Panorama Hell/Help

[Boxbrownie]

Currently I am trying to do panoramas on my iMac. I am having problems with images not stitching/aligning correctly. I have tried using the tools for manipulating the images etc but with little effect.

This morning I tried to do an HDR panorama so 5 shot AEB images x 5 if that makes sense?

Initially I used the HDR merge with Tone mapping unticked and exported EXR files before reimporting them using the New Panorama function. Again alignment problems that I can't seem to fix and horrible artefacts occurring. I then tried the same but using JPEGs  but now when I click stitch panorama splits the panorama into two parts as though its trying to create two separate panoramas.

Now i'll be the first to put my hand up and say it could well be me but until the past few months I had no problem at all with this.

I don't think its a camera issue as I'm having this issue with whichever camera I use. I've attached EXR files if that helps?

Any help most welcome.

001.exr

002.exr

003.exr

004.exr

005.exr

[John Rostron]

When you say "using JPEGS" do you mean that you converted the .exr files to .jpg, or were you stitching the original .jpegs before HDR. 

The alternative approach to this problem is to stich five images at each EV into a panorama and save. Then you load the five panoramas into a HDR stack.

John

[Boxbrownie]

48 minutes ago, John Rostron said:

When you say "using JPEGS" do you mean that you converted the .exr files to .jpg, or were you stitching the original .jpegs before HDR. 

The alternative approach to this problem is to stich five images at each EV into a panorama and save. Then you load the five panoramas into a HDR stack.

John

Hi

No I took the images in JPEG + RAW.

So I have now tried HDR merge with RAW and now JPEG and then New Panorama. I have also tried doing the Panorama with just single EV images and they still won't align. So really I don't think your second alternative would work without correcting all the individual panoramas before HDR merging. It's very frustrating.

 

[MEB]

Hi Boxbrownie,

Do you mind uploading just the JPG's from a single EV (straight from the camera) so we can check the panoramas alignment/artefacts first please? From you posts seems the HDR merge does work as expected but the panorama stitching is failing.

 

I'm getting a few artefacts when i try a panorama with the EXR's provided above but the alignment seems reasonably correct. I would like to try with JPG's since you said they were being not being all considered as part of a single panorama before passing this to the dev team.

 

[Boxbrownie]

58 minutes ago, MEB said:

Hi Boxbrownie,

Do you mind uploading just the JPG's from a single EV (straight from the camera) so we can check the panoramas alignment/artefacts first please? From you posts seems the HDR merge does work as expected but the panorama stitching is failing.

 

I'm getting a few artefacts when i try a panorama with the EXR's provided above but the alignment seems reasonably correct. I would like to try with JPG's since you said they were being not being all considered as part of a single panorama before passing this to the dev team.

 

Hi.

You have the same artefacts as me along the curved structure of the bridge. I don't get artefacts from single EV JPEGs. My Alignment issues are usually towards the right hand half of the panorama.

Here are the JPEGs 

[MEB]

Thanks for the files Boxbrownie.

I'm seeing the same issues as you: two panoramas, wrong alignment on the right part. Out of curiosity does these issues also happen with the RAW files (from same EV) instead of the JPG's?

I'm passing this to the dev team/logging the issue to be looked at.

[carl123]

You have a lot of overlap in those images

I can get a decent enough panorama, from the jpg files, without artefacts, if I recrop them a bit

Full size image uploaded in zip file attached (forum would not let me upload it full size as a jpg)

 

pano1.zip

[Boxbrownie]

1 hour ago, carl123 said:

You have a lot of overlap in those images

I can get a decent enough panorama, from the jpg files, without artefacts, if I recrop them a bit

Full size image uploaded in zip file attached (forum would not let me upload it full size as a jpg)

 

pano1.zip

Yes I use a fair bit of overlap. I thought around 25-30% was advised for overlap but I'm open to suggestions. I think I can still see a couple of areas of misalignment though but maybe the are easily fixable.

Thanks for your help.

[Boxbrownie]

2 hours ago, MEB said:

Thanks for the files Boxbrownie.

I'm seeing the same issues as you: two panoramas, wrong alignment on the right part. Out of curiosity does these issues also happen with the RAW files (from same EV) instead of the JPG's?

I'm passing this to the dev team/logging the issue to be looked at.

No artefacts with single EV RAW, just the alignment issues.

Thank you.

[firstdefence]

You also have colour issues, look at the sky left and right of the post.  

 

To re-align these misalignments you need to be able to edit control points which, unfortunately, would take you out of Affinity and into a dedicated Panorama App. That app would allow you to preview and the edit control points used to stitch the images together. 

[Boxbrownie]

21 minutes ago, firstdefence said:

You also have colour issues, look at the sky left and right of the post.  

 

To re-align these misalignments you need to be able to edit control points which, unfortunately, would take you out of Affinity and into a dedicated Panorama App. That app would allow you to preview and the edit control points used to stitch the images together. 

Yes there are a few issues. Last night I went out and did another shoot. This time I used JPEG's only although I also have the same shots in RAW. The Image is much much better but still alignment issues. I will have a go with theRAW files maybe tomorrow and see what happens. This is how last night's turned out.

[James Ritson]

53 minutes ago, firstdefence said:

To re-align these misalignments you need to be able to edit control points which, unfortunately, would take you out of Affinity and into a dedicated Panorama App. That app would allow you to preview and the edit control points used to stitch the images together. 

 

Hmm, unless I'm missing something here, Photo's Panorama persona has an equivalent of control points. In fact, it has two options--source image masking and source image transforming.

 

I had a go with the JPEGs--it took a couple of minutes, but I was able to sort the alignment (as far as I can tell). I've attached a video to demonstrate using the two tools.

 

Unfortunately, although you can stitch EXR files, it seems to be hit and miss depending on the subject material. I might suggest HDR merging and tone mapping each panorama segment, then exporting as 16-bit TIFF, which is not the greatest solution but would allow you to re-align successfully.

 

Out of interest, which drone did you use? (The EXIF data lists a camera model but not the drone itself!)

 

Here's the video file:

bridge.mp4

[firstdefence]

@James Ritson Nice video James.

[firstdefence]

The second composition is much better. I like the painterly effect too.

[Boxbrownie]

8 hours ago, James Ritson said:

 

Hmm, unless I'm missing something here, Photo's Panorama persona has an equivalent of control points. In fact, it has two options--source image masking and source image transforming.

 

I had a go with the JPEGs--it took a couple of minutes, but I was able to sort the alignment (as far as I can tell). I've attached a video to demonstrate using the two tools.

 

Unfortunately, although you can stitch EXR files, it seems to be hit and miss depending on the subject material. I might suggest HDR merging and tone mapping each panorama segment, then exporting as 16-bit TIFF, which is not the greatest solution but would allow you to re-align successfully.

 

Out of interest, which drone did you use? (The EXIF data lists a camera model but not the drone itself!)

 

Here's the video file:

bridge.mp4

Hi James

Thank you for the video. These are the same tools that I tried to correct the alignment issues with previously. My efforts of last night were more successful though\ and probably I need a bit more practice. I'll try your other suggestion of HDR merging and tone mapping first.

The Drone is a DJI Phantom 4 Pro

[Boxbrownie]

22 hours ago, firstdefence said:

The second composition is much better. I like the painterly effect too.

Thanks. I like the second composition better too. I was looking for the same sort of thing in the first attempt but the water wasn't still enough to get the reflection. The first attempt did look much better after tone mapping and a bit of tweaking.

[Boxbrownie]

Just a note on the above. I have now had a go at doing the panorama from the RAW files as opposed to the JPEG's in my second attempt where I didn't have the artefact issues. I then exported as PNG before using the PNG files to create the panorama. I had no issues with artefacts this way and was able to align the images fairly successfully. Now whether thats the wrong way or right way to do it I don't really know but here is the result.

[John Rostron]

2 minutes ago, Boxbrownie said:

Now whether thats the wrong way or right way to do it I don't really know

If it works for you then go for it! I don't think that there is a right or wrong way.

John