Virtual Tour Help Needed!

[wonderboy]

Hi Everyone,

I am learing how to make high quality Virtual Tours but have found it very hard to get good information on some of the finer points. I first tried without a panoramic head and whilst I got a result it was very difficult.

I ended up going with a Manfrotto 300SPH panorama head and managed to take a batch of test shots:

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=8daac3f546df4ac88ef1259ff1b60e81b63a16b8206699255be6ba49b5870170

The end result is so much better and stiches a lot easier in every program I've tried: including PTgui and Autopano Giga. (note above shots are taken at 17mm and are all deFished for barrel distortion)

I set up the head as instructed and checked to see that my longitudinal and Lateral positioning where correct.

I shot 8 images around in 2 rows (45 degrees up and 45 down) which gives me a good overlap to the sides but I fear there is not enough overlap between the top and bottom row.

I actually don't need to look all the way to the floor but I would like to be able to look all the way to the ceiling. Should I keep the 45 degree up angle for the top row and shoot the bottom row at say only 30 degrees down
avoiding the tripod and giving me a better overlap at the same time? I don't mind adding the nadir shot but it's not essential and so far all the programs I've tried (Autopano Giga, Pt Gui & Autodesk Stitcher Unlimted) seem to make this hard.

Here is an outputted Qvtr the quality of which I'm happy with but has an issue running through the centre of the image.

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=8daac3f546df4ac88ef1259ff1b60e816796a1b6fcd5c32a5be6ba49b5870170

I'm not sure what way I'll eventually end up uploading to the web but I'm also interested in displaying them in Java. Do Auto desk Stitcher, Ptgui or Autopano do this or would I need another program to do this final step?

What are the best prgrams to achieve this easily. That is a high quality VT running in Java on a web page that won't take an unreasonable amount of time to load using a modest broadband conection.

Thanks so much for your help, I know I'm very close.

Wonderboy