IPIX 360° Immersive Images FAQ
General Questions
- What are IPIX 360° images and how are they created?
- How do I navigate IPIX 360°?
- Where can I find sample Full-360º images to view?
- How can I post 360° images to the Web?
- Do I need a particular version of a Web browser to view Full-360º images?
- Do IPIX 360° come in different file sizes?
- On what computers can I build 360° images?
- Do photographers own the copyrights to the Full-360º images they create?
- Does IPIX claim any rights to images that are created from IPIX Camera Kits or IPIX Software?
Problems
- I've tried to install the IPIX plug-in into my Mozilla/Opera browser and the installer says it can't find any supported Netscape installations.
- I receive an "Unsupported Image" error when trying to open my IPIX files.
- The IPIX Java Applet Viewer gives me a "Failed to Load Image" error.
- I receive a "Failure Loading Vital Media" error when trying to load a TV Studio script I've created in either the standalone viewer or the browser plug-in.
- Hotspots to web links (URLs) aren't showing up when I view my IPIX files in the standalone viewer.
- Why do I keep getting an error message that reads "File format no longer supported?"
- On my OS 10.x machine, I receive an error while trying to view an IPIX image that states "Contacting IPIX Web site", and then "Unable to contact IPIX Web site".
- When I clicked on a 360° image, the page said "Document Done," but I can't see the image.
- I clicked on a thumbnail of a Full-360º image but nothing happened.
- I can view IPIX Full-360º on some Web sites but not others.
- I can't view any IPIX Full-360º images on any Web sites. What do I need to do?
- On my OS 8 or 9 Macintosh, when I first downloaded a Full-360º image, the screen went blank and my system seemed to lock.
- On my OS 10.1.x machine, I get a "Missing Kernel Component" error.
- I'm still having problems viewing IPIX 360°. Can you help me?
General Questions
1. What are IPIX 360° images and how are they created?
IPIX ® 360° images give viewers the power to step inside the picture, looking up, down, and all around.from floor to ceiling, earth to sky, in any direction. Viewers can completely immerse themselves in the particular environment. 360° images are created by capturing two opposing photographs, called "hemispheres," with a fisheye lens. IPIX patented technology re-maps the images, seaming them into an immersive whole. 360° images can then be linked together, linked to traditional photographs and renderings, enhanced with audio or other file types, or incorporated into other development environments.
2. How do I navigate IPIX 360°?
3. Where can I find sample 360° images to view?
Click here to see a range of viewing and distribution options.
4. How can I post 360° images to the Web?
Click here for a step-by-step guide.
5. Do I need a particular version of a Web browser to view 360° images?
Although we recommend that you use the latest versions of Web browsers available, our range of virtual tours will display universally on all Internet browsers.
- PC Users:
For the best results, we recommend you upgrade your browser to at least Internet Explorer 4.01, Netscape 4.05 (or more recent versions) on Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP or NT4. These provide the best support for the Java programming language used for our tours with full features. If your browser cannot view the full-featured tour, the basic version of the same tour will be served to your browser.- Mac Users:
For the best results, we recommend you upgrade your browser to at least Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.5 on MAC OS 8.5-9, or Safari on OS 10. These provide the best support for the Java programming language used for our tours with full features.
6. Do IPIX 360° come in different file sizes?
Click here to see a range of viewing and distribution options.
7. On what computers can I build 360° images?
The IPIX Interactive Studio is available for both Windows and Macintosh OS X platforms.
For more information, contact IPIX at 1-888-425-0048 or by contacting technical support.
8. Do photographers own the copyrights to the 360° images they create?
Yes they do if the 360° images created are done so with source images they personally shot. With IPIX Software, whether using the new IPIX Interactive Studio, or the IPIX 360 Suite, photographers can input an existing 360° image, modify it, and then output a new 360° image. In this case, the photographer is responsible for ensuring that the original 360° image copyright ownership is respected.
For further information on US copyrights, go to www.copyright.gov, or seek advise from counsel with expertise in Intellectual Property Rights law. Please note laws vary from country to country.
9. Does IPIX claim any rights to images that are created from IPIX Camera Kits or IPIX Software?
No. IPIX does not claim, nor has ever claimed, rights to images taken by independent photographers. All source images and any copies of images created with licensed copies of the new IPIX Interactive Studio, or the end-of-life IPIX 360 Suite remain the sole property of the photographer unless other specific arrangements are defined by the photographer. It is the photographer's right to market and sell these images as he or she sees fit.
For further information on US copyrights, go to www.copyright.gov, or seek advise from counsel with expertise in Intellectual Property Rights law. Please note laws vary from country to country.
Problems
1. I've tried to install the IPIX plug-in into my Mozilla/Opera browser and the installer says it can't find any supported Netscape installations.
This is a problem with the Netscape plug-in installer. It will only detect Netscape installations, and will not find Netscape-COMPATIBLE browsers. Contact Technical Support and they will be happy to email you a copy of the plug-in until this problem is fixed.
2. I receive an "Unsupported Image" error when trying to open my IPIX files.
A few things can cause this:
- If the folder which the file is stored in is deep in the directory structure, the IPIX Viewer may not be able to open the file. Try moving the file to the desktop or other shallow folder and relaunch the image.
- If this doesn't help, the file may have been incorrectly saved with the NONE compression setting. When saved with NO compression, only the Builder or Interactive Studio software can open the file.
- Proof images that have expired will also give this error, as they are no longer viewable.
3. The IPIX Java Applet Viewer gives me a "Failed to Load Image" error.
This error commonly occurs when one of three things has happened:
- The file is missing or misspelled in the HTML code.
- The file was saved with a compression setting OTHER than "Internet". The java applet viewer will only open Internet-compressed files.
- The file was saved as a PROOF IPIX image. PROOF IPIX images do not function within the java applet viewer.
4. I receive a "Failure Loading Vital Media" error when trying to load a TV Studio script I've created in either the standalone viewer or the browser plug-in.
- Check that all of the files that the script refers to are in the same folder with the HTML that is calling the script. Missing files will cause problems in any case.
- The script defaults to all files being lower-case spelling, regardless of how the original files are named. While this doesn't matter on a Windows-based web server, *NIX servers are case-sensitive. Double-check and make sure all files are named with lower-case spelling.
- In some cases, launching a sound file in front of the first IPIX image will cause the error. Have your IPIX images launch first. This way, even if the sound file is damaged or missing, at least the image will have already loaded, providing the viewer with something to look at.
5. Hotspots to web links (URLs) aren't showing up when I view my IPIX files in the standalone viewer.
URL Hotspots will only show up when the image is viewed via a web browser plug-in. The standalone viewer WILL display all other hotspot types.
6. Why do I keep getting an error message that reads "File format no longer supported?"
You should update your IPIX® Plug-in or Viewer to eliminate this problem. If the problem continues, contact the Web site owner to inform them of the problem.
7. On my OS 10.x machine, I receive an error while trying to view an IPIX image that states "Contacting IPIX Web site", and then "Unable to contact IPIX Web site".
The site is using a feature not yet implemented in the IPIX plug-in for OS X. In the future when this feature is available, the plug-in should auto-download any updates.
8. When I clicked on a 360° image, the page said "Document Done," but I can't see the image.
Internet screens are sent in "packets" that are transmitted and arrive separately. Since 360° images may be larger than other screen content, it often takes 20-40 seconds to download an entire image, depending on the modem speed and Internet traffic at that time. Please allow enough time to download the whole image and let it decompress before trying to navigate within it.
9. I clicked on a thumbnail of a 360° image but nothing happened.
Some browsers and operating systems require you to double-click instead of single-click. Try double-clicking on the image and see if this makes it work.
10. I can view IPIX 360° on some Web sites but not others.
Many sites use the IPIX java applet viewer to display their images. If you do NOT have java support installed, this image may just show up as a gray box, sometimes with a red X in the upper left corner. If this is the case, visit java.sun.com and download and install their Java VM plug-in for your browser. Newer Web sites that have just started displaying 360° images may not have their server software configured properly. If you run into one of these situations, please take note of the URL and call (518) 237-1975 or contact technical support. Our support team will contact the site and help the Internet Service Provider update their server.
11. I can't view any IPIX 360° images on any Web sites. What do I need to do?
You may need to upgrade your IPIX® Plug-in or Viewer. Click here to download the software for free.
12. On my OS 8 or 9 Macintosh, when I first downloaded a 360° image, the screen went blank and my system seemed to lock.
You probably don't have enough memory allocated to the application. This is particularly true in the case of Macintosh computers using the Netscape browser. Simply raise the memory allocation for Netscape to at least 9MB (or more) and you should be able to view 360° images.
13. On my OS 10.1.x machine, I get a "Missing Kernel Component" error.
The OS X browser plug-in requires OS 10.2 and higher at this time. We apologize for any inconvenience.
14. I'm still having problems viewing IPIX 360°. Can you help me?
If you are having problems viewing a virtual tour and could not find the answers on our Web site, please send a message to our technical support department.
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