Implementation of panorama virtual browser and improvements

Abstract

As an efficient interactive representation of virtual environment, 2D images show a 3D scene when a 360° panoramic image is presented. Visitors can virtually walk-around in the scene with a panorama browser with hotspot pop-up enabled. An implementation of panorama browser along with the optimization algorithms involved in the generation of panoramic images is introduced in this article. Also the hotspot pop-up technique is introduced. The browser has been successfully used on Sam Houston State University Virtual Hotel Tour system with timely mouse click response and large interactive scene window. © 2012 Springer-Verlag GmbH.