Steuart Systems

From June 11 to 13 Google hosted a 3-day training called SketchUp Basecamp. About 400 people from all over the world all gathered to learn about the 3D visualization techniques of SketchUp and how to integrate the 3D models into Google Earth. We spent most of our time on this patio and in the buildings that you see.

Inspired by Google’s global perspective, I decided to make a Google-centric version of a “Google Earth.” I stiched 18 images together to make a spherical panorama, and then warped the image to form a globe. This is a first draft, and I plan to post a better HDR version without the tripod and shadow once I get back home.

The stitching errors have been removed, and HDR & tone mapping have improved the details. There will probably be a V6 with a few more tweaks. A little more sky would be nice, and there are some HDR artifacts in the lower left.

54 shot panoramic HDR.
3 sets of 18: -2, 00, +2

Since 2003 I’ve been refining the patented 3D-360: an omnidirectional stereoscopic camera system. In this 2007 picture, prototype 3.2 is being upgraded to Proto-3.3.

Currently (December 2008) a much-improved Proto-4B is being built with an ETA of April 2009.