Method and system for generating a 360-degree presentation of an object
Methods and systems for generating an interactive rotatable 360-degree presentation of an object are disclosed. The methods and systems obtain data describing the object, where the data includes information about a number of images of the object, as well as additional information about the object. The images are automatically obtained and rearranged into at least one sequence of images substantially evenly distributed around 360 degrees. It is determined whether to add hotspot(s) to image(s), and if hotspot(s) are to be added, the hotspot(s) are automatically added to the image(s). The ordered images of the sequence(s) are then merged into an interactive rotatable 360-degree presentation of the object.
1. A computer-implemented method for generating an interactive rotatable 360-degree presentation of an object, the method comprising:
obtaining, from a first source, data describing the object contained in a record including a plurality of data arranged in rows and columns, each of therows corresponding to respective different objects, the data describing the object including (i) information about a plurality of images of the object to be obtained and converted into the interactive rotatable 360-degree presentation of the object and (ii) additional information about the object, wherein obtaining the data describing the object includes (i) determining which columns of the plurality of data include the information about the plurality of images of the object to be obtained, (ii) determining which columns of the plurality of data include the additional information about the object, and (iii) determining which row of the plurality of data corresponds to the object by comparing data contained in the columns that include the additional information about the object with predetermined criteria;
automatically obtaining the plurality of images of the object from a second source separate from the first source, the second source of the plurality of images of the object being specified by the information about the plurality of images of the object;
automatically resizing the plurality of images such that the plurality of images are of a common size;
automatically rearranging the plurality of images into at least one sequence, the at least one sequence including ordered images from a plurality of viewing angles of the object distributed around 360 degrees, by (i) determining the order for the ordered images based on predetermined information corresponding to the object including a notation describing which images from the plurality of images should be included in the at least one sequence and in which order, (ii) selecting images from the plurality of images that correspond to an exterior view of the object for inclusion in the at least one sequence, and (iii) selecting images from the plurality of images that correspond to an interior view of the object for inclusion in an additional sequence of the at least one sequence;
automatically determining whether to add at least one hotspot to at least one image in the at least one sequence, and if the at least one hotspot is to be added, automatically adding the at least one hotspot to the at least one image, the at least one hotspot being associated with a separate media element and enabling access to the separate media element when selected by a viewer of the interactive rotatable 360-degree presentation of the object, by (i) determining a position for the at least one hotspot on the at least one image based on the predetermined information corresponding to the object, (ii) determining the separate media element based on the predetermined information corresponding to the object, the separate media element being at least one of a text, an additional image, a video, a web page link, and an additional rotatable 360-degree presentation, and (iii) adding the at least one hotspot if the additional information about the object meets certain criteria from the predetermined criteria;
automatically merging the ordered images of the at least one sequence including exterior images into an exterior 360-degree view of the object;
automatically merging the ordered images of the additional sequence including interior images into an interior 360-degree view of the object; and
automatically merging the exterior 360-degree view of the object and the interior 360-degree view of the object into the interactive rotatable 360-degree presentation of the object.
2. A computer-implemented method for generating an interactive rotatable 360-degree presentation of an object, the method comprising:
obtaining, from a first source, data describing the object, the data describing the object including (i) information about a plurality of images of the object to be obtained and converted into the interactive rotatable 360-degree presentation of the object and (ii) additional information about the object;
automatically obtaining, in response to obtaining the data describing the object, the plurality of images of the object;
automatically rearranging the plurality of images into at least one sequence, the at least one sequence including ordered images from a plurality of viewing angles of the object distributed around 360 degrees, wherein automatically rearranging the plurality of images into the at least one sequence includes:
selecting images from the plurality of images that correspond to an exterior view of the object for inclusion in a first sequence of the at least one sequence, and
selecting images from the plurality of images that correspond to an interior view of the object for inclusion in a second sequence of the at least one sequence,
automatically determining whether to add at least one hotspot to at least one image in the at least one sequence, and if the at least one hotspot is to be added, automatically adding the at least one hotspot to the at least one image, the at least one hotspot being associated with a separate media element and enabling access to the separate media element when selected by a viewer of the interactive rotatable 360-degree presentation of the object;
automatically merging the ordered images of the at least one sequence into at least one 360-degree view of the object; and
automatically merging the at least one 360-degree view of the object into the interactive rotatable 360-degree presentation of the object.
3. A computer-implemented method as in claim 2 wherein:
the data describing the object is contained in a record including a plurality of data arranged in at least one row and at least one column, each of the at least one row corresponding to respective different objects; and
obtaining the data describing the object includes (i) determining which columns of the plurality of data include the information about the plurality of images of the object to be obtained, (ii) determining which columns of the plurality of data include the additional information about the object, and (iii) determining which row of the plurality of data corresponds to the object.
4. A computer-implemented method as in claim 3 wherein determining which row of the plurality of data corresponds to the object includes, for each row, comparing data contained in the columns that include the additional information about the object with predetermined criteria.
5. A computer-implemented method as in claim 2 wherein automatically obtaining the plurality of images of the object includes obtaining the plurality of images of the object from a second source separate from the first source of the data describing the object, the second source or the plurality or images or the object being specified by tile information about the plurality of images of the object.
6. A computer-implemented method as in claim 2 wherein automatically rearranging the plurality of images into the at least one sequence includes determining the order for the ordered images based on predetermined information corresponding to the object.
7. A computer-implemented method as in claim 6 wherein the predetermined information corresponding to the object includes a notation describing which images from the plurality of images should be included in the at least one sequence and in which order.
8. A computer-implemented method as in claim 2 wherein automatically merging the ordered images of the at least one sequence includes (i) automatically merging the ordered images of the at least one sequence including exterior images into an exterior 360-degree view of the object, and (ii) automatically merging the ordered images of the additional sequence including interior images into an interior 360-degree view of the object.
9. A computer-implemented method as in claim 2 wherein automatically adding the at least one hotspot to the at least one image includes determining a position for the at least one hotspot on the at least one image based on predetermined information corresponding to the object.
10. A computer-implemented method as in claim 9 wherein automatically adding the at least one hotspot to the at least one image includes determining the separate media element based on the predetermined information corresponding to the object, the separate media element being any of text, an additional image, a video, a web page link, and an additional interactive rotatable 360-degree presentation.
11. A computer-implemented method as in claim 10 wherein automatically adding the at least one hotspot to the at least one image includes adding the at least one hotspot if the additional information about the object meets certain predetermined criteria.
12. A computer-implemented method as in claim 2 further including automatically resizing the plurality of images such that the plurality of images are an appropriate size for the interactive rotatable 360-degree presentation.
13. A system for generating an interactive rotatable 360-degree presentation of an object, the system comprising:
an interface configured to:
obtain data describing the object, the data describing the object including (i) information about a plurality of images of the object to be obtained and converted into the interactive rotatable 360-degree presentation of the object and (H) additional information about the object; and
obtain a plurality of images of the object; and
a processor configured to;
automatically rearrange the plurality of images into at least one sequence, the at least one sequence including ordered images from a plurality of viewing angles of the object distributed around 360 degrees, wherein automatically rearranging the plurality of images into the at least one sequence includes:
selecting at least one image from the plurality of images that correspond to an exterior view of the object for inclusion in a first sequence of the at least one sequence, and
selecting at least one image from the plurality of images that correspond to an interior view of the object for inclusion in a second sequence of the at least one sequence,
automatically determine whether to add at least one hotspot to at least one image in the at least one sequence, and if the at least one hotspot is to be added, automatically add the at least one hotspot to the at least one image in the at least one sequence, the at least one hotspot being associated with a separate media element and enabling access to the separate media element when selected by a viewer of the interactive rotatable 360-degree presentation of the object;
automatically merge the ordered images of the at least one sequence into at least one 360-degree view of the object; and
automatically merge the at least one 360-degree view of the object into the interactive rotatable 360-degree presentation of the object.