Here is a fact: virtual reality is the future. By composing an alternate world where time and borders don’t exist, virtual reality technologies are on the constant rise. When that’s the case, it’s no wonder why virtual tours become a huge deal, as they allow real estate agents, photographers, and many other professionals to showcase their property to potential customers and users all around the globe at any hour. But are these technologies really as accessible as they are marketed to be? What about the costs, equipment, or know-how?
Now that we’ve touched base about the base definitions and use cases of virtual tours in our previous post, it’s time to learn about how to make them. Keep reading to learn how to incorporate this rising technology into your business and daily lives. Don’t forget to visit ELTA360’s Help Center to start creating virtual tours from scratch!
Believe it or not, creating a virtual tour comes down to 3 easy steps: 360 shoot, create, and share.
1) Shoot 360 Images
As we’ve mentioned, virtual tours are essentially the seamless transition between multiple 360 images. So, to lay a foundation, you’ll first need to shoot some 360 images of the place or property you wish to showcase. There are a couple of different options to do this, and before we continue further, yes, you can shoot 360 images with your phone. However, it is far from ideal, and if you wish to have the most professional output, the answer will be obvious: 360 cameras.
360 cameras are professional devices that allow you to cover large areas with the most precision in a 360 degree perspective. They produce high quality images with low budget options and easy integration with various software packages. There are a couple of options in the market you can choose from, but our recommendation is Trisio Lite 2 VR for its low- budget point and high performance.
Once you get your camera, all you have to do is:
1. Download the camera’s app into your phone,
2. Connect to Wi-Fi,
3. Start shooting!
2) Upload Images to Virtual Tour Software
Now that you have your panoramic images, it’s time to edit, and this is where virtual tour software packages come into play. This part takes a bit of practice, as you’ll need to get somewhat accustomed to the software you are using and learn all of its tricks. But fear not: ELTA360 is made to give you best results whether you are a virtual tour veteran or just a beginner. You simply need to:
1. Open ELTA360’s VR Editor,
2. Upload & connect your images to form a virtual tour,
3. Add details!
The editing part is largely up to you to decide whether you wish to enrich your tour with hotspots, floor plans, sounds, descriptive texts, etc. You can also visit our Help Center for more information on specific editing options.
3) Share & Embed
It’s time to reap what you’ve sown - and quite quickly, too, we might add! Once you are satisfied with your virtual tour, you can now share it with anyone you wish or embed it on your website. Easy, wasn’t it?
Tips & Tricks
Creating the perfect 3D tour takes practice, but learning about special tricks beforehand can help your progress tremendously. So without further ado, here are some helpful hints to make your 360 tours seem the most professional from start to finish.
1)
Bright & CleanThis may seem obvious at first, but a thorough cleaning of the place of shooting is a must for the best- looking virtual tours. The place should be dust-free, organized, and have sufficient lighting to achieve the best results. It would be best if you go for optimum hours (aka. the golden hours), which lasts for an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset.
2.
Pick the best spotOne thing to keep in mind is to always shoot from the correct point of view to present your viewer with the best and most realistic looking virtual tour experience. You can start by arranging your tripod at the correct height (1.65-70 cm / 5.5-7 inches is ideal for being the average human height) and shooting from an attractive spot that makes the place look spacious. Try to imagine you are a person roaming through the rooms while you are shooting, and you’ll be good to go
3.
Get inspired by the best3D tours offer an easy way to compare different brands and models for the potential buyer or an automotive enthusiast. You may think this doesn’t really substitute for an exciting test drive, but companies have even started to offer virtual test drives for customers to experience vehicles in a more real-life setting! Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, or so they say! Looking through the works of others is definitely an excellent way to start when you are at the beginning of your virtual tour journey. And even if you are not, it is still a good way to get inspired every now and then with different angles, descriptions, and editing techniques. Take a stroll at our Explore page to see how others conduct their tours and maybe you can be the next Picasso of virtual tours!
And that’s it! Now that you’ve been equipped with the basic know-how, it’s time to get into action, and we know just the place to start. ELTA360 allows anyone, professional or not, to create, edit, and share virtual tours the fastest way possible. Discover ELTA360 to get started on your virtual tour journey now!
