8 October 2005
DCP Systems is announcing the introduction of the latest version of Stitcher, the clever software tool that enables graphic files and pictures to be easily joined together to form a single, coherent panoramic file of the complete assembly for accurate printer output.
Stitcher v5.0 has taken on an even friendlier user interface together with easy shortcut management routines and now features a fully automated engine together with manual control point capabilities for easy application. The program can handle 3D stencils and Photoshop PSD files, as well the existing wide range of image formats including JPEG, TIFF and BMP.
Two more features will be added to v5.0 in November and this upgrade will be freely available to existing v5.0 users by download from DCP's website www.dcp-systems.co.uk. Movie Export will enable panoramas produced by the software to be exported as movie files and a graphical batch utility will assemble and output multiple pictures, automatically, from a single command.
The software readily enables full 360x180panoramas to be created via simple drag & drop routines. The program will stitch multiple rows of images of any resolution that have been taken, for example with almost any lens, without the need for a steadying tripod.
Stitcher v5.0 is ideal for digital artists, for example, who may be restricted by using small scanners, as well as a wide range of applications needing to accurately and efficiently join scans together. It is also an excellent solution for professional photographers and photography enthusiasts working on panoramic photo murals, enabling superb quality, professional panoramas to be created in just a few clicks of the mouse. Other major applications include providing virtual rooms or settings for website use, for example, to show a villa in panoramic profile or the panoramic aspects of the inside of a building, gallery or museum.
In creating panoramas, the software can save hours in physically making tile joins and, more Importantly, getting the joins right. And where there are variations in the originals, for example, in brightness, even though individual camera shots have been taken to form a panorama, Stitcher with its smart algorithm, cleverly brings them all to the same level. It also compensates for light level variations in the different camera shots, for example, as well as in camera angle or distance so that you get a perfectly joined panorama or multi-image graphic every time.
Stitcher v5.0 overlaps individual images to provide stunning wide angle, high quality, high impact images, for use on websites to building wraps and even 3D models. In use, the program best works with pictures that overlap by around 30%. Simply dragging and dropping them into the program's stitching window, overlapping to roughly match final requirements, is all the user interaction required to produce single or multi-row cylindrical or spherical panoramas.
The panoramic software features 16bit colour/channel support, lens distortion management and automatic colour balancing and equalisation, as well as image sharpening. The program supports batch rendering and can output spherical, cubic, cylindrical, or planar panoramas, with direct export even to QuickTime@ VR and Macromedia@ Shockwave@ applications.
Stitcher v5.0 is easy to install, say the developers. It runs on Macintosh OS10.1 or later and Windows 98 SE, 2000 SP2 or XP platforms. It comes in full and Express versions downloadable from the DCP website and includes telephone support by OCP. A free, working evaluation copy is also downloadable from the OCP website. Both versions are also available on CO direct from OCP Systems, as are upgrades from earlier versions of the program. Users who purchased v4.0 of the software since June 1, 2005, can obtain a free upgrade to v5.0.