The 360 on workflow – transforming the experience of creating and interacting with 360 video gear, software and playback
360RIZE has been ‘hard at work-flow’ – harnessing complimentary software and hardware, filling in gaps, and rethinking the processes for efficiency and optimum quality. There will be learning curves but the results will be stellar – we’re putting the power in your hands to unleash the potential of this burgeoning medium!
The 360RIZE workflow is like any other video production process, with the addition of ‘stitching’ simultaneously captured videos together. Our preferred stitching programs have advanced rapidly with features like keyframed horizon and color adjustment.
Further post like color correction, graphic overlays or effects are done in Adobe, Final Cut or other programs. What was missing in the chain upfront was a way to automate camera file management, which we solved with 360CamMan™ software. We then built a 360 video hosting site with integrated free mobile 360 player apps for Android and iOS so that you can share your creations with the world. We’ve hurdled the production and delivery limits and are pleased to share a break down of the processes here. To get started, we invite you to watch this animation on how 360RIZE video gear works and see how we create 360 video content.
Computing System Requirements
You don’t have to break the bank. We’ve found that resources are best spent on the graphics card and memory to support the most processing intensive part of workflow: stitching. We’ve used Asus laptops with a GTX 670 or Titan graphics cards, and Xeon Intel workstations with amazing results. The better the graphics card (or multiple graphics card for premium speed) along with ample memory, the better the overall system balance and processing speed. There are basic and advanced versions for both stitching program options, with the advanced versions requiring higher GPU – please visit the VideoStitch site for more detailed info on graphic card requirements. Kolor’s basic version does not require GPU and is an option if processing time is not an issue, but we highly recommend that you utilize stitching software that works off GPU. Here is a graph from our recent presentation at NAB that roughly outlines some basics on computing requirements for system balance and consistent processing speed:
360RIZE 360 Plug-n-Play Holders™
We use aircraft grade nylon to print our holders and made them Plug-n-Play™ with snap-in functionality so that you can quickly swap out holders, or use the GoPros® for other filming. The nylon initially comes to you on the stiff side, but this is a good thing as the point is to keep the camera perfectly snug. You’ll use a small flathead screwdriver to gently nudge the snapped-in arm, and over time the nylon will soften up so that this is done by hand. What will never change is the tight holding position of the camera – a crucial component of getting a perfectly aligned stitch. Check out these videos on how the assembly works and our strength and durability tests.
Our holders are designed for general-purpose to specific applications. Our ‘all purpose’ model is the flagship Pro6 v2 which can be used in any environment or scene for full sphere unobstructed 360×180 capture. The Pro7 v2 also serves as a multi-purpose model with an extra camera on the horizon, allowing closer proximity of cameras to objects/action, and less parallax issues with objects and action passing between cameras.
Parallax in 360 video production refers to the area of overlap between the videos/images, and the data the stitching program uses to match objects (‘control points’) is generated from two slightly different perspectives. When objects are too close to the cameras, the parallax (degree of image shift) is more exaggerated, and the stitching program is less able to calibrate and ghosting of images occurs. Suggested distances to minimize parallax issues is listed for the different models in the below chart. Parallax is also a highly advantageous component of the 360RIZE system, as the optical shift ‘erases’ mounts – the majority of a monopod is naturally masked by the camera overlap to get the “floating sphere” effect right out of the stitching program.
Cameras
Our 1st generation holders use GoPro® Hero cameras – the lightest and best performance micro camera
Depending on the holder you use, you will need 6-24 GoPro® cameras. All holder models are designed to be used with all GoPro® Hero4 and Hero 3 cameras, and the 360H6 can be used with the Hero 2. For maximum quality and flexibility, we recommend the Hero4 Black, Hero4 Silver, Hero3 Black or Hero3 Black+ cameras as they offer higher resolutions and frame rates. Frame rate is a key factor in syncing videos during the stitching process.
Pairing the GoPro® Wi-Fi remote with multiple cameras
[accordion]Excerpted from www.gopro.com – please visit the GoPro® site for further details and troubleshooting
[end_accordion]GoPro Camera Settings For Each Model (Hero4 and Hero3 Series)
[accordion]GREEN is what we recommend and also suggest for Camera Settings for each of our models.
HERO4 Black | HERO4 Silver | HERO3+ Silver | HERO3 White | HERO |
$499.99 | $399.99 | $299.99 | $199.99 | $129.99 |
HERO4 Black | HERO4 Silver | Hero3+ Silver | Hero3 White | NEW Hero |
Field of View (FOV) | Field of View (FOV) | Field of View (FOV) | Field of View (FOV) | Field of View (FOV) |
Ultra Wide, Medium, Narrow | Ultra Wide, Medium, Narrow | Ultra Wide, Medium, Narrow | Ultra Wide, Medium, Narrow | Ultra Wide |
Optics + Lens | Optics + Lens | Optics + Lens | Optics + Lens | Optics + Lens |
Ultra-sharp image quality / Ultra-wide angle all-glass lens with reduced distortion | Ultra-sharp image quality / Ultra-wide angle all-glass lens with reduced distortion | Ultra-sharp ƒ/2.8 6-element aspherical glass lens / Ultra-wide angle with reduced distortion | Ultra-sharp ƒ/2.8 6-element aspherical glass lens/ Ultra-wide angle with reduced distortion | Ultra-sharp ƒ/2.8 6-element aspherical glass lens / Ultra-wide angle with reduced distortion |
Low-Light Performance | Low-Light Performance | Low-Light Performance | Low-Light Performance | Low-Light Performance |
Professional grade | Professional grade | Prosumer grade | Consumer grade | Consumer grade |
Video Features | Video Features | Video Features | Video Features | Video Features |
4K MODE – Pro7HD, Pro10HD (30 fps) | ||||
30, 25, 24 fps Ultra Wide FOV | 15, 12.5 fps Ultra Wide FOV | None | None | None |
4K SuperView – Pro7HD, Pro10HD (24 fps) | ||||
24 fps Ultra Wide FOV | None | None | None | None |
2.7K – Pro7HD, Pro10HD (50 fps) | ||||
50, 48, 30, 25, 24 fps Ultra Wide, Medium FOV | 30, 25, 24 fps Ultra Wide, Medium FOV | None | None | None |
2.7K SuperView – Pro7, Pro10 (30 fps) | ||||
30, 25 fps Ultra Wide FOV | None | None | None | None |
2.7K 4:3 – Pro6, Pro6N, Pro7, Pro7HD, Pro10HD (30 fps) | ||||
30, 25 fps Ultra Wide FOV | None | None | None | None |
1440p – 360H6, Pro6, Pro6N, Pro7, Pro7HD, Pro10HD (80 fps) | ||||
80, 60, 50, 48, 30, 25, 24 fps Ultra Wide FOV | 48, 30, 25, 24 fps Ultra Wide FOV | None | None | None |
1080p – Pro7, Pro10 (120 fps) | ||||
120, 90, 60, 50, 48, 30, 25, 24 fps Ultra Wide, Medium (excludes 120 and 90 fps), Narrow FOV | 60, 50, 48, 30, 25, 24 fps Ultra Wide, Medium, Narrow FOV | 60, 50, 30, 25 fps Ultra Wide, Medium, Narrow FOV | 30, 25 fps Medium FOV | 30, 25 fps Ultra Wide FOV |
1080p Superview – Pro7, Pro10 (80 fps) | ||||
80, 60, 50, 48, 30, 25, 24 fps Ultra Wide FOV | 60, 50, 48, 30, 25, 24 fps Ultra Wide FOV | None | None | None |
960p – 360H6, Pro6, Pro6N, Pro7, Pro10 (120 fps) | ||||
120, 60, 50 fps Ultra Wide FOV | 100, 60, 50 fps Ultra Wide FOV | 60, 50, 30, 25 fps Ultra Wide FOV | 30, 25 fps Ultra Wide FOV | None |
720p – Pro7, Pro10 (120 fps) | ||||
120, 60, 50, 30, 25 fps Ultra Wide, Medium, Narrow FOV | 120, 60, 50, 30, 25 fps Ultra Wide, Medium, Narrow FOV | 120, 100, 60, 50, 30, 25 fps Ultra Wide, Medium, Narrow FOV | 60, 50, 30, 25 fps Ultra Wide FOV | 60, 50 fps Ultra Wide FOV |
720 Superview – Pro7, Pro10 (120 fps) | ||||
120, 60, 50 fps Ultra Wide FOV | 100, 60, 50 fps Ultra Wide FOV | None | None | 60, 50 fps Ultra Wide FOV |
WVGA- Pro7, Pro10 (240 fps) | ||||
240 fps Ultra Wide FOV | 240 fps Ultra Wide FOV | 120, 100, 60, 50 fps Ultra Wide FOV | 60, 50 fps Ultra Wide FOV | None |
Photo Features | Photo Features | Photo Features | Photo Features | Photo Features |
12MP | 12MP | 10MP | 5MP | 5MP |
Burst Rates (frames/sec) | ||||
30/1, 30/2, 30/3, 10/1, 10/2, 10/3, 5/1, 3/1 | 30/1, 30/2, 30/3, 10/1, 10/2, 10/3, 5/1, 3/1 | 3/1, 5/1, 10/1 | 1-Mar | 2-Oct |
Time Lapse Intervals | ||||
0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30, 60 seconds | 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30, 60 seconds | 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30, 60 seconds | 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30, 60 seconds | 0.5 second |
Continuous Photo Rates | ||||
10/1, 5/1, 3/1 | 10/1, 5/1, 3/1 | None | None | None |
Built-in Wireless | ||||
Wi-Fi + Bluetooth® | Wi-Fi + Bluetooth® | Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi | No |
Protune™ (Photo + Video) | ||||
Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
SuperView™ | ||||
Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
Auto Low Light | ||||
Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
Night Photo + Night Lapse | ||||
Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
HiLight Tag | ||||
Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
QuikCapture / Auto One-Button | ||||
Yes, QuikCapture | Yes, QuikCapture | Yes, Auto One-Button | Yes, Auto One-Button | Yes, QuikCapture |
Simultaneous Video + Photo | ||||
Photo every 5, 10, 30, 60 seconds / Manual | Photo every 5, 10, 30, 60 seconds / Manual | No | No | No |
Looping Video | ||||
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
High Bitrate Video (H.264) | ||||
Up to 60Mb/s | Up to 45Mb/s | Up to 25Mb/s | Up to 15Mb/s | Up to 15Mb/s |
Supports 3.5mm stereo microphone via optional adapter (sold separately) | ||||
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
GoPro App Compatibility | ||||
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Built-in Touch Display | ||||
No | Yes | No | No | No |
Battery | Battery | Battery | Battery | Battery |
1160mAh lithium-ion rechargeable | 1160mAh lithium-ion rechargeable | 1180mAh lithium-ion rechargeable | 1050mAh lithium-ion rechargeable | Built-in 1180mAh lithium-ion rechargeable |
Ports | Ports | Ports | Ports | Ports |
Micro HDMI, mini USB, microSD, HERO Port, Composite A/V (via adapter, sold separately), 3.5mm Stereo Mic (via adapter, sold separately) | Mini USB, microSD | |||
Storage (Memory) | Storage (Memory) | Storage (Memory) | Storage (Memory) | Storage (Memory) |
microSD Class 10 or UHS-1 up to 64GB (sold separately) | microSD Class 10 or UHS-1 up to 32GB (sold separately) |
GoPro settings for the 360H6, Pro6, Pro6n and Pro7
[accordion]Used for models 360H6, Pro6 v2, Pro7 v2, Pro10HD v2*. * Pro7HD and Pro10HD can support multiple camera settings (see next section for only HD model settings). It is highly recommended that you use the Hero3 Black cameras to get the best performance, resolutions and colors.
Hero 3 and Hero 3+ Black Settings (Recommended) either mode can be set and this controls the output resolution after the 360 video stitch.
960P (1280x960px) (4:3 ratio) at 48 and 100 fps (final size is around 3600 pixels by 1800 pixels)
1440P (1920x1440px) (4:3 ratio) at 48 fps (final size is around 5600 pixels by 2800 pixels)
Hero 3 Silver Settings
960P (1280x960px) (4:3 ratio) at 48 fps (final size is around 3600 pixels by 1800 pixels)
Hero 3 White Settings
960P (1280x960px) (4:3 ratio) at 30 fps (final size is around 3600 pixels by 1800 pixels)
These are the camera screen settings for the Hero3 Black or Hero3 Plus. It is best to shoot in 1440 mode, 48fps, ProTune on, and White Balance RAW.
It is also recommended that you number each SD card prior to inserting it into the camera of the same number:
[end_accordion]GoPro settings for the Pro7 v2 and Pro10 v2
[accordion]Pro7 v2 and Pro10 v2 can support multiple camera settings (you can use the settings from the previous section for a much lower resolution, but it is recommended that you use the settings below for the HD rigs). It is highly recommended that you use the Hero3 Black cameras to get the best performance, resolutions and colors.
Hero 3 and Hero 3+ Black Settings (2.7K MODE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) either mode can be set and this controls the output resolution after the 360video stitch. · 2.7K (8000x4000px) (16:9 ratio) at 30 fps (final size is around 7800 pixels by 3900 pixels) · 4K (12000x6000px) (16:9 ratio) at 15 fps (final size is around 11800 pixels by 5900 pixels) These are the camera screen settings for the Hero3 Black. It is best to shoot in 2.7K mode, 30fps, ProTune on, and White Balance RAW.
2.7K mode settings:
4K mode settings:
[end_accordion]360CamMan™ software for SD card formatting and file management
The 360RIZE file manager software fills the missing link in 360 video creation
Time is finally on your side with integrated SD card prep and file upload. Pop the cards into your computer, assign the holder you’ll be using, and the program will format the cards and prepare the folders. Once you’re done filming, insert the cards again and the program will automatically sort the files into folders by take, and inform you of any extra shots or missing data. These 360CamMan training videos show the ease that has been injected into workflow.
360CamMan prepares each card to be placed in their proper location for post production. In step 1, each card’s files are placed into a particular folder and each folder is then assigned to its designated location within the 360RIZE 360 Plug-N-Play™ holder. CamMan makes this critical process easy, as human errors in this organizational process will cause the videos to be out of sync and make the template useless.
With 3D 360 video you are basically stitching two separate equirectangular files (AKA two separate standard 360 videos), one for the left eye and one for the right eye. Once you’ve stitched the two separate equirectangular files, they can be loaded into the following Adobe plugin:
3D Adobe Plugin: http://www.inv3.com/quicks3d
First, load the left eye file, then load the right eye file into the plugin. This plugin will then render the two separate videos side by side, allowing you to output one completed 3D 360 video file.
360CamMan Workflow
360CamMan Install Video:
360CamMan: Step 1 – Formating New/Used Micro SD Cards
360CamMan: Step 2 & 3 Importing your cards
Stitching Software
VideoStitch + PT Gui or Kolor
Video stitching is a learning curve, but it is the corner stone of the entire process and the more you know stitching, the better you’re going to be at filming. Whether you’re looking for more automatic features or wanting to push the boundaries with the art, there is software that suits your needs.
360-degree video stitching is a two step process: creating a stitched reference panorama from still images extracted from the videos, and applying the reference panorama to the videos and stitching the entire video. So stitching requires both photo stitching and video stitching software. The two options for the stitching duo are VideoStitch + PT Gui, or Kolor Autopano Video + Kolor Autopano Giga. We recommended trying the trial versions first before making your decision, as it is a preference.
The video can be used as processed out of the stitching program (2:1 in range of formats – h264 recommended for posting online), or do further editing, color correction and add graphics & effects in Premiere, After Effects, Final Cut etc.
Video Stitch Tutorials
[accordion]1.1 Getting started with VideoStitch Studio
1.2 Synchronization
1.3 Calibration
1.4 Exposure compensation
1.5 Stabilization and orientation
1.6 Workflow Videostitch and PTgui
Processing time for video stitching
[accordion]Using Kolor Basic, which uses CPU to stitch, one minute of video at 48 FPS takes about 45 minutes to stitch, on average. Using the Pro edition of Kolor, one minute of video at 48 FPS takes about 4 to 5 minutes, and this is GPU based. Video-Stitch is all GPU based, however it requires you to purchase a NVidia graphics card. With Video-Stitch Pro, one minute of video takes about 1.5 minutes to stitch. The Video-Stitch Extended version is designed so you can select multiple graphics cards at the same time. So one minute of video takes about 20 seconds to stitch. Again, the speed of the GPU varies based upon which card you select, but all of these times are plus/minus 10%. Both of these programs work with PC (recommended), Mac, and Linux.
[end_accordion]Sample footage for stitching tests with trial versions of VideoStitch, PTGui and Kolor
[accordion]Yes! You can download it by clicking here.
[end_accordion]Publishing/Playback
360RIZE free app for iOS & Android + integrated Hosting Center
The launch of the 360RIZE Hosting Center video.360heros.com is a huge step towards making the 360 video platform accessible, and for managing your library and iframing content to your own website. The site includes tools for optimizing content prior to upload, and a built-in thumbnail and image optimizer that works with all mobile devices to optimize your video behind the scenes. The service is free for a limited time, and premium features are available to producers who want to embed branding on a custom page. The system is also using a distributed cloud network so it is optimized to be the same speed worldwide, and viewing statistics can be accessed through each producer’s account.
Our free geolocative mobile player for iOS and Android includes unique features like GPS mapping from the user’s location to video location, and integrates with our hosting website where videos can be uploaded into producer profile accounts. Share your videos with the world, or password protect for targeted sharing.
The 360RIZE mobile viewer is gyro-based and physical movement of the device tracks through the scene as though projected onto a spherical screen. The natural panning movement along with the gorgeous resolution of smart phones and tablets heightens the viewing sensation and expands publishing options with a strong foundation for custom app design.
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