Import - Advanced

NEW Since V1.6 — Important Changes!

Since VR-Suite version 1.6, you can also create new projects using the Create button on the Project Portal. This launches a graphical user interface that leads the user to add content to a project in a step-by-step manner.

If you prefer to create projects by manually gathering the content files, this is possible with the Advanced Import method. All the content must be copied into specific subfolders of the Input Folder, just as was done in older versions of VR-Suite. Starting in version 1.6, the \data subfolder has been replaced with a folder named with your clientID, which is also called the Portal Key.

What is Advanced Import?

Advanced Import is a method of gathering all your desired content into a folder and file structure that VR-Suite can use to create a new project. This is all done outside of VR-Suite by manually naming and copying files with Windows File Explorer. Once the content is correctly structured, the new project can be created with just a single click.

While Advanced Import can save time when creating a new project, it requires that you strictly adhere to the file and folder conventions required by VR-Suite.

Not Advanced? Use the Step by Step Import

The Advanced Import process is just one way to create new projects. Most users will find that the Step-by-Step import mode is easy and reliable, even if it takes slightly longer. For more information on creating new projects, refer to these chapters:

Import a Folder Structure of 360° Locations and Multimedia

Overview

Creating a new VR Project using the VR-Suite is generally a very simple task. To help you understand the concepts quickly, start by watching these tutorial videos on the first steps:

Warning

Changes to the Video Version! Please read also the following instructions. The final import process has changed.

Videos:

1. Prepare the Folder Structure

To successfully create a new project using Advanced Import, it is important that you follow these instructions carefully.

Open your Project Portal xxx-xxx in Windows Explorer or Mac OSX
Create a folder data_myproject. Example: data_Industry Training
Create a folder Input inside this folder
Copy your 360° content files that will become the project locations into the Input folder. Use typical 360°-Images, 360°-Videos or already prepared cubefaces.
Copy the various multimedia content (such as images, documents and videos) which you wish to be accessed at the specific 360° locations into subfolders. These will form the Slideshows and sound effects of the project.

Example Folder Structure & Guide Lines

See also an other detailed Example File and Subfolder Structure of the Input Folder.

In the example below, the project is to have a Slideshow of images, called “Blood Report”, available on the 360° location called “1_Front View”. Follow these steps to add this multimedia content so it can be imported:

Create a location subfolder under the input folder that exactly matches the filename of the desired 360° Location (omit the filetype extension). In this example, the location subfolder is called 1_Front View

For each Slideshow you wish to have, create a content subfolder under this location subfolder that has the location name. In this example, there is a content subfolder called Blood Report and a second content subfolder called Witness. Both of these content subfolders must be created under the location folder called 1_Front View.

Copy the images, .pdf documents, or videos you wish to include in each Slideshow into each of the content subfolders you created, above. For example, the Slideshow (content subfolder) labeled Blood Report will contains these images: IMG_8324.jpg, IMG_8326.jpg, and IMG_8328.jpg. The Slideshow labeled Witness contains the video: 8165.mp4.

Copy any audio files that will only play when a particular Slideshow is opened into those specific media folders. In this example, the audio file called street-sound.wav will play whenever the Slideshow Blood Report is opened.

Copy any audio files that will always play at this location into the the subfolder that has the location name (NOT into the media subfolders).

Prepare the entire Project according to these conventions.

Warning

Please ensure there are no necessary files in the folder structure the may cause VR-Suite to not work correctly.

1. Import the Folder Structure

Ensure that the folder Input is correct prepared: 1. Prepare the Folder Structure
Launch VR-Suite
Choose your project inside the Project Portal

VR-Suite will automatically start into the first panorama Location. You should see your multimedia content as Slideshow and sound icons in the corresponding 360° locations. You may have to search around the location to find the icons. Once located, you can drag the icons to the desired location in the view.

Note

What happens during the Import process

Subfolders with the names 1_1, 1_2 etc. are created under the folder data_myproject.
The 360° location files are sorted into these new folders.
The files are renamed to counter operating system related issues.
Subfolders for the various Slideshow files are created under the proper location folders.
Stereoscopic videos may lose some metadata to ensure they can be displayed properly.

For advanced users: Import Order

Order during import

If you add a number with two underscores as prefix to the the filename, you can control the order of the import of the media. The numbers and underscores will not be shown later.

Example:
1__Side View.jpg
2__Front View.jpg
2__Front View (:term:`Assigned Multimedia Folder`)
Attention

This feature is only available for the advanced import. The import via Add Media in the iMenu is not affected by this.

Import old Projects

Automatic Conversion of an Old Project

To automatically convert a VR-Suite Project that was created with an earlier version of the software:

In the Project Portal, enter your License Key or Portal Key .
Copy your old folder data beside the VR-Suite application (.exe) or inside the Project Portal folder xxx-xxx.
Restart VR-Suite.
The conversion starts automatically and you are prompted to enter a name for the Project.

Manual Conversion of Multiple Old Projects

To manually convert multiple VR-Suite Projects that were created with an earlier version of the software, follow these steps for each project:

Rename each the old presentation´s folder called data to the new convention data_myproject - where data_myproject represents the the new name for the respective presentation.
Copy the folders data_myproject into the Project Portal folder xxx-xxx .
Start the VR-Suite

Set an individual Preview Image OFFLINE!

Each project has a preview image that is displayed on the Project Portal. To display a custom preview image:

Create a .jpg image with a size of 1280 x 960 pixels.
Rename the image to have exactly the same file name as the presentation but start it with an underscore, such as: _myproject.jpg.
Copy the image file into the folder: xxx-xxx/ImageCache where xxx-xxx is your Portal Key.
Restart VR-Suite.

Add or Change 360° Locations and Multimedia Content

Once you have created your project using the Advanced Import method, there are two ways to add more content. From within VR-Suite, open Editor Mode and open the iMenu. Use one of these ways to select additional 360° panorama photos or other files for Slideshows:

From the Locations tab of the iMenu, click the Folder icon on the left side of the Location’s name. From the Media tab of the iMenu, click the Folder icon on the right side of the Location’s name. This launches the Windows File Explorer so you can manually copy to add or replace files.
From the Locations tab or the Media tab of the iMenu, use the features at the bottom of the menu to add 360° locations or media files

For more information on adding content to a project, refer to: Add 360° Locations and Add Slideshows and Multimedia.

Note

After adding content, you must either restart the project or, while in Editor Mode, select the Sync Media button in the upper right corner of the iMenu.

Externally Add Content Using the Input Folder - Option 1

After a project has been created, it is still possible to use the Input Folder to add more content. The advantage of this method is, the filenames and folder names are carried over from Windows. Follow these steps:

Using File Explorer, copy further 360° Locations or folders, named with the format 1_X, into the Input Folder.
Launch VR-Suite.
All the new content will be automatically copied and sorted into the folder “data_myproject” and numbered in ascending order. This process is the same as described earlier in this chapter for Advanced Import of the initial content.

Attention: This can lead to renaming of folders like 1\_6 to 1\_7 in case of the folder 1\_6 already existing.

Externally Add Content Using the Data Folder - Option 2

Another option for adding content to an existing project is to externally copy files directly into the data_myproject folder, with these steps:

To add a new Location, create a new subfolder under with the “data_myproject” folder with a name like 1_x, but with the next number in the sequence. (File names will not be carried over)
To add a new Slideshow, cr directly into a Location (for example 1_1). (File names will not be carried over)

Advanced Users: Large Projects

If you want to manage several project parts in one Project more clearly, you can number the Locations with digits in the hundreds. This can be helpful if you want to use the numeric keys for fast navigation. For example:

Start Image 1_1
Company site 1 from folder 1_1xx
Company site 2 from folder 1_2xx
etc.

Method

Create a folder 1_200 in the data folder before importing Site 2 as a trick to make the importer move all your data in the Input Folder into the consecutive folders starting with 1_201.
Select Sync Media and then use Windows File Explorer to delete the folder 1_200. Select Sync Media again.

Remove 360° Locations

To manually delete 360° Locations from the project:

Using Windows File Explorer, delete the desired folder, such as 1_x, from the data_myproject folder.
In Editor Mode, open the iMenu and select the Sync Media button in the upper right corner.
Any folders that were deleted are removed from the Project.

Remove Multimedia Content

Delete the corresponding multimedia folder from the folder 1_x.
After the deletion, select the Sync Media button in the upper right corner of the iMenu during Editor Mode.
The slideshow will now be completely removed from the presentation.

Synchronize - Sync Media

Attention

If Expert Mode is disabled, Sync Media is not available.

Enable the Expert Mode

The Sync Media function is used to synchronize changes made externally to content files, such as when using Windows File Explorer to copy files into the project folders or delete folders. To synchronize the project’s content:

Editor Start Mode
Launch the iMenu
Enable the Expert Mode
Click the button Sync Media on the upper-right corner of the iMenu.
- The files may be renamed to remove special characters and ensure compatibility with the GearVR or Cardboard.
- All existing Locations are synchronized to add any new Slideshows.
- The content of the slideshows are processed during run-time when you open the slideshow. Therefore you can update the content of the Slideshow Folder any time without using “Sync Media”.

Warning

Any files and folders that were deleted externally are removed from the project, such as 1_x folders and Slideshow content. Make sure that the subfolder structure in the folder “data_myproject” remains valid.

Tip

If you select the folder name left of the Location name in Editor Mode, the corresponding folder will be opened in Windows File Explorer.

Example File and Subfolder Structure of the Input Folder

VR-Suite Projects can have many different types of content, including:

Panorama Locations - the name will be transferred to the Project
Folders with Multimedia Content
Folders for Slideshows - the name will be transferred to the Project
Multimedia content to be played

Here is a sample Project folder tree structure with all the content in the Input folder so it is ready for Advanced Import:

Project Folder Structure

xxx-xxx (Your Portal Key)
 └─ data_Sample Project
       └─ Input
              ├─ Entrance.jpg First 360° location
              ├─ Entrance (Folder) Folder for multimedia files for first location
              │    ├─ History (Folder) Name of Slideshow
              │    │    ├─ Contructionphase1.jpg First image in Slideshow “History”
              │    │    ├─ Constructionphase2.jpg Second image in Slideshow “History”
              │    │    ├─ flood 1874.jpg Third image in Slideshow “History”
              │    │    └─ restoration 1912.jpg Fourth image in Slideshow “History”
              │    └─ welcome-piano_bg.wav Background Sound file for this location
              ├─ Restaurante.mp4 Second 360° location
              └─ Restaurante(Folder) Folder for multimedia files for second location
                     ├─ Day Menu(folder) Name of first Slideshow for Restaurante
                     │    ├─ appetizer-stereo.jpg First image in Slideshow “Day Menu”
                     │    ├─ main course-stereo.jpg Second image in Slideshow “Day Menu”
                     │    └─ dessert-stereo.jpg Third image in Slideshow “Day Menu”
                     ├─ Celebrity Visitors(folder) Name of second Slideshowfor Restaurante
                     │    ├─ Madonna.jpg First image in Slideshow “Celebrity Visitors”
                     │    ├─ Michael Jackson.jpg Second image in Slideshow “Celebrity Visitors”
                     │    └─ Interview-Monroe.mp4 Video in Slideshow “Celebrity Visitors”
                     ├─ Bar-Piano_bg.wav (stereo) Background Sound file for this location
                     ├─ People.wav (3D) Positioned sound file for this location
                     ├─ People2.wav (3D) Positioned sound file for this location
                     └─ open fire.wav (3D) Positioned sound file for this location

Video Tutorials

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