Round and round they go: 360 Degree Photographs

The second assignment for IT 644 involved taking a series of still photographs and "stitching" the images together into a 360 degree panoramic image. We used the CleVR software which will be added to Clickety Von Linkety.

There are some problems with the CleVR software in that you cannot manually manipulate the image stitching. As you can see in my final product below, this can lead to "ghost" images or continuity imperfections. However, I think the biggest issue with CleVR is that is simply takes practice. The software itself is great for the price (did I mention it's FREE) and is quite easy to use. The CleVR site provides plenty of "how to's" in case you get stuck. While working on this project, I explored some other online software options, but this was the easiest to use and seem to have the most quidance.

The most obvious use for this type of application is virtual touring. In fact, I won't stay in a hotel unless I can get a 360 degree view of its room. Certainly, though, this application is not limited to hotels and real estate. I work in litigation and this would be a powerful tool to use in evidence. At trial, one of the biggest challenges is getting the jury to picture the case you are presenting. In a car accident trial for instance, the jury can miss out on key details if they cannot get an understanding of where Vehicle "A" was in relation to the intersection and Vehicle "B". Only so much can be achieved by showing a jury snapshots. Using this 360 degree application, an attorney (or in my case, the paralegal) can present at trial a panoramic photograph that pans around. That way the jury can see the position of an intersection in relation to a ditch in relation to a light post in relation to a stop light- all of the little things that make up our environment that can become paramount in litigation.

This can also be a fun way to show distant loved ones your environment. When vacationing, traveling for work, or stationed at a new base, you can let friends and family see exactly where you are, or what your office or dorm room looks like.

The clip below was my first venture using CleVR and, as I stated, it takes practice. With some effort though, you can find an effective balance of photography and technology to achieve a functional result.

Panorama of USM Admin Building 1 on CleVR.com

Photostory: First assignment in scary new computer class!

Through the Photostory project, I learned to digitally manipulate photographs (including scans), arrange them into a slide show and embellish the show with music and transition effects. The effects I used came from the free photo-manipulation software, Picnik. Check Clickety Von Linkety for the link. Some of the FREE effects include, but are certainly not limited to changing the focal point of the picture, adding borders, cropping the picture, adjusting the resolution, converting the picture to a pencil sketch or neon sign image. Photos can be made to look like snap shots from the 1960’s or digital images from future decades. The manipulation process through Picnik is ridiculously easy and does not take much time for mastery at all. However, there is much to be gained (as with any technology application) from taking time to explore the application and play with every feature it has to offer.
All of the skills contained within the project have value personally and professionally. At work, I have used the photo manipulation techniques to improve photographic evidence involved in lawsuits. I had a snap shot of a traffic sign on a highway road side and I was able to increase the resolution of the photograph so that the writing on the sign was legible. One of the effects in Picnik offers a side by side view of the image before and after it has been altered. I was able to use this to demonstrate that while I had made the photo clearer, I had not tampered with the actual content of the photo. In litigation, we often receive digital images that have been made from copies of copies of scans of emails and the quality has been degraded. With some of the free tools on Picnik, I can sharpen the photos and smooth out the color in the same time it would take me to write an email requesting the original photos.

Personally, photostories can make great archives and presents for life's auspicious occasions. In my example, I used images and music from my favorite band. This inspired me to create one for a friend as a personalized “pick me up” while she was dealing with some stress. Also, physical photo albums are becoming a thing of the past as families discover the space saving and organizational quality of digital images. Photostories are tomorrow’s family photo album.

I will be using this knowledge and skills from this project on a daily basis.

Here is my first attempt at a Photostory:

Computers can DO that?

Technology is only as good as the user (unless your name is Flynn) and I realized that even though I was using computers back when Ozzy Osborne was still releasing new material, I could fill several websites with what I didn't know about day-to-day computer use. 

For my part, my computer is a sorely under-used tool. I use Windows 7 at my office and a Mac at home. Thus far, I can operate both with marginal degrees of success, but not anywhere near what either I or my machines are capable of. Upon reflection, I dwell primarily in the realms of word processing and internet surfing. I'm aware of multitudes of applications, but I lack anything approaching working knowledge. For example, I visit YouTube, but don't have an active account and have certainly never uploaded anything. I know what file conversion is in theory, but have no idea how to perform a conversion.

Furthermore, more and more often, I’m encountering children that know more about technology versatility than I do. I’m young into my career and certainly cannot afford to stagnate. Just as the legal field requires ongoing legal education to stay abreast of changes in the law, so too is there a need for ongoing technology education.

So, I dusted off my backpack, notebook, and pencil box and signed up for grad school.  Online.  I threw my pencil box and backpack back into the closet from whence they came and steered my laptop into new uncharted territories, namely those ending in .edu.  This blog is the digital fruit of my labor from Instruction Technology 644 taken in the fall semester of 2010.

The content of this blog will include the projects I developed in class, as well as my thoughts on each software application and overall learning process.  Not unlike Star Trek's famous opening monologue, learning technology is a 'continuing mission' of learning, adapting and application.  This blog contains my attempts at 360 degree imaging, photo manipulation, slidecasts, digital audio mixing, digital video mixing, screen captures, tutorial videos, animation and, of course, blogging.

As I add posts about each assignment, I will add links to Clickety Von Linkety of any free software I have used, as well as a synopsis on the user friendly variables of each.

Technology is every expanding and evolving, and so too must be our minds and our ability to learn if we are to function in the brightly lit future we have dreamed of.