How to use enblend for patching zenith and nadir images

• Create your panorama - use at least two partial images: One for the panorama without zenith and nadir, and (at least) one with zenith and nadir. Use TIFF for output type.

• Using TIFF-output of Panotools will automatically add an alpha-channel which shows valid areas in the projected equirectangular image. You can adapt this channel in the next steps to reflect your real needs.

• Load them into a image editor which can handle alpha channels (e.g. Photoshop or Gimp). Now enable the alpha channel and mark the channel for editing. Using Photoshop you will find this function in the layer windows ("Channels"):

In your images you will now see the alpha channel as a red overlay over your image:

Example Image 1:

Example Image 2:

• Switch to the Alpha Channel. You can now edit the Alpha-Mask to your own needs. Use a simple brush with no feather to "paint" unwanted areas:

Modified Image 1:

Modified Image 2:

• Use "save as" to save these images back on harddisk. Use "uncompressed TIFF" as file type.

Note: When Photoshop shows the alpha-channel (you have activated the "eye" on the layer) it will be shown in semi-transparent red color. This is no real color but a visualisation of the alpha-channel. When saving the image it doesn't matter if the channel is activated or not - the channel will be included in the TIFF-image

• Open a command line and change to the directory where these files are saved.

With a command like

enblend -vo output.tif image1.tif image2.tif

you will blend these images together. Seams will be automatically positioned for best fit: