Manual Alignment Corrections
After the stitching process is complete, the images will be displayed in the stitch window. As you can see in the window below, using the default settings does not necessarily produce a correctly aligned panorama. In this case, the images need to be readjusted before the blending process is begun. To begin the process of hand alignment, click the radio button next to "Manual" underneath "Correction."
After clicking on the "Manual" setting, the images can be selected and readjusted either horizontally or vertically using the up and down arrow keys. When an image is selected and adjusted, all the images to the right of the selected image are adjusted as well.
Keep selecting subsequent images and aligning them with the up and down arrows until each image in the panorama is aligned correctly.

As you are aligning the images, the "Transparent" command can be checked. This will allow you to see through the images as they are aligned which increases the accuracy of the alignment.

Additional corrections can be made in this window using the following correction settings:

  • H Ad: This adjustment decreases the width of an image at its center. For example, changing the setting to 2% will decrease the width of the image to 2% less than it is at the either end. This is to compensate for barrel distortions which occur when using some lens.
  • V Ad: This adjustment increases or decreases the length of the image at the middle which makes it appear shorter (concave) or taller (convex) depending on whether the value is adjusted up or down.
  • Keystone: This adjustment makes the image narrower or wider at the top or the bottom.

Although these adjustments can be easily made, the software manufacturer suggests that it is best to let the program determine these settings automatically and then manually adjust the settings after first stitching a set of images with the "Auto" radio button selected. When the automatic stitching process is complete, you can click the "Manual" radio button and readjust the settings if necessary. After the manual stitching process is complete, the "Blend" tab should be selected to complete the process of completing the panorama.

If you follow these directions, you should be able to create a perfectly aligned panorama.

©2000-2002 April A. Cleveland for Science Junction, NC State University.
All rights reserved.
URL: http://www.ncsu.edu/sciencejunction/route/usetech/panoramapc/alignpc/index.html
Last updated 07/29/02

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