360-degree panorama

A 360-degree panorama is a spherical image that covers up, down and every direction around a single point. Viewed as a flat file, it looks like a picture twice as wide as it is tall, stretched towards the top and bottom (the equirectangular format). Opened in a suitable viewer, it lets people look around by dragging with a mouse, turning a phone or moving their head in a headset.

360 panoramas in architectural visualization

Most render engines can produce these images directly by switching the camera to a spherical or panoramic mode. A camera placed in the middle of a room records the walls, ceiling, floor and the view through the window in a single render. Link several panoramas together and you have a virtual tour. The same format also appears in HDRI files used as environment lighting in renders.

Practical points

A panorama has no behind-the-camera area. The missing wall, the unfinished corner or the empty ceiling you could leave out of a normal frame will all be visible here, so the model needs to be complete in every direction. Keep the camera at eye level and choose a generous resolution, since viewers only ever see a small, magnified part of the image on screen at any moment. For the presentation benefits, see advantages of 360-degree panoramic presentations.