7 Replies Latest reply: Dec 21, 2012 1:59 AM by domnic.rj23 RSS

    Photomerge failing in automatic and spherical mode

    help!!!!!!!!!! Community Member

      I don't think I've seen this topic come up.  I'll give my system and gear specs first then explain the problem.  I have A windows 64 Ultimate system, PSE 10, with the latest updates. I have a core I7 procesor and 12GB of ram.  I'm using a Nikon D800 with a 24-70 lens and a full spherical pannoramic setup, to eliminate paralax.  Prior to this setup, I was using a D7000 with a 17-55 2.8 and a standard panning tripod and dropping it into the notch for vertical pannoramic stitching. 

       

             Prior to the gear upgrades, I was not having problems stitching pannoramas together.  I just exported them through lightroom (as an 8bit PSD file) or from a folder and used auto mode.  I exported the end result as a high rest TIFF.  Now I'm getting an error message that says, could not merge images/some images.  I even reduced the number of photographs, to three, and I still couldn't get it to work.  I generally take photos 20-40% overlapped (as recommended) to assist the software in stitching.  I've had partial success with the interactive mode, but I've still have some ghosting present.  I don't understand how my success rate has gone from 100% to only partial, yet my gear and technique has improved.  I'm wondering if PSE has problems with the large file sizes of the D800.  That's the only thing I can think of that's changed in my workflow.  Am I hitting some inherent software limiations that a full vesion of photoshop does not have?  A friend of mine has a copy of the raw files and has successfully stitched them together with a full version of photoshop cs5 (all done with a less capable system).  I'm going to try it again with PTGUI to verify this.  In the mean time, I could definitely use some trouble shooting help. 

        • 1. Re: Photomerge failing in automatic and spherical mode
          99jon Community Member

           

          It could be down to file size. Whilst Lightroom will run on 64 bit systems and take full advantage of all the RAM PSE is only a 32 bit application and as such can only us a limited amount of your available RAM.

          Try an experiment by making high quality jpegs and then try again. Also try the interactive layout.

          • 2. Re: Photomerge failing in automatic and spherical mode
            help!!!!!!!!!! Community Member

            I need to correct one thing in my previous statment.  I used interactive layout and it seems to stitch things together, when I say ok, I see some processing going on, then I get back to the main screen that the finished product is not there.  I have no idea where it has gone. When I close out PSE, It doesn't ask to save any projects.  I'm assuming it never completed anything to save, that's why I don't get that message.  Maybe it is memory issues. I'll try to use smaller files, but that defeats the purpose of making large mural sized pannos.  Secondly, I use spherical pannos for real estate photography, and I don't want to downsize them too much.  I'll have to do some thinking as to what size is within reason.  

            • 3. Re: Photomerge failing in automatic and spherical mode
              ssprengel Community Member

              Buy Photoshop that can take advantage of more memory.  OR get professional panorama software like AutoPano Giga from http://www.kolor.com/

              • 4. Re: Photomerge failing in automatic and spherical mode
                help!!!!!!!!!! Community Member

                Thank you,  I downloaded the trial version of PTGui and it could handle stitching the raw files directly, and at full resolution.  Although the control point portion was a bit laborious, it got the job done.  Since Photoshop is out of my budget, I'll look at third party software.  And I'll have to see what the popular consensus is on which app to use.

                • 5. Re: Photomerge failing in automatic and spherical mode
                  ssprengel Community Member

                  There are lots of panorama programs and people on an Elements or Photoshop forum probably aren’t the best to ask.  I would Google for and go to some panorama websites both for travel and real estate walkthroughs and see what people are using.

                   

                  AutoPanoGiga is automatic plus gives you a lot of control if what it computes isn’t quite right, which happens more often in 360s if your camera wobbles during the shots.  AutoPanoGiga has a free trial so you can decide if you like it or not and have something else to compare with besides Photoshop Elements, PTGui and whatever else you find.

                   

                  Do you have a pano head or just do handheld?  Do you use a fisheye for 360s or just a lot of shots?

                  • 6. Re: Photomerge failing in automatic and spherical mode
                    help!!!!!!!!!! Community Member

                    I shoot at the long or short end of my 24-70 on a full spherical pano head kit.   I have ultra wide lens, but I think 24mm reduces a lot of distortion.  I use this pano head for work and play.  For play, I would like to retain all the resolution I can.  Even if it means exporting a multi gigabyte TIFF file.  For work,  a JPEG at standard HD is adequate for virtual tours of real estate. 

                    • 7. Re: Photomerge failing in automatic and spherical mode
                      domnic.rj23 Community Member

                      I don't know why but I have heard Panorama failing if photographs have more than 60% or the overlapping area. Also there was a post here saying that changing the ruler setting to pixel sometimes fixes the problems that Photomerge panorama is having