View source for Panorama tools applications

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There are several tools in the panorama tools package by [[Helmut Dersch]] that are intended for other use than mere panorama creation or display. And of course there are lots of possibilities to use panorama tools core functionality for non-panoramic purposes.

== Tools in the package ==
The tools for Panorama Tools consist of Java apps, plug-ins, and applications.  For most of these tools there is a small readme inside the package. Apart from that there is almost no documentation found on the web. Any contribution is welcome!

===[[PTEditor]]=== 
Java Interactive Panorama Editor. 

===[[PTPicker]]=== 
Java graphical interface frontend for control point selection used by [[PTStitcher]], [[PTStereo]], [[PTInterpolate]], [[PTMorpher]],  and other tools.  Mostly replaced by new GUIs of [[Hugin]], [[PTGui]], [[PTMac]], and [[PTAssembler]].

===[[PTCrypt]]=== 
Java app to encrypt panoramas to only display from one web location. 

===[[PTOptimizer]]===
The tool for parameter optimization of source images. Calculates the position and lens correction parameters from a set of control points representing features in overlapping images.

===[[PTStitcher]]=== 
The main panorama stitching tool which remaps, adjusts and combines arbitrary images to panoramic views. 

===[[PTAverage]]===
reduces noise in digital images by averaging several scans. Example on [[Helmut Dersch]]'s page: [http://www.panotools.org/dersch/average/average.html]

===[[PTInterpolate]]===
given two images of the same scene taken from different viewpoints, this tool creates any intermediate view.

===[[PTMorpher]]===
morphing tool. A nice tutorial is found on 4pi.org: [http://www.4pi.org/tutorial/ptmorpher.en.html]

===[[PTStereo]]===
creates 3-dimensional objects from pairs or many images

===[[PTStripe]]===
combines images into movie stripes for viewing in Object-viewers. 

=== Plugins ===
See [[Panorama Tools Plugins]] for details.

====[[Panorama_Tools_Plugins#Adjust|PTAdjust]]====
(Former name: Adjust) Plug-in to extract and insert images from a panorama. 

====[[Panorama_Tools_Plugins#Correct|PTCorrect]]====
(Former name: Correct) Plug-in to correct problems with images. 

====[[Panorama_Tools_Plugins#PTRemap|PTRemap]]====
(Former name: Remap) Change an image from one projection to another projection.

====[[Panorama_Tools_Plugins#Perspective|PTPerspective]]====
(Former name: Perspective) Simulates a shift lens in software for normal or fisheye lenses.

===[[PTViewer]] Extensions===
These extensions are described in total on [[Helmut Dersch]]'s page: [http://www.panotools.org/dersch/PTVJ/helpers.html] (Descriptions taken mostly from there)

====PTCompass====
Inserts a user defined image which rotates synchronized with the pan-angle. It may be used as navigation and orientation aid. The image may be placed anywhere in the appletwindow, and it can rotate in both directions: like a real compass, or opposite.
====PTMovies====
Inserts a set of images into the panoramic image or the viewer window, depending on the warp-parameter. If warp is true (default) the images are inserted into the panorama and they have to be warped to the panoramic projection. They are displayed perspectively corrected in PTViewer and appear like natural elements of the VR-scene. Example on [[Helmut Dersch]]'s page: [http://www.panotools.org/dersch/movie/PanoMovie.html]
====PTMedia====
Many media formats are available in [[PTViewer]] if JMF is installed on the host computer. These include avi-video, linear quicktime video, flash 2, mpeg1/2/3, many soundformats etc. See [http://www.javasoft.com/ the Sun Java site] for supported media types.
====PTObject====
displays 3D-objects using a set of images similar to the Apple [[QTVR]]-viewer. The images are organized in horizontal stripes, and may cover several rows. There is an optional mask image, that can be supplied to make portions of the original image transparent. Example (with a panorama as background!) on [[Helmut Dersch]]'s page: [http://www.panotools.org/dersch/object/Object.html]
====PTZoom====
High resolution zoomable images can be inserted using this extension. These images are seamlessly integrated in the viewer window, and automatically show up when the user pans and zooms into the respective feature. PTZoom uses [[Rectilinear Projection|rectilinear]] images from any normal or telephoto lens. Example on [[Helmut Dersch]]'s page: [http://www.panotools.org/dersch/zoom/Zoom.html]

==Non-panoramic uses of panotools==
Due to its incredible flexibility panotools core functions can be used for a wide range of non-panoramic uses including (but not limited to) the following:

===Lens distortion correction===
[[Barrel distortion|Barrel]], [[Pincushion distortion|pincushion]] and even wavy lens distortion can be corrected with panotools [[lens correction model]]. A project dedicated to this purpose is [[PTLens]] by Thomas Niemann. Tutorials on how to find suitable lens correction parameters are several on the web. A small selection:
*Philo's tutorial on how to correct distortion and perspective in one go: [http://www.philohome.com/barrelpers/barrelpers.htm]
*Thomas Niemann's description of the calibration process: [http://epaperpress.com/pano/calDistort.html] (eventually follow 'Calibration' 'Lens Distortion')
*Using [[straight line control points]]: [http://www.erik-krause.de/verzeichnung/distort_en.htm]

===Perspective correction===
Panotools is able to simulate (geometrically exact) a shift lens. See [[Perspective correction]] for details.

Another nice tutorial by Philo, showing how to correct perspective and [[lens distortion]] in one go:
[http://www.philohome.com/barrelpers/barrelpers.htm]

===Chromatic aberration correction===
Since transversal [[chromatic aberration]] is essentially a different lens distortion for different colors, panotools can correct it by using different correction parameters on the different color channels. See [[Chromatic aberration]] page for details.

===Different uses with 'Correct' plugin===
The panotools [[Panorama_Tools_Plugins#Correct|Correct]] plugin can perform various tasks including:
*[[Panorama_Tools_Plugins#Radial_Shift|Radially]], [[Panorama_Tools_Plugins#Vertical_Shift_.26_Horizontal_Shift|horizontally]] or [[Panorama_Tools_Plugins#Vertical_Shift_.26_Horizontal_Shift|vertically]] shift an image or it's single color channels.
*[[Panorama_Tools_Plugins#shear|Shear]] or [[Panorama_Tools_Plugins#scale|scale]] an image using high quality [[Interpolation|interpolators]].
*Adjust [[Panorama_Tools_Plugins#radial_luminance|radial luminance]] (edge light fall off - [[vignetting]])
*[[Panorama_Tools_Plugins#cut_frame|Crop]] images to the brightest rectangle of a given size.
*Apply a [[Panorama_Tools_Plugins#Fourier_filter|Fourier filter]] for example to restore stars from star trail images.

===Photographing in Tight Spaces===
Since a fisheye allows for a very wide field of view it can be used to shoot in tight spaces or if you can't get enough distance for a wide angle shot. Panotools will remap to a more conventional view:
* A nice tutorial on tight spaces by 'Big' Ben Kreunen: [http://www.path.unimelb.edu.au/~bernardk/tutorials/360/alternatives/tight_spaces.html]
* Architectural example on [[Helmut Dersch]]'s page: [http://www.panotools.org/dersch/architect/arch.html]

===Stitching Flat Images===
such as a large paper document, scanned in pieces on a flatbed scanner.  See [[How to stitch flat images]].

<small>--[[User:Erik Krause|Erik Krause]] 12:14, 16 Jul 2005 (EDT)</small>

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