How 360 Spin Imaging Works
At SpinMe, we think the 360 Spin images are great! However, you may be wondering how they work and what changes are needed to a website in order to include this type of media. Here, we explain all.
What is a 360 spin image?
A 360 degree spin image often refers to a collection of images of an item taken from different angles and presented in an interactive format which allows the user to rotate the item in 360 degrees.
Spins can be produced in various formats, usually based on Adobe® Flash. At SpinMe, we can deliver either self-contained Flash files (.swf) or individual high resolution images suitable for a number of uses e.g. zoom viewer or offline print media.
The self contained Flash file is the simplest format; a spin is provided as a single file which can be viewed online or offline and is easily placed onto an HTML web page or included in a Flash based website. We also provide thumbnails and any other images you might require for your website.
Capturing and producing spins
To create a 'spin', first we photograph your product from different angles, taking between 12 and 72 photographs in total.
We use a turntable to rotate the product and a 'robotic arm' to move the camera up and over the item, if required. Our automated studio solution allows us to capture a complete spin in around 2 minutes, depending on the number of images required.
These individual images are captured, edited and checked using our 360 studio software which saves us many hours compared to more manual methods of image management and post production.
When images are ready for output, our batch output system automatically generates the necessary files at the correct size to fit your website.
Implementing 360 Spins on your website
Getting 360 Spins onto your website is easier than you might think.
Essentially, it is a matter of adding a Flash file to a web page, which can be done using a small snippet of code, similar to the one below. In fact, you can use the snippet below to try it out for yourself.
<script src="http://www.spinme.co.uk/js/AC_RunActiveContent.js" type="text/javascript" />
<script type="text/javascript">
AC_FL_RunContent(
'codebase','http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,28,0',
'width','500',
'height','400',
'src','http://www.spinme.co.uk/fsi?cfg=examples/clik00188/config.fsi',
'quality','high',
'wmode','transparent',
'pluginspage','http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash',
'movie','http://www.spinme.co.uk/fsi?cfg=examples/clik00188/config.fsi');
</script>
Our technical development team are more than happy to work with web designers and developers to assist with implementation of 360 Spins. We can capture product codes, follow your existing file naming conventions, FTP files to servers for you, output multiple file sizes and formats and generally facilitate the whole process.
We believe strongly in reducing the amount or work required to put images on websites, not increasing it.