An Interesting Geography Tool

A new way to create Photosynths using Microsoft ICE

This Photosynth was created from 9 photographs taken with a FUJI FINEPIX S5700.The images were then run through an application called Microsoft Image Composite Editor (MS ICE).

ICE automatically stitches the images together to create a panoramic view.

I then used the built in Photosynth export tool to publish my panoramic view to the Photosynth player.

All Silverlight Examples, Photosynth, Silverlight Effects, by Clive West adapted from an except by Gavin Wignall.

Step by stepFirst of all make sure you have the required software, you will need to install the following:

Install Microsoft Photosynth

Install Microsoft Image Composite Editor

These are both free to install

Next you need to take you photographs, you don’t need a fancy camera to do this part.

I find the best results come from standing in a single position and taking a series of shots by turning around and looking up and down, this means you will keep a single line of perspective. Moving objects, ie (People, cars, animals) will create a distorted image.

Make sure all of your photos overlap a little so that they can be stitched together. (Do not run them through any enhancement software)

Once you have your collection of images, download them onto your computer. Now open up Microsoft ICE, once open, the top half of the application should have a large grey area asking you to add your images.

Now open up your folder of images. I had a total of 9 images to get a 132 degree panoramic view, it involved taking pictures looking from left to right.

You can take pictures looking up and down as well to get a 360 degree view.

Whist the pictures upload the screen will display the following images:

(Reading source selection) (Composting Images)

The process may take a view minutes to complete before you can see the stitched result. Once complete you will see a single image composite created from your individual photographs.

At this point you may want to go back out and shoot more photos

sometimes you can add too many which will confuse the editor.

Once you are happy with the result, Microsoft ICE will allow you export your composite in a number of formats: Export to Disk or Publish to Photosynth.

To output your creation to the Photosynth player simply click the large button on the right of the editor titled ‘Publish to Photosynth…’.

This will now upload your composite image to the Photosynth servers.

You will be asked to enter a few details like the title of your creation and some tags to help be found by other users.

Saving a PANORAMA that you can printYou may wish to save the single image composite created from your individual photographs as a large panoramic print.

To save this image you must at first crop the image to form a rectangle.Click on the Automatic Crop for best results. You can drag the corners of the crop box to change the area selected.

When you are satisfied with the cropped image click the Export to disk button.

Give your image a name and click the save button.

A Fun way of printing your Panorama

Open up PAINT which can be accessed by Clicking:

All ProgrammesThen

AccessoriesThen

Paint

An Untitled Paint document will now open.

Click File in the top right corner.

Select Open and open up the Panoramic photo that you had saved.

A highly magnified version of a portion of your Panorama should be displayed.

Click View to view the whole image. Select:

ZoomThen

CustomThen

12.5%

You should now see a more manageable view of your whole panorama.

Now click File and then select Page Setup.

Select your orientation as Landscape.

Change the Margins so that they have a 1mm border.

Change the Scaling to the amount of page(s) you wish to print on.

Click OK.

Now click Print.

You should now have a collection of smaller photos, that you can combine (like a Jig-saw) to make up your large panoramic print.

Classroom Ideas

Mixing and matching a variety of pictures and asking the children to build the bigger picture. A combination of panoramas that may be illustrate a place that is:LOCAL, REGIONAL, NATIONAL and GLOBAL to the children could make a good ‘nested hierarchy’ sorting activity.

More on the Photosynth

When you click the Publish to Photosynth button the Image Composite Editor will check for updates.

A separate Microsoft Photosynth box will open (This will later open your Photosynth)

Photosynth will ask you to enter a title for your panorama and drag a thumbnail to highlight an area of the picture you want to represent your panorama

Click Upload.

The Photosynth will now be created.These may take a while.

Open up your Photosynth by clicking View.

You can now view or edit your Photosynth.

Editing allows you to add highlights (which can be zoomed into).A Geotag will place your Photosynth on the globe.

Here are some of my own photosynths. There are thousands more to explore online.

ENJOY

http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=ad9433ce-5055-4189-95d5-b6930fe9dc35 Ice Road

http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=e3b3c4e8-3a2c-430f-a77a-1eff58403050 Gardenhttp://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=fd84bbd5-9664-4432-9012-2e62efdc5369 Corfehttp://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=496876c6-41e0-4582-ab5a-24516c64a902 Hill Head