Table of Contents
An image is enhanced by the experience of viewing it. Just like that, an architectural project needs to be viewed in the most optimal manner in order for both the designer and the client to immerse themselves in it and understand its true beauty.
Given the technological developments in recent times, there are various techniques available to do so, including 3D Panorama, 360 Degree and Virtual Reality. Understanding the debate of panorama vs 360 degree vs virtual reality will help you understand the advantages of each and the differences between them.
1. Panorama
Virtual Reality offers a realistic experience of a designed space, credits: pexels.com
A 3D panorama is any three-dimensional wide-angle view or representation of a virtual space, whether in paintings, drawings, photography, films, seismic images or a three-dimensional model. A 3D panorama has many names – Some people call it a wide-angle shot and some call it an ultra-wide-angle shot.
Most of the time, photographers simply name the panoramic image after the type of lens they used to take the shot. Generally, a lens having a focal length between 8–18 mm is a Wide Angle Lens. Panoramic photography is a technique in photography that utilizes specialized equipment or software to capture images with horizontally elongated fields of view. Both the aspect ratio and coverage are crucial in creating a 3D panorama.
You can take a 3D panorama when looking straight with your camera, then turning around your own axis once. This means that what is above and below you is not captured, unlike in a 360-degree picture, which is a key differentiator in the panorama vs 360 degree vs virtual reality discussion. Panoramic virtual tours are being widely used in the field of architecture and real estate.
2. 360 Degree
A 360-degree shot is simply a 3D panorama that covers the full horizontal and vertical fields of view around a person. When you take a 360-degree image with your camera, you capture every single point around you, in every possible viewing direction. This requires stitching together a number of photographs, often using software like Adobe Photoshop, to create a seamless view.
The final product can then be projected on the inside of a sphere without leaving anything blank. 360-degree videos are no different from a normal video – They are a sequence of 360-degree photos presented in a rapid fashion, often shared on social media. This format offers a different point of view compared to static panoramic photos.
A 360-degree view captures the entire horizontal and vertical field, credits: google.com
3. Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality in architecture that has, in recent times seen a spike in use and popularity due to rapid leaps and bounds in virtual reality technology holds massive potential for architects and designers. From initial design mock-ups, to project collaboration, right through to the finishing touches that make a building design go from good to great, virtual reality in architecture possesses the capability to really sell an idea better than any other medium.
One of the greatest challenges faced by architects while working with a client is to convince them that a design works, and receiving valuable and workable feedback that can be integrated into a finished design. The bigger the project, the more stakeholders it will inevitably involve. It’s unlikely that there will be one single decision maker; rather, multiple people will be asked for their input on various aspects of a building’s design. Getting all these people into a single room to discuss these design decisions can be incredibly difficult, not to mention time consuming and inefficient.
Floor plans, real time 3D renderings, and 3D models are often used to convey an idea for a particular space within a design, but even these approaches, albeit effective, can sometimes fail to effectively communicate even the best of ideas to clients.
This is where VR architecture technology, a key component of the panorama vs 360 degree vs virtual reality comparison, comes into its own. As an immersive technology, it uses interactive 3D virtual tours to transport users into a fully interactive 3D environment, giving them the opportunity to explore a virtual representation of a particular room, floor, or building design as a whole.
This technology is the most advanced option when comparing panorama vs 360 degree vs virtual reality.
.Read also – best laptop for 3D modeling and rendering
4. Modern VR vs 360 Degree Photos
While a 360-degree photo can help the viewer glance in every direction, virtual reality in architecture takes the viewing experience to a whole new level. This is the core of the panorama vs 360 degree vs virtual reality debate. It involves shape, volume, location, and physics. Using VR architecture technology, room elements can have spatial depth, they can be moved, you can walk between them, and look underneath them.
True virtual reality is volumetric and spatial. For example, if a 360-degree photo of a room was taken, it’s not possible to walk over to a window and look at it from a different angle to understand the views and space. Using VR architecture technology, it is possible to look outside the window from every angle. It’s possible to move a chair and even see how the light changes in the room based on the time of day because all of that data is contained in virtual reality.
This allows for true physical exploration rather than a fixed viewpoint. You can even examine specific details up close, which is impossible in a simple 360 photo. When considering panorama vs 360 degree vs virtual reality, VR offers a truly interactive experience.
VR allows users to interact with virtual environments spatially, credits: google.com
5. Interactive 3D Virtual Tours via Foyr Neo
Foyr Neo is a powerful 3D visualization software that goes beyond 3D panorama and 360-degree technology to allow people to envision what space will look like once it has been built or renovated. It simplifies the complex panorama vs 360 degree vs virtual reality choice for designers. Foyr Neo offers interactive 3D virtual tours that provide a more immersive experience to the customer. Once the architect or designer has the renders ready, through this software, they can make it into a 360-degree interactive virtual walkthrough. These panoramic tours are a great way to showcase a project to potential clients, providing an in-depth view of the project in an immediate and interactive way, without requiring an in-depth understanding of the plan and section drawings, or other technical aspects of architecture or interior design.
360 degree walkthroughs provide the viewer with a practical understanding of how the space will look and feel once finished, and enables clients to get a better understanding of the project, and make comments and provide feedback on various aspects quickly and easily as they can see it right in front of them and are not relying on only their imagination or a badly rendered snapshot of a model that can often be more misleading than helpful.
When evaluating panorama vs 360 degree vs virtual reality for your target audience, the high image quality and ease of use of Neo make it a clear winner. Following design best practices is simple with Neo’s intuitive layout, allowing clients to explore at their own pace. For designers, this is the ultimate solution in the panorama vs 360 degree vs virtual reality landscape.
Foyr Neo combines the best of all worlds into one easy-to-use platform. Sign up for your 14-day free trial today and bring your designs to life!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is panorama the same as 360?
No, they are different. A panorama is typically a wide-angle view captured by rotating the camera on a single axis (horizontally). It results in an elongated image but doesn’t capture what is directly above or below the viewer. A 360 photo, however, captures the entire scene around a single point, up, down, and all around, creating a complete spherical image.
What is the difference between a 360 photo and a panorama?
The main difference is the field of view. A panoramic image is wide but usually limited to a horizontal field. In contrast, a 360 photo is fully spherical, capturing every possible viewing direction from a single point. Think of a panorama as a wide poster and a 360 photo as being inside a bubble where you can look everywhere.
How to turn a panorama into a 360?
You cannot turn a standard panorama into a true 360 photo because the original panoramic image is missing the visual data for the areas above and below (the zenith and nadir). A 360 photo requires capturing a complete sphere, which means stitching multiple panoramic photos (including vertical ones) or using a specialized 360 camera. Software can wrap a panorama into a cylinder, but it won’t be a spherical 360 view.
What is the difference between 360 Pano and 360 3D?
A 360 ‘pano’ (or 360 photo) is a monoscopic spherical image. You can look around from a single, fixed point of view, but the image lacks spatial depth. A 360 3D (or stereoscopic) video or image, often used in VR, delivers a separate image to each eye. This creates a true sense of depth, making the virtual space feel more real and immersive.
How to make a 360 panorama virtual tour?
To create panoramic tours, you first capture 360-degree photos of multiple locations within a space. You then use software, like Foyr Neo, to ‘stitch’ these spherical images together. By adding navigation hotspots, you allow users to ‘jump’ from one 360 view to another, simulating a walkthrough. This creates an interactive features-rich 3D virtual tour, which is a powerful tool for real estate and design presentations.
Leave A Reply