Nodal Ninja 4

[Destiny]

Hi Heinz... I have my URS set at 83 on the increment shown on my QRS... By the way, what does URS mean..? I am using the Arca Style Quick Release System ASQRS2 ... I worked my settings from this web link...

http://wiki.panotools.org/Entrance_Pupil_Database

My Tripod mount height (H) is 42.8 mm - The QRS is 22mm wide from camera face to top rail face... The distance down from the face of the upper rail to the end of the Nadir Attachment is 2 mm.. To be honest, I don't see why they are not in line with each other.. Anyway... That adds up to 66.8 - I tried that and it was ok'ish.. but when I put the pano into ptp and looked at the Nadir... I have three logo... I am taking my images at 60 degrees.. I have always done it like that... I had better results with the lens set much more forward... Not sure what is wrong.... If I put the images into PTGui it says errors...

What do yo suggest I try now...

PS... I tried two rows of 2 with Zenith, first row with the tripod head in the frame is 30 degrees the second set at 30 up...
I then tried 30 down, 45 up with a Zenith and then
30 down 30 up with no zenith which is better... I have mostly done it this way... but with the lens set much more forward....

The image below is my logo.. not looking good...

D....

D....

what quick release system do you use?

URS should be 83. Lower rails depends on the clamp.

Check www.easypano.... and www.Johnhpanos in my thread below to find the NPP. Once you have it, it does not matter how much you pitch up or down, you always move in NPP.

Heinz

[hindenhaag]

D...,

URS = upper rail setting, LRS = lower rail setting.

When I do not have the original equipment, I use the Wiki database as well. So for LRS you take (H), but you have to add the "offset of the long nose of the vertical rail to the top of the mounted CP-2". Mount CP-2 to the upper rail, flat side to the end of the rail. Set the upper rail to -90° = parallel to the vertical rail. Slide the top plate of CP-2 as close to the lower rail as possible. Now you can see the offset of the reference point of the vertical = long side of the foot to the topside of the CP-2. This is 13mm. It will be more with ASQRS2.

I am just rechecking my whole database for NN4, with CP-2 the LRS for D90 was 57, just "cover" the white mark.

Take this set up and take 6 shots around with pitch of -30°. Import to PTGuiPro, >align, >advanced, >optimizer, > set minimize.. to heavy+lensshift, >optimize, >del worst control point ( top bar), >Create panorama,choose .mov. You get a .mov file, move down to nadir and zoom in. You will get a view of the top of the rotator.

Now use the "hacksaw method" Smooth has set up. Optimize till you see a nearly round rotator. If you see teeth on it, check the side the tooth cuts to: flat side left = cuts to the left, move the vertical rail to the left by one mm. "Cuts to the right", move to the right. Recheck the new position by using workflow above: 6 around etc.

I will test QR later today.

Heinz

[Destiny]

Hi Neinz... I did what you said and then put the images into PTGuiPro.. Perhaps this will work with a full frame camera but it did not work at all with my D90...

I assumed that 57 was + 22 for the QRC, that made it 77.. that way out... I then put it to 57, again way out.. The centre is 42.8 from the camera lens centre to the bottom face of the camera plus 22 for the thickness of the QRC.. I have tried it at 66.8 and 66... 66 was best... but it still is not right.. I will play with the 83 on the URS.... I am not sure why it is not working as well as it was.. I would like to get it right... its hard to do the saw tooth version, since my the Rotor is hard to see what is out... I must have tried it a hundred times.... I believe you are right that that the angle the camera is set at will not matter... as long as the Nadir Point is set right then the rest will follow...

D...

[Destiny]

Hi Neinz... I just tried the 6 at 30 again... with new setting which is much better and I can really see if I had a full frame camera that this would probably be all I need.. There is only one spot where its blurry or bad stitching.. There is of course a huge black hole on my Zenith.. I then tried to do the same plus a Zenith but still big holes.. a full frame camera would be perfect I think.. So I will now try the same with two rows one at -30 second at +30.. see what happens.. but I need to get my point correct first... I do not think its out by much.. I am going to try, 65... I have already tried 66 and 67...

not easy to set this up is it..

bye

D...

[Destiny]

Hey.. Well I tried it on 66 and 67 not good so I put it to 65.. This is my Nodal Logo... a real dogs dinner...



Perhaps I will now try it at 68

D :(

[hindenhaag]

D...

LRS D90 NN4 is 57 so that the foot just covers the white mark, ASQR-2 adds 11mm to the CP-s LRS. That should be 68.

D... till now I was just talking on how to find your lower rail settings. You have to shoot at -30° to see the head of the rotator to catch the "hacksaw".

To take the pano you could either shot 6x 0°, Z + 2x Nadir with Adapter. To avoid Z you could shoot +5°/+7.5° 6x around +2x N.

Shooting an extra Zenith gives a better result cause you use the center of the lens. Shooting +5°/+7.5° closes the zenith with the outer circle of the lens which is of less quality.

You can use the D90 set up to prepare a good template which you can fine tune with your equipment. Set manual CP the outer circle of the lens nicely in horizontal and in vertical. Having trouble I always start without Z and N and add them one by one. Don't forget to click the Viewpoint Tab in PTGui >optimizer>advanced> for Z + N.

But in first case you have to be sure about your correct LRS and URS settings.

http://homepage.mac.com/hindenhaag/f.../D90NN4LRS.zip "Hacksaw Pics" of different LRS

Following up from 55 -57, you can see the hacksaw teeth changing on 57 white mark to be seen from right to left. So 57 tells me I have to move a little bit to the left. My experience told me it is very close, so I just moved to the left by covering the white mark, and you find the right LRS.

http://homepage.mac.com/hindenhaag/f...rom%20CP-2.zip Pic showing the offsets Cp-2 to different QRS

@all: ASQR2 - the Arca Style System adds 11mm to the CP-2 LRS, normal QRS adds 12mm to the CP-2 LRS, no matter used on NN3, NN4, or NN5.

http://homepage.mac.com/hindenhaag/f...%2010.5_f2.zip

Fisheye shots as mentioned several times before. 0°, +5/+7,5°, 2x +60° 180°vise versa, +90°, 2x Nadir with Nadir adapter.

Success,
Heinz

BTW: the LRS set up is taken with D90 10.5 NN4 and taken to PTGui. Nothing wrong with FX or DX body. PTGui reads EXIF as full frame fisheye.
Use LRS 68 and URS 81 and try again. Aperture 22.

[hindenhaag]

D...

Your pic shows hacksaw cutting to the right, than you have to move to the right, from 66 to 68 or beyond till you see the saw cut changes from one side to the other.

http://web.me.com/hindenhaag/filechu...hr%20right.jpg

Heinz

[Destiny]

Hi Heinz... Ok.. I set my NN4 to 83 on the URS and 68 on the bottom rail.. I took 6 -30 and 6 +30.. I put the images into apg and oh what a dogs dinner.. I have never had so many issues with this program. I am sure there is something amiss with the last upgrade download.. my problems began from then.. So I loaded my images into PTGui Pro and then did all you said with the optimiser, by the way, I did similar with apg and the image distorted like crazy.... I just deleted a single red control point and then it said I have to optimise so I did and it said something about lens distortion correction etc I then rendered the image and it was terrible.. But when I did the otimiser with PTGui it came up with 'good' so I created my pano an the results were quite good.. not perfect though.. Here is my head image.. perhaps you can tell me which way to move the bits..

Thank you

D...

[DennisS]

Destiny,

Looks like the left/right on the lower rail is very close if not right on. Now you have to adjust the upper rail. Since your rotator circle is "bumpy", you are showing too much rotator in the picture. Nudge the camera forward on the upper rail until you get the perfect circle. If the circle starts getting "pointy" you are too far forward.

After you hit the point, stitching will be much easier.

Dennis

[Destiny]

hi Dennis... I fixed it.. ALMOST... Just a smidgin out... .... It can only be out by about .25 not sure which way so I will be careful....

Now I can do my Car VR.. hehe... that will be fun...

Thank you boys for all your help....

D...





and apg

[DennisS]

Destiny,

You could now play the game of deleting control points that have the biggest error until you get your maximum under 2. That would be a good exercise to go through just so you can see at what point your final stitched image starts to go bad.

Don't rely too much on the numbers, but more on the final image. You can be 1 or 2mm off and still get a good stitch. You have eliminated your rig as a cause for bad stitching. Now go out and perfect the rest of your workflow.

Dennis

[Destiny]

2!!! oh man.. you are a hard man to please

I will do my best Dennis... for sure.. I am about to make my first Car VR.. My last tour was my very first and it worked great.. but then something went wrong.. I took my rig apart but forgot to tighten up my stops to save it all.. and I just didn't take a note of what my setting were.. oh how silly of me...

I will post my Car VR in the next few days I hope....

Thank you

D....

[hindenhaag]

D...

did you try "control points" >delete worst control points after the first run of optimize? You should get a result around 2 max distance. I only shoot 6 around with -30° cause the panohead is the only thing I am interested in.

DennisS got it! "We only need the best results"

Think of taking your tours with a bad set up and bad stitching results. "We beat every price" on your website might then lead to you are paying the salary on your own by spending a lot of time to correct this.

Anyway, we like to see your car.

Enjoy and success.
Heinz

[Destiny]

Hi Heinz... well yes.. I did try but when I loaded my 6 images into PTG it said Very Good.. I did not get the option to remove bad control points.. But the pano is no good to me since there is a huge black bit at the top... I only have a 10.5 fish eye.... what do you do about the zenith...??? and the big black bit...

D

[Destiny]

Hello.. me again.. This image is the Nodal Logo from PTG.... Its almost perfect....

D....