matter and they are protected as is all software. so you could not sell the program as if it were yours.
Pano tools on which these programs are based is the copyright of Dr Dersh who has put them in the public domain.

[markkuk]

Jwigum, I think you are misreading the purposes of the Hugin and Panotools licenses. They are saying that no other entity can copy, modify, or put up for sale any version of their product, without their written approval.

The Hugin license says exactly the opposite: anyone can distribute original or modified versions of the software and use it for any purpose without any additional approval needed. The version of Panorama Tools used by Hugin is also under the GPL.

[jwigum]

Jwigum, I think you are misreading the purposes of the Hugin and Panotools licenses. They are saying that no other entity can copy, modify, or put up for sale any version of their product, without their written approval. I am sure that any for-profit GUI for panotools is paying rights or has written consent to make use of the algorithms contained. This does not mean that you can't use it to produce products for commercial sale, so long as they are products of using Hugin and not variations of Hugin. In fact, what you said would be like saying that you cannot use your PC to create panoramas based on the copyrighting of Windows by Microsoft. As long as you don't take a Microsoft- or Hugin- product and sell it as a creation of yours then you are fine.

Programming code is intellectual property owned by the creator, much the same as the photographs you produce. When you "sell" your VTs commercially you are not, or rather should not, hand complete rights of them over to the client. Instead, common practice is to license the use of your intellectual property (photographs and VTs) for use by the client. This goes without saying that if a client was willing to pay extra for exclusive rights that you should not try to sell it to them, but in general practice you still "own" the VTs you produce for others.

Many programmers design applications like Panotools and Hugin simply for recognition and to showcase their talents, to bring in further clients. Much of the opensource projects you see are built on the premise that the attention begotten from it will lead to more business for the creators.

Yeah, I most certainly misread the license for both Hugin and Panotools. I read over the licenses again, and am not really sure how I made the confusion. That should teach me to try to learn about something while being home sick from work.

[jmardy]

I answered PTGui as well as Autopano Pro. PTGui being a thing of the past. A couple of months ago I tried Autopano Pro for the first time and now I have to admit I can't afford not to use it anymore. It brings the fun back to panorama making since it detects control points so much better, it directly reads raw camera files and it makes tedious tasks like straightening vertical lines and deleting the feet of the photographer from the nadir so much easier

Another enthusiastic vote for Autopano Pro.
I hadn't heard of it until I saw this poll but I tried it, along with almost everything else on this list and it is truly a brilliant program.
There are some very good tutorial videos here:
http://www.autopano.net/wiki/action/view/Main_Page

[Terrywoodenpic]

These are two progress shots of a new build pub cellar 144 FOV
the first is the new Max Lyons Recti perspective.. unique to ptAssembler




The second is the same shot in the usual cylindrical projection

[John Houghton]

These are two progress shots of a new build pub cellar 144 FOV
the first is the new Max Lyons Recti perspective.. unique to ptAssembler

The same projection is available in PTGui but called Vedutismo. (As of V8.1beta2).

John

[gt_nninja]

I tried Autopano Pro but it renders my 360x180 with a squiggly horizon. It has a much better control point creator but this squiggly horizon thing is a deal breaker. I'm still playing with doing a 360x180 and am having some issues with hugin's auto control point detection. I must be doing something wrong in APP. I like the APP's feature where it will allow you to render bracketed shots separately and enfuse the resulting pano afterwards.