Specifications and tools for 360º video and spatial audio. google/spatial-media June 28, 2016 Simplified UI for easier injecting. OS X release notes The OS X release requires a Mac with an Intel Core 2 processor or newer, running OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion or newer. For 360° video content, Compressor acts as a finishing tool that lets you: Add or modify the 360° video metadata used by VR headsets and other presentation devices to display the video in the correct spatial format (including monoscopic or stereoscopic mode) Export the finished video as a media file ready for distribution, or upload it to a.
You may have seen this previous Tech Blog post on creating 360 images from SOLIDWORKS Visualize Professional and wondered how to share this exciting, immersive content with others? Well look no further; this blog post will show you how to take a set of 360 images rendered from Visualize and easily share it through social media – include Virtual Reality (VR) playback on a $15 Google Cardboard!
The first step is to convert your 360 image (or images) into a video. You can use any video editor, but make sure that it can export up to the resolution of your 360 image (minimum 4K). I will be using Camtasia 9.1, though the process will be similar on any video editor.
Before you import your images into Camtasia make sure to set your document to the correct resolution. Right click on the preview window and select “project size”. Select “custom” from the drop down and enter the correct resolution of your 360 image, in this case 4096 x 2048.
Next you’ll need to import the images that you want in your video. This is as simple as clicking and dragging them into the timeline or your media bin. Arrange them in the order that you want and extend their duration – ten seconds per image is a good amount of time, but you can enter however long you wish.
In VR any kind of jarring change is amplified, so it is important to give your images a smooth transition. For this video, I’ve selected the “Fade” transition. I find that it is the smoothest when in VR, even more so than “Fade Through Black.”
When you’re happy with your video it’s time to export it. Select “Share” and export it as a “Local File.” If you aren’t using Camtasia you may be ready to upload your video to YouTube. However, only certain programs are capable of exporting for VR playback and Camtasia is not one of them.
Right now, all you have is a regular video. It needs some metadata added to it so that video viewers will recognize it as a 360 video for VR playback. This is fairly simple, just download this 360-spatial metadata injector (there are other programs that work, if you have a preference). Scroll to the bottom of the link and click “360.Video.Metadata.Tool.win.zip” for either Windows or Mac. Once it downloads, run it, open your video, and select the “My video is spherical (360)” option. Then click “Inject metadata” and save your video with a suffix to tell it apart from the non-360 video. With that, you now have a 360 video that is ready for VR playback.
Free Metadata Tools
[Please note: SOLIDWORKS Visualize Professional allows you to create 360 videos without having to go back and inject the 360 spatial metadata. This extra metadata step is required since we exported the .MP4 from Camtasia.]
The most exciting part is getting to see the fruits of your labor. On Windows 10 you can open 360 videos using the ‘Movies and TV’ app, though if you want to share it you’ll need to send a large video file. Also, if it’s on a 2-D computer screen, what’s the point of making it in VR? The best thing to do with a 360-VR video is to upload it to YouTube so that it can be easily linked and viewed on any smartphone. Also, because of products like the $15 Google Cardboard, you can easily turn any smartphone into a VR device! You can view my 360-VR video this way by opening the video on your smartphone using the YouTube app. Best way is to email yourself the link. Once opened in the YouTube app, tap the “VR goggle” icon at the bottom of the player to split the eyes. If you don’t have a Google Cardboard you can still view 360 videos on your phone, it’s just not as immersive of an experience.
If you’re concerned about keeping your video private, you can set your video to “private” during upload, so that only approved people can view it, or “unlisted” so that only people with the exact link can view it.Imagine being able to share immersive 360-VR content with anyone in your office using just a link! You could even send the YouTube link to your own clients to receive design approval or to potential customers interested in buying your products. Virtual Reality is more accessible than ever and with SOLIDWORKS Visualize Professional you can unlock its full potential to improve your business.
Jonathan Delaney is a third year industrial design student from the University of Cincinnati currently working as an intern with the SOLIDWORKS Visualize team. He has used 3D visualization extensively throughout his education and is passionate about creating the best rendered images possible. Previously, he created promotional materials for Thyssenkrupp Bilstein and designed corrugated cardboard displays at Pratt Industries.
- Sharing Your 360-VR Experience from SOLIDWORKS Visualize Professional - August 18, 2020
- How to Create Exploded View Animations in SOLIDWORKS Visualize - July 10, 2019
Best Metadata Management Tools
Get ahead of the curve by learning how to produce 360-degree content for mobile devices and VR headsets. Here are the tools you need to shoot, edit, and upload 360-degree videos.
360-degree videos have now beenreleased to the masses via YouTube and Facebook. Prior to that, you had to have a VR developers kit and share your work with other developers.
Now that any user has the ability to upload and share content, let’s take a look at a few ways you can start producing 360-degree videos.
360-Degree Cameras and Rigs
As this is a developing technology, there are a ton of options available and in development. If you are planning on purchasing a single camera, you should note that only some sites can host your video. Currently YouTube is only compatible with four camera options; Ricoh Theta, Kodak SP360, Giroptic 360cam, and IC Real Tech Allie. With these cameras, you are looking to invest $300 – $500. (Not all are available to the public yet.)
The other option you have is to build your own rig. The most widely used camera rigs use a series of GoPro cameras. The most common rigs feature at least six GoPro cameras in a 3D printed rig. Google Jump uses 16 GoPro cameras.
These rigs will cost thousands of dollars, depending on which GoPro camera you decide to use. The benefit of GoPro is that the cameras are reliable. They have been tested for years in extreme conditions, and they have been designed to be the ultimate camera for any condition.
Here is a quick interview about a team that mounted a rig on an Indy car.
When shooting with one of these cameras or rigs, remember that 360-degrees means everything will be in view — every detail of the room, the camera operator, any equipment, etc. Be sure you take that into account when deciding on a location. You will also need to make sure you have suitable and consistent lighting to make sure all of the footage matches.
Editing 360-Degree Video
One of the most popular 360-degree editing platforms, which is also YouTube compatible, is the Kolor Autopano Video software. The Kolor Autopano Video platform works on both Windows and Mac. It automatically syncs your footage and stitches a 360-degree video. You also have the ability to render in HD, 4K, or even export individual frames.
Here’s how to use the latest version of the software (2.2).
To see what skydiving footage looks like in 360 degrees, check out this Land, Air, and Sea video from GoPro. On desktops, you will need the Chrome browser. You can control the video by using your mouse or the keyboard letters W, A, S, D.
Uploading a 360-Degree Video
Uploading your video is not as easy as clicking upload and waiting. In YouTube, you will need to scrub the video through a 360-degree app. The video needs to include certain metadata for 360-degree playback to be enabled. YouTube has provided the following for all users to upload footage.
Create a 360-enabled file with an app
- Download the 360 Video Metadata app for Mac and Windows
- Un-zip the file, then open the 360 Video Metadata app. If you’re on a Mac, you may need to right-click the app and then click “Open”
- Select the video file
- Click “Inject and save”
- Enter a name for the file that will be created
- Save the file. A new file will be created automatically in the same location as the original file
- Upload the new file to YouTube
- Wait for the 360 degree effect to process. This may take up to an hour.
Create a 360-enabled file with a script
Rather than using an app, you can use a Python script. Here’s how to do that.
- Download the ZIP containing the script using the “Download as ZIP” button at the bottom-right of this page. You’ll need to have Python installed on your computer to run it.
- Un-zip the file. In the 360-Videos-Metadata sub-folder, you’ll see the 360VideosMetadata.py script. From Terminal (Mac) or Command (Windows), run the script with this command:
360videosmetadata.py -i [input] [output]
Input is the full filename of the file that you’ve already created, for example: 360video.mp4. Output will be the name of the file that will be created by the script, so come up with a new name.The command you’ll run will look something like:360VideosMetadata.py -i 360video.mp4 360videoNEW.mp4
- If you’ve never run a Python script before, take a look at these resources for Mac and Windows
- The script will create a new file. Next, you’ll upload it to YouTube.
Before publishing, you can verify that the file has 360-degree playback enabled by checking the video by watching it on your computer. It may take up to an hour for 360-degree playback to be available.
Be sure not to make edits to the video itself using the YouTube Video Editor and Enhancements tools on desktop or mobile apps, as these tools don’t currently support 360-degree videos.
Are you excited about 360 degree and VR filmmaking?How do you thing the technology might be best applied? Let us know in the comments below.