Manifest Cache Help

[Sportspix]

Hi guys!

First post here so be gentle!

I've been looking for software that will allow me to get virtual tours on an iPad, primarily for myself as a client display tool rather than catering to viewers who might be attempting to do so on an iPad (although that is a major benefit too). I've been playing with a trial version of Pano2VR v3 but I'm struggling a little to get the setup working offline.

I can create a HTML/CSS tour that loads fine on the iPad as long as there's a connection. I've asked Pano2VR to generate a manifest file which I've uploaded, but do I need to take anything else into account? At the moment even if I add the tour to the home screen of the iPad, a prompt will tell me that I need an Internet connection and then quit the "app". It will load fine if I do have an Internet connection, whilst FF which doesn't run HTML will warn me about the page wanting to download files. It's the same with an iPhone as well.

Hope that's making sense... I have an example project that I did that I've uploaded to http://www.essence-of-light.com/ipad

It's probably something really silly, but I have tried to search the forum for anything on manifests, and I have watched the tutorials and guides. They mention generating manifest files but not what I need to do with them!

Thanks!

[Hopki]

Hi
Upload the manifest file to the server with your tour.
On your iPhone open the tour, then tap the bookmark button and select add to home screen.
This will then put an icon on the home screen.
However you may experience problems with the iPad, so the best way to do this is go to the app store and get GoodReader.
Then all you have to do is zip up all the files, open i tunes, click on you i device, click on Apps, at the bottom should be "File Sharing" and you should see GoodReader. Click on the Good Reader icon and you will then be able to Add files, add the zip of your tour.

Then on the iPad/Phone etc, open the GoodReader App, tap on the zip, and tap Unzip. The folder will aper, open this and you should see your html page, tap to open.

Don't use the full screen option in the html, if you do you will not be able to get out of the tour unless you go to the i device settings and then reset GoodReader.
Regards
Hopki

[HMS Beagle]

Wait, P2VR outputs manifest files??? huh? Did I miss something here?
Beagle

[HMS Beagle]

Thomas,
Thank you very much for answering my request. I didn't see that in there and have still been manually generating them.
thanks again
Beagle

[Sportspix]

Hi Hopki,

Thanks for the information.

However you may experience problems with the iPad

So to clarify, this is an issue with the iPad? Is it consistent to all iPads - ie if a manifest won't run on one iPad it won't run on any? Is it consistent to all manifest files on the same iPad - ie if my iPad doesn't like one manifest cache it won't run any I try?

Also, is it iPad only? I've tried this on my iPhone 3GS as mentioned and it comes up with exactly the same problem.

I had seen the Dropbox and GoodReader options on the forum, but it's not ideal because it's [1] additional expenditure, [2] additional step and [3] doesn't seem as elegant as an icon on the Home Screen.

There is also, as you point out, the drawback of not being able to go full screen.

Does anyone have any idea what causes the problem and if it's Pano2VR related whether there's a fix due? There must be some people out there who have tours stored offline on their iOS devices?

Thanks also for the step by step with GoodReader - that will prove useful if I have to go down that route!

[Johann123]

Can anyone say if the full screen option still have a problem ? With new pano 2 vr 3

[HansNyberg]

First of all. Goodreader is fullscreen so no need for any fullscreen button if you have your tour created with 100%height and width.

The other problem with getting out of Goodreader is very simple. You just create a simple startpage with a thumbnail or just asimple link on.
In the tour you make a link back to this startpage. You can make it as a close button or an invisible button in the nadir.

Goodreader is without any competition the best option for offline tours.
I agree that a Homescreen button would be nice but Apple has "patent" on that.

The only viewer I know that fully supports manifest is the VR5. I have not been able to get it work with any other viewers.
I guess that the problem is the xml file. VR5 has all parameters in the HTML.
Probably PTGuis viewer should also work.

Hans