What about Full Circle Imaging?

Q: What services does Full Circle Imaging offer?
A: Full Circle Imaging offers a full range of digital imaging and other associated services.

Full Circle Imaging's services include both traditional photography as well as many types of composite digital imagery. 
The digital revolution has provided the means to create images that extend beyond the realm of the traditional photograph. Many of these digital images are composite images created by combining two or more images into a new image.

These composite images range from simple panoramic shots
made by joining several individual images into a larger image to digital panoramas that can be controlled by the viewer. These digital panoramas include IPIX spherical photo bubbles as well as QuickTime VR panoramic images.

Another composite image, the object image, provides a means to view an object from multiple viewpoints. These object images are often employed to show a spinning image of an object. Object images typically take the form of an animated GIF or a QuickTime VR object movie. Full Circle Imaging also offers a growing portfolio of stock digital imagery. Many of these images are of the composite types mentioned above.

Q: What equipment does Full Circle Imaging use?
A: Full Circle Imaging's equipment includes Nikon and Olympus digital cameras.

Both camera types are capable of producing excellent quality high-resolution digital images. The highest resolutions of these cameras range from 1600 x 1200 to  1600 X 2048 pixels. The Nikon cameras when equipped with an appropriate fisheye lens capable of capturing a full 183 degrees field of view are used to create the interactive "photo bubble".

Q: When I purchase a composite image will I be given the sources images?
A: Typically the composite image, for example an IPIX immerse spherical image or a QuickTime panorama or object movie, is the delivered product, the source images used to create final product can be obtained for an additional fee.

Q: Do I own exclusive rights to the imagery purchased from Full Circle Imaging?
A: Full Circle Imaging  retains the copyright to any images provided to our customers as well as the right to reuse any images in other Full Circle Imaging projects. Complete ownership of the provided images is always negotiable.

IPIX

Q: Who or what is IPIX?
A: IPIX (visit Internet Pictures Corporation's web site at http://www.ipix.com ) is a company that provides the software used to create the immersive spherical images that Full Circle Imaging provides.

Q: What is an IPIX immersive image?
A: An IPIX immersive image is a digital image similar to a traditional digital image such as a GIF or JPG image. IPIX images are typically saved with an IPX extension and like a GIF or JPG image can be viewed on a computer using software capable of displaying the file's image data.

Q: Is an IPIX image a digital movie?
A: No, an IPIX image is not a movie. An IPIX image is a static image but because the static image consists of a complete spherical image taken from a single point of view the viewing software provides for a means for the user to control what portion of the view is displayed. From the viewer's point of view a the complete view from the camera's perspective is available, a full 360 degrees around as well as up and down.

Whereas a digital movie typically requires a large amount of data to convey this same type of view (i.e., panning through the full 360 degrees of view as well as straight up and down) an IPIX spherical image being a static image typically requires a comparatively small amount of data. Because the amount of data is so vastly reduced, the associated transmission time is also comparatively small.

Q: How is an IPIX image made?
A: An IPIX image is created by taking two images with a fisheye lens.
One image is taken of the "front" of the sphere and another is taken of the "back". These two images are then "stitched" together using IPIX's proprietary software to create an IPX image.

Q: What types of IPIX immersive images are available?
A: IPIX images are available in a range of resolutions. The lower the resolution the smaller the file. While small files are optimal for transmission over the Internet via low bandwidth connections the higher resolution images provide a clearer display and may be best employed where either high bandwidth Internet connections are available or the delivery mechanism is for example a CD-ROM distribution.

Q: How are IPIX images viewed?
A: IPIX's immersive image bubbles can be viewed on several different manners. Both stand alone viewer applications and viewers for integration with HTML web browsers are available directly from IPIX. The Macintosh and Windows platforms as well as the Netscape and Internet Explorer browsers are supported.

Q: What are the differences between IPIX's Java and browser plug-in viewers?
A: Almost all Browsers are bundled with either the Java Virtual Machine or java console. No download is required to view a java image. A plug in requires just that a one time download of a plug in that is installed on your system. The images appear quicker when viewed with the plug in due to the fact that you only need retrieve the image in order to view it. In a java image you need to retrieve the image and the viewer hence the longer download time.

Q: How do I incorporate IPIX images  into a web page?
A: Via a java applet. We include comprhensive instructions with all images delivered. Another way is through the QuickTime Player.