Virtual environments in Panomio
In Panomio, you can build immersive courses that put learners in the center of a virtual environment.
One of the ways to create this virtual environment is by using a 360° image.
There are multiple options to create one - see a complete guide below.
Before you get your own 360° image, you can use the samples above for testing.
The virtual environment may be an office building you want staff members to get familiar with, a warehouse you want to introduce to new employees or a remote workplace where workers can practice procedures safely.
The virtual environment can be created by a 360° image produced by a camera of a 3D render. The 360° image must be a spherical panorama with a ratio of 2:1 in .jpg format.
Which 360° image technology should I choose?
Whether you choose to use a consumer camera image, high-resolution image or 3D render, depends on what you want to achieve with your course.
Use a consumer camera image if you want to capture your environment quickly and easily without spending too much effort or money. The result is sufficient for most scenarios. You are in charge of image production, it is user-friendly, and there is no need for an additional photographer. You can also use a consumer camera to take pictures of the technical room with detailed circuit breakers, but it may require getting the camera closer to the panel since zoom will be limited.
Use a high-resolution image if a high level of detail is important for the learning process. This is useful in cases when it is required for the learners to be able to zoom in to see the smallest details of specific equipment or operational manuals. For example, if you are building a course for a technical room with several circuit breakers, you may want to choose to use a high-resolution image so that learners can read small labels.
Use 3D render if you need maximum control over the environment, or if the environment is difficult or dangerous to access for a photoshoot. In 3D modeling software, you can simply design whatever you need in the scene with perfect conditions. You may already have the assets you need for this. Some companies have developed 3D models of the equipment or their facility, which can be reused for rendering a 360° image.
If you want some advice on what kind of technology you should use to capture your environment, feel free to contact us at info@panomio.com or request a meeting here.
How to get a 360° image?
High resolution 360° image
If you want a high-resolution 360° image, you should use a professional mirrorless or DSLR camera.
Taking a high-resolution 360° photo requires a special panoramic technique and a certain level of experience and skill. Depending on your requirements, producing a high-resolution 360° image may require a couple of days or weeks. For the best result we recommend finding a local 360° photographer.
LizardQ is a user-friendly solution for high-resolution 360°panoramic imaging. It offers fast, automatic and reliable operation from capture to stitching and viewing your spherical images. You can learn more about LizardQ here.
Depending on the equipment setup, the final file resolution should be about 112 - 500 megapixels.
If you have some experience and need some tips, our in-house 360° photographer may be able to guide you as well. Feel free to contact us at info@panomio.com or you can also request a meeting here.
Consumer camera 360° image
If you are looking for a quick and easy way to get your 360° image, you can use a consumer 360° camera such as GoPro Max or Insta360 X3.
Consumer 360° cameras are usually easy to use and produce a picture in a format that is ready to be uploaded in Panomio.
Although image quality may not allow you to zoom into details, the picture quality is good and works well for most scenarios.
The final file resolution should be about 72 megapixels if you use Insta360 X3 or 18 megapixels if you use GoPro Max.
Here is a quick guide on how to take a 360° photo with Insta360 X3.
3D rendered 360° image
It is also possible to use a 3D rendered 360° image. 3D render images allows for maximum control of the environment and doesn’t require on-premise photoshoot. You may already have what you need since some companies have designed 3D models of the equipment or their facility, which can be reused for rendering a 360° image. A 3D scene can be rendered with different branding if you are serving multiple clients.
When rendering, we recommend aiming at a minimum of 50 megapixels per 360° image to achieve satisfactory results.
Before you get your own 360° image, you can use the samples on the top of this page for testing.
Ready? Upload 360° image in Panomio
- Log in Panomio
- Navigate to Scenes in the menu on the left
- Click Upload New in the top right corner
- Click Click to upload and select the image from your computer
- Click Next
- Name your scene and click Upload
- To use the scene in a course, navigate to Courses in the menu on the left
- Click Create new course
- In the course, click the Manage Scenes button and select the scene that you’ve uploaded
We are here to help
Over the years we have done many 360° photoshoots for our clients and will be happy to share some tips with you. If you have any questions you can send us an email at info@panomio.com or you can also request a meeting here.