This software is provided for non-commercial use only.
The University of British Columbia has applied for a patent on the SIFT algorithm in the United States.
Commercial use may require a license from the University of British Columbia.
Ver3.04->3.10 The latest release of SPM no longer provides the internal SIFT-algorithm option.
The University of British Columbia have stated that use of that feature by US residents contravenes their patent conditions.
If 'autopano.exe' (Autopano version) is in the same folder as SPM, it will automatically be used if you have not set the 'Autopano folder name' in the Preferences dialog.
There is now an option (in 'Preferences\Adjust') to hide the SIFT auto-correction DOS window.
When printing multiple, custom stereo-cards on a single sheet of paper, they will all be the size of the first card rather than defaulting to fitting the page-width.
After creating a simulated view of a popup anaglyph, the system no longer crashes when returning to the normal display-mode.
Notes have been added to the 'Help' file regarding making popup-anaglyphs when a reference-frame is not available or practical.
Ver3.03->3.04
The latest release of SPM allows zoomed-in scrolling with panoramic and horizontal/vertical-mirror modes.
In MultiConversion (including auto-align), there are additional options for output file-type and stereo format.
Stereo formats are :-
Side-by-side
Independent left\right.
Side-by-side (Mirror left)
Side-by-side (Mirror right)
Side-by-side (Mirror both)
Above\below
Above\below (Mirror Top)
Above\below (Mirror Bottom)
Above\below (Mirror Both)
Gray Anaglyph
Gray Anaglyph (red/green)
Gray Anaglyph (red/blue)
Gray Anaglyph (yellow/blue)
Color Anaglyph
Half-color Anaglyph
Ghost-reduced Anaglyph
Color Anaglyph (yellow/blue)
Half-color Anaglyph (yellow/blue)
Optimized Anaglyph
Interlaced
Single Image (Left)
Single Image (Right)
Sharp 3D LCD
File formats are BMP, JPG, JPS, TIFF, PNG and GIF.
Auto-alignment now allows you to specify the maximum allowable disparity of the 'infinity' points (as a decimal percentage of image-width).
This value may also be entered in your 'Preferences\Adjustment'.
Free-cropping options with an aspect-ratio to suit Classic, Holmes cards and 6x13 format (on 6x4 inch paper for the latter two)have been added.
For subjects that benefit from a more-pronounced portrait format, the 7"x4.25" 'Cabinet' card is now supported.
Stereo cards may now have an arched top and rounded corners.
Ver3.02->3.03
The latest release of SPM3 supports dual-core processors.
Using a 3GHz dual-core Pentium D930 with a large number of images, two image-pairs (each 2272x1704) may be processed in 17.5 seconds.
i.e. 8.75 seconds per image-pair.
The SIFT algorithm is now integrated into SPM, so Autopano-SIFT (and the .NET framework) and Autopano are not required.
However, you may choose from all three and compare quality and speed for your type of images.
Minor changes have been made to auto color adjustment and you are advised, for best results, to make any horizontal/vertical adjustments before using that function.
Multiconversion supports all anaglyph types for file output and the Help file has been amended to emphasise this.
When Multiconversion source files are in separate left/right folders, SPM takes the images in the left folder in ascending alphabetical order and pairs them with images in the right folder, also arranged in ascending alphabetical order.
e.g. the third image in the left folder will be paired with the third image in the right folder, if they cannot be matched by same name or '_L' and '_R' suffix.
Ver3.01->3.02
I found a possibility of an application error at the time of automatic adjustment and corrected it.
Ver3.00->3.01
The latest release of SPM3 has three options for setting the window position.
1.
If disparity is less than 1/25th image-width, near point is mounted to the window.
The far-points will have a 'comfortable' disparity.
If disparity is greater than 1/25th, near points will come through the window.
2.
Regardless of disparity, near point is mounted to window.
Far points may have excessive disparity.
3.
No adjustment of the stereo window.
If you use Multiconversion with auto cropping ON, the image width will be cropped.
If you use this option, you can get maximum image width. and then adjust the window manually.
You may now use 'Autopano' as the keypoint detector (rather than 'Autopano-sift').
It is faster and does not need the .NET framework installation.
You may wish to compare speed versus quality using both keypoint detectors.
Ver2.38->3.00
The latest release of SPM allows you to automatically align and correct stereo-pairs and mount them to the window.(Sample Images) A single image may be corrected with key presses (or from a menu selection) or hundreds of images may be corrected by using the 'Autopano' option in 'MultiConversion' or 'MultiConversion from Slideshow List'.
You should have already installed Autopano-SIFT and, if necessary, the .NET framework.
Unlike existing software that finds corresponding left/right image-points from pixel-patterns (2D correlation), SPM uses the SIFT algorithm (as implemented by Autopano-Sift) to extract hundreds or thousands of image features.
These features are invariant to translation and rotation, and to some extent to vergence and brightness.
Using the knowledge of those points, SPM applies translation, simple rotation, scaling, perspective-rotation and color-equalisation to correct the images.
All of the MultiConversion settings may be saved as a named MCV file (e.g. 'Powershot_Twinned.mcv').
Input images may be JPS/JPG/DAS/BMI/STJ/BMP/TIF/GIF/PNG and if in left/right folders they may have different names/numbers as long as they are in alphabetical order.
Simply loading the MCV file into MultiConversion, selecting the input images and clicking 'OK' will load your stereo images or left/right pairs in parallel or cross-eyed format, rotate left/right by 0/90/180/270 degrees or horizontally or vertically flip, correct barrel-distortion and then auto-correct the errors, align the images and balance the colors.
SPM limits the disparity of the most distant points to 1/25th of image-width for comfortable viewing.
If absolute disparity exceeds this, the near points are allowed to 'come through the window'.
The image is saved in any of the usual stereo-formats and file-types together with the original EXIF information, text overlay (such as Copyright c information), logo (with transparency), tricolor border, swapped left-for-right and at a predefined width/height and target file-size.
If required, the report-files may be saved for future use with auto-alignment or EasyAdjustment.
As an alternative, you may apply the alignment values from a single existing image to an entire batch of images.
In EasyAdjustment, the current status of 'link rotations' is now saved.
Ver2.37->2.38
The latest release of SPM allows you to create 360 degree stereo panoramas using a single, rotating digital camera.
You may also use a 'virtual camera' in scenes created with '3D' (not stereo) programmes such as Bryce, PovRay, etc.
Uniquely, the disparity may be altered at-will after the images are taken.
Image strips are extracted from rendered frames, digicam movies or stills taken with a hand-rotated camera or one mounted on a motorised platform.
(Commercial use of this method may be restricted by patents.)
Ver2.36->2.37
When twinning cameras for stereo, the separation may be greater than average eye-spacing and under those circumstances, it is necessary to use a shorter-than-normal focal-length so that excessive parallax is avoided.
Because most zoom lenses suffer from barrel-distortion at the wide-angle setting, the latest version of SPM allows you to correct the distortion of a single image or multiple images using batch-mode.
Ver2.35->2.36
The latest version of SPM now works with encrypted and/or indexed folders.
Custom-cropping works in zoomed-mode, particularly useful for accurate cropping of large images such as panoramas.
SPM print options now allow you to include multiple images on a single sheet of paper.
The images may all be stereo-cards or a mixture of formats such as single image, side-by-side, anaglyph, etc.
Each image is simply dragged into position and the vertical spacing may be set as a numerical value.
Text and description in a defined font-size, color and type may be added to 'Print Setup' images.
Ver2.34->2.35
The latest release of SPM allows you to easily create 'wobble' or 'wiggle' animated GIF's from your stereo pairs.
For examples of these animated GIF's see http://www.stereomaker.net/sample/ani/ani_e.htm and http://www.well.com/~jimg/stereo/stereo_list.html.
These can give an impression of depth that may be useful for some purposes as they do not require viewing-aids or the ability to freeview.
A new flashing-display mode helps you align the source images without using Easy Adjustment.
The animation created may optionally be displayed on a blank HTML page and can be loaded into SPM as a stereo iamge.
Stereo or left/right images may now be saved as GIF's and BMP/PNG/TIFF/GIF images may be saved with a reduced number of colors for smaller file-size.
Before saving, you can preview the images at real size to determine if the reduced-colors produce an acceptable result for your particular application.
The mouse-wheel may be used to change the size of the preview-window and the [F] key toggles between 100% size and fit-to-window.
Ver2.33->2.34
- Alignment bug-fix
When you used 'perspective rotation' and 'reduce image size(<100%)' in easy adjustment, you had a alignment error.
Ver2.32->2.33
The latest release of SPM fixes a zoom problem when using the Sharp 3D monitor.
You can now choose the left or right monitor as SPM's primary in dual full-screen setups.
Lossless JPG Multiconversion operations are provided for image-pairs and include rotations of 90, 180 and 270 degrees, joining
left/right images, decomposing side-by-side images to left/right pairs and swapping left/right images.
The input images may be baseline or progressive and if they are of different sizes or the height/width are not multiples of 16, SPM applies suitable cropping.
When saving the images, the original EXIF data may be copied together with a correctly-orientated thumbnail image.
This may also be done when saving a single stereo image (such as an anaglyph).
This enables 'Windows Explorer' to properly display the image and it's thumbnail (normally it ignores the orientation tag).
You may now also define a custom window-size for NVidia and Winx3D pageflipping modes.
Ver2.31->2.32
The latest release of SPM now allows you to specify auto-cropping after doing normal or perspective rotations in 'Easy Adjustment'.
This also applies to MultiConvert and 'MultiConvert from Slideshow list'.
You can now adjust anaglyphs even though you do not have the original left/right source images.
They are opened as two images in a special format that aids their visibility in 'Easy Adjustment'.
A section has been added to the Help file describing how to use multiple monitors with SPM, typically for digital projection.
This includes information kindly supplied by Werner Bloos and Ron Labbe.
With dual monitors, SPM now supports 'Dual Fullscreen' mode to display images at the maximum possible size.
Web-based stereo galleries (or 'photo communities')usually have limits on both image-size and filesize and present left/right images in a consistent way with a background-color space between them.
You may now specify the size and color of that space, the maximum image-size including that space and any borders and a target filesize.
SPM will adjust the JPEG compression to meet that filesize.
Multiconversion and 'Multiconversion from Slideshow list' now supports the 'No compression ghosting' option when saving gray or color anaglyphs.
When opening a website stereo-image with SPM from InternetExplorer, you are now given the option to specify the stereo viewing method (not just the one you have set in Preferences).
This also applies to 'drag-and-drop', Paste (after Copy) and the command-line option.
An 'Abort' button is now provided if you wish to stop the download of the image from the webpage.
Especially for those with a dialup internet-connection, you may now access an online version of the Help file directly from SPM.
Key assignments for image-rotation have changed. Please check the Help file.
You may show detailed file information for JPG images that have an EXIF header and basic information for other file-types.
SPM's own DAS file-format saves your images in an uncompressed form (even if originally compressed) together with a thumbnail and alignment information.
It is a useful working-format before creating your final image.
You may now create and restore multiple DAS files from left/right source images in a single or dual folders.
Ver2.30->2.31
The latest version of SPM allows you to open two instances of 'Image File-List', choose source and destination folders, select your favorite images and move or copy them to the destination-folder using the clipboard (Cut/Copy/Paste).
You may also rename a single or multiple files, adding or deleting letter-sequences to/from the end of the name, replacing letter-sequences with another sequence or completely rename a batch of images.
The latter is especially useful with digital-camera images and you may specify a starting-name-string common to all images, the starting-value of a numeric-index and an ending-name-string common to all images.
You may retain the original numbering if you wish.
Horizontal and vertical adjustment of the images may now be done to single-pixel precision by holding-down the Shift-key when using the arrow keys.
Ver2.29->2.30
The latest version of SPM allows you to quickly scan a folder of images (using your normal viewing method) and delete, copy or move images to an existing or new folder.
They are then ready for your normal batch-processing workflow.
All four SPM toolbars (initial, stereo-image, single-image and image file-list) may now be customised to your own requirement and the settings saved or reset to default values.
You may add or delete icons and re-arrange their order using the menu or mouse-drag. Anaglyph deghosting (using Lab color-space) may be done with thumbnails displayed in dialog-box windows or in realtime with a full-window display.
Automatic color-correction is available in batch-mode (Multiconvert) and you may choose the left or right images to be the unmodified references.
For ease-of-use, all of SPM's preferences are now unified into a single, multi-tabbed menu-item.
Finally, those wishing to experiment with minimising the effects of window-violation can use the 'Fuzzy Border' option and define border width, gradient (fuzziness), color and corner radius.
Ver2.27->2.28
Although filesize will be larger, the latest version of 'StereoPhoto Maker' allows you to save JPG anaglyphs without compression ghosts.
You may still, of course, use 'normal' JPG compression if you wish. Alignment mode now allows you to automatically correct position, rotation and size errors and set the stereo-window.
Ver2.26->2.27
The latest version of 'StereoPhoto Maker' allows you to select a pair of corresponding points in the left/right images that will automatically be positioned at the stereo-window, any vertical error being corrected.
When zooming, you may now choose between speed (no resampling) or image quality (resampling enabled).
Resampling mode is also recommended for viewing side-by-side images.
The new 'canvas size' option allows you to create an image of a stereo-card with a defined size that may be displayed (in mono) or saved for later printing.
This means, for example, you can print a 6"x4" card even if that size of paper is not supported by your printer.
Finally, the applet that SPM can create (and which is available as a stand-alone application for multi-platform use)also supports resampling and variable spacing for side-by-side images (as in SPM).
Ver2.25->2.26
You may now share your stereo images with those who cannot freeview and do not have anaglyph glasses.
All they need is the latest SPM and a readily-available, small hand-mirror.
Full details are provided in the documentation and this is an easy way to encourage interest in stereo-imaging among the 'general public'.
When looking at reduced-size side-by-side images, you may toggle the spacing from narrow to medium to wide and set the preferred spacing-mode in Preferences.
Typically, you use narrow for parallel-viewing, medium for cross-eyed and wide for the above-mentioned mirror-method. Viewing Mirrored Images with Single Monitor
You can now specify the vertical-position of the image within the 'Classic'-card frame and apply the selected background-color to the full-page, not just the stereo-card.
The fullpage color may be applied to the printed or saved image and can eliminate or simplify subsequent trimming of the print (especially the standard sizes produced by photo labs). Print Stereo Card...
Ver2.24->2.25
The latest SPM allows you to add a rounded-rectangle or no-frame to the image, as well as the previous 'Victorian' rounded-top frame.
The Stereo-cards may be optionally outlined in black and the background color may be chosen
from 48 system colors or 16 custom-defined colors.
The finished card may be saved in a lossy or lossless file-format of your choice so that external printing facilities (such as a Photo-Lab) may be used.
For convenience, a 'Delete most-recently-used files' feature has also been added.
Ver2.23->2.24
The latest SPM allows you to print 'Classic' or 'Custom' stereo cards.
'Classic' cards are 7x3.5 inches in size and have the rounded-top so popular
in Victorian times, title/description on left and right and may be optionally
converted to sepia-toned monochrome. 'Custom' cards have the same rounded-top
but are a user-defined size with title/description at top or bottom and
may also be sepia-toned. A new 'Add Overlay Image' feature allows you to 'cut-out' your images to any shape defined in a transparent GIF or PNG image, rather than just the predefined rounded-top template.
It is also useful for images where the entire background is white, the stereo card option would not produce a visible effect with such images.
Be sure to use the normal 'Print' function for these and not the 'Print Stereo Card' .
With some patience and ingenuity, 'Add Overlay Image' allows you to perform multilayer, stereo-compositing with 'realtime' control of the background's position in stereo-space.
A hotkey and toolbar-icon has been added for 'Open Single Image' mode and the most-recently-set, Horizontal-scroll-speed for panoramas is now saved as default-speed.
Ver2.22->2.23
The latest release of SPM allows you to open two, side-by-side instances of the 'Open Image file list' menu-option.
The Left/Right folder images may be displayed in single-columns as 'extra large thumbnails' to allow easy detection of unsuitable pairs or missing images.
The tree-view may be toggled on/off (for greater image area) and both windows may be scrolled in-tandem using the U(p) and D(own) keys.
This allows you to quickly view (cross-eyed or parallel) very large numbers of images, even those taken with twin-camera rigs in any orientation, containing embedded orientation tags. Running two Instances of 'Open Image file list'
When SPM has been associated with InternetExplorer's Context Menu, you may now choose the folder to save the downloaded image in and also rename the image, if desired. Associating with InternetExplorer
Ver2.21b->2.22
The latest release of SPM allows you to embed orientation tags in the Exif header of JPG images (from digital cameras or scanned images).
If the image does not have an Exif header, SPM can add it.
These tags mean that programs (such as SPM) can correctly display any image taken with a rotated camera.
This avoids the bad-practice of rotating an image with software and resaving as a JPG with the resultant loss in quality.
Users of twinned-cameras can now set the tag in an entire folder of images with a single click of the mouse. Using twinned-cameras with SPM
Brief notes have been added to the Help file regarding the batch-correction of Loreo 'lens-in-a-cap (LIAC)' images.
Ver2.21a->2.21b
- Change the internal calculation for perspective rotation.
Thanks to Etienne Monneret !
Ver2.21->2.21a
- Memory management bug-fix.
Ver2.20->2.21
The latest release of SPM includes a toolkit for creating "Popup Anaglyphs" (often called 'phantograms')
This allows anyone to create very realistic illusions without the expense of PhotoShop, an involved-workflow or knowledge of 'direct linear transforms'.
When the anaglyph print is laid flat and viewed from a particular angle and distance, the subject appears to popup from the surface in a remarkably realistic manner.
They may also be displayed on an NTT DoCoMo 3D mobile-phone, a flatscreen monitor or a monitor laid on it's back.
If you want to show visitors to your (non-commercial) website what the "Popup Anaglyphs" will look like when viewed, SPM acts as a 'virtual camera' and creates the appropriate left/right views in any stereo format (such as anaglyph).
All the user's adjustment settings may be saved in the registry and in a named file to enable easy batch-processing of multiple images.
This allows popup anaglyph object-movies or terrain fly-bys, for example, to be made and viewed.
You may also create in batch mode, stereo images of the camera-view of the 'Popup Anaglyph'.
In other words, what an observer would actually see.
In addition, sample "Popup Anaglyph" object-movies are available for download together with source images that exhibit 'deliberate errors' that the user can practice with.
Although the highest quality popups require care and attention to detail, SPM's new features allow pleasing results to be obtained by beginners who may be using 'less than perfect' source images.
Very special thanks to Steve Boddy for his expert advice and images.
'Easy Adjustment' and 'Easy Adjustment (Advanced)' replaced by a redesigned, single dialog-box.
A user-defined grid overlay has been added to 'Easy Adjustment'.
Changes to Resize.
Fix bug when viewing/paging STJ files.
Ver2.19->2.20
Save Stereo or separate Left/Right images in PNG 'TrueColor' or TIFF compressed/uncompressed lossless formats (packbits,ZIP,LZW).
(not supported in Batch-convert mode).
Open Stereo or separate Left/Right images in indexed (1, 4 or 8-bit) or 'TrueColor' PNG or TIFF compressed/uncompressed lossless formats (packbits,ZIP,LZW).
You can swap-over left/right views when loading stereo or separate images.
This is useful, for example, if you normally wish to view cross-eyed images as anaglyphs or you use Easy Adjustment (which has anaglyph display)a lot with cross-eyed source images.
Command-line Preferences now includes option to swap-over left/right views when right-clicking web images, dragging-and-dropping files onto SPM icon, double-clicking the filename (if SPM has been associated with the file extension) or by including the filename in a command-line.
Ver2.18->2.19
The latest version of SPM may be installed in a folder of your choice (rather than just 'C:\Program Files\SPM\').
A progress-bar will be displayed while the image downloads and the image will then be displayed by SPM with the viewing method specified in 'Edit/Command line Preferences'.
In addition, stereo webpage-images composed of separate left/right views may be opened in SPM by right-clicking on either one.
Ver2.17->2.18
- Associate SPM with InternetExplorer's 'Anchor' and 'Images' contexts.
- Support Docomo 3D mobile phones SH505i.
You may now associate SPM with InternetExplorer's 'Anchor' and 'Images' contexts.
This means that right-clicking on an HTML document's images (typically thumbnails) or links to images, will give you the option to 'Open with SPM'.
The image will then be displayed by SPM in your preferred format.
This works with left/right views stored as single images (side-by-side,above/below,anaglyph).
It does not work with left/right image-pairs.
You may now visit your favorite website stereo galleries and display the images with SPM in formats that the site might not otherwise support.
You may view his JPS or anaglyph images, just set the appropriate image type in Edit/Command Line Preferences.
Pierre MEINDRE provides 'Too Much Stereo !' at http://pmeindre.free.fr/htmlpic/TooMuchStereo2.jpg.
Sit well back in your chair !
The HTML document may be on a website or your local filing system (hard disk).
With the local filing system, you can use SPM's various paging options (space, backspace, mouse)to sequence through a collection of images.
SPM's ZIP file should be extracted to a folder 'C:\Program Files\SPM\' .
You may click button 'IE Menu' in 'Edit/Preferences/IE Context Menu' to create or remove the association.
If you use a firewall you will have to allow SPM to access the 'Net.
Ver2.16->2.17
- Creation of WebPages that use 'StereoPhotoViewer Applet' to display slideshows in a popup window or embedded in the page.
- Support GIF and PNG image loading
Ver2.15a->2.16
- Optimised Anaglyph mode allows custom-setting of parameters.
- Image resizing with a resolution of 0.1% (useful for large images from cameras used in 'tandem').
- Horizontal mirroring or vertical flipping of one or both images to suit existing/future, commercial/custom-made taking or viewing equipment.
- Open SPM-associated files in fullscreen mode (e.g. JPS files page-flipped with shutter-glasses)
- Keyboard shortcut for Saving Left/Right files.
- Fixed suggested filename bugs in Save dialog
Ver2.15->2.15a
- Bug-fix for 'Cannot resize window' error in Win98/Me.
Ver2.14->2.15
- Fast preview of folder images as thumbnails with option to copy, move or delete selected images to existing or new folder.
- Add/Delete or restore a thumbnail to existing JPEG images for fast folder preview (also useful for large folders of 2D
images)
- Vertical interlacing for autostereoscopic displays
- 2D display of left or right view from a stereo image (useful when saving or printing)
Ver2.11->2.12
- Image mosaicing to aid creation of stereo, 360 degree panoramas in 3D-modelling programs.
- For the first time, View continuously-rotating 360 degree stereo panoramas without requiring expensive, quad-buffered OpenGL graphic-cards. (360 degree panoramas samples)
- Open single-image (monoscopic or color anaglyph) files for adding text,logo,cropping,contouring effect, etc.
- Display existing color-anaglyphs in color (not converted to two monochromatic images).
Ver2.10->2.10a
- Bug-fix for indexed-color image files.
Before version 2.10, if you used an indexed-color image file (256 colors, 16 colors, mono colors) SPM could not apply
any effects or Save the images.
Ver2.07->2.08
- The straight lines remain as straight lines in the perspective view (Keystone Correction).
- Accept drag and drop left and right files on a icon or window.
- Change 'Easy Adjustment(Advanced mode)' dialog size for 800x600 screen.
- Another bug fix (zooming at interlace mode,etc).
Ver2.06->2.07
- Add correction of image 'keystone' errors.
Ver2.05->2.06
- Change the background color (Gray -> Black).
- Add the correct file extension in the file saving.