Participating in the World Wide Panorama
Rules and Restrictions

The idea is simple. Just photograph a VR image (cylindrical or cubic panorama, or an object movie) anytime during the open photography period. Prepare your single best, most interesting panorama, in QTVR format, and send upload it to the 'Equinox' WWP Preparation Server. You may submit anytime during the contribution/upload period - usually at least two weeks during and immediately after an event (see upload instructions).

We would like everyone to join our mailing list (through Yahoo Groups, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wwp/ ), so we can track participation and keep in touch with you. But this is not required.

We need to keep this simple so we can create the site efficiently. So there are some strict limits on what will be accepted.

One Contribution per Event. Please take as many panoramas or objects on as many variations of the theme as you'd like. And then select your favorite one to contribute to the WWP. Any extras can be linked to from your WWP page and hosted on your own server.

QTVR format only. Sorry, no panoramas in java, javascript, Flash, or Shockwave formats. We need to be able to simply plug in QTVR movie files and a few text blocks, without the complication of additional code. We also want consistent navigation and interface. The only exception to this will be external sound files. If your artistic vision goes beyond our simple pages, we will provide a link to your site.

Mostly panoramas. We are assuming most people will do a panorama of a real place - both cylinders and cubics are welcome. But various types of object movies are acceptable also. Anything that can be included entirely within a QTVR file is okay - auto-rotate, floating logo, label-type hotspots, and url hotspots that refer to a page on another site.

Single-nodes only. This is a file size/bandwidth consideration. You can use url-hotspots to make your panorama on this site the beginning page of a multi-node series, as long as the other nodes are on another site (URL-hotspots should open a new browser window).

Dimensions and file size. We don't want to stifle your creativity, but we do have to specify some limits so we can fit all the panoramas on the same size pages. We have also specified maximum file sizes, to keep download times (and server bandwidth) under control.

See: Dimensions and Files Sizes

Full-screen, please. We would like to host a single "full-screen" version of your panorama in addition to the standard size. It will pop up in a separate window that expands to fill the screen. A fullscreen is not a different type of file, merely a panorama prepared with sufficient resolution to look good when expanded to full screen size.

Only the shooting needs to be done during the event.

You will need some time to produce your panorama, especially if just beginning with QTVR, or if using film. The preparation server will allow submission of final panoramas from the first day of the event until approximately two weeks after the event begins. Be sure to join our Yahoo Group to receive emails detailing the exact dates.

Submission is done with a web browser form. The preparation server allows you to register as a participant, upload your images, and type in the title, place, caption and other data. You can view it exactly as it will appear on the final site and make corrections right up to the deadline.

See: How To Upload and Edit

A preliminary version of the full site will be available for viewing by participants only during the submission period. During the two days after the close of submissions the site will be edited for consistency and completeness. The final site will be announced and available to the public shortly after that.

Each photographer will retain personal copyright of their own work (as specified in U.S. law). By uploading a panorama you grant us permission to use your work on this one site (http://geoimages.berkeley.edu/wwp). If you upload audio or incoporate any pictures besides your own in your QTVR, make sure that you have proper permission under US or applicable copyright law to exhibit that work. There will be no commercial use at all.

There will be warnings to users about respecting your copyright. The overall site (exclusive of the panoramas) will be copyright by the Regents of the University of California.

Although all submissions that meet the technical and content requirements will most likely be accepted, the organizers reserve the right to refuse any individual submission.