optimized panorama calculator?

Joergen Geerds

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Jan 30, 2010, 8:54:19 PM1/30/10

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I am looking for a panorama calculator that allows the usual inputs
(focal lengths, sensor size, overlap), and not only calculates the
usual row&columns, but also optimizes the number of shots necessary
once we go past +-45deg. i know this task is trivial for short and
medium focal lengths, but I might have a really large project coming
up (400-600mm and 140 deg vertical fov), so I would really like to
optimize the number of shots in each row, since it's going to make a
big difference if i have to shoot 500-1000 shots less.

joergen

Joehr

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Jan 31, 2010, 5:37:34 AM1/31/10

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Hi Joergen
During the last years I developed Panorama Calculators for different
Panorama Heads. Wy different Calculators for different Panorama Heads?
Some Panorama Heads have its specific horizontal raster and some are
programmable horizontally (Roundshot VR Drive, PanoMachine...) or
horizontally and vertically (RODEONmodular). The Calculators are
designed to calculate all the necessary parameters and reduces the
number of columns (images) for rows coming closer to zenith or nadir
when capturing spherical panoramas.
At the moment I have Panorama Calculators for the following Panorama
Heads:
Manfrotto 303SPH, Novoflex VR System PRO II, PanoMachine,
RODEONmodular and Roundshot VR Drive.
Maybe this is for what you are looking for. Feel free to visit my
website for more details:
www.panorama-factory.ch
Your feedback is welcome.

Josef Ehrler

lucaslockie

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Jan 31, 2010, 10:50:16 AM1/31/10

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Hi Joergen

I've just written a simple spreadsheet calculator which gives the
following results:

Input values
vertical angle of view range to be covered: 140 deg
horizontal angle of view range to be covered: 360 deg
longer sensor side: 36 mm
shorter sensor side: 24 mm
focal length: 400 mm
overlap [%]: 30%
bracketed exposures: 1

radian: 57.29577951

lens/camera vertical angle of view: 5.153143661 deg (doesn't work
well with very short focal lenghts)
lens/camera horizontal angle of view: 3.436716003 deg (doesn't work
well with very short focal lenghts)

Results 1:
no of rows: 38.3826888767803
no of rows (rounded upwards): 39
no of columns: 149.644519299894 (with the assumption of shooting 360
deg horizontally)
no of columns (rounded upwards): 150
no of photos: 5850 (with no 'per-row' optimization)

vertical angle of view range to be covered per row: 3.58974359 deg

Optimization:

row number angle of the vertical centre of each row number of columns
1 -68.20512821 56
2 -64.61538462 65
3 -61.02564103 73
4 -57.43589744 81
5 -53.84615385 89
6 -50.25641026 96
7 -46.66666667 103
8 -43.07692308 110
9 -39.48717949 116
10 -35.8974359 122
11 -32.30769231 127
12 -28.71794872 132
13 -25.12820513 136
14 -21.53846154 140
15 -17.94871795 143
16 -14.35897436 145
17 -10.76923077 148
18 -7.179487179 149
19 -3.58974359 150
20 0 150
21 3.58974359 150
22 7.179487179 149
23 10.76923077 148
24 14.35897436 145
25 17.94871795 143
26 21.53846154 140
27 25.12820513 136
28 28.71794872 132
29 32.30769231 127
30 35.8974359 122
31 39.48717949 116
32 43.07692308 110
33 46.66666667 103
34 50.25641026 96
35 53.84615385 89
36 57.43589744 81
37 61.02564103 73
38 64.61538462 65
39 68.20512821 56

no of photos (optimized): 4512 (with 'per-row' optimization)
saved due to optimization: 1338
saved due to optimization: 23%

I'm quite new to this forum and don't know how to attach the
spreadsheet (I can share the link to it in a form of a Google doc)

Lucas

lucaslockie

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Jan 31, 2010, 11:11:40 AM1/31/10

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> vertical angle of view range to be covered per row: 3.58974359 deg

to be precise: after deduction of the overlapping area. it's a
vertical angle of view per number of rows.

Lucas

lucaslockie

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Jan 31, 2010, 11:26:05 AM1/31/10

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I've just uploaded this calculator as a:

Simple row-column calculator, with 'per-row' optimization.xls

Lucas

Joergen Geerds

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Jan 31, 2010, 1:02:11 PM1/31/10

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Josef,

thanks for your reply, I had stumbled over your site yesterday before
I posted my question here... the project is still in the concepting
phase, and we are going to use a pixorb, and I wasn't ready to pay $50
for something I may not need at the end. But your software looks very
promising, and I will keep it mind mind when I have customers asking
for something like that.

Lucas,

thank you so much for posting the xls, it was exactly what I was
looking for and it's going to help us tremendously planning this
project.