As it happens, Google Cardboard is completely compatible with Podium Panorama renders uploaded and hosted through the Spherecast service. And believe us, it's seriously cool!
This month's addition to Podium Browser include a fantastic set of 30 staircases, a large batch of planters, new materials, plants, and 3D trees.
We're particularly excited about all the new stairs:
It has come to our attention that Podium Panorama files may be extremely slow or laggy when viewed from a local directory in Google Chrome.
By default, Podium Panoramas instruct each browser to use WebGL to render panorama files. However, Google Chrome does not allow WebGL rendering for offline files. As a result, if you or your client attempts to view a Pano file in Chrome from an offline file source, Chrome will fall back and attempt to render the panorama using the less efficient HTML5 canvas element, resulting in slow, laggy performance issues.
When testing or presenting your Panorama files from a local source, please use Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Safari. Chrome does not restrict WebGL from online sources, so this issue is not present for Panorama files accessed online from a web server.
V2.5.1+ is a free update for anyone who has already purchased the V2.5 Plus upgrade, otherwise the upgrade costs $29.95.
V2.5.1 builds on the foundation established with the recent V2.5+ release, and in many ways it is an even bigger update than 2.5 was. On top of V2.5's faster C++ exporter, V2.5.1 introduces a significant batch of improvements and new features. Here's what's new in 2.5.1:
Uninstall Previous Versions: Before installing SU Podium V2.5.1, you must uninstall your previous Podium installation. Read more about installing SU Podium V2.5.1 here.
The V2.5.1 update is nearly ready for prime time, and will be a free update for any user that has already upgraded to SU Podium V2.5 Plus. In this first month of the V2.5 release cycle, we've been running an early-bird promotion, and made V2.5+ available for $19.99 in the Cadalog webstore.
When V2.5.1 comes out the upgrade price will increase a final price of $29.99, so if you're planning to get onto the V2.5 update path, now is the time to do it!
SU Podium V2.5+ continues to refine and increase the speed of the new C++ exporter, adds new presets and better control over shadow casting, and introduces the Podium Panorama feature we've been previewing for the past few weeks.
Have you thought about using the Podium Preset Editor to create custom presets, but weren't quite sure where to begin?
This tutorial serves as an introduction to the preset editor, covers the four sections of the PPE interface and explains what each option is used for. This is a great place to start if you're looking to make a few tweaks to one of our presets—increase samples or antialiasing, change the tonemapping settings, experiment with tailer commands; you get the idea!
Items are going into Podium Browser faster than ever before, and we're gradually working on improving some of the older content that is already available.
This month, we've added 90 indoor and outdoor light fixtures by Cooper and a small batch of 3D trees and office appliances. We've also improved the tiling and resolution of 75 materials in several categories. Here's a small selection of what we've added. Click the link below to see the full summary of what's new in Podium Browser:
Podium Walker V1.2.7 improves the Embree engine for more accurate shadow calculation and adds lighting presets. We expect the Mac version to be available in the next few months.
We've just uploaded over 40 new desert foliage models to Podium Browser. These are 3D plants, so they'll hold up extremely well close to the camera, and work great in conjunction with the 2D face-me plants uploaded last month. Here are a few examples:
