Create a virtual tour in 3 easy steps
There are 3 basic steps you need to follow in order create and upload a 360 degree virtual tour, assuming that you already have a camera, a tripod and the necessary stitching software.
1. Choose the optimal location to set your camera.
In my opinion, creating a virtual tour for a small space is useless and irrelevant. The fact is nobody wants to spin in circles within the confines of a 5×5 room. In order to create a great 360º virtual tour you need to choose a prime location. I prefer rooms with big open spaces. So for me the obvious choice would be to set the camera dead center of the biggest rooms in the property. If it is possible, try and find what I like to call a “floor level, birds eye view”. What I mean by this is that you should set the camera in a location where you can see more than one room from that spot.
2. Take pictures.
Rotate the camera a full 360 degrees, and photograph everything along the way. Always overlap the last image that you took by 50%. This will ensure that the stitching process goes a lot smoother later on. I turn auto focus off in these situations. It’s up to you if you want to keep it on. Don’t forget to snap a few pictures of the ceiling or sky and the floor. As a side note, I would suggest you shoot the virtual tour at f/8 for nice sharp images.
3. Upload the photographs and create the virtual tour.
Once you are done taking pictures you are going to upload them onto your computer and import them into your stitching software . The software will use what it calls “control points” to piece your pictures together to create a panoramic image. On most occasions the software gets it right. But the odd time that it doesn’t, you will need to select custom control points yourself in order to help the software render the best possible panorama. Finally, you will need export the panorama as a virtual tour and you are done.
[divider] [/divider]
If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment in the comment section below. My name is Raffi and I provide Realtors, homeowners and businesses with virtual tours in Toronto.
