Is there a limit to number of spheres in a tour?

[SteinArneJ]

To check out the function I took a walk in my neighbourhood with my camera on a monopod, taking new spheres every 3-4 meter.  In total 15 shots.

When I uploaded these shots to Street View and wanted to link all of them only 6 spheres showed up on the map at any time. If I started with the first shot, I got the first 6.  I tried to start with photo 6 and then was given the shots 3 to 8.  Likewise, starting with the last shot, I was given only the last 6 shots.  

Is there a limit to how long a tour can be? Is 6 shots the limit???

Would using a 360 camera linked directly to the SV app and automatic shooting of photos link the spheres automatically?

[LucioV]

I don't know limits; i was able to connect up to 450 panos, in the past.

Not sure if autoconnect is working these days, will test it!

[Rupert-]

did you try 'zoom' with the map? If the area covered is large, you will have to drag around the map or zoom out to see the additional spheres. 

[PatricL]

A strait answer to the question; No, there is no limit.

They might be connected to two different places.

What does it say in google when you open them, they all connected to the same place?

I got this problem a few times, some images refused to connect to place 1 and other refused to connect to place 2.

Never managed to sort it out on all tours, gives a gap in tour.

If area isn't covered by google in some way, this happens.

It might be solved by uploading them from a PC instead of a phone, vise versa.

[SteinArneJ]

Thanks guys!

@Rupert- - Yes. I have tried different zoom levels. No difference.

@PatricL I have tried again on different places. Same result 6 spheres at a time.  These are places 100-300 meters from the nearest Google SV sphere from a road.

It also seems the distance between the spheres is of no importance - 3 meter or 100 meter - and I can connect any of the 6 photos to any other of those 6. That is 6 links per photo if I should want it (I dont!).

As I have understood this - if I upload from a PC, I have to upload the photos to a place already existing on the map, and from my experience so far, that means that the GPS position of the spheres will be changed to that of the place, right?

[PatricL · Accepted solution]

Od things are going on right now in Maps.

Try my workflow as see how it works:

Take as many 360° spheres you want in a pre calculated order, as images will have number 1-99 or what ever.

Go home and upload picture to your computer while charging the Theta.

Edit pictures if needed, remove tripod, blur faces etc...

Upload:

Open google maps.

Find area where you took photos.

Click on it and open info for it.

Click on ad photos.

Now you will have a big square in middle of screen saying, drag photo here.

Open Explorer and mark all pictures from this area you want to upload(not all, only the good once), drag them to upload screen and drop them.

For me, this is a lunchbreak now, slow internet.

When all photos are uploaded, open street view app on your phone/tablet.

Slide "XX result" to the left.

Now you will see your profile.

Slide it up until you see your latest contribution you want to edit.

Tap it.

Tap Select.

Tap three dots and select all.

Tap three dots again an select Move and connect photos.

Now you will see all dots as one...

Well, let's say I never met a GPS that worked properly.

I spread all the dots out in number order and connect them in the order it should be.

Next step I drag them to their correct position and rotate them to see if the connections line up, usually it does.

Switch between map and satellite view helps here.

If not(DSLR=Always) I fine tune with compass under image and moving images slightly to line up perfectly. 

Hit the check it and you're done.

If you can do this with your fingers on the phone/tablet, great.

Otherwise a stylus or a Bluetooth mouse is what you should use.

They will allow you to place sphere with millimeter precision.

You probably thinking, WTF at the moment.

But using google tools are like using toys for a five year old.

Simple, awkward, a bit slow and mostly very imprecise(if not using stylus/mouse).

I don't say my way of doing this is the best, but for me it's the most precise and fast option at moment.

If you could share your workflow when you only see 6 images, it might help others to see what not to do.

And please do share a link when you have problems like this, it might help us to help you.

We might see a simple mistake that you never thought of.

[SteinArneJ]

Thanks a lot @PatricL! Your excellent explanation solved my problem.  My problem was just opening one single photo and then ask to move and connect it to the nearest other photos.  Using select, select all and finally move and connect photos allows me to connect what seems like any number of photos!

What you write about GPS is really true.  I can take 2 photos at the exact same location and still they will be placed meters apart!

It also seems to be a difference as to how GPS data is added to the spheres, depending on if I shoot the spheres in the Theta app or the SV app and wether I download a preview from the camera to the phone immediately or every photo together at a later moment. 

[PatricL]

Your welcome.

I would use Ricoh app to use the camera functions at it's max.

GPS position comes from your mobile phone not from the Ricoh.

This is what makes it tricky, as you usually hide and GPS has a hard time geting your position right, it bounces on close by objects.

Standing still on a field and taking 10 photos, without hiding will give you same result on all images.

Where you stand, not where camera is. 😉

As I don't want to place picture where I hid, I place all picture manually.

You gave me an idea...

Why now ad a new button in theta app, transfer GPS cords for next picture.

Then you can stand next to camera (10cm), after that, go the 10 meters and press take picture and run for hiding place.

That would be pretty exact.

[SteinArneJ]

---

GPS position comes from your mobile phone not from the Ricoh.

This is what makes it tricky, as you usually hide and GPS has a hard time geting your position right, it bounces on close by objects.

Standing still on a field and taking 10 photos, without hiding will give you same result on all images.

Where you stand, not where camera is. 😉

As I don't want to place picture where I hid, I place all picture manually.

You gave me an idea...

Why now ad a new button in theta app, transfer GPS cords for next picture.

Then you can stand next to camera (10cm), after that, go the 10 meters and press take picture and run for hiding place.

That would be pretty exact.

---

I would use Ricoh app to use the camera functions at it's max.

I have ended up leaving the phone under the camera while shooting thinking an old iPhone 5s is hardly more worth than the camera now. This is also because the wifi range is so limited and it is very easy to loose contact with the phone. 

SInce I have now learned to make the nadir silver ball (very easy!!!) I often end up sitting at the bottom of the monopod if the hiding places are too far away.

Still the accuracy is not very good.

A GPS button in the app could be a great solution - an even better one would be for the app to transfer the GPS data to the camera at the moment you press the button to take a photo. As it is now it seems to me that the GPS is added when then the photos is copied to the phone and never really is in the camera at all.

Here are my Google Maps contributions. I've only done this for less than a year. It has been as important for me to add missing places on the maps as adding photos.

[PatricL]

I hardly ever copy picture to phone, saves battery.

But it's transferred during process to the camera, when I don't know, and may be street view do it during another time.

As I usually grab tripod and walk to next location during stich time, it looks like theta app is giving camera GPS position during final save of image.

Feels like it pointless to stand still for 40 sec until camera is done stiching.