Bixorama can import AND export the following 11 formats:

1) QuickTime VR .MOV

Apple's QuickTime VR is the most popular panorama format on the internet.

2) DirectX .DDS

DDS is the DirectX texture format used in realtime 3D applications. The big advantage of the DDS format is that you cannot only use it for panoramic backgrounds, but also for reflection mapping. This example movie has been created with BluffTitler. The UFO and the alien are reflection mapped with the same DDS file that is used to render the background.

The following projections can be loaded and saved in the bmp, jpg, gif, tif and png formats.

3) Latitiude Longitude

This is what most people mean when they are talking about panoramic photos. The horizontal coordinate is the longitude and the vertical coordinate is the latitude. The mathematical name is (equi)rectangular projection.

4) Horizontal Cross

The 6 faces of the cube map are laid out as a horizontal cross.

5) Vertical Cross

The 6 faces of the cube map are laid out as a vertical cross.

6) Strip

The face order is: front, right, back, left, top, bottom.

7) Strip XYZ

The face order is: right, left, top, bottom, front, back. This layout is used by the NVIDIA DDS Photoshop plug-in

8) Single Files

This mode imports and exports the panorama as 6 single files.

9) Sphere Map

This projection is used by realtime 3D applications for reflection mapping. Notice that the back face is squeezed into the border of the circle resulting in poor quality reflection mapping.

10) Mirror Ball

This is the only featured projection that isn't a true panoramic projection because it contains only half the world. When you import this projection the front is mirrored into the back.

11) Heart Shaped

This cute looking projection is a tribute to the French mathematician Oronce Finé who wasn't afraid to work out crazy ideas.