Displaying panoramas on standalone Android

[DennisS]

With Adobe dropping support for mobile devices, I am having a difficutl time figuring out how to get panoramas to display properly when the files are stored locally. Goodreader works great on my iPod Touch.

I have tried Opera, Firefox and the built in browser but each has their own issues that prevent the pano from behaving correctly.

What is the current setup for displaying local panoramas on an Android 4.x phone? (Samsung Galaxy S3)

[Boothy]

Hi DennisS

I have had some success with Dolphin Browser and local files on a Samsung Note 10.1 and Galaxy S3, much faster than Firefox, having problems with move to view actions (default view seems OK)and gyro.

Still testing\playing

Boothy

[Boothy]

Really frustrating offline Android!

Dolphin browser is quick but from some strange reason does not like zoom in or out of any kind. The main image\pano disappears when I press either zoom control or use move to view. Gyro is much better if screen rotation is turned off.

This also occurs online has well - does anyone else have the same issue with Dolphin Browser ?

Thanks

Boothy

[DennisS]

Dolphin is the worst! I cannot get anything to display even incorrectly, let alone correctly.

[Hopki]

Hi,
Just to highlight the problems with Android we tested two different devices using the same Android OS and using Dolphin.
One device played fine the other not at all, as said sane OS same version of browser.
So its also down to hardware.
Now that the HTML5 people have finalised what it will do and how they will do it, perhaps we will start to see some better and more consistent CSS3D and WebGL support.
Hopki

[Boothy]

Hi Hopki,DennisS

Local HTML Viewer - Google Play

Just found this in in play store and it basically `does what it says on the tin` Unfortunately on my Samsung Note 10.1 and my Samsung Galaxy S3 every time I zoom or use a move to view action I visually lose the main pano. If I just use default view action it works, if I use move to default view pano vanishes ! Would really like the pano to start in default scene mode (70fov)and then set gyro with move to view with a more realistic 30 FOV.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... aWV3ZXIiXQ..

I found a couple of others but they distorted the pano completely

Boothy

Its really strange that the HTML can work so well online but rubbish locally, in resource terms you would think it would be the other away around

[DennisS]

I was able to get Opera to work, but MAN IS IT SLOW!!!

When using the S3 browser I get:
Error:Error: NETWORK_ERR: XMLHttpRequest Exception 101

I had the same error in Opera. Allowing the file protocol fixed it there.

The S3 browser does not allow the file protocol (file:///). I cannot find anywhere how to allow the file protocol. That explains why web pages load from the internet but will not locally.

Any Samsung gurus know how to enable the file protocol on the S3? Anyone know what the browser is called so I can do more research?

[Boothy]

The S3 file protocol (file:///) does work, just not for html5, standard HTML files works fine. The android stock browser/chrome will not store the html5 files locally, hence error code similar to the error code in opera. Safari is one of the few browsers that seems to do this well but not available to us android users. Has Hopki 's post states apart from browser limitations the hardware also is a major factor and effects individual android devices differently even with the same software version.

Boothy

[DennisS]

At least Chrome tells me that the error is coming from Java. I know Chrome will not display the pano correctly, but at least I now know Java has a part in this error message.

Sounds like the default browser will never work with HTML5 files stored locally (in the current version).

Is there another browser other than Opera that will allow file:/// protocol? Firfox crashes way to often.

[Boothy]

Sounds like the default browser will never work with HTML5 files stored locally (in the current version).

Is there another browser other than Opera that will allow file:/// protocol? Firfox crashes way to often.

Have you tried the Local html player I mentioned in the earlier post ?, thats quite fast on my S3. Most browsers allow local file access, just not html5. Dolphin does via its tunny browser local host, works OK on my S3 running jelly bean 4.12 except for features mentioned earlier.

Boothy

[DennisS]

I tried the browser you suggested earlier. The pano failed to load.

I finally got Opera Mobile working. Everything works. It is much faster now than my earlier attempts. I had to tweak Opera as well as the settings in my Pano2VR project.

One thing about Opera is that you have to calibrate your Gyro the first time you open a pano with the Gyro turned on. The default browse on the S3 does not have this (or I cannot find it). Panos do not jump around any more. So, for diplaying panos on my S3, Opera mobile is the one for me (until I find something else better or the HTML5 community gets their act together and decides on a UNIFORM STANDARD!!!)

[Boothy]

What tweaks did you do to opera and Pano to make it work?

[DennisS]

Opera not only does the best job displaying panoramas locally, it does a better job displaying panoramas off of the web than the default browser. Opera is now my browser of choice for internet surfing.

Opera
You have to allow Opera to communicate locally. I could not find this feature in any other browser. In the URL window go to opera:config. User Prefs -> Check Allow File XMLHttpequest -> Scroll all the way down and select Save. Restart Opera.

Pano2Vr
Output:
HTML5. Nothing else.
Settings tab:
Cube Face Size: 785
Image Quality: 90
Display: Windows Size 1024x720
Advanced Settings tab:
Sensitivity 10
Disable Mouse Wheel
Disable Keyboard
Mobile Tab:
Only 1 screen size. Remove all others.
Remember, this project is specific to the S3 and is not going to be published on the internet.
Max Screen Size 1024, Cube Face Size 785
HTML tab:
Enable HTML file
FullScreen
Include gyroscope control

Attach your phone to your computer using the supplied USB cable. You could use WiFi if you can figure it out and have a lot of time on your hands. Copy your compiled project to your phone. On your phone select "My Files" and browse to your project. Select index.htm (or whatever file name you specified in your project) and select Opera.

Remember that I am no Pano2VR pro, so I may be way off on something. At least I finally got it to work with reasonable response speed. Going back and forth between landscape and portrait is a bit sketchy but at least it does not reboot the phone line FireFox does. I have not finished playing with the quality settings. I am not expecting very much. After all, it is just a phone not a computer.

I hope this helps to remove the frustration others might experience when trying to view panoramas stored locally on the S3.

[kris]

Hi all,
there is an alternative way to install Adobe flash on android ics to display your panoramas. Download the attachment unrar & copy the set up files into your device. Now in the security setting enable installing apps from unknown source now you can install the adobe flash, after installation revert back the security settings and in the browser setting you can enable/disable add-on's to use flash. this way it works fine for me, i can test or present both versions offline & online.

[DennisS]

Kris,

Where did you get this file? You are a Saint among men. WORKS FREAKING GREAT!!!

I now have Flash 11.1 installed on my Samsung Galaxy S3. All my panoramas that were complied to work on either Flash or IOS now work great! The Flash version works! Sound works! Zoom buttons work!

Where were you last week when I was pulling my hair out trying to figure this one out?

Dennis