Virtual Reality

[hotnuts21]

I am putting a proposal together for an architects site. In their own brief they mentioned that they wanted the ability for broadband users to be able to view the properties they build Virtually!

I was wondering how you guys would go about this?

I have thought the best option (and cheapest) is to probably use something like quicktime VR. I can just paste teh pics together and have the user use his mouse to look at other areas of the site.

The other option is to use flash, but this will probably work out more expensive.

Also all they have said is "for broadband users we want a virtual tour of the propertyebay" and "the walk through can be done using static pictures working where the user clicks on the photo"

So I think quicktime VR would work here.

However the budget is only £1000 - £1500 so which also includes a full website!!

Any ideas guys?

[hotnuts21]

I forgot to mention one way I thought I could implement the idea was to basically have a cad drawing of the house/property whatever. With a VR window. When the client clicked on a certain area of the cad drawing (probably use a image map for this) it would load the VR movie for that part of the house/building whatever?

[Palmer]

The closest that I've ever seen to something like that would be a panorama type thing done in Flash. I don't know if anyone here has the ability to do that. I'm sure they will speak up if they do.

The budget they have will never cover the cost of what they're asking for. I have a friend that is an architect and he was mentioning a competitor's site having something similar to what you're looking for and was asking if I could do something like that. I'll try to get a link for you.

[Palmer]

Ok, here you go. Here's a new development in my neighborhood. Click virtual tour under the picture of the home...
http://www.pulte.com/homefinder/community....g_acctcode=1660 (http://www.pulte.com/homefinder/community.asp?commorg_acctcode=1660)

[hotnuts21]

Thats interesting, thanks Palmer, it appears for the above virtual tour it uses java and is taken from the center of the room, with a 360 degree rotating lens.

Its quite interesting how its been done, I am going to look into the software they use, it seemed to be something called homestore 360.

If I get this contract, then I might be after doing your friends website too ;)

speak soon
Paul

[Palmer]

Click on the one for the St James House. It is a part of the site. The others send you off to another site. Looks like it's done with Java.
http://www.pulte.com/homefinder/model_virt..._acctCode=10026 (http://www.pulte.com/homefinder/model_virtual_tour.asp?commOrg_acctCode=1660&plan_acctCode=10026)

[Palmer]

The file extension is .ipx and after some investigation I found that those are made by iPIX...

http://www.ipix.com/

[Palmer]

You'll need a digital camera that is compatible with their software and the software will cost $99.

Cameras
http://www.ipix.com/products/im/publishing/index.shtml

Software
http://www.ipixstore.com/index.cfm?cat=6

[Michael]

Panorama in Flash should be no problem, but as Palmer mentioned ipix will do the job most sites tend to use this, I do believe I have a copy came with the webcam.

I have tried it, I just stood in the middle of the room took a photo at 12 O'clock then turn around on the spot to 2 O'clock and so until you have gone 360 degrees, then you import the photos into the prog and on ipix it has this tool where it selects the images and stitches them together keeping all horizons in place (if you know what I mean), pretty nifty.

[Raja]

Great info, Palmer, thanks!

I'll be using iPix soon for one of my R/E ventures :)

[Michael]

:oops: Just got the disk out and its not ipix its Pixmaker, same thing really but cheaper I suppose.


http://www.pixaround.com/

Here a demo for a real estate (http://www.pixaround.com/showcase/scenarios/echoices/index.php)

[hotnuts21]

Hey Palmer, I just found all that stuff too, we must have been searching at the same time :D

The software seems ok, although its nothing you couldnt do in photoshop, though it does come with a photoshop plug in too!!

The camera however is hellish expensive!! 2square, the camera records teh image in one go I believe so instead of taking loads of pics you just take one or two long ones!!

Also I think it doesnt really offer anything more than you could do with photoshop and quicktime VR, does anyone disagree with that?

[Michael]

<!--QuoteBegin-Raja+Nov 16 2003, 11:55 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Raja @ Nov 16 2003, 11:55 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I'll be using iPix soon for one of my R/E ventures :) [/b][/quote]
Whats that? :huh:

[hotnuts21]

real estate ?

[Michael]

<!--QuoteBegin-hotnuts21+Nov 17 2003, 12:16 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (hotnuts21 @ Nov 17 2003, 12:16 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Also I think it doesnt really offer anything more than you could do with photoshop and quicktime VR, does anyone disagree with that? [/b][/quote]
I agree but these prog's will take away some of the extra work and as mentioned just as easy doing it in Flash.


If you were going to do it in line drawing with no detail then you could model and animate it in a cheap 3D prog like Swift 3D and then import into Flash to add some AS and extras.

[Michael]

<!--QuoteBegin-hotnuts21+Nov 17 2003, 12:17 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (hotnuts21 @ Nov 17 2003, 12:17 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> real estate ? [/b][/quote]
er..yes how thick of me :stupid:

[hotnuts21]

;)

I been looking round the site, and the main advantage is the fish eye lens which would help with the panoramic pictures. The site is not that easy to understand though, they keep talking about all there solutions, but I cant seem to pin down exactly does what, or if the camera kits and software do everything!!

I suppose I might be able to persuade the client into buying the equipment, which we would then have to do as we wanted with!!

Would anyone here be interested in working on this? I would need some idea of prices too
I am thinking of using a mix of flash and quicktime VR to do the project too.

[jonmulk]

<!--QuoteBegin-2square+Nov 16 2003, 04:55 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (2square @ Nov 16 2003, 04:55 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Here a demo for a real estate (http://www.pixaround.com/showcase/scenarios/echoices/index.php) [/b][/quote]
That site mentions a 3-storey Bungalow.....

Anyone else see the weirdness in that?!?!?!

[hotnuts21]

LMAO

[hotnuts21]

Whats the best windows software to use to create quikctime VR movies?