Autopano Giga - Main Window - Group Settings

Detection quality

• Low: Good compromise between the quality of the control points and the detection speed.
• Standard: (default) Increases the density of the points at the expense of the detection speed.
• High: Useful if one, several or all images are ignored. Very slow, reserved for desperate cases.

Control points / Image pair

• Affects the number of control points exported to Panotools as well as on the detection quality. 50 (default value) seems to be the best choice in the majority of cases.

• Ransac model: Lets you to select the detection algorithm.
  • Similariy:
  • Homography:

Links

• Layout:
  • Free: (default) Autopano calculates all the possibility of links between the images. This does not exclude the false links that could be created if your images contain many similarities (images linked by their similarities but in reality are not close to each other).
  • Single row or column: This can be used if the images were taken consecutively and on a single row. This method avoids the false links caused by the similarities of images.
  • Templates: Here you will find the templates that were previously saved with the Save as model feature.

• Force every images to be in one panorama: All the group images will appear in the panorama. This option is useful when one or more pictures are ignored in certain panoramas. This will not improve the quality of detection but will force the image(s) to be reflected in the resulting panorama even if these images have no connection with the images of the panorama.

• Detect links in:
  • The reference level: (default) Looks for all the possibilities of links between the images with the same bracket level.
  • All stack levels: Looks for all possibilities of links between the images.

• For a stack:
  • Use hard links: Lets you precisely superimpose the different images of the same stack without assigning control points to them.
  • Detect control points: This uses the control points as a reference to superimpose the different images in the same stack.

Project

• Folder: The ... button lets you select the directory of your choice.
• Filename: Name of project file (.pano). Click on the icon for a description of the symbols that make up the models (syntax) of the file name.
• Use relative path for image location in project: This is useful if you want to transfer the completed project to a third support (USB key, hard disk, CD, etc.) so that it can be opened on another machine.

Automate

• Auto crop: automatically frames the panorama.
• Auto color correction: (default) Automatically standardizes the panorama’s colorimetry.
• Auto color histogram: Automatically applies a color level.
• Auto render: Automatically launches the rendering.
• Auto save: Automatically saves the project (.pano).
• Auto close: This automatically closes the project window. We recommend that you check “automatic save” when using this option.

Optimization presets
These presets correspond to the pre-configurations of different optimization stages that can be viewed in “advanced settings”.
By default, the most appropriate profile is automatically selected depending on the content of the group of images.

• Quick: Simple optimization. The result may be disappointing if the panorama contains a lot of images or bad links.
• Strong: (default) This is the best choice in the majority of assemblies. It has a good calculation time/assembly quality compromise.
• Gigapixel: Suitable if your panorama contains a large number of images (more than 100 images).
• Fisheye: Select this profile if your image was taken with a fisheye lens.
• Custom: This is enabled when you manually change the parameters and they no longer correspond to a profile.

Lens distortion correction

• Enabled: Turns distortion correction to be applied to each photo of the panorama.

• Focal calculation: Sets the method for calculating the focal length.
  • Automatic: (default) Autopano decides by itself what kind of focal calculation to apply, depending on the content of the group of images.
  • Force different: Allows to force a different focal length for each photo of the panorama. Useful if the panorama contains photos with different focal length, or if the focusing has moved.
  • Force identic: Allows to force an identical focal length for each photo of the panorama.

• Distortion calculation: Sets the method for calculating the distortion of the lenses.
  • Automatic: (default) Autopano decides by itself what kind of distortion calculation to apply, depending on the content of the group of images.
  • Force different: Allows to force a different distortion calculation for each photo of the panorama. Use in case you change your lens during the shot (if the group contains photos taken with different lenses).
  • Force identic: Allows to force an identical distortion value for each photo of the panorama. Use when shooting was made with the same lens.

• Distortion model: Sets the distortion model of the lens(es).
  • Automatic: (default) Autopano decides by itself what kind of calculation to apply, depending on the content of the group of images.
  • 1st order: commom distortion, Barrel distorsion or Pincushion distortion
  • 2nd order: more complex distortion, Barrel distorsion, Pincushion distortion or mix of Barrel/Pincushion (mustache).
  • 3rd order: Further complex distortion. Few lenses still get this type of distortion (not very useful in practice).
  • 1st order + optical axis: commom distortion, Barrel distorsion or Pincushion distortion + calculation of the optical axis (the difference between the center of the lens and the center of the sensor).
  • 2nd order + optical axis: more complex distortion, Barrel distorsion, Pincushion distortion or mix of Barrel/Pincushion (mustache) + calculation of the optical axis (the difference between the center of the lens and the center of the sensor).
  • 3rd order + optical axis: Further complex distortion. Few lenses still get this type of distortion (not very useful in practice) + calculation of the optical axis

• Multiple viewpoints: Tolerates variations in the nodal point and detects changes in viewpoint to provide a satisfactory result, whatever the shooting conditions.

Options (Advanced settings)

• Use grid position: This is only available if you have imported pictures taken with the help of a pan head via a Clauss or Papywizard import plug-in. This option re-uses the coordinates provided to pre-position the images.
• Assume row/column shooting: Active for panoramas coming from a Gigapan head. This method requires high precision in the shooting matrix.

Optimization stages (Advanced settings)

1) Local approach: Lets you pre-position the images locally.

Strong algorithm: Intelligently validates the local approach calculations. This changes in the assembly if the calculations seem wrong (false links).

2) First optimization: Looks for the ideal position of each image simultaneously.

3) First lens distortion correction: Corrects lens distortion (very useful for short and medium focal lengths).

4) Clean up control points or links:

Keep only control points below this error (RMS): Useful in cases where quality counts.

Keep only the N best control points: Useful in cases where only the number of control points per image count.

Remove links below this error (RMS): Useful in cases where the quality of the links counts.

5) Final optimization: This is the same main optimizer as in step 2 that is retrieved (if it has not already been) or retrieved again (to account for deletions of step 3).

6) Final Lens distortion correction: Corrects lens distortions again if Step 4 was performed (cleaning links/control points).

Multiple viewpoints: Tolerates variations in the nodal point and detects changes in viewpoint to provide a satisfactory result, whatever the shooting conditions.

Projection and crop

• Default projection: Lets select the default type of projection by either selecting the automatic option or to force one of the projection available.
  • Automatic: Automatically chooses the most suitable projection based on the panorama’s FOV.
  • Other projections: Lets force the projection selected there.

• Default crop: Lets you select the default crop of the panorama.
  • Clamp to panorama content: The panorama will have a size that corresponds to the span of the area where the pixels are actually found.
  • Maximum projection range: The panorama will have a size that corresponds to the projection range. For example, this option is useful to generate 360°x180° as well as partial panoramas that do not cover the whole span.

Color correction

Lets you choose the default type of color correction when the auto color correction option is activated.

• Color correction by layer: This limits the color correction to each group of images within the panorama.
• Default correction:
  • Gamma: Only corrects the gamma.
  • Exposure: (default) only corrects the exposure.
  • Gamma and exposure: Corrects the gamma and exposure.
  • Gamma and color tone: Corrects the gamma and tones.
  • Exposure and color tone: Corrects the exposure and tones.
  • Gamma, exposure and color tone: Corrects the gamma, exposure and tones.

Layers editor

• Default regroup: This lets you chose how to group the images in the Layers editor of the panorama editor. You can rearrange them later if needed.

Size
This lets you adjust the panorama’s export size in percentage of the maximum size.

Interpolator
The interpolator is used to project the pixels of the source image on the panorama. Its quality often depends on the sharpness of the panorama.

• Nearest Neighbour: Reserved for testing, because of the numerous and very visible artifacts created. In return, this is the fastest.
• Bilinear: This is a correct quality/speed ratio choice.
• Bicubic: (default) Use it if you do not know. The difference with the bilinear is almost imperceptible to the naked eye but can be seen in the lines with strong contrasts. Its default use is recommended.
• Bicubic sharper: This is the same thing as the bicubic but it is stronger (the fortification level corresponds to the same settings as in Photoshop when changing the size of an image).
• Bicubic smoother: This is the same thing as the bicubic but it is softer (the softening level corresponds to the same settings as in Photoshop when changing the size of an image).
• Spline36: This powerful method of interpolation is to be used when extreme or high post-rendering is necessary. The difference with the bicubic mode is not noticeable to the naked eye.
• Spline64: Works in the same way as the Spline36, but stronger, slower and usually better (expirment to sample resutls).

Blending settings
The purpose of the blender is to combine the overlapping zones without it being noticeable, to obtain a perfect stiching of the panorama's images.
Autopano offers 4 optimization presets adapted to your needs without having to change them yourself.
These profiles correspond to the pre-configurations that can be seen in the “advanced settings”.

• Simple: This is fast but it is possible that defects are seen where the areas overlap.
  
• Anti-ghost: Conserve the image's strong characteristics (stops, lines, curves) when mixing while automatically removing objects that have moved.
• Exposure Fusion: To be used if the panorama was created with a bracket shot. Keeps the best of different exposures.
• HDR output: To be used by users who wish to create a .hdr format file in order to create post-production or special effects.
• Custom: This is enabled when you manually change the parameters and they no longer correspond to a preset.

Advanced settings

• Blending:
  • None: For each position, the algorithm uses the pixel with the greatest importance according to the required weight.
  • Linear: The rendered pixels are the result of a weighted average of input pixels.
  • Multi-band: Lets you mix the average value (color trend) of the images while maintaining their details.
    • Multi-band level: Lets adjust the influence zone for each input pixel. Consult the following page Understanding and using the rendering engine for more information.

• Diamond: The pixels in the centre of the images are more important than the pixels on the edges of the images.

• Fusion: enable/disable the tool.

• HDR ghosts:
  • Avoid mixing the superimposed pixels that do not have the same information and that come from different levels (moving object on the same bracketed image).
  • At least 3 different information (layers) are needed to determine the information to exclude. It is advisable to get more for a greater reliability of matches (warning, a layer that is entirely over-exposed or under-exposed can not be used).

• Cutting: Lets define the cutting choices of the blender according to the desired result (ghost removing or long focal preservation) thanks to the priority's definition slider:
  • Ghost: (default) all moving objects will be retained or removed according to their positions in the overlap areas. The anti-ghost himself makes this choice.
  • Long focal: Used to promote the details of the images of long focal length.

The left side of the slider bar enables the Ghosts removing at 100% and makes the Long focal preservation inactive.

The right side of the slider bar enables the Long focal preservation at 100% and makes the Ghosts removing inactive.

Move the slider bar allows to play on both settings (ghost removing or long focal preservation) at the same time, ie giving more priority to one of both settings leads to a lower priority for the other.

Consult the following page Understanding and using the rendering engine for more information.

Format
Lets you choose the output format, encoding, compression quality and resolution.

Exported data
Lets you define how and what data needs to be exported:

• Data:
  • Panorama: Lets you export the panorama.
    
  • Layers: Lets you export the image groups.
    
  • Images: Lets you export the images used to create the panorama.
    

• Options:
  • Embed all outputs: Incorporates all the data in the same file.
  • Remove Alpha channel: Deletes the alpha channel of the exported files.

Output

• Folder: Lets you specify the file in which the image will be saved.
• Filename: Default syntax of the file name. Click on the icon for a description of the symbols that make up the models (syntax) of the file name.

Rendering done notification
Lets you specify a sound that signals the end of the rendering.