So What's a Hotspot?
Lots of our clients have questions about how we create our interactive virtual tours. Specifically, the process, terminology and equipment we use. So we put together a quick answer cheat sheet. Of course, if your question's not on here, just give us a ring and we'll be happy to answer it for you.
What is a 360 degree Virtual Tour?
Circlescapes Interactive Virtual Tours are made up of three or more spherical images, or "panoramic
spins," which can be viewed on a web site or CDROM and offers the viewer a
the ability to look in any direction.
What types of businesses benefit most from online virtual tours?
Any business that wants to showcase their facility to the world and virtually bring people to their location to help turn the sale. Notably . . . hotels, resorts, spas, art galleries, museums, college/corporate campus tours, hospitals, cruiselines, high-end homes/condos, timeshares, etc.
What is the virtual tour design process?
- Initial Consultation: First, we sit down with you in person or over the phone to discuss your 360 degree virtual tour design needs. It's helpful if you have an idea of what areas in your environment you would like to feature in your tour. During the consultation process, we will schedule a convenient time to come in for the photo shoot.
- Photography: A VR photographer will come to your location for a photo shoot in which the images that will make up each of the panoramas will be staged and captured. This can take a few hours or as long as a day depending on how many spins you would like to include. If travel is involved, we always plan to be in the area for a few days in case of inclement weather or any other issues that
may arise.
- Image Stitching: The images are then digitized and stitched together and then the files are converted to cubical images for Flash or QuickTime movies. This is the part where much of the heavy lifting occurs, so we budget up to a week for the stitching process.
- Interface Design: After your panoramas are created, the virtual tour interface is built. You will need to provide descriptive text for each location, or a copywriter can be contracted to write the text. The audio, video, animation, maps or other marketing components are then added to the virtual tour design.
- Programming: We will deliver all the necessary files to your webmaster or we can add the virtual tour icon and files to your website.
How large are Virtual Tour files?
The larger the file size for the panoramic spin, the higher the image
quality. Realizing that it is important for files to load quickly AND for
the image quality to be great, we work hard to optimize the files and keep
them relatively small. The files are usually around 1 - 2 mb in size. We
will discuss and meet your unique requirements regarding file size.
Will the Virtual Tour be visible to all users?
We produce the virtual tour files as Flash panoramas or QuickTime movies
which are viewed with popular browser plug-in. We chose these output formats
because they provide the best quality viewing and are widely used. The web
page will detect if the user does not have the plug-in installed and open a
dialog box that will prompt them to download the free plug-in.
Does the Virtual Tour go on my website or yours?
When your virtual tour is complete, we post it to your website. CircleScapes
can do all the programming to post it to your site or we can deliver
everything your webmaster will need to post the files. If you do not have a
website or would like us to host your files, a monthly hosting fee will be
assessed.
Will I own the Virtual Tour files or will I have to pay a monthly fee or royalty fees?
Once we have handed over your virtual tour, it is yours to do with what you
like. You can use it on a CDROM, multiple web sites, or email newsletters.
CircleScapes can help you with your distribution needs and will remain
available to update your files in future as needed.
Do you take the pictures for the Virtual Tour or do we?
The images used in the virtual tour design are captured with special equipment by
professional VR photographers. We will travel to your location, no matter
how remote, to capture the images. We budget a few days for the photo shoot
because some views work better at various times of the day and night. For
that reason, we are usually provided a few comp nights on-site. We like to
tour and get a feel for the spaces we will be shooting. Then we stage the
area and capture a few different angles and exposures.
How long does it take to produce a Virtual Tour once the images are
captured?
We require 1-2 weeks to process to complete your interactive virtual tour. First we
process, retouch and stitch the image. We then create the web interface, or
the custom designed, branded interface that contains the panoramas. We add the description text and any marketing hotspots. After your review,
we publish the files to your website.
What is a hotspot?
Hotspots are clickable areas within the panoramic spin that allow users to
get more information about a detail (e.g., a painting on the wall), move
to another location as if through a door, or cause some other action to happen. We can add as many hotspots as you
like with a small additional charge for each.
What other interactive features are available for the Virtual Tours?
We can embed video or other animated content, add voice over, music and/or
interactive maps to your virtual tour upon request.
How can I distribute my Virtual Tour besides posting it on my website?
CircleScapes can create a CDROM version of your virtual tour that provides
additional information about your business in addition to the panoramic
spins. This can be useful as a mailer or for passing out at trade shows. The
panoramic spins can also be presented in email newsletters and CircleScapes can help there too!
What do Virtual Tours cost?
Because of the high degree of customization, costs for Virtual Tours vary.
However, a Virtual Tour with 10 panoramic spins and the customized web
interface averages around $3500 plus travel expenses. Additional spins are
$250 each.
Do you offer a discount rate for more than one location?
We realize that many companies own more than one property and we will
definitely offer a discount rate for doing multiple virtual tours for all of
your locations.
Do you work locally, nationally or internationally?
Yes, yes, yes! We contract with photographers all over, so no job is too
remote for us. If we can get there, we will go there.
How do I get started creating my Virtual Tour?
Just give us a call at 904.894.6275 or send an email to
information@circlescapes.com and we are happy to discuss your needs and send you a
proposal.
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