It would have been nice for Google to have explained that. Then nothing happens, which is disconcerting, but Phil warns that Google must approve your photo sphere which takes about a day or so. Thankfully I stumbled on this article by Phil Nickinson and learned that instead of starting at the map and uploading your photo sphere, you start at the photo sphere in your phone’s image gallery and share it to Maps. Google has a slick Street View website, complete with PUBLISH subsite, which inexplicably fails to explain how to publish photo spheres. There’s an app for that, but I couldn’t open it – and I’m not the only one. It appears they now want photo spheres uploaded to Google Street View. Then I found out Google had a site called Views, but not any more. Even in Chrome I received the following error: Please provide valid Photo Sphere JPEG image. I tried to upload my photo sphere to SphereShare (not a Google site) but it doesn’t play nice with IE11. My photo sphere works perfectly within my Cardboard Camera app I wear my papery goggles and it’s like I really am surveying Sydney Harbour. Again, this could be due to the age of my phone, but still I’m surprised there is no photo-stitching option as per Photosynth. Clearing the app’s cache and my phone’s RAM appears to help, as does keeping a super-tight turning circle and moving painfully slowly.Īny kind of movement in the scene is a no-no I tried it at Circular Quay and had no chance. The app is not very forgiving of human shaking, so a tripod would be helpful. Having said that, I found it highly temperamental. Oh the irony.)Īll you need to record your own photo sphere is the Cardboard Camera app. (Note: This link is not supported in the mobile web version of Google Maps. Here’s my effort from a friend’s rooftop. Whereas Photosynth stitched together discrete photos, you record your photo sphere in a continuous circular motion. Google calls them “photo spheres” and they remind me of Microsoft’s Photosynth. Don’t let that put you off – they’re surprisingly immersive. These are just like 360° videos, but they’re static. The good news is you can record your own 360° videos using special cameras that are reasonably priced IMHO. This may have something to do with the age of my S4, but I recently read that Facebook is getting serious about resolution. I either get the Cardboard-oriented double vision, or else the regular pov stuck in one direction. Strangely, 360° videos don’t work on my iPad. On your PC, you can use the navigation arrows or your mouse to shift your point of view on your smartphone, you can physically move your device and if you watch it through Google Cardboard, you get the full immersive experience. These are great! A couple of my favourites are Red Bull F1 360° Experience and MythBusters: Sharks Everywhere! Most that are have the little goggles icon integrated into their artwork, but it would be preferable if the Play Store simply let us filter the results 360° VIDEOS I also found it tricky to identify the apps that were compatible with Cardboard. Many are free, but an astronomy app I tried stopped part way and wanted me to buy the premium version to continue. While a sizeable number are currently available, they are accompanied by reams of poor reviews. I foresee biotech companies leading the way on this.Įvidently, though, VR apps are still very much in their infancy. Vrse showcases the 360° nature of VR, while InMind VR is a somewhat childish game that nonetheless demonstrates the order of magnitude that immersive 3D animation offers over 2D. Some brilliant Cardboard apps are available at Google Play. While high-end virtual reality hardware is available – and more will become available this year – the folded paper option is the perfect gateway for exploring this emerging technology. For about $20, you gain access to a world of wonder. The ROI for Google Cardboard is through the roof. I’ll also share my problems – and there are plenty of them – so if you can solve any for me I’d be grateful! THE DEVICE I’ve been tinkering with it and, in the spirit of Virtual Reality Working Out Loud Week, I’ve decided to share with you what I’ve learned so far. I’m late to the party, but finally I’ve gotten my hands onto Google Cardboard.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |