How to Stitch Photos (use PhotoStitch 3.1) from ZoomBrowser EX ver. 5.x

If you have several images of the same scene with only slight differences, you can use PhotoStitch to connect the images together to make a panoramic image. This explains how to use this program to stitch images. You can make it easier to stitch images together by using the camera's Stitch Assist mode to shoot them (available on most PowerShot models).

1. Click [Edit] in the Main Window, followed by [Stitch Photos].
   
   
   
   
   
2. Confirm that [1. Select Images] is selected, and select the series of images in the Browser Area.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Click [2. Open PhotoStitch].
   - If you open PhotoStitch from the [Start] menu, you can follow  this procedure to bring images into PhotoStitch instead.
   
   
   
   
   

4. The PhotoStitch Window will open with the selected images displayed.  Follow the instructions at the top of the window.
   - If an image was brought into PhotoStitch by accident, select the image, click the [Clear] button and select [Clear Selected Image(s)].
   - You can zoom in or out on the displayed images. Click the [Enlarge] button to zoom in and the [Reduce] button to zoom out.
   - If you need to rearrange the images before merging them, click here for this procedure.
   - If you need to rotate any images before merging them, click here for this procedure.
   
   

5. Click the [2. Merge] tab , then the [Start] button to start stitching the images.
   - For information on how to adjust the Merge Settings, click here.
   
   
   
   
   
   

6. The images will be merged, and the newly created panoramic image will be displayed. 
   - You can zoom in or out on the displayed image. Click the [Enlarge] button to zoom in and the [Reduce] button to zoom out.
   - If you have trouble merging, you can adjust the merge results. Click here for detailed instructions.
   
   
   
7. Click the [3. Save] tab, and click on the [Save] button to save the file.
   - To adjust the image before saving it, click [Adjust Image...] prior to clicking [Save]. Click here for detailed information about the [Adjust Image...] options.
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. The Save As dialog will display. Input or select the file location, format and name, then click the [Save] button.
   
   
   
   
   For more information on file formats you can use to save the file, click here.
   
   
9. A message asking if you wish to view the saved image will appear after you save a merged image. Click the [Yes] button to view the image.
   
   
   
   
   
10. Close PhotoStitch to return to ZoomBrowser EX.
    - To merge another set of images after you have finished merging the first set, you must first clear all of the open images from the window. Click the [Clear] button and select [Clear All] to clear all the images.
    
    

Additional Detailed Information

Bringing images into PhotoStitch without using ZoomBrowser EX

1. Click the [Open] button to display the Open dialog.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Select the images you wish to merge and click the [Open] button. To open multiple files, hold the [Ctrl] key while selecting files.
   
   
   
   
   

Return to main procedure Step 3

Arranging the images before merging

1. Click the [Arrange] button and select a merge order setting.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Drag and drop the images into the correct order for merging. Clicking the [Switch] button reverses the order of all the images.
   
   
   
   
   
   

When the merge order is set to [Horizontal], [Vertical] or [360 Degrees], you can drag and drop an image between two others to insert it into that position. When the merge order is set to [Matrix], dragging an image over another causes them to exchange positions. You can also drop an image into an empty image slot.

Return to main procedure Step 4

Rotating images before merging

You can use the following procedures to rotate images shot with the camera held on end (portrait orientation versus landscape).

1. Click on an image to select it.
   
   
2. Click the [Rotate] button, select [Rotate 90 Degrees Counterclockwise] or [Rotate 90 Degrees Clockwise], and click [Rotate Selected Image(s)].
   
   
   
   

To rotate all the images, click [Rotate All] after you select the rotation direction.

Return to main procedure Step 4

Amending the Merge Results

To amend the merge results, you must first specify the areas that did not merge well and then amend those areas.

1. Click [Display Seams] to select the areas to amend. The image seams are indicated by a green frame.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Click a seam that requires improvement. The Amend Merge Results window will display the two images adjoining the clicked seam.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Choose the [Specify Overlapping Areas] or [Specify 2 or More Corresponding Areas] button and specify how the two images overlap.  Click [OK] when finished.
   
   To amend the merge results by specifying the overlapping areas:
   
   a. Select [Specify Overlapping Areas] in the Amend Merge Results window and place a check mark in the [Auto Adjust Overlap] checkbox.
   
   b. Drag and drop one image over another to the approximate extent of their overlap.
   
   c. Click the [OK] button. The two images will merge and the resulting image will display with the amended seam.
   
   Hint: This method of amending the merge results automatically searches the optimal fit for the two images based on the specified overlap. If you wish to have PhotoStitch focus specifically on the overlap you select, remove the check mark from the [Auto Adjust Overlap] checkbox.
   
   
    [Specify Overlapping Areas]:
   
   
   Continue to next step
   
   
   To amend the merge results by specifying two or more corresponding areas:
   
   a. Select [Specify 2 or More Corresponding Areas] in the Amend Merge Results window.
   
   b. Find distinctive areas that appear on images.
   
   c. Place the cursor over one of these areas on an image and drag and drop it on the other image in the corresponding position.
   
   d. Repeat Step 2 and Step 3 at least two or three times. If possible, select areas that are relatively far apart to better the chances for merging.
   
   e. Click the [OK] button. The two images will merge and the resulting image will display with the amended seam.
   
   Hint: To delete a corresponding area that you have specified, drag the frame outside the image. Specifying two areas will merge the image at the indicated position, while specifying three or more areas will merge them at the position where the correspondence is strongest.
   
   [Specify 2 or More Corresponding Areas]
   
   
   
4. The two images will merge and the resulting image will display with the amended seam.
   
   
5. Click the [Hide Seams] button to hide the seams on the resulting image.

Return to main procedure Step Six

Adjusting the Merge Settings

Set the merge settings before starting to merge by clicking the [Merge Settings] button to open the Merge Settings window. If you are merging images that have been taken with a camera, input the shooting technique and focal length setting. If the focal length setting is included in the image data, it will automatically appear in the settings box, eliminating the need to input it.

Setting the Shooting Technique Setting

Select one of the following shooting technique settings:

1. [Panning (Scenery, etc.)] - This technique involves the camera remaining in one spot and being panned up or down or left to right to shoot scenery and other images.

2. [Parallel Camera Movement (Documents, etc.)] - This technique involves moving the camera at a set distance from an object, such as a document, to capture it in sections.

3. [Images Scanned in Sections] - In this case, images that are too large to be captured in one scan are scanned by a scanner in sections.

Hints:

- Use setting 1 or 2 if you are merging photographs captured with a film camera using technique 1 or 2 and later scanned with a scanner or film scanner.

- All images must be of the same size for merging if setting 1 or 2 is selected.

- Images of varying sizes can be merged if setting 3 is selected.

- Click [Use as Default] to have PhotoStitch automatically merge using this setting the next time the software is used. This feature is convenient if you set it to a technique that you use often.

Return to main procedure Step 5

Inputting the Focal Length Setting

Select the appropriate setting from the [Focal Length] list box if you are merging images shot by a camera. The focal length settings are listed as the 35mm film camera equivalents. For a description of focal length settings, please read the documentation for your camera. If your camera automatically includes the focal length setting in the image data, it will automatically appear in the settings box, eliminating the need to input it. If the focal length setting used by your camera is not included as one of the default settings in the [Focal Length] list box, additional settings can be added to the list.

To add a focal length setting to the list:

1. Click the [Add] button. The Add Lens window will display.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Input a focal length and lens name and click the [OK] button.
   
   
   

Hint:

If the camera shooting the image is equipped with a zoom lens but does not record the focal length setting with the image data, you are recommended to add the camera's longest and shortest focal length settings to the list and select one of these settings to obtain the best results when merging.

The focal length setting will not automatically appear in the settings box when a mixture of images with and without the focal length settings data are included or when images with different focal length settings are included.

Lens settings added to the list can be deleted. Select a setting from the list and click the [Clear] button.

Return to main procedure Step 5

File Formats

PhotoStitch can save files in the following formats: BITMAP, JPEG, TIFF, Photoshop, and Flashpix.

The merged image can be saved in the QuickTime VR format if you obtain and install QuickTime 3 or 4. However, images cannot be saved in the QuickTime VR format under the following circumstances when:

a. [Parallel Camera Movement (Documents, etc.)] has been selected as the Shooting Technique setting in the Merge Settings window;

b. [Images Scanned in Sections] has been selected as the Shooting Technique setting in the Merge Settings window;

c. [Vertical] or [Matrix] have been selected after clicking the [Arrange] button;

d. [Wide] has been selected as the Display Format section in the Adjust Image window.

NOTE : Please select the package that includes all the files when downloading the QuickTime software. The QuickTime VR program and the program for saving QuickTime format files must be installed together to save images in the QuickTime VR format.

Return to main procedure Step 8

Adjust Image

You can adjust the following settings to suit your preferences before saving the merge results.

Crop: uneven edges are cropped with this option selected or left untouched without it.

PhotoStitch automatically calculates the optimal position to crop a merged image to eliminate the uneven edges. When you proceed to [Step 3 - Save] after merging the images, the crop frame will be superimposed right on the merge results window. To change the crop lines, drag the crop frame with the mouse cursor and drag it. The cropping will occur as the image is saved.

To turn off the crop function:

1. Click the [Adjust Image] button in Step 3 to display the Adjust Image window.
   
   
2. Click the [Crop] checkbox to remove the check mark.
   
   
3. Click the [Close] button to close the Adjust Image window.

Hint: To turn the crop function back on, click the [Crop] checkbox to insert a check mark. To reset the optimal crop setting calculated by PhotoStitch, click the [Reset] button in the Adjust Image window.

Saved Image Size: this option allows you to reduce the size of an image if the merge results are too large.

When the merge results produce too large an image, you can reduce the size of the image. The size of the merge results appears in the status bar at the bottom of the window after the images have been merged and you proceed to [Step 3 - Save].

To save the image at a reduced size:

1. Click the [Adjust Image] button in Step 3 to open the Adjust Image window.
   
   
2. Input a percentage that will reduce the image size in the [Reduction Ratio] box. The actual size at which the image will be saved is shown in the Image Size column.
   
   
3. Click the [Close] button to close the [Adjust Image] window.

Display Format: this option allows you to change the format in which the image is displayed.

PhotoStitch supports the following two display formats for the merge results. Display the merged image in formats to decide which one you prefer. The choice of formats is only available when [Panning (Scenery, etc.)] is selected in the Merge Settings window.

Normal

This format is for displaying images that have a broad perspective. It is appropriate for viewing an image that has been merged from a large number of images. However, objects with straight lines, such as buildings, will appear rounded.

Wide

This format displays buildings and other objects with straight lines without distortion or bending. It is best suited to subjects with many prominent straight lines. However, the field of view that can be encompassed in this format is limited. Parts of large merged images may extend beyond the area shown by this format.

To change the display format:

1. Click the [Adjust Image] button in Step 3 to open the Adjust Image window.
   
   
2. Select [Normal] or [Wide] from the Display Format section.
   
   
3. Click the [Apply] button in the Display Format section.
   
   
4. Click the [Close] button to close the Adjust Image window.
   
   

Return to main procedure Step 7