How to make an HDR panorama?

Read Autopano Giga 3 user manual

Read PhotoEngine user manual

Jump to 64 bits

Today’s cameras generate images that become bigger and bigger and require more power to process them, as well as a better memory management. Autopano is available in 32 bits or 64 bits to be compatible with all computer types, but you should definitely favor the 64-bit version if your operating system can handle it. This will increase the memory usage capability of Autopano and therefore get round the memory leak issue.

What is the difference between 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems?

On 64-bit operating systems you have access to essentially unlimited RAM, because these systems offer a wider address system and data path. On 32-bit systems, each application is limited to 4GB of RAM (in practice this number is actually smaller). More RAM means applications can manipulate larger pieces of data, cache more information and handle a wide range of tasks more efficiently. Autopano Pro is compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit systems, but we highly recommend you to use a 64-bit system if you are planning to create big image stitchings.

What do I need to do to upgrade to a 64-bit operating system?

• On Windows :
If your computer has a 64-bit processor, then you can upgrade to a 64-bit version of Windows. If your computer does not have a 64-bit processor, you may upgrade to a new computer. Refer to your computer dealer for more information.
• On Mac :
Mac OS X Leopard, Snow Leopard, Lion and Mountain Lion are already 64-bit capable, which enables leveraging of more than 4GB of RAM. If you intend to create huge image stitchings, you can just add some RAM and you will start seeing the benefits of the 64-bits support in Autopano Pro.

Modify the use of the graphics card if you notice a performance decrease

The GPU (= graphics card) mode uses the resources of the graphics card of your computer while Autopano processes something, instead of the processor’s resources. This mode is activated by default since Autopano version 2.6 and enables a better user experience in the panorama editor. It may happen that your graphics card is not powerful enough to perform the tasks asked by Autopano (this is particularly the case for graphics cards integrated on the motherboard). If you are not satisfied with the performance of Autopano, please perform the following 3 solutions:
• Install the latest version of your graphics card driver
• Try the compatibility mode for the old graphics cards
• If the above solutions don’t better the performance, deactivate totally the use of the GPU. You will then work only with the power of the processor, not the graphics card. This will facilitate the operations in the panorama editor and slightly increase the rendering speed, but you won’t be able to use some tools anymore, like the panorama move.

Modify the file browser

If Autopano crashes when you open a file browser (for instance when you click on the “Analyze a folder” icon or when you save a project), this is due to a conflict between Autopano and another application. To solve this problem, deactivate the use of the system file browser in the Preferences window, General tab. In this way you get round the conflict causing the crash and activate the use of a specific file browser proper to Autopano. This file browser is similar to the system one, but with some limitations: no contextual menu (right-click), no display settings for the files and folders, no thumbnails and network browsing.

To go further

A special page lists the troubleshooting solutions answering most of the issues you may experience in the use of Autopano:

Discover Autopano’s troubleshooting solutions

The forums help you share your experience, ask questions and get answers to your specific cases:

Forum: using Autopano Forum: Autopano bugs

You can also get technical support by contacting the team of Kolor.

As part of the recent adding of the whole Nodal Ninja product range on the new Kolor Store, we have just created a special Nodal Ninja playlist on Kolor’s YouTube channel gathering 14 useful video tutorials, including Nodal Ninja 3 and Nodal Ninja 4 video tutorials.

Subscribe for free to Kolor’s YouTube Channel!

Our YouTube channel also includes Autopano video tutorials, Panotour video tutorials and product presentations. We regularly add video content. Don’t miss anything, subscribe to Kolor’s YouTube channel for free.

Other support options

Have you seen the videos and still have questions? Visit Kolor documentation website, Kolor forums or drop us a line with your request.

- how to use your own graphical theme in Panotour Pro, to replace the standard buttons offered by the app,

- how to create your own virtual tour templates, that defines not only graphical items but also the positioning and behavior of each element of the theme that you can save and use on future tours.

Please note that both tutorials require to edit a bit of XML code, but that should not refrain you, especially for the first tutorial that is nearly at anyone’s reach. The second tutorial requires a bit more XML knowledge.

If you don’t want to create your own themes but wish to re-use the theme that we created for these tutorials, you can download it for free on the tutorials’ pages.

- improve the stitching in particular zones by adding manual control points
- remove bad links between images

Using the control points editor is quite easy and enables to finally get done with difficult stitching cases.

Here are 3 video tutorials that focus on the control points editor of Autopano:

- the first one presents the interface and workflow between the control points editor and the panorama editor when the control points editor is active
- the second video describes how to improve a stitching by modifying Autopano’s control points
- the third tutorial is based on a difficult case where all images have similarities and where Autopano adds too many links between them. Removing bad links and adding control points manually gives a perfect result.

Enough talk, here are the videos!

1st tutorial: Presentation of the control points editor

2nd tutorial: Using the control points in Autopano Pro and Autopano Giga

3rd tutorial: Advanced use of the control points

You liked these videos? Subscribe to our Youtube channel to be notified of all future tutorial videos.

This 3-minute video presents the app interface and its main features. You can watch it on the Autopano Pro mini site, on Youtube or just below. Also take a look at our new Youtube channel, where you will find many tutorials about Autopano Pro and other software from Kolor.

This new tutorial lets you understand, use and create LDR and HDR images with Autopano Pro and Autopano Giga image-stitching software.

The lesson presents all the cases you can encounter depending if you have LDR or HDR images in input and what you need in output.

Access the tutorial: Using and creating LDR and HDR images in Autopano

This new tutorial lets you understand how to perfectly stitch fisheye images with Autopano Pro and Autopano Giga image-stitching software.

The lesson presents the 3 types of fisheye lenses and illustrates with 3 examples this stitching feature of Autopano.

Access the tutorial: Stitching fisheye photos with Autopano

>> Access the lesson: Fun with Autopano: stitching video frames.

This new tutorial lets you understand and use the Papywizard import module of Autopano Pro and Autopano Giga image-stitching software.

The aim is to assemble images that were shot following a defined path. When Autopano understands how you shot your photos, it can stitch them more precisely and force the position of some images (blue sky photos for instance).

The tutorial is based on 2 examples:
- A simple case to understand the difference between the standard detection of Autopano and a detection made through the Papywizard import plugin;
- An application on a gigapixel image showing the settings that enable you to tune Autopano for a perfect stitching. This example is based on a shooting made with a Panogear motorized head.

Access the tutorial: Using Papywizard module