Google has announced a new service for the users in the name of the street view. Yes, after the sensation of new 360-degree videos and original cameras and VR videos, this is the new service that is completed differentiated from the previous services and tools. Everything about 360 Video Google Maps explained here.
If you are ready to start your first street view virtual tour, then you are at the right place to know more information about the 360-degree video Google maps street view VR tour. Here we go.
What exactly is the street view VR tour?
Google started the new feature called 360-degree virtual photo spheres for Google Maps street view. It is a collection of 360-degree images shoot with a 360-degree view camera.
Users can share the photo spheres using the Google views site.
After sharing their photo spheres, they can create their own photo sphere VR tour in streets view.
Google is trying to expand its Google maps database with this new feature.
Google was offering powerful tools to the photographers to transform their photo sphere into VR tour on Google street view.
Using street view
By using the street view you can explore the landmarks and other interesting and exciting destinations.
You can utilize the Street view application in Google maps.
Street view app
User can download the street view application and start viewing the 360-degree photos
Once you opened the app, you can click on the tabs to access the popular 360-degree photos across the globe and you can explore the things like top 360 photos from the map view etc.
By clicking on profile tab you can access the photos that are published by you and you can share them and check the views by tapping on stats option within the app.
You can also organize and get the details of your created photos which are not published.
Users can utilize the Google cardboard to open the street view app and photos.
Exploring street view app
You can simply tap on to the compass to check the location and view. By turning the device towards sideways, the user can adjust the landscape and other modes to have a wider view.
The users can add photos to a particular place if the particular destination or business don’t have yet. They can simply tap on to contribute tab and can create and publish the photos.
Users also have turn ON or OFF the notifications from this app.
How to setup and connect to the 360-degree cameras
To connect the camera to your street view app, you must know the list of important cameras that are compatible with the app.
Some of those cameras that are compatible with the street view app are Ricoh Theta Samsung Gear 360 etc.
Setup –Ricoh theta-S
Turn ON the camera and make sure it was charged completely. Turn ON WI-Fi and choose the photo mode where you can see a blue camera icon at the front and video camera icon.
Switch to photo mode and set up through settings. Connect your phone to the 360-degree camera through Wi-Fi network and open the Google street view app.
You can see blue colored linked camera icon if it was established a connection with your phone.
Every device has its own settings and it may differentiate in setup.
Let us discuss how to go for a virtual tour. Let’s start with the creation or importing of the 360 photos in your mobile.
We have already learned with an example about the setup and creation of 360 images using Ricoh Theta S. if you like to create with your phone then follow below steps:-
Open the street view app and tap on to create button and tap camera icon which si present at bottom right corner. Take some photo series and tap on done option.
Your photos will stitch together and saved as a private tab in your mobile.
The auto capture feature allows you to take multiple photos automatically without tapping on camera for every photo.
The only thing you have to do is to connect your phone to your camera. By switching on auto capture, the users can pause or start the capture.
It is better if you use tripod or helmet for capturing the photos.
Publishing and connecting with 360 photos
Choose to publish option in street view app. Apply blurring and other things to your photos by using the tools that are available within the app. Tap on the upload button and publish.
You can also get listed as a trusted street view photographer. Choose the settings that are required and turn the switch on next to the available for hire tab. Join the local guides.
Connect your photos automatically and you can geotag them with your settings. So that you will earn a trusted badge to the users and they can also connect the photos manually with connectivity editor.
After creating and importing you can also add maps listing and edit the location basing on the location and other details.
Share photos
Open street views app and tap on the share button and shares your photos. Users can also transfer the photo rights to others and will stay as an original contributor, prior owner, and current ownership. Users can tap on transfer rights. The transfer rights are eligible for the images which are accepted by the privacy policy of Google maps image acceptance.
Finally, you can get started with the street view app and explore the things much better by following the above information. Hope this is helpful to you to get started.
Best Tools for 360 Video Creation and Marketing
The ever-increasing needs of the marketers have best addressed by the increased technological advancement and the latest addition is 360 Video Creation that is also called VR (virtual reality).
Coming to VR, these are clips displaying a spherical scenario where the camera has recorded all possible angles of the environment. The most interesting aspect of VR is that the viewer can interact and choose the content he is viewing. Most OS like Chrome, Opera & Firefox can offer VR, and even the smartphone is competing to offer VR experience. add wonderful experience, and there is a “Cardboard Viewer” which allows 3-D interactive experience as well.
Creation of VR is easier than many of us think.The latest models of smartphones are coming with the required software for VR, and another important player in VR is the social network. There is no additional requirement for further software for VR.
1) Get a 360 cameras (there are many models at differing price ranges are available in the market),
2) Record in 360 modes,
3) Preview the video. After
4) Editing the video to include titles and buttons etc. 5) upload the video.
Now the question comes – how VR can help marketing.The marketer is interested to see that VR can contribute its share in his target of promoting his goods and products. Some of the tools for this purpose include:
1) Showcasing products:
The marketer can choose to show full/part process involved in bringing his product to the market.
2) Promoting destinations:
More use of VR is found in tourism & hospitality industries.VR are becoming popular among travel bloggers and despite their limited budgets, they are able to produce wonder VR content.
3) Adventure sharing:
Action videos is one of the genres that is able to attract the concentration of the viewers at much higher level.Some of the interesting adventures that can be shared including bungee jumping, wingsuit skydiving, driving F1 car etc.
4) Nature documentaries are other areas where viewers have control over what they want to see.
Keeping in view the potential offered by VR, many platforms like YouTube, FB are already vying for their pie in the field of VR.It becomes the immediate duty of the marketer to adopt this latest technology for promotion of his products/services.