Live Picture PhotoVista
RealSpace Viewer 2.0
RealSpace Screen Saver (Prerelease)

This readme file contains information about these Live Picture products: PhotoVista, the RealSpace Viewer, and the RealSpace Screen Saver (Prerelease). The following table contains topics that pertain to each of these products. Click one of the links in the table to jump to the information you want.

For up-to-date information about Live Picture and its products, visit the Web site at www.livepicture.com. Click here for information about technical support.

PhotoVista

PhotoVista creates spectacular 360-degree panoramas, and produces extremely compact, high-quality images optimized for immersive Web content. Once you create panoramas, you can use them with the RealSpace Screen Saver, which is installed during a typical PhotoVista installation.

Check out the self-running demo for tips on how to shoot your photos and use PhotoVista:

• On the PhotoVista CD-ROM, double-click the file Demo.
• If you received PhotoVista on a third-party CD-ROM, locate the PhotoVista folder, which contains the file Demo.
• Download the self-running demo from the PhotoVista Download section of the Live Picture Web site at www.livepicture.com.

IMPORTANT: PhotoVista supports stitching images taken with fisheye lenses of 16mm focal length or greater and supports stitching images taken with wide-angle rectilinear lenses of 13mm focal length or greater.

System Requirements

This section describes the system requirements for installing and running PhotoVista on the Macintosh and Windows platforms.

Macintosh

• Power Macintosh
• System 7.5.5 or higher (if you're running System 7.6.0 and you want to save panoramas in QuickTime VR format, you'll need to upgrade to System 7.6.1)
• 16 MB RAM (32 MB recommended)
• 8 MB hard disk space for the program

NOTE: You might need additional hard disk space and RAM for working with and storing large images. For best quality images, set your monitor resolution higher than 256 colors.

Windows

• 486/DX
• Windows 95 or NT 4.0
• 16 MB RAM (32 MB recommended)
• 8 MB hard disk space for the program

NOTE: You might need additional hard disk space and RAM for working with and storing large images. For best quality images, set your monitor resolution higher than 256 colors.

PhotoVista Installation

This section describes how to install PhotoVista on the Macintosh and Windows platforms.

Macintosh

1. To begin the installation, do one of the following:
   • If you have the PhotoVista CD-ROM, insert it into the CD-ROM drive. A PhotoVista window appears on your desktop.
   • If you download PhotoVista from the Live Picture site, the file PVistaMac.hqx appears on your desktop. Depending on your system setup, this .hqx file automatically extracts into the PhotoVista Installer file, which also appears on your desktop. If the .hqx file doesn't automatically extract the installer file, you'll need to use StuffIt Expander to extract it, which is available free from Aladdin Systems at www.aladdinsys.com.
   • If you received PhotoVista on a third-party CD-ROM, locate the PhotoVista folder.
2. Double-click the PhotoVista Installer icon.
3. Follow the onscreen prompts until you come to the type of installation to choose.
4. Choose one of the following installation options, then follow the remaining prompts to complete the installation:
   • Easy Install--installs PhotoVista, the RealSpace Screen Saver, and sample files
   • Custom--installs only the components you specify

Windows

1. To begin the installation, do one of the following:
   • If you have the PhotoVista CD-ROM, insert it into the CD-ROM drive and double-click the file setup.exe.
   • If you downloaded PhotoVista from the Live Picture Web site, double-click the file PVistaWin.exe.
   • If you received PhotoVista on a third-party CD-ROM, locate the PhotoVista folder.
2. In the InstallShield dialog box, click Yes to launch the InstallShield^TM Wizard.
3. Follow the prompting of the InstallShield Wizard until it comes to the directory to install PhotoVista. The default installation directory is:
   Program Files\Live Picture\PhotoVista
4. To choose a different directory for the installation, click Browse and navigate to the directory you want.
5. Choose one of the following installation options, then follow the remaining prompts of the InstallShield Wizard to complete the installation:
   • Typical--installs PhotoVista, the RealSpace Screen Saver, and sample files
   • Compact--installs only PhotoVista
   • Custom--installs only the components you specify

Installed Components

The following components are installed during an Easy (Macintosh) or Typical (Windows) installation:

• PhotoVista 1.0.1 components
• Online Help files for Windows (pvista.hlp) or Macintosh (PhotoVista Guide)
• A Quick-Start Tutorial for Windows (available from the PhotoVista Help menu) or Macintosh (PhotoVista Tutorial, available from the Macintosh Help menu)
• This ReadMe file (readme.htm)
• Sample images
• RealSpace Screen Saver

Documentation

If you downloaded PhotoVista from the Live Picture Web site, you'll also need to download the online User's Guide (PVBook.pdf). This document was distilled using Adobe Acrobat^TM 3.0. If you're running Acrobat 2.1, you won't be able to read this file. You'll need to upgrade to Acrobat Reader 3.0. THIS IS A FREE UPGRADE that you can download from the Adobe Web site at www.adobe.com .

PhotoVista Uninstall Instructions

This section describes how to remove PhotoVista from the Macintosh and Windows platforms.

Macintosh

Drag the following items into the trash:

• The PhotoVista folder and all of its contents
• The PhotoVista Preferences file located in System Folder|Preferences

Windows

Use the Add/Remove Programs control panel to uninstall all of the PhotoVista components and documentation.

1. From the Start menu, choose Settings, then choose Control Panel. The Control Panel window appears.
2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs. The Add/Remove Programs Properties window appears.
3. Click the Install/Uninstall tab, then select PhotoVista in the scroll list.
4. Click the Add/Remove button.
5. In the Confirm File Deletion message box, click Yes to remove PhotoVista from your hard drive. The UninstallShield program notifies you when the uninstall is complete.
6. Click OK and close the Add-Remove Programs Properties window.

NOTE: If you installed the RealSpace Screen Saver at a later time than the original installation, it won't be removed by the Uninstall program. You need to delete the Realspace Saver.scr file from the Windows 95 Windows\System directory or the Windows NT 4.0 winnt\system32 directory.

General PhotoVista Issues

These general issues pertain to the Macintosh and Windows platforms.

• PhotoVista supports stitching images taken with fisheye lenses of 16mm focal length or greater and supports stitching images taken with wide-angle rectilinear lenses of 13mm focal length or greater. The PhotoVista User's Guide has screenshots of the Select Lens dialog box (on pages 17 and 25) that show an 8mm fisheye lens in the list; this lens option is not available.
• Publishing your PhotoVista panoramas to the Live Picture Gallery is offered as a free promotional benefit. Live Picture reserves the right to change the duration and limitations without prior notice.
• PhotoVista imports CMYK images, but the colors are not represented correctly. Use at your own risk!

Macintosh Known Issues

• When you stitch high-resolution images, such as some of the sample images on the PhotoVista CD-ROM, you might need a large amount of free RAM (real or virtual). Also, make sure you have Virtual memory turned on. If you keep getting "out of memory" messages and you think you have enough installed RAM, increase the size of Virtual memory.
• If you're running Mac OS 7.5.3 or earlier and you can't see any images in the Open Source Files dialog box, do one of the following:
  • Upgrade to Mac OS 7.5.5 or greater.
  • Turn off the Mac OS Easy Open control panel; if you have Norton Utilities installed, disable Norton Directory Assistance, as well.

Saving a Panorama to QuickTime VR Format

• If you're using System 7.6.0, you'll need to upgrade to System 7.6.1 or higher in order to save panoramas in QuickTime VR format.
• If you don't have the file QuickTimeLib installed on your computer, the options to save a panorama in QuickTime VR format and to read PICT files won't be available in PhotoVista. The file QuickTimeLib comes with the QuickTime extensions that are included in a standard Macintosh system installation. Consult your Macintosh system documentation for installation instructions if you want to be able to save panoramas in QTVR format.
• In order to save panoramas to the QuickTime VR format, the final panorama must have a height in pixels which is divisible by 4 and a width that is divisible by 96. Saving a panorama which does not comply with these size requirements to the QuickTime VR format may result in a visible image overlap within the resulting panorama.
  
  To ensure that this doesn't occur, PhotoVista will automatically analyze whether a panorama being saved to the QuickTime VR format is appropriately sized and provide any minimal scaling required to achieve an appropriate image width and height. If you don't want automatic scaling, save to a format other than QTVR or resize the image manually.
  
  To resize the image manually, perform a full stitch, convert the panorama to a cylinder, and save the panorama as a bitmap (BMP). Open the bitmap file in an image editor and resize the image. Then return to PhotoVista and choose File|Open Panorama to open the resized bitmap.

Windows Known Issues

• When you're using JPEG images to create panoramas, be sure to save them with the .jpg extension (only three characters). Otherwise, PhotoVista won't be able to load them.

The RealSpace Viewer

The RealSpace Viewer is both a plug-in for Web browsers and a standalone application. Both let you view and navigate environments created with Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) 2.0 (.wrl files) and the Realspace Image Worlds file extensions (.ivr files), and both are installed when you choose a typical installation. The plug-in works with Netscape Navigator 3.01, Netscape Communicator, and Microsoft¨ Internet Explorer 3.0 (Windows version only for Internet Explorer). The standalone application runs on Power Macintosh and Windows 95/NT.

System Requirements

This section describes the requirements for running the RealSpace Viewer on the Macintosh and Windows platforms.

Macintosh

• Power Macintosh
• System 7.5.5 or higher
• 16MB RAM (minimum)
• 10MB hard disk space

Windows

• 486/DX PC
• Windows 95 or NT 4.0
• 16MB RAM
• 10 MB hard disk space

NOTE: For best quality images, set your monitor resolution higher than 256 colors.

RealSpace Viewer Installation

This section describes how to install the RealSpace Viewer on the Macintosh and Windows platforms.

Macintosh

IMPORTANT: If you're behind a firewall, you'll need to edit the file Config.txt to add your proxy server information. The instructions are in the Config.txt file, which is located in your System folder at Preferences\Live Picture\RealSpace Viewer\Preferences.

1. Locate the RealSpace Viewer Installer icon:
   • If you download the Viewer from the Live Picture site, the file rsview2_mac.sea.hqx appears on your desktop. Depending on your system setup, this .hqx file automatically extracts into the RealSpace Viewer Installer file, which also appears on your desktop. If the .hqx file doesn't automatically extract the installer file, you'll need to use StuffIt Expander to extract it, which is available free from Aladdin Systems at www.aladdinsys.com.
   • If you're installing the Viewer from the PhotoVista CD-ROM, locate the Viewer folder, which contains the RealSpace Viewer Installer file.
   • If you're installing the Viewer from on a third-party CD-ROM, locate the Live Picture, PhotoVista, or RealSpace Viewer folder to find the RealSpace Viewer Installer file.
2. Double-click the RealSpace Viewer Installer icon (either from the desktop or from the Viewer folder).
3. Follow the onscreen prompts in the Installer.
4. The Installer checks for other programs already installed, such as plug-ins or associated files. It won't overwrite these programs.
5. Select the plugins folder for your browser.
6. Continue following the prompts to complete the installation.

Windows

IMPORTANT: If you're behind a firewall, you'll need to edit the file Config.txt to add your proxy server information. The instructions are in the Config.txt file, which is located in your in your Windows system folder at Live Picture\RealSpaceViewer\Preferences.

1. Locate the appropriate RealSpace Viewer installation file:
   • If you download the Viewer from the Live Picture site, a file named rsview2_win.exe is saved to a directory you specify.
   • If you're installing the Viewer from the PhotoVista CD-ROM, navigate to the Viewers/RlSpace folder and locate the install.exe file.
   • If you're installing the Viewer from on a third-party CD-ROM, locate the Live Picture, PhotoVista, or RealSpace Viewer folder to find the RealSpace Viewer Installer file.
2. Double-click the appropriate installation file, either rsview2_win.exe or install.exe.
3. Follow the onscreen prompts to complete the installation.

NOTE: If choose to install only the plug-in Viewer (for example, from the Live Picture Web site), the first time you visit a Web site that contains .ivr or .wrl files, the Viewer downloads additional, necessary components from the Live Picture server before your browser displays the scene. If you choose a full Viewer installation (standalone and plug-in, as from the PhotoVista CD-ROM or a third-party CD-ROM), the components are automatically added during installation. Updating future versions of both the plug-in and standalone Viewers occurs automatically. See "Updating the RealSpace Viewer" for more information.

Using the RealSpace Viewer

If you're visiting Web sites that contain .ivr and .wrl files, the RealSpace Viewer plug-in automatically displays the scene within your browser. Visit the Gallery section of the Live Picture Web site at www.livepicture.com for a list of links to sites that use the RealSpace technology.

If you want to use the standalone RealSpace Viewer to view .ivr and .wrl files on your computer:

• Macintosh: Double-click the RealSpace Viewer icon in the RealSpace Viewer folder.
• Windows: Choose Programs|RealSpace Viewer from the Windows Start menu.

To navigate around a panorama in the plug-in or standalone Viewer:

• Click and hold down the mouse button while dragging the pointer around in the Viewer window to move around in the scene.
• Press Shift to zoom in and Ctrl to zoom out.
• Press the space bar to view "hot spots," areas in the scene that you click to cause an action onscreen, such as switching to another panorama.

IMPORTANT: On Macintosh, it's best to allocate as much memory as possible to your Web browser when using the RealSpace Viewer plug-in. To increase the memory of your browser, select its icon on your desktop, then choose File|Get Info. In the Preferred Size field, increase the memory requirement.

Updating the RealSpace Viewer

Periodically, the RealSpace Viewer needs to be updated to be able to view and navigate the latest technological advancements in .wrl and .ivr files. The RealSpace Viewer automatically detects when it is out of date by comparing the information in your computer's registry with the latest registry information on the Live Picture server. If the Viewer detects that it is out of date, it automatically begins to download the latest version from the Live Picture site. The comparison occurs automatically when you're connected to the Internet and is unnoticeable. However, if your version is out of date, you're prompted to begin a download operation. (You can delay the download a day at a time if downloading is inconvenient at the moment you're prompted.)

RealSpace Viewer Uninstall Instructions

This section describes how to remove the RealSpace Viewer from the Macintosh and Windows platforms.

Macintosh

Drag the following items to the trash:

• The RealSpace Viewer folder and all of its contents
• The RealSpace Plugin file from your browser's Plug-ins folder
• The RealSpace Viewer preferences folder in System Folder\Live Picture\Preferences

Windows

1. From the Start menu, choose Settings, then choose Control Panel. The Control Panel window appears.
2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs. The Add/Remove Programs Properties window appears.
3. Click the Install/Uninstall tab, then select RealSpace Viewer in the scroll list.
4. Click the Add/Remove button.
5. In the Confirm File Deletion message box, click Yes to remove the RealSpace Viewer from your hard drive. You're notified when the uninstall is complete.
6. Click OK, then close the Add/Remove Programs Properties window.

Known RealSpace Viewer Issues

• Do not distribute the RealSpace Viewer 2.0. Instead, instruct users to download the viewer from the Live Picture Web site at www.livepicture.com.
• The RealSpace Viewer 2.0 browser plug-in does not support printing panoramas embedded in Web pages.

The RealSpace Screen Saver (Prerelease)

The RealSpace Screen Saver lets you play 360 degree panoramas as screen savers (.ivr files only). It works with your system screen saver software to rotate panoramas continuously on your computer screen.

System Requirements

This section describes the requirements for running the RealSpace Screen Saver on the Macintosh and Windows platforms.

Macintosh

• After Dark¨ 3.0 or later for a Mac OS earlier than 8.0
• After Dark¨ 4.03 for Mac OS 8.0 (this version also works with Mac OS 7.1 or later)

NOTE: You can download the free updater for After Dark 4.03 from the Free Stuff area of the Berkeley Systems Web site at www.berksys.com.

Windows

Use the Display control panel installed with your Windows system to set up the RealSpace Screen Saver. There are no additional system requirements.

RealSpace Screen Saver Installation

The RealSpace Screen Saver is typically included when you install either PhotoVista or the RealSpace Viewer. You can view PhotoVista installation instructions or RealSpace Viewer installation instructions for more information.

Using the RealSpace Screen Saver

Before you can use the RealSpace Screen Saver, you need to configure your computer's screen saver software.

Macintosh

1. Start After Dark by choosing it from the Control Panels on the Apple menu.
2. Click the pop-up menu and choose Live Picture Modules from the list. RealSpace Screen Saver appears in the list.
3. Click Settings. The RealSpace Screen Saver dialog box appears.
4. Use the drop-down lists to select the speed, size, aspect ratio, and panning action for the screen saver, as well as the screen saver itself (the .ivr file).
5. Click OK. If you want, you can see a demonstration of the screen saver by clicking Demo. Click Stop to end the demonstration.
6. When you’re done, close the After Dark window.

TIP: You can change general settings, such as sleep time and passwords, by clicking Setup in the After Dark window.

Windows

1. From the Start menu, choose Settings, then choose Control Panel. The Control Panel window appears.
2. Double-click the Display icon, then click the Screen Saver tab in the Display Properties dialog box.
3. Choose RealSpace Saver from the Screen Saver drop-down list.
4. To change various settings (such as playing a single panorama versus multiple panoramas, delay time, panning action, and more), click Settings and specify the options you want.
5. When you're done, click OK, then close the Display Properties window.

NOTE: Password protection (Control Panel|Display|Display Properties dialog box) for the RealSpace Screen Saver is disabled in this version.

RealSpace Screen Saver Uninstall Instructions

This section describes how to remove the RealSpace Screen Saver from the Macintosh and Windows platforms.

Macintosh

Drag the following items to the trash:

• The Live Picture Modules folder, located in Control Panels|After Dark Files
• The Real Space Saver folder, located in System Folder|Preferences|Live Picture|RealSpace Viewer

Windows

The Screen Saver is automatically removed if you go through the Uninstall process for PhotoVista or the RealSpace Viewer. However, if you installed the RealSpace Screen Saver at a later time than the original Viewer installation, the Uninstall program does not remove it. You need to delete these files:

• Realspace Saver.scr file from the Windows\System directory or the Windows NT 4.0 winnt\system32 directory
• The RealSpace Saver Files folder from the Windows\Live Picture directory or the winnt\live picture directory

Known RealSpace Screen Saver Issues

• If you're running the RealSpace Screen Saver (Prerelease) on a PC, your system might freeze if you leave the screen saver on for more than five hours (such as overnight).

Technical Support

To contact technical support, send e-mail to rlsupport@livepicture.com. For PhotoVista users, technical support is only available if you're a registered user.

Live Picture reserves the right to alter technical support options without prior notice.

© 1996-1997 Live Picture, Inc. All Rights Reserved.