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VR Doll Project Procedures

Creating Quicktime Virtual Reality Images

Summary | Software | Equipment | Procedure | Images | Costs

Following is a description of the Meredith Archives project which created 360 degree images of the Meredith class dolls. It is offered as an aid to others who may wish to try their own VR projects.

Summary

The general term for 360 degree images is virtual reality. For the doll project, 36 images of each doll were created with a digital camera and downloaded to a PC. Virtual reality (VR) software is used to "stitch" the images together into a VR object. The object is resized and converted into a Quicktime movie. The movie is then inserted into a web page as a Quicktime object.

Software

Equipment


Doll Project setup

1. Digital camera. We used a Sony DSC F717 Cybershot 5.0 megapixel. Cameras used in VR projects must have:

2. Tripod -- The tripod does not have to be of high quality, as it remains in one position throughout shooting.

3. Turntable -- Turntables specifically designed for VR projects are available from Kaidan. We used the Kaidan Pixi manual turntable. Any turntable can be used as long as it can be rotated in precise 10 degree increments.

4. Lights -- Photographic lighting is essential to maintain stable lighting conditions. We used two reflective umbrella lights

5. Backdrop -- As with any professional-looking photography, a suitable backdrop is essential. The exact backdrop depends on specific project requirements. We used 56 inch black velvet, textured gray simulated leather, and brown simulated leather purchased at a fabric store.

6. Computer -- We used a Gateway PC with 2 magabytes of RAM. The only PC characteristics required for this project were adequate RAM for the VR Worx software, and an internet connection or RW CD-drive for transferring images to the server where the web pages reside and downloading the Quicktime plug-in from the Apple Computer web site.

7. Web server -- The server is used for hosting the final web pages. For this project we required two gigabytes of storage.

8. Scanner -- The scanner was used for digitizing the supplementary pictures and documents which were used to flesh out the historical context for the dolls. We used a scanner which could digitize items up to 12 x 17 inches.

 

Procedure


Photography session

1. A vacant room in the Meredith College library was used for the project. Windows were covered with black 56-inch wide paper to eliminate variations in light conditions.

2. An assortment of backdrops was used because the dolls had a wide variety of coloring. Black velvet was effective for creating a solid black background. It was not satisfactory for dolls that had black hair or clothing. In those cases the brown or gray backdrop was used. The brown and gray backdrops presented some lighting problems. Because the dolls are irregularly shaped, as they were rotated they reflected different amounts of light onto the backdrop. This often caused small variations in the brightness and color of the background, which were not possible to eliminate.

3. The dolls were placed on the Kaidan turntable. They were lit by lights set 45 degrees to the left and right of the camera. The lights were softened by reflective umbrellas.

4. Several test shots were made and downloaded to the PC to establish correct lighting conditions.

5. 36 images of the doll were then taken. One person moved the turntable while another took the pictures. With a remote shutter release it is possible for the photography to be done by one person, however. Once shooting began on each doll it took only about 3 minutes to take the 36 shots.

6. The images were then downloaded to the PC via the USB port.

7. VR Worx software was used to create the QT movie. A tutorial on creating objects is here. The basic steps are:

  1. 36 images were selected on the Acquire Tab.
  2. The images were cropped on the Special Effects Tab. Other special effects include centering the images.
  3. The images were stitched together on the Compose Tab.
  4. On the Preview tab, the final window size was established, an initial frame was set, the object was saved as a VR Worx object, and a Quicktime movie object was created.

8. Photoshop was used to create a thumbnail image for the web.

9. Dreamweaver was used to create a web page for the QT doll movie. Important considerations for the web page include:

Image characteristics

Project Costs

The table below lists all project costs. Other projects will cost significantly less if labor and equipment is already available, or if optional equipment is not needed. Given a reasonable well equipped organization, the starred items (total = $1,378) are the only ones whose purchase will be required.

Item Cost
computer $2,292
scanner 1,079
printer 699
turntable* 350
digital camera* 620
VR Worx software* 200
umbrella lights (2)* 50
backdrop (2)* 40
tripod* 50
bulbs for lighting* 68
case, cables, other camera equipment 78
shipping 101
photography assistant 90 hrs. at $5.50/hr. 500
Total, all items $6,127
Total, starred items $1,378

Last Update: 13-Feb-2013