INTERACTIVE VIDEO TOUR SYSTEM EDITOR
A computer system, method, and apparatus for editing an interactive image video tour. The system may include a computer including an image editor for providing a visual program interface for editing an interactive image video tour; a database in communication with the computer containing data associated with a plurality of images comprising a portion of the interactive image video tour; and a viewer in communication with the computer for displaying the plurality of images. The method may include selecting a data file that includes image data and displaying an image associated therewith on a computer, the data file being stored in an image database containing a plurality of images for creating an interactive image video tour; and modifying one aspect of the image data contained in the selected data file. The apparatus may include a computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform a method for editing an interactive image video tour.
1 . A method of editing portions of an interactive image video tour, comprising:
displaying a thumbnail view of an image associated with a predetermined facility in a first portion of the image editor, the image being stored in a database in the form of a data file comprising image data;
selecting the thumbnail view of the image;
transferring the selected thumbnail view of the image to a second portion of the image editor; and
positioning the selected thumbnail view of the image in a predetermined order according to a tour layout plan of the predetermined facility within the second portion of the image editor, the predetermined order corresponding to a position of the image within the tour layout of an interactive image video tour of the predetermined facility.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying a directory of the image in the first portion of the image editor, the directory providing a hierarchical representation of folders for organizing a plurality of images into separate groups.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a tour map corresponding to the thumbnail view of the image contained in the second portion of the image editor for identifying a location of the image within the interactive image video tour.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing alternate images to the interactive image video tour for providing any of an up, down, left or right view of a selected image within the interactive image video tour.
5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising linking the alternate images to any other image associated with the interactive image video tour.
6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing arrows to the interactive image video tour.
7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the arrows are provided on a tour map for identifying a location of the image within the interactive image video tour.
8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the arrows are provided on a tour map for identifying links associated with other interactive image video tours.
9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a component overlay to the interactive image video tour.
10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising linking the component overlay to another interactive image video tour.
11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing an ARM overlay to the interactive image video tour.
12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a CAM overlay to the interactive image video tour.
13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing directional paths within the interactive image video tour.
14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing hyperlinks in a tour map for traveling from the tour map to another tour map.
15 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing tour lines in a tour map for indicating a location of the image within the interactive image video tour.
16 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing tour points in a tour map 62 for indicating a location of the image within the interactive image video tour.
17 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing primary images to the interactive image video tour, each of the primary images having a plurality of alternate images referenced thereto.
18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising providing coordinating arrow positions to the primary image for coordinating the position of the plurality of alternative images referencing the primary image.
19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising auto-positioning and rotating coordinating arrows associated with the coordinating arrow positions when adding the alternate images to the image video tour.
20 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising designating a tour map associated with one interactive image video tour as a site plan for a plurality of interactive image video tours and providing a hyperlink from the tour map of the one interactive video tour to tour maps associated with other interactive image video tours.
21 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing components to the interactive image video tour, the components comprising images having greater detail than the images within the interactive image video tour.
22 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising cataloging capabilities of the components associated with the interactive image video tour.
23 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising searching for the components by any of a component identification, system or type.
24 . A method of creating and editing portions of an interactive image video tour, comprising:
transferring a data file stored in an image database to a memory of a computer, the image database containing a plurality of data files representing a plurality of images associated with an interactive image video tour of a predetermined facility, each of the pluralities of data files comprising image data for displaying an image associated with a portion of the predetermined facility on a viewer associated with the computer;
displaying a thumbnail view of the image in a first portion of the image editor;
dragging the thumbnail view of the image from the first portion of the image editor to a second portion of the image editor;
positioning the thumbnail view of the image in a predetermined position according to a tour layout plan of the predetermined facility in the second portion of the image editor; and
displaying in the second portion of the image editor the image selected for use in the interactive image video tour of the predetermined facility.
25 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising repositioning the predetermined position of the thumbnail view of the image within the interactive image video tour.
26 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising rearranging the thumbnail view of the image in the second portion of the image editor.
27 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising creating a tour map corresponding to the thumbnail view of the image contained in the second portion of the image editor for identifying a location of the image within the interactive image video tour.
28 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the first portion of the image tour editor includes a directory panel portion.
29 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the second portion of the image tour editor includes a tour panel portion.
30 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising displaying a history list of directories selected while creating the interactive image video tour.
31 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising displaying a directory of a plurality of images in the first portion of the image editor, the directory providing a hierarchical representation of folders for organizing the plurality of images into separate groups.
32 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising displaying a tour map in the second portion of the image editor for identifying a location of the image within the interactive image video tour.
33 . The method of claim 32 , further comprising displaying a directory of a plurality of tour maps 62 in the first portion of the image editor, the directory providing a hierarchical representation of folders for organizing the plurality of tour maps 62 into separate groups.
34 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising displaying a plurality of images that have been selected for use within the interactive image video tour in the second portion of the image editor.
35 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising displaying a tour tree providing a hierarchical outline view of the interactive image video tour.
36 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising providing alternate images to the interactive image video tour for providing any of an up, down, left or right view of a primary image of the interactive image video tour.
37 . The method of claim 36 , further comprising linking the alternate images to any other image within the interactive image video tour.
38 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising providing directional arrows to the interactive image video tour.
39 . The method of claim 38 , wherein the arrows are provided on a tour map 62 for identifying a location of the image within the interactive image video tour.
40 . The method of claim 38 , wherein the arrows are provided on a tour map 62 for identifying links associated with other interactive image video tours.
41 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising providing a component overlay to the interactive image tour.
42 . The method of claim 41 , further comprising linking the component overlay to another interactive image video tour.
43 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising providing an ARM overlay to the interactive image video tour.
44 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising providing a CAM overlay to the interactive image video tour.
45 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising providing directional paths within the interactive image video tour.
46 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising providing hyperlinks to a tour map for traveling from one tour map to another tour map.
47 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising providing tour lines to a tour map for indicating a location of the image within the interactive image video tour.
48 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising providing tour points to a tour map for indicating a location of the image within the interactive image video tour.
49 . A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform a method for editing an interactive image video tour, the method comprising:
transferring a data file stored in an image database to a memory of a computer, the image database containing a plurality of data files representing a plurality of images associated with an interactive image video tour of a predetermined facility, each of the pluralities of data files comprising image data for displaying an image associated with a portion of the predetermined facility on a viewer associated with the computer;
displaying a thumbnail view of the image in a first portion of the image editor;
dragging the thumbnail view of the image from the first portion of the image editor to a second portion of the image editor;
positioning the thumbnail view of the image in a predetermined position according to a tour layout plan of the predetermined facility in the second portion of the image editor; and
displaying in the second portion of the image editor the image selected for use in the interactive image video tour of the predetermined facility.