pt_Panorama

Moderator: Paul Tuersley

Paul Tuersley
Posts: 704
Joined: June 5th, 2004, 7:59 am
Location: London, UK

This script converts a panoramic image into a 3D cylinder that can be used as a background in a 3D composition. Requires After Effects CS3 or later.
Download pt_Panorama from aescripts.com

Image

Image

The full help is included with the script, but here are the basics:

1. Drop a panoramic image into your comp and select it.

2. Launch pt_Panorama and review the options. Choose whether to create a full or partial cylinder (60-360 degrees), the number of sides and whether the sides overlap (prevents gaps when using motion blur).

3. Click Apply and the 3D panorama will be generated and precomposed. The layer is scaled to 20000% in order to simulate a distant background, which means you should be able to freely fly the camera around without ever hitting the sides.
Darkmoon_UK
Posts: 62
Joined: September 5th, 2006, 3:45 am
Location: Chiswick, London, UK
Contact:

It's delicious! Nice work!!!
ScottG
Posts: 38
Joined: March 19th, 2006, 2:45 am

Hi,
Using AE CS3 on a mac I get errors when trying to run this script. Can anyone suggest why?
I haven't kept up with the scripting since CS and am not sure why it isn't working...
Paul Tuersley
Posts: 704
Joined: June 5th, 2004, 7:59 am
Location: London, UK

I just tried it with the test project on AE CS3 Mac and it worked ok for me. Does it work if you use the test project, following the instructions above? And what are the error messages you're getting?

Paul
onehugeeye
Posts: 1
Joined: October 7th, 2008, 7:25 am

I tried on CS3 mac (10.5.4) and works fine.

Great script by the way.
Redsandro
Posts: 108
Joined: June 25th, 2008, 4:55 pm

This might as well be just impossible, but just in case, I was wondering if it's possible to 'project' a few stills on there and have the projections be saved on the texture (like Render To Texture in 3d Max). This would make for a good way of creating a reference plate for further editing so you know what part from the original footage ends up where, assuming the camera is matchmoved.
avi + m2t -> Vdub + DGIndex -> AE CS3 -> x264 -> Hell On Earth :mrgreen:
Redsandro
Posts: 108
Joined: June 25th, 2008, 4:55 pm

Hi Paul Tuersley,

Hope you don't mind me messing with your script.

I tried altering your script so I could more easily play around with partial panorama's where there's not a full cilinder. It's a very minor change but I added a GUI for ease of messing.
However, every non-full cilinder takes up more space (because of the sides size calculation) and it looks like images are not properly aligned.
I couldn't fix this. Could you please take a look?

-edit-
Script attachment removed on request
Last edited by Redsandro on November 19th, 2008, 7:03 am, edited 2 times in total.
avi + m2t -> Vdub + DGIndex -> AE CS3 -> x264 -> Hell On Earth :mrgreen:
Redsandro
Posts: 108
Joined: June 25th, 2008, 4:55 pm

Ah well, in the meanwhile I created a basic "ruler script". I can imagine no one is waiting for this, but I needed it so perhaps anyone else will.

Why am I posting this here? You can create a ruler in an empty precomp to be used as the panoramic image. The ruler will make it more easy for you to see what point from the panoramic precomp is on the camera at what point in the parent composition, allowing you to tweak the panoramic precomp, which might be specifically composited instead of a still image.

The script will create a lot of 10 px wide lines from a grey solid, and printing a value every other line. Your currently chosen text size and color will be used, so keep it small (depending on your comp size).

+58
Attachments
MakeRuler v1.0.zip
(1.2 KiB) Downloaded 2382 times
Last edited by Redsandro on November 19th, 2008, 7:04 am, edited 3 times in total.
avi + m2t -> Vdub + DGIndex -> AE CS3 -> x264 -> Hell On Earth :mrgreen:
Paul Tuersley
Posts: 704
Joined: June 5th, 2004, 7:59 am
Location: London, UK

Based on Redsandro's suggestion, here's an update to the script with a user interface that lets you specify the angle and number of sides for the resulting 3D cylinder. Let me know what you think.

<link removed> See first post for the latest version.

To run the script as an embedded panel, unzip and place it in a folder called "ScriptUI Panels", inside the Scripts folder. If there is no ScriptUI Panels folder in the Scripts folder, you'll need to create one. When you restart AE, you'll be able to select the script from the Windows menu.
Redsandro
Posts: 108
Joined: June 25th, 2008, 4:55 pm

Hey it seems to work perfectly.

The project I needed it for is past the already done that phase, so I won't be trying it to the bone until I need something similar again.
What did you change to make it act normal on perspective preview? Version 1 made the viewport warp like crazy when you tried to orbit around the panorama, but this one acts normal.

I will let you know if I use this for a project again and something mentionable coms up. :)
avi + m2t -> Vdub + DGIndex -> AE CS3 -> x264 -> Hell On Earth :mrgreen:
rhedpixel@mac.com
Posts: 1
Joined: December 6th, 2008, 11:20 pm

I'd very much like to use this in a new book....

Is this alright? I'll give you full credit and also get a copy sent to you.

In the meantime, here's my contribution. A CS4 action that makes a seamless loop after running Photomerge for a full 360 pano.
Attachments
Panoramic.atn.zip
CS4 Action
(1.52 KiB) Downloaded 3367 times
srinivas
Posts: 3
Joined: March 18th, 2009, 10:20 am

THE DOWNLOAD LINK IS NOT WORKING.

PLEASE MAKE THE SCRIPT DOWNLOADABLE. PLEASE.....
Paul Tuersley
Posts: 704
Joined: June 5th, 2004, 7:59 am
Location: London, UK

It's working again now.
srinivas
Posts: 3
Joined: March 18th, 2009, 10:20 am

Download Link is not working. I tried many times. It is saying "the URL does not exist".

How to download it.

Please help me sir.
srinivas
Posts: 3
Joined: March 18th, 2009, 10:20 am

Sir, Please send the file to my email address.

srinivaskorai@yahoo.co.in

Please help me. I am in dire need of it.

thanks in advance.
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