mock-up of a panorama gui interface

[Peter Suetterlin]

Bruno Postle wrote:

> In ptgui, this is where you add paths to external executables;
> ptoptimizer, ptstitcher, panorama viewer, image viewer etc..

Oops, of course that is needed, too...

> > - Back/Forward: I suppose this steps to the next/previous tab.  Really
> >   neccessary?
> 
> Probably not, again this is copied from ptgui which has a [next] button
> on each tab.

I'd say skip them, the tab layout implies a sequence, and less buttons
keep the interface cleaner (imho, of course...)

> > - Lens settings: From the image it isn't clear how the information is
> >   handeled.  Normally, I have only one abc/hfov setting for the first
> >   image and use a=0 etc. for the others.  There should be an easy (and
> >   obvious) way to achieve that via the gui.

> I was attempting to show a list of images, the first one would actually
> be the default settings with no actual image content.  The real images
> would inherit properties from this.

Which by itself is OK, just:

> I think the pt script files are really ugly when a=0 means 'inherit this
> property from the first image in the sequence'.  I may have this wrong,
> but if you actually want 'a' to be equal to zero, don't you have to set
> a=0.00000001 ?

no, this would be just a0.  But the drawback if you use separate
entries: They are not optimized simultaneously, i.e., each one will be
a separate variable in the optimizer.  First, this allows that those
parameters will be different for the different images (which is OK for
scanned or cropped images, but definitely not for images from digital
cameras).  Second, more free parameters need more control points, and
too many free parameters make an optimization unstable.

My scripts look like
p f2 w1000 h500 v360 u10 k0 n"JPEG" 

# Center ring
i f0 w480 h640 y0    p0   r0  v48  a-0.014 b0.037 c-0.045 n"flat/aut_00.jpg"  X0 Y0 Z0
i f0 w480 h640 y30   p0   r0  v=0  a=0 b=0 c=0 n"flat/aut_00.jpg"  X1 Y0 Z0
i f0 w480 h640 y60   p0   r0  v=0  a=0 b=0 c=0 n"flat/aut_00.jpg"  X2 Y0 Z0
i f0 w480 h640 y90   p0   r0  v=0  a=0 b=0 c=0 n"flat/aut_00.jpg"  X3 Y0 Z0
...
v v0 a0 b0 c0
v y1 p1 r1 
....

> > - maybe switch Image orientation and Panorama settings tabs: How do
> >   you want to preview the panorama if you don't know yet where to put
> >   the single images?
> 
> That's true, these two tabs have no natural order, the warped image
> depends on the panorama properties and the panorama preview depends on
> the individual image orientations.

Well, the panorama preview doesn't *really* depend on the panorama
settings.  After all, you would'n compute a 3000x1500 pano just to
scale it down to 150x75 for display....
I would probably show a preview that is not really related to the pano
settings, i.e., always show a standard pano of 360x180 degree.
And take the whole pano settings to the output screen (see my other comment)

> > - Control Points:  Very nice! 
> >   I guess if you click on an existing point the list scrolls to the
> >   corresponding entry?
> 
> There are loads of features that ptgui doesn't have, that is one of
> them.

Of course we (you) want to be superior :-)))

> >   Up and down scroll the list?  Are the corresponding images loaded
> >   then?
> 
> not in ptgui, where only the points relevant to the current pair of
> images are shown.

Hm, also an idea.  -> Show all points, but highlight the ones in the
current image pair?

> I think that simply clicking both images should create a control point
> pair.  This would interfere with being able to move the points after
> inserting them, mice have multiple buttons I suppose.

This is how it is done in pteditor, the original Java program.
If you click on (or very close) to an existing point you can move it,
if there is no point a new pair is created.

> >   I like the tabbing of the two windows.  Do you think it is possible
> >   to have a balloon popup for each tab that shows either filename or
> >   yaw/pitch settings of that image?
> 
> That sort of thing could be important for multi-row panoramas.  

Indeed.  I only have a PowerShot A50 (FOV 60 degrees), so I need
something like 40 images for a ful pano....

> > - Output: Colour correction is the intensity/contrast correction
> >   (parameter k?)
> >   Why not include the 'Panorama settings' tab here, too?  Does that
> >   really have to be a separate one?
> 
> I've split them because they are really related to the process of
> stitching rather than the type of panorama that is being created.

Whis is true, indeed.  Then again, if you (e.g.) change size or type
of the pano, then you will probably want to save it with adifferent
name, which means you have to open both tabs anyhow.

> In terms of the data model, I find it easier to think of both the output
> panorama being a 'Panorama' and the input images being mini 'Panoramas'
> in their own right.  

Oops, I'm a bit lost.  Is this still related to the pano/output tab?
You're talking about the internal representation of the data, but that
doesn't have to be directly connected to the way it is presented in
the UI?
But probably you're right and the two tabs should stay separate.
Maybe there are more people that have an opinion on that ;^>

   Pit