Bixorama is a file conversion utility for panoramic photos
Bixorama can convert between 11 different panorama formats including Apple's QuickTime VR, Microsoft's DirectX DDS, angular maps, sphere maps and various cube map layouts.
Convert your panoramic photos with Bixorama!
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.
View Screenshot | View Animation
2) DirectX .DDS
DDS is the DirectX texture format used in realtime 3D applications. The big advantage of the DDS format is that you can not only use it for panoramic backgrounds, but also for reflection mapping. This example movie has been created with BluffTitler DX9. The UFO and the alien are reflection mapped with the same DDS file that is used to render the background.
View Screenshot | View AnimationThe 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're talking about panoramic photos. The horizontal coordinate is the longitude and the vertical coordinate is the latitude. The mathematical name is (equi)rectangular projection.
View Screenshot
4) Horizontal Cross
The 6 faces of the cube map are laid out as a horizontal cross.
View Screenshot
5) Vertical Cross
The 6 faces of the cube map are laid out as a vertical cross.
View Screenshot
6) Strip
The face order is: front, right, back, left, top, bottom.
View Screenshot
7) Strip XYZ
The face order is: right, left, top, bottom, front, back. This layout is used by the NVIDIA DDS Photoshop plugin
View Screenshot
8) Single Files
This mode imports and exports the panorama as 6 single files.
View Screenshot
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.
View Screenshot
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.
View Screenshot
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.
View Screenshot
Watch the demo video
Creating panoramic photos is fun, but the real fun starts when you combine panoramic photos with 3D animation.
This demo video has been created with BluffTitler DX9. The UFO and the alien are reflection mapped with the same DDS file that is used to render the background.
Free evaluation version
A free evaluation version is available for you to fully test the program before ordering.
Version: 1.38
Size: 3 MB
Date released: Friday, April 11th, 2008
If you don't like installers you can download the program as a ZIP file.
System requirements
- Microsoft Windows XP or Vista
- DirectX version June 2007 or later
- Intel Pentium compatible processor (Pentium III 800 MHz or better recommended)
- 128 MB RAM (256 MB recommended)
BluffTitler DX9
Bix's Photo Book
BixelangeloThings you can do with Bixorama
- Convert QTVR movies into DDS cubemap files for use a reflection maps in BluffTitler DX9
- Extract the 6 cube faces from a QTVR movie
- Add a logo to a QTVR movie
- Create DDS cubemaps
- Turn your panoramic photos into a QTVR movie
- Convert a mirror ball photo into a QTVR movie or a DDS cubemap
- Convert sphere maps into cube maps
- Pack 6 textures into a single DDS file
Easy to use
Bixorama does not feature complex settings dialogs.
Converting a file is as easy as choosing:
File > Import Panorama
File > Export Panorama
Batch processing
Bixorama can automatically convert multiple panoramic photos to the same format, or to the same resolution and JPG encoder quality, using the menu item File > Batch Processing...
File naming systems
Bixorama supports the following file naming systems for the 6 cube faces:
- front, right, back, left, top, bottom
- front, right, back, left, up, down
- f, r, b, l, u, d (RealViz)
- ft, rt, bk, lf, up, dn (Quake II)
You can set the file naming system with the menu item Settings > Set Settings...
User guide
The user guide can be found here.
