Helping You Connect the Dots to Succeed Faster
WGAN-TV: Now Playing
Next on WGAN-TV Live at 5
Free WGAN Map
Locations of Matterport Pro3 Camera Service Providers and see the number of Matterport Pro3s and/or BLK360s for each Matterport Pro.
View WGAN Map
Contact Info
Locations of Matterport Pro3 Camera Service Providers and see name, company, website, email and mobile phone for each Matterport Pro.
Join WGAN Sponsor
Get on the Map | A Service of We Get Around Network (not affiliated with Matterport)
One Order  |  One Quote  |  One Contact
Book Multiple GLOBAL Commercial Locations
  • ✔  As-Builts
  • ✔  Construction Progress
  • ✔  Facilities Management
Last 24 Hours: 257 Unique Visitors
9,244 WGAN Members in 149 Countries
Last 30 Days: 31,201 Page Views | 13,183 Unique Visitors | 29 New Members
We Get Around Network Forum
Quick Start | WGAN Forum

Does 360 Views Replace Need for Ricoh Theta?2425

WGAN Forum
Founder &
WGAN-TV Podcast
Host
Atlanta, Georgia
DanSmigrod private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by @ListAmerica
...

Dan, does the [Matterport 360º Views announcement] kind of negate your need for your theta s to do your outdoor shots that also are disjointed from the scans or do you still see your 360 camera being useful? Thanks for the video. I am excited to try this out. We are doing a large wedding venue and could see it being nice to add some scans of their outside areas they could put on their website.
....

- Greg


For most MUG Forum Members, the answer is – once Matterport 360º Views is available – you no longer need a 360º spherical camera such as Ricoh Theta S or Samsung Gear 360.

That said, I find new uses for my Ricoh Theta S daily and it is small enough to always have it with me.

On Friday (12 August 2016), @YairYepez scanned the inside of a home while I did a 360º outdoor walk around using the Ricoh Theta S. Client was THRILLED that we could offer this solution (and it seamlessly integrates into WP3D Models Single Property Websites.)

Today (15 August 2016), we did a shoot for a client that just wanted a 360º photo sphere from the middle of the event space. That's it. (I shot the 360º photo sphere with both my Ricoh Theta S and Panono. I skipped using my 8 mm fisheye lens. I want to be out of the stitching business! I will post to the MUG Forum a comparison of the results of both cameras the week of 22 August.)

What else? If you bought a Ricoh Theta S or other 360º spherical camera, do you regret the purchase now that Matterport has announced Matterport 360º Views coming by the end of September 2016?

Beset,

Dan
Post 1 IP   flag post
Rootsyloops private msg quote post Address this user
This is a great thread - I was close to buying the Theta S, but the Matterport announcement has me rethinking it. I'm guessing the quality HAS to be far superior to the Theta, with the Matterport having significantly larger (and more) sensors.

That's my 2 cents.
Post 2 IP   flag post
CarlosFHdz private msg quote post Address this user
My thoughts are yes and no. Yes, it will replace the matterport 360 if you only need it for matterport shoots.
If you want to do any 360 video, quick hand held 360 or light tripod 360 photos then no.
Post 3 IP   flag post
Tosolini
Productions
Bellevue, Washington
Tosolini private msg quote post Address this user
I use the Theta for work and for pleasure. The portability alone makes the Theta a device that you can keep with you at all times and demo it instantly to friends and potential client. If we are in this business, I think owning one is highly recommended.
Post 4 IP   flag post
Helen private msg quote post Address this user
@DanSmigrod

Hi Dan, can you provide a link to an example WP3D Models Single Property Websites where you utilized the Theta? I would like to see how it is integrated.
Post 5 IP   flag post
WGAN Forum
Founder &
WGAN-TV Podcast
Host
Atlanta, Georgia
DanSmigrod private msg quote post Address this user
@Helen

This (www.1948northsidedrive.info) is a listing that We Get Around Associated Photographer and Architect @YairYepez scanned on Friday, 12 August 2016 and the listing went live on Monday, 15 August 2016.

While Yair scanned the inside, I used a Ricoh Theta S to create an outside "WalkAround" experience.

In the Zillow listing, there is a "call out" for View Virtual Tour (We gave the agent the WP3D Models generated URL for the unbranded version of the Single Property Website to use for that link).

Our client is thrilled with the outside gallery.

Solutions Used to Create This Single Property Website

1. WP3D Models - Single Property Website

2. Matterport Pro 3D Camera - interior

3. Ricoh Theta S 360º spherical camera - Exterior

4. (Going forward, I will use) Bushman Carbon Fiber Selfie Pole – reduces size of nadir

5. Manfrotto MT190XPRO4 4 Section Aluminum Tripod Legs

6. Blue-Sketch - 2D schematic floor plans

7. iPad Video If you look at the Single Property website before Monday, 22 August 2016, it's likely you will see this iPad video.

8. FLY-IN 3D Video If you look at the Single Property Website after Monday, 22 August 2016, you will see a FLY-IN 3D Video. We used the iPad video as a temporary solution while we are waiting for our client to provide aerial and a twilight shot to complete this video.

9. Photos were shot by the client's regular still photographer

10. Round.me (Pro) - hosting 360º photo spheres

11. (Going forward) I will use the TouchRetouch app to remove the tripod fro the nadir. (While it's not perfect, it's much better than leaving the tripod in and it is a ton easier and faster that using Pano2VR to do the patch.

12. Here is how we ordered the custom URL from GoDaddy for less than $4 and re-directed it to the URL generated by WP3D Models.

---

Standard Members of the We Get Around Referral Network get free use of WP3D Models; 1 free Blue-Sketch floor plan (via rebate); 1 free iPad video (via rebate).
Post 6 IP   flag post
Rootsyloops private msg quote post Address this user
Hey Dan,

I don't know if this is the place to post this, but here goes: I love the wp3D sites, and your demo above is fantastic. One issue I find though, is the borders around the Matterport Tour and the Theta tours are so small (and the tour windows so large), it's really easy to get "stuck" in the tour. In other words, once you've started the tour, scrolling the mouse affects the tour, but doesn't allow you to navigate further down the page. The sheer size of the tour window makes it hard to get the mouse out of the tour without going below the fold - which is difficult without being able to scroll out of the frame. I find it happening to me regularly, and I'm at least somewhat savvy and know what to expect, so I imagine it might be more of an issue for an un-initiated user. It also might be that I use scroll more than the average viewer, and maybe it's a non-issue. I'm guessing you haven't received this complaint, so maybe it's just me.

Am I being nit-picky, or is this something others have noticed, and maybe something that can be cured?
Post 7 IP   flag post
Missoula, MT
rpetersn private msg quote post Address this user
Hi @Rootsyloops! Thanks for pointing this out...and yes, this can be an issue. Thankfully, Matterport recently released a parameter that has been integrated into WP3D Models that disables the mousewheel action and prevents a user from getting "stuck" inside a model.

@DanSmigrod, please let me know if you need any help getting this checkbox checked (inside WP3D Models).

This same issue may exist within the "Round.me" content and perhaps they offer a "mousewheel" disable option as well....that's something I haven't seen documented with them.

Hope this helps!

Ross
Post 8 IP   flag post
WGAN Forum
Founder &
WGAN-TV Podcast
Host
Atlanta, Georgia
DanSmigrod private msg quote post Address this user
@Rootsyloops @rpetersn

Yes. On tours going forward, We Get Around will limit the ability to zoom in and zoom out.

@YairYepez scanned the inside of a house today (17 August 2016) while I did the Ricoh Theta S outside 360º photo spheres.

We'll publish this Single Property Website on Friday (and likely add an iPad video and floor plans by Monday.)

Here's a sneak peak of just the outside with the zoom in/out disabled and using TouchRetouch app ($1.99) to remove the tripod. (Note that as of 17 August 2016, we have not populated all the words around the images and we still may remove some images.)

I will add the Single Property website to this discussion, once live.

We :love: delivering visual storytelling in ONE page.

Best,

Dan

P.S. BTW, For both outdoor shoots (above), I used the new HDR feature of the Ricoh Theta S. Wait for it to finish processing on you will end up in the shot
Post 9 IP   flag post
WGAN Forum
Founder &
WGAN-TV Podcast
Host
Atlanta, Georgia
DanSmigrod private msg quote post Address this user
@Rootsyloops

When I recommended that Matterport Pros also buy a Ricoh Theta S three months ago:

1. Before Ricoh Theta S added HDR (awesome)
2. Before I figured out Round.Me Pro for hosting
3. Before I discovered TouchRetouch app
4. Before I had a Bushman Carbon fiber selfie pole
5. Before @rpetersn proposed how to embed one 360º
6. Before @rpetersn proposed how to embed a Round.Me tour
7. Before I knew how I would integrate it with Matterport
8. Before I knew how I would use the 360º video feature
9. Before ImmoViewer built a virtual tour platform around the Theta S camera
10. Before Matterport announced 360º View
11. Before Matterport launches 360º View

The point here is when you play with new tech, you figure out workflow, tools, solutions, etc. I could imagine the possibilities without evening knowing what those possibilities are or will be. Once Ricoh introduces the 4th generation Theta - likely in November 2016 if they follow their previous release pattern - I will buy a new one. It's likely that it will process faster, have sharper video, etc.

So, why not wait? Because getting the 360º experience now means you will be ready to leverage the power of the new one as soon as it's out. Otherwise, you will be six months behind. Reminder that you bought the Matterport camera to be a pioneer - to have a competitive advantage. Same thing with a low cost 360º camera.

It's another great tool in our Blue Ocean marketing strategy.


Best,

Dan

P.S. We all are in the content creation business. We all need to be creating content that helps our clients and our businesses.
Post 10 IP   flag post
Missoula, MT
rpetersn private msg quote post Address this user
A bit more here....

Inside WP3D Models, we include a global setting (as well as a per-model setting) to disable the mousewheel zooming when inside a playing/running model.

Here's a screenshot of that checkbox:




Thx!
Post 11 IP   flag post
Rootsyloops private msg quote post Address this user
Great info Ross! That totally sells me on the one potential glitch I came across when perusing the single property sites. I'm still pretty new in the game, and just ready to start working on my own pages. Looking forward to learning and growing and I'm deeply appreciative of all the support you guys offer!

Thanks again!
Post 12 IP   flag post
Rootsyloops private msg quote post Address this user
One argument for still owning/buying a Ricoh is it appears to me that the 360 views can only be used inside of showcase, is that correct? In other words, they can't be posted to social media and shared like Ricoh theta panoramas - at least that's the way I'm seeing it.
Post 13 IP   flag post
Missoula, MT
rpetersn private msg quote post Address this user
@Rootsyloops Agreed....separate 360 images have great standalone value & can be combined together to make their own "mini-tours" of spaces and outdoor areas. I/we think they're a perfect compliment to Matterport and fun/easy to have in your pocket when scanning a space (or on vacation).
Post 14 IP   flag post
mori private msg quote post Address this user
No of course not, Theta S does video and you have full access to the pictures.
Post 15 IP   flag post
104172 15 15
This topic is archived. Start new topic?