Creating QuickTime Virtual Reality (QTVR) Object Movies

What You Need to Create QTVR Object Movies

1. A suitable camera for taking stills of the object. This tutorial will describe taking object QTVR with a video camera, which produces high quality VR objects simply and quickly. Though this is the recommended method, pictures from other sources, such as digital still cameras will also produce great results.
2. A computer with a video capture card. This tutorial describes the process using an AV Macintosh with its video card. The same approach may be used on Windows computers, but right now the only software for creation of QTVR objects on Windows is PictureWorks Spin PhotoObject software.
3. Software for capturing video stills on the computer. This tutorial covers currently available freeware for the Macintosh (Apple Video Player), and the built-in capability of Roundaboutlogic's Widgetizer, VR Toobox's ObjectWorx and Apple's QuickTime VR Authoring Studio (QTVRAS) for doing the video capturing.
4. Software for turning the captured stills into a QuickTime movie. An earlier version of this tutorial used the freeware, ConvertToMovie, but that software is becoming hard to find. This tutorial will cover the same process using MoviePlayer Pro, which comes bundled with QuickTime 3.0 Pro, the $29.95 registered version of QuickTime 3.0, available at Apple's QuickTime web page. Video editing programs like Adobe Premier may serve the same purpose. This step is integrated in the process of making objects using Widgetizer, QTVRAS, or PhotoObject.
5. Software for converting the linear QuickTime movie into a QTVR Object Movie. Edit QTVR Object is freeware from Apple's QuickTime Developer Tools web page that accomplishes this task. This step is also integrated in the process of making objects using Widgetizer, VR ObjectWorx, QTVRAS, or PhotoObject.
6. A QTVR Object rig, which is a setup that enables you to rotate the object at equal angles in the shooting of the object. This tutorial describes two simple object rigs you can make yourself. Commercial object rigs are available at Kaidan and Peace River Studios.
7. Lighting, backdrop, and object. You will want to consider how your object is lit and what kind of background is in the shots. This tutorial used black felt as a backdrop, to emphasize the object. I've found that a light colored backdrop is also handy to have around for shooting objects of a dark color. Good video lighting can enhance the appearance of your object movie, but available lighting (even florescent) can give you good results.

Set Up for Taking the Object Shots

1. Set up a table for your QTVR Rig, Backdrop and Lights.
2. Have the computer for capturing shots near the object rig, so that it is easy to turn the object between shots.
3. With the object squarely in the middle of the object rig pedestal, frame your object in the video camera. Rotate the object to make sure it stays in the center of the picture frame throughout its rotation. You may need to reposition the object or reframe it in the video viewfinder if it is not.
4. Illuminate the object from an angle so it does not cast a shadow on the backdrop. The examples in this tutorial were shot with existing overhead florescent lights, which proved to be adequate.
5. It will be beneficial to know your video camera controls well. Because camera auto-exposure can change the exposure on the object through its rotation, you should establish your exposure manually. Some cameras don't have manual exposure control, but they do have auto-exposure lock (AE Lock). I've been able to adjust exposure on these cameras by holding up white paper to darken the shot, or black paper to lighten the shot, before pressing the AE Lock button. To get the best color from your camera, learn how to use its white balancing, if available. Also, video cameras have an irritating habit of cycling off. Taking out the video tape will keep most cameras from turning off automatically when their stand-by time is exceeded.

Now that you are set up to create a QTVR Object movie, all you need is to use the software available to you to do the job. I will be showing different approaches. Select the one that is available to you:

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