HOWTO create Omni-directional Stereo Content with POV-Ray

1. Run POV-Ray
2. Run ffmpeg
3. Inject spatial media metadata
4. Upload to YouTube

Demo-Videos

Watch 360 degree videos in Cardboard on Android:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEFO5mQ2zeg – mirrors.pov
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOzWHOUMRug – axis.pov

ODS POV-Ray, YouTube HOWTO

– Tested on Ubuntu 16.04:

• Download and install POV-Ray 3.7.1-alpha.8509766. For camera settings in mirrors.pov to work we need to have a function-based user-defined camera.
• Install git, ffmpeg and make.
• To create mirrors-loop.mov run:

$ git clone https://github.com/koppi/pov-ods
$ cd pov-ods
$ make help
usage:
  'SCENE=axis make', 'SCENE=mirrors make', see pov/

 quality settings:
  'SCENE=axis INI=LOWSQ  make'
  'SCENE=axis INI=MEDSQ  make'
  'SCENE=axis INI=HIGHSQ make'

 render a low quality preview:
  'SCENE=axis INI=LOWSQ POV=+d make'

$ SCENE=mirrors make

• Inject the spatial media metadata into mirrors-loop.mov:

$ git clone https://github.com/google/spatial-media/

Via command-line:

$ cd spatial-media/
$ python2 spatialmedia -i -s top-bottom ../pov-ods/mirrors-loop.mov ../pov-ods/mirrors-loop_injected.mov

Or via the GUI:

$ cd spatial-media/spatialmedia/
$ ./gui.py # opens Spatial Media Metadata Injector GUI

• Open mirrors-loop.mov in the GUI. Set the check-boxes: Spherical and 3D top-bottom.
• Save mirrors-loop_injected.mov
• Upload to YouTube, please add tags to your Video: #360video and #360pov.

– Happy POVing!

Reference

• YouTube Help Center:
  • Rendering ODS content
  • Upload 360 degree videos
  • Spatial media metadata injector
• YouTube ODS content on Android
  • Watch 360 degree videos in Cardboard
• Related threads – Oculus Forum:
  • POV-Ray ODS
  • Resolutions and codec for omnidirectional stereo videos
• Related threads – POV-Ray News:
  • Rendering omnidirectional stereo images for VR headset
  • The Cave in ODS format (1,4MB)
  • POV-Ray Wiki HowTo:ODS

Credits

• mirrors.pov – Clodo
• axis.pov – Clodo

TODO

Spatial audio listening experience on YouTube: Viewers using the YouTube Android app on Android version 4.2 or higher can listen to spatial audio on headphones (recommended) or speakers. Viewers using desktop browsers, like Chrome, Firefox or Opera, or the YouTube iOS app will hear stereo audio.

• Add Ambisonics sound, see:
  • https://github.com/kronihias/ambix
  • https://storage.googleapis.com/jump-inspector/Jump_Inspector_Quick_Start.pdf
  • https://support.google.com/jump/answer/6399746?hl=en&ref_topic=6399824
  • https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6395969?hl=en
• Increase frame-rate and resolution targeted for future HMDs – Needs more:
  • HDD space,
  • CPU power,
  • Network bandwidth.

Jakob Flierl – March, 2016