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Hi, this time I need some help again in graphics Now I have problems with panoramic pictures. I tried to find a program which is suitable for this work, and I decided to get Vue 5. I really like the problem, but I was really disappointed when the panoramic pictures I made didn't fit on the cylinder of AM... I read the help file of Vue, and if I didn't miss anything, then it said I created cylindrical panoramic pictures (there are another option which I could use to make spherical ones, but of course that didn't fit too... ) So my problem is this. i can't understand what's the matter: I tried to use the original resolutions (800*600 and things like that) and the resolution given in the example game (2048*2048 I guess) but none of them worked. The problem is with the sky and the ground: at those points you can see that you are in a cylinder. And the whole image is not realistic (not due to the lack of my modelling abilities... ): the straight lines are curved and things like that. So it doesn't work. Anybody who knows whats the problem and whats the solution? If it's possible, I don't want to work with another software...

Here you are a picture rendered in Vue, 1024*1024, poor quality

Just a small question: what size did you choose to render the pictures?
The help files of AM tell that you get the best result if you render the picture at 2048x512 and then resize it to 2048x2048.
Did you try this already or did you render them at 2048x2048?

Harvester, I think the problem lies in the focal length of your camera. I'm guessing that you have it set at 55mm? Try a wide angle lens setting between 16-20mm to see if that helps. The distortions and bent lines that you see in the render should not be very obvious once in AM.

If it helps, these are the settings that I was using in Vue -
Camera settings: Focal = something between 16 and 20mm (wide angle), Blur 0%, Focus 100, Exp. -0.10. Make sure your camera is horizontal with the horizon.

Render Settings: I used mostly 1:1 at 3072 x 3072 pixels and 96 DPI, then compressed the shots in Photopaint to 2048 x 2048. Check the selection for panoramic view with H Angle at 360 degrees. Don't select the spherical option.

Good luck!
~Cleo

Thank you very much for your help, now I hope I can create those images.

It worked, thanks again. Just another question about something else connected to panoramas... is it possible somehow to have an inventory in a panoramic game?

Not really. The inventory drop down window won't work, but you can still collect and use items by using variables. Check out how GM did it in his demo.

Just an idea.... I've not tried this, but my intention is use hotspots on the panoramic scenes to move back and forth between regular frame "close ups". I'm expecting that the inventory will work fine on them, and that I can use the still shots for most of the interaction.

That seems to be a nice idea, I think I will do it that way if there is no better solution... I don't know anything about the programming language in AM, but I guess my idea is not impossible to create (however for ME it is impossible yet... ).
Tell me if it is possible: if you click on a hotspot on a panoramic frame, the variable changes, so the object you picked up is disappearing. Then if you press right mouse button or something (I guess there is a plugin for that) another (not panoramic) frame comes in, where you can choose and inventory item. However if you drag the item to a button or something (a hotspot on the nonpanoramic 'inventory' scene) a variable (which can have many values, not just 0 and 1) changes to the number of the selected object (every inventory items have a number). Then other hotspots are available if the variable of the items is at the right value. Then you can use the inventory item on a panoramic scene.
For me it seems to be complicated, I just hope you can understand and tell me how to do it properly...

...click on a hotspot on a panoramic frame, the variable changes, so the object you picked up is disappearing.

Unless there's a way to script it, or to use the Key Guard plug-in, I don't think that you can properly acquire or use Inventory items in a pano room. You can, however, "fake it" by using variables as GM does in his pano demo. So the answer to the first part of your question is "yes".

I would not try to acquire or use "real" inventory items in a pano room, because things can get pretty wonky. For instance --- For a test, I added a key to inventory in a pano room by using the usual check boxes in the hotspot properties box. The good news is that when I picked up the key, the inventory bar dropped down for a few seconds, and when I then moved via hotspot to a non-pano room, the key was available in my inventory. The bad news is, the inactive hotspot remained visible, though it did become inactive. I tried using both the inventory and hiding the hotspot after it's clicked with a variable as well with the same results. So, nada to the inventory items.

As for the rest of your questions, I don't know. Sorry. Had the quality of the panoramas been better, I was planning to use them mostly as nodes for viewing the surroundings, then do all of the actual inventory, puzzle work, etc. in still frames.

For instance --- You enter a (pano room) library, which can exit via a hotspot to the adjacent (pano room) hallway. Inside the library there are items on a (hotspot) desk that, when clicked, give a (still frame) close-up of the items on the desk, which can be acquired into inventory or used there. I think that could work.

Your idea for combining panoramic and still frames sounds great, Imary!
I would be interested to hear if it works as soon as somebody tried it out. I might try out such a combination in a later game aswell.

I understood your idea, and it sounds good. I guess I will use it in the game I am working on now (I hope I can finish this, not as the others before... ) However I have one more question about it (maybe I skipped something in your message; in that case i am sorry for bothering you with another question). What if i have a stable (pano room) with a shovel at the wall. The player should pick up the shovel. So I create a (nonpano) closeup of the shovel, where he can pick it up. Then would it disappear in the panoroom stable too?

Okay... here's how I would do it. You'll need to test it out.

Example 1 -
Frame 1 = Pano frame of "Horse Stable" + image of shovel
Hotspot 1 = image of shovel
Properties for Hotspot 1= General = Hyperlink > Frame2
Appearance > image of shovel
Variables = Visible only if got_shovel = 0
Plug-ins = update 360 pano...

Frame 2 = Close-up of area with shovel + close-up image of shovel
Hotspot 1 = close-up image of shovel
Properties for Hotspot 1= Appearance > close-up image of shovel
Action = hide and disable
Item = add shovel to inventory when clicked
Variables = Change value of got_shovel = 1

Hotspot 2 = General = Hyperlink > Frame 1
Appearance >transparent

If the area containing the item is an area to which your player may want to return, like a desk, you'll need to add a second hotspot on Frame 1 like this ---

Example 2 -
Frame 1 = Pano frame of "Library with Desk" + image of key on desk
Hotspot 1 = image of key on desk
Properties for Hotspot 1= General = Hyperlink > Frame2
Appearance > image of key
Variables = Visible only if got_key = 0
Plug-ins = update 360 pano...

Hotspot 2 = area including desk (no image)
Properties for Hotspot 1= General = Hyperlink > Frame2
Appearance > transparent

Frame 2 = Close-up of desk+ close-up of key
Hotspot 1 = close-up image of key
Properties for Hotspot 1= Appearance > close-up image of key
Action = hide and disable
Item = add key to inventory when clicked
Variables = Change value of got_key = 1

Hotspot 2 = General = Hyperlink > Frame 1
Appearance >transparent

Note 1 - When using the pano plug-in always make sure that all of your interactable hotspots are near the center of your image or the player will not be able to "reach" the hotspot with the cursor

Note 2 - Use the inventory items in still frames, not in pano ones. You could probably use the items via the variables and then remove them from inventory via scripting, but someone else will need to tell you how to script it.

I think this should work.
Good luck!
~Cleo

[edit: I just tried Example 2 and it worked... mostly. Sometimes the cursor froze at the center of the screen when I returned to the pano frame. Right and then left clicking released it. Also, on frame 2, if I clicked the hotspot to return to frame 1 before the inventory bar had fully retracted, the inventory stuck in that position.]