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Then you use free software like Panorama Tools to process the image in a variety of ways.

Digital cameras are so cheap these days that it's very tempting to buy a couple of cheapies for a dedicated compact-size 3D snapshot camera.

Due to the 2 fast USB2 ports and the ability to run Linux, this device is well suited for interface projects, eg. connecting any USB device to the internet. See my project about WLAN-interfaces for digital cameras, which uses the Linksys NSLU2 running Unslung-Linux (Kernel 2.4), gphoto and some scripts. It allows you to wirelessly operate almost any digital camera via Web-interface:
http://www.fh-furtwangen.de/~dersch/gphoto/remote. html
I have used the device to connect my Palm Tungsten and printers to the internet, there are more projects, see the yahoo-group.

In theory, a desktop device could be set up using a USB-VGA adapter and USB-connected keyboard+mouse. I have actually done that and ported the necessary VGA-drivers to Linux 2.4, see
http://www.fh-furtwangen.de/~dersch/. However, this will (a) increase cost considerably (more like 350USD/EUR), and (b) you end up with a 133/266MHz, 32 MB system, which is nowhere as powerful as eg. a Mac mini (and still lacks CD/DVD-drive).

Regards

H. Dersch

Due to the 2 fast USB2 ports and the ability to run Linux, this device is well suited for interface projects, eg. connecting any USB device to the internet. See my project about WLAN-interfaces for digital cameras, which uses the Linksys NSLU2 running Unslung-Linux (Kernel 2.4), gphoto and some scripts. It allows you to wirelessly operate almost any digital camera via Web-interface:
http://www.fh-furtwangen.de/~dersch/gphoto/remote. html
I have used the device to connect my Palm Tungsten and printers to the internet, there are more projects, see the yahoo-group.

In theory, a desktop device could be set up using a USB-VGA adapter and USB-connected keyboard+mouse. I have actually done that and ported the necessary VGA-drivers to Linux 2.4, see
http://www.fh-furtwangen.de/~dersch/. However, this will (a) increase cost considerably (more like 350USD/EUR), and (b) you end up with a 133/266MHz, 32 MB system, which is nowhere as powerful as eg. a Mac mini (and still lacks CD/DVD-drive).

Regards

H. Dersch

Here, and here. Lin/Win/Mac versions.

I'd second the use of panotools for stitching images together (website currently down). I couldn't immediately get it to work on Linux, but had it running on Windows without problems.

It does all sorts of lens corrections, as well as full translation/rotation and transforms between different projections, so you can get the alignment pretty accurate. It also has an 'almost perfect' sinc function interpolator.

On a related note, see this: http://www.fh-furtwangen.de/~dersch, a set of gpl'd tools for making, among other things, panoramas. The part that relates to this story is PTStereo & PTInterpolate. I got the programs and some example images (pictures of a bmw from different angles), set some control points, and PTInterpolate extracted a 3d model from it, applied the textures from the picture, and rotated the car from one angle to another. It was quite astounding once you see it. I can't really do it justice...if that kind of thing interests you then check it out.

Read the notice on the site. It's explained there...

From a message sent by Helmut Dersch (url http://listserv.fh-furtwangen.de/cgi-bin/lwgate/cg i/lwgate-en-proj.cgi/PROJ-IMIM/archives/proj-imim. archive.0106/Date/article-66.html):

I do not want to comment on your questions but want to emphasize that no one has yet accused PTViewer of infringing any patents. There are many viewers out there which use similar technology and I am not aware of any ipix patent that could possibly apply.

[snip]

Another point: I did not receive the warning from ipix but from a person who is currently being treated by them and their lawyers. I am not authorized to mention details. I hope there is no immediate danger, neither for him nor for us, but it makes sense to be cautious, hence the proposed changes.

...and you were too lazy to click the post linked up top, it comes down to distributing the bigger tool without the (easily snapped-in) library, then distributing the library for people who can legally use it from a country where it's legal to do so.


The biggest change will affect PTStitcher and the
Panorama Tools. I am planning and suggesting a
procedure similar to the distribution method
of graphics programs like 'The Gimp'. This program
has to cope with GIF images and the corresponding
Unisys patent. The solution is to distribute a
basic no-GIF version of 'The Gimp'. For users in
'no-Unisys' countries ( ie where Unisys has no patent),
there is an optional plug-in to enable GIF. The download
site (which is also the main Gimp download site) is
in Finland, which happens to be such a 'no-Unisys'
country. In some countries (like Germany), the private
royalty-free use of any patent is allowed, so that
even some users in 'unisys-countries' might
be allowed to legally take advantage of this.
So on my website, there will only be a 'No_Fisheye'
version of Panorama Tools and PTStitcher (actually,
this functionality resides in the common library
pano12.dll/lib). The sources and a 'Fisheye' version
of pano12.dll/lib could then be downloaded from and to
'noipix' countries. People who want to use the
correction capabilities of Panorama Tools, or
who are using PTStitcher as a multirow-stitcher
for rectilinear images etc, ie who do not need fisheye
conversions, can then use my software
without constant threat from this fine company.
All others have to decide for themselves.

Did you read the artcile and the links?

He tells you how they do it in this e-mail. They basically provide a functional version that does not have the gif piece in it for countries where the Unisys patent is in effect. They provide a full featured version for everyone else.

Next time read!!!!

DocWatson

Alternatively, check out the open source Panorama Tools which can produce standard "cylinder" panoramas, or 360x360 scenes, and play back in a variety of plugins and java applets.

Then I guess even Microsoft doesn't know how to use ASP. Here's what I learned when I tried to find out something about ASP.

According to this history of the case IPIX even insists that its own threats are copyright, and "any dissemination, distribution, retention, archiving, or copying of the communication is strictly prohibited" But there's a copy of the original email on this excellent (and scary) patent watch site at MIT.

The most interesting thing is IPIX's belief that it "owns the copyright in the format it utilises", and that therefore it has a share of the copyright of the data-file of any image in that format, which it can use to restrict how that data-file is used.

From Dersch's (IMHO) staggeringly mild and reasonable summary of the story so far, it appears that they are still trying to push this claim, which is like Microsoft claiming copyright and distribution rights over every document in Word format.

In this case we might be lucky because IPIX didn't invent the format.

But think of (say) the MPAA claiming such a veto on any file using their new music format. In fact, under the new laws against script-kiddies even describing such formats might become actionable, as abetting the theft of copyright content.

This is a nasty can of worms and it's important for all of us that Dersch sees off IPIX with no compromises.

See http://www.fh-fu rtwangen.de/%7Edersch/sphere_format/Spherical.html

According to this page, IPIX and this guy are working out a way to continue the distribution of this free software. They aren't outright suing him.

It seems that IPIX believes it owns the ability to limit usage of its file format, to stop people from making use of its viewer without paying royalities (which is a mistake in their marketing model). However, the tone of the page doesn't make it sounds like they are in the inquisition mode of suing all people, everywhere.

http://www.fh-fu rtwangen.de/%7Edersch/sphere_format/Spherical.html is the real page which IPIX forced himn to remove and it is this and it is this page we need to mirror since it explains how to convert from IPIX's image format. If we want to boycot them then we sould make it uber simple to convert from IPIX images to other formats. Can someone please post a link to the original content of this page? thanks..

The page about making images for IPIX's viewer was taken down, and replaced with a discussion of the status of the dispute.

Personally, while I understand IPIX has a fiduciary duty to its shareholders (yes, it has some, even though it's not publicly offered yet) to protect the value of its intellectual property, this one's gone just a little too far.
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