Batch processing for timelapse
Poul Flyvholm Jensen
Hello,
I am using a fixed camera rig to create spherical timelapse videos. Considerable parallax error is inevitable, but with some effort it seems I can get a good stitch in PTGui, at least in the test I've done (see zip-file linked below). With the batch stitcher I thought I'd be able to apply that same, good stitch to all frames, but I've run into a couple of issues:
1) The yaw, pitch and roll are not the same in the .pts files generated by the batch stitcher as in the template, even though I thought I'd switched all optimization off. They are at least the same for all frames, and I can fix it with a script if necessary. But why do they differ from the template? Am I missing a setting somewhere?
2) As far as I can tell, the only way to apply the same seam for all frames is by switching off "Find optimum seams". But that seriously degrades the quality of the seam, making artifacts clearly visible. Is there a way to save an optimized seam once calculated and then use that for batch stitching?
Thank you,
Poul Jensen
PTGui Support
In your template please check these settings in Project Settings:
Batch Stitcher Actions - Do 'Align Images'.
Batch Builder Behavior - Initialize the lens settings..
If these are disabled, the project should be identical to the template.
There's currently no way to lock the seams to those found by the optimum
seam finder. The best you can do is to disable optimum seams, and
manually adjust the seams by placing masks.
Kind regards,
Joost Nieuwenhuijse
www.ptgui.com
> g/personal/pofl_kti_gl/IQAWaV1j4kxcRo5dgqYWj92GAWHRyjPXWDLMLPATNX4rwBs?
> e=Sc34ui>
>
> Thank you,
> Poul Jensen
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "PTGui Support" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
> an email to ptgui+un...@googlegroups.com
> <mailto:ptgui+un...@googlegroups.com>.
> To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/
> ptgui/9a9dcfe5-3f58-40c4-af0e-1332c4245fe2%40gmail.com <https://
> groups.google.com/d/msgid/ptgui/9a9dcfe5-3f58-40c4-
> af0e-1332c4245fe2%40gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>.
Poul Flyvholm Jensen
Hi again,
I am guessing someone would have replied if it was possible to
apply the same, optimized seam to a series of panoramas. In that
case you can consider this a new feature request. It has to be
possible, and it would make a huge quality difference for
timelapse (or video) projects like mine. But as I can't really
expect that to happen I will start working on my own, custom
processing pipeline.
Another feature request would be a timelapse/video option for the batch stitcher that would ensure consistent processing and no sudden changes from frame to frame. As is, it takes some digging around and experimenting to find out what settings will and won't work. It would be great (especially for new users) if there was an option to check if any of the current processing settings could cause disturbing changes from frame to frame, listing what would need to be changed and ask for user confirmation. For example, I found out that "Zero overlap" blending can't be used, but "Multiband" is okay.
All the best,
Poul Jensen
PTGui Support
I did reply to your post, did you see it?
> In your template please check these settings in Project Settings:
>
> Batch Stitcher Actions - Do 'Align Images'.
> Batch Builder Behavior - Initialize the lens settings..
>
> If these are disabled, the project should be identical to the template.
>
> There's currently no way to lock the seams to those found by the optimum seam finder. The best you can do is to disable optimum seams, and manually adjust the seams by placing masks.
I've also added a short tutorial (6.48):
https://ptgui.com/faq#6_48
Stuart
Using 2 x Nikon D850's (with matching lenses) which are triggered simultaneously during a sunset timelapse, I have renamed and collated the images into a single folder as below;
0001 Left camera 1
0002 Right camera 1
0003 Left camera 2
0004 Right camera 2
0005 and so on.
Looking through the forum I couldn't find information on instructing PTGui to stitch every 2nd (or x number of images) and then output as a single image.
Admittedly, I am still using v10.0.19 if that should hinder my plans. Can you please advise when you get a moment?
Regards,
Stuart
PTGui Support
I think you can use the Batch Builder in PTGui Pro. In the 'Detect
Panorama Settings' window, select 'Multiple panoramas per folder with a
fixed number of images'.
PTGui will sort the file names alphabetically and group them by 2.
The Batch Builder is available in PTGui 10, so I think you can make it
work. Otherwise you could give the PTGui 13 trial version a go.
>
> Kind regards,
>
> Joost Nieuwenhuijse
> www.ptgui.com <http://www.ptgui.com>
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "PTGui Support" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
> an email to ptgui+un...@googlegroups.com
> <mailto:ptgui+un...@googlegroups.com>.
> To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/
> groups.google.com/d/msgid/ptgui/4370c0cb-6fed-40f7-9cdf-
> b1928ba18722n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>.
Stuart
Okay, it took a little while to get reacquainted with the menus and once I got to the Detect Panorama Settings window I was delighted. After running the sequence a few times to check my workflow; I still can’t output to tif’s.
In the Create Panorama tab I change the output file format to .tif, 16 bits, no compression which also updates the File Naming section in the Project Settings tab. However, the output is always .jpg. Attached are 2 images.
PTGui Support
You need to create a template for the batch builder, as follows:
File - New Project
Click Advanced
Go to Create Panorama and change the output file type to TIFF
File - Save As Template (and give it a name)
Then in the Batch Builder, choose 'Use Template:' and select the
template you just created.
> Thanks, Joost.
>
> Okay, it took a little while to get reacquainted with the menus and once
> I got to the Detect Panorama Settings window I was delighted. After
> running the sequence a few times to check my workflow; I still can’t
> output to tif’s.
> In the Create Panorama tab I change the output file format to .tif, 16
> bits, no compression which also updates the File Naming section in the
> Project Settings tab. However, the output is always .jpg. Attached are
> 2 images.
>
> On Friday, 11 September 2026 at 16:37:21 UTC+10 PTGui Support wrote:
>
> Hi Stuart,
>
> I think you can use the Batch Builder in PTGui Pro. In the 'Detect
> Panorama Settings' window, select 'Multiple panoramas per folder with a
> fixed number of images'.
>
> PTGui will sort the file names alphabetically and group them by 2.
>
> The Batch Builder is available in PTGui 10, so I think you can make it
> work. Otherwise you could give the PTGui 13 trial version a go.
>
> Kind regards,
>
> Joost Nieuwenhuijse
> >
> > Kind regards,
> >
> > Joost Nieuwenhuijse
> > ptgui/4370c0cb-6fed-40f7-9cdf-b1928ba18722n%40googlegroups.com
> <http://40googlegroups.com> <https://
> > groups.google.com/d/msgid/ptgui/4370c0cb-6fed-40f7-9cdf- <http://
> groups.google.com/d/msgid/ptgui/4370c0cb-6fed-40f7-9cdf->
> > b1928ba18722n%40googlegroups.com?
> utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer <http://40googlegroups.com?
> utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>>.
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "PTGui Support" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
> an email to ptgui+un...@googlegroups.com
> <mailto:ptgui+un...@googlegroups.com>.
> To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/
> groups.google.com/d/msgid/ptgui/537068ac-2a7c-437c-
> a786-147eab1d6d9dn%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>.