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== Interface Description ==

<div style="float:right">__TOC__</div>

The main interface of the software is divided into 3 main areas:
* The '''Main Toolbar''': a collection of the most useful tools,
* The '''[[Groups View]]''': allow the user to manage the various image groups that will make up one or several panoramas,   
* The '''[[Panoramas View]]''': displays the panoramas currently in memory, resulting from a detection or from loading a previously saved projet file
[[Image:V2.0en-wnd-main.jpg|thumb|600px|center|Main Window Screenshot]]

== The Main Toolbar ==

[[Image:v2.0en-main-toolbar.jpg]]

This toolbar is divided into 4 areas:
* Project files management: [[Image:pano_open.png]]
* Panorama detection: [[Image:analyse_folder.png]] [[Image:analyse_pictures.png]]
* GUI Layout: [[Image:Splitmiddle.png]] [[Image:Splitleft.png]] [[Image:Splitright.png]]
* Workspace management: [[Image:Workspace-load.png]] [[Image:Workspace-save.png]] <span style="color:red">'''(Autopano Giga Only)'''</span>
* Batch rendering: [[Image:Batch_render.png]]

The last icon [[Image:Whatsthis.png]] allow you to display some help content for each button. Click on this icon then click on the button you need help with.

== Project Files (.pano) ==

The Autopano Pro project file (.pano extention) is a file used to save all the panorama parameters: the list of source images used, the color correction parameters, the rendering file format, etc.
It could be useful to keep this file as it will allow you to resume working on a panorama at a later time and do a new rendering without having to go through the detection phase again. This file is a plain text file and can be opened with any text editor.

Autopano Pro also supports other very popular project file types: the PanoTools project file format. You can also import from and export to these file formats.

===[[Image:pano_save.png]] Opening an Autopano project ===

This button is used to load Autopano Pro project files (.pano extension).   Project files are obtained from saving a project after stitching a panorama with Autopano Pro. <br/>Note: Selecting multiple project files is allowed.

==Panorama detection==

===[[Image:analyse_folder.png]] Folder Analysis===

Using this icon launches the analysis of the content of a given folder, and, if so chosen, the content of its subfolders, looking for images. The analysis will result in the creation of image groups, each producing a single panorama after detection.

==== The big picture ====

Let’s say you just unloaded a bunch of image from your camera’s memory card onto your hard drive and you are starting to think that you now need to sort out the images belonging to the various individual panoramas you have been shooting? Well stop thinking! You do not need to do this anymore. Autopano Pro will do that for you! Here is how:

When shooting pictures during a trip, when on vacation, or even on a professional assignment, the precise date and time of the capture is stored along with the image. When shooting a panorama we generally will be standing at a single spot, clicking the individual shots that will make up the final panorama one after another. We then pack up our gears and go to the next shooting location and do it again.

What we get out of this behavior is that the individual images belonging to a single panorama are often shot almost at the same time, within a few seconds of each other at most. If an isolated image is found, meaning there are no other pictures taken within let’s say the same hour, it probably means that this particular image does not belong to a panorama. 

Our tool will then create groups of images based on the date and time they were shot, using inactivity periods (periods where no pictures were shot) as a separator between two groups. 

==== Interface ====

[[Image:V2.0en-dlg-browse-folder.jpg|float|right]]

* '''Bouton "..."'''<br/>This is a ''browse folders'' button that will allow you to choose the folder you wish to analyze.
* '''Recurse into subfolders'''<br /> If this box is checked, the analysis will take in account all subfolders contained into the selected folder. Each subfolder automatically resulting into different groups.
* '''Auto detection'''<br /> Automatically launches the control points detection and display of panorama previews for all newly created groups.
* '''Average number of images'''<br /> This value will impact the number of images that can make up a group (don’t forget that it is still possible after the analysis to move pictures from one group to another, to create new groups and to delete existing groups from the "Image Group" section of the interface).
* '''Maximum time lapse (sec.)'''<br />The pictures are scanned in the order they were shot. For a picture to belong to the same group as the previous one, the time differential between the two images must be smaller than the value selected here.
* '''Don’t mix landscape and portrait'''<br />If  this option is checked the groups will not be able to contain both portrait and landscape images.
* '''Group by focal'''<br /> If this option is checked, the groups will only be able to contain images shot using the same focal length.

==== Group Creation ====

Groups are created by using 2 values : '''Average number of images''' and '''Maximum time lapse (sec.)'''. It works this way :
* All images are stored into a big group. The images are sorted by increasing shooting date ( EXIF shooting date time ).
* The algorithm looks for the biggest time lapse between 2 following images.
** It this biggest time lapse is already less than the '''Maximum time lapse (sec.)''', the algorithm stops because it would say that all images are separated by a time range than is less than this '''Maximum time lapse (sec.)'''.
** It this biggest time lapse is bigger than our limit, it divides the group into 2 new sub groups. 
* The algorithm continue to divide groups until the group size reaches the '''Average number of images''' limit.

Examples :

* '''Average number of images''' = 1 et '''Maximum time lapse (sec.)''' = 10 
** The groups created will only have images that are separated by 10s max. You can get groups with only one image.
* '''Average number of images''' = 1000 et '''Maximum time lapse (sec.)''' = 10
** Groups will have 1000 images each but you are not sure that time laps between images in group is less than 10s.

===[[Image:analyse_pictures.png]] Picture Analysis===

This icon is used to perform a stitching detection for one or several panoramas from manually selected pictures.  The new group will appear in the main GUI's left panel along with one or several associated previews in the GUI's right panel.

== GUI Layout ==

* [[Image:Splitleft.png]] : Only displays the groups panel (ides the panorama previews).
* [[Image:Splitmiddle.png]] : Splits the main GUI into two equal panels: the left panel displaying the groups, the right panel displaying the panorama previews.
* [[Image:Splitright.png]] : Only displays the panoramas panel (ides the groups panel).

== Workspace Management (.apw) <span style="color:red">(Only available with Autopano Giga)</span>== 

The '''workspace''' file (.apw extension) is used to store a list of all open groups and panoramas. This allow for a quick return to a previous state of the workspace, before you closed Autopano Giga for example. 

This file is a plain text file and can be opened with any text editor.

===[[Image:Workspace-load.png]] Load Workspace===
Allow you load a workspace from a previously saved ''(.apw)'' file. 

===[[Image:Workspace-save.png]] Save Workspace===
Allow you save a workspace in a  ''(.apw)'' file.

== Batch rendering ==

[[Image:Batch_render.png]] : Using this icon display or hide the [[Batch Rendering]] window.


[[Category: 2.0 Reference Manual]]
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