P: Spherical panoramas 3D view low quality

Report · Nov 19, 2019

i work with 360 panorama images taken with dedicated cameras
and sometimes i need to edit the pictures (remove tripod, fix other parts)

all worked fine with this workflow:
3D - spherical panorama from layer - making the needed changes on a new layer - merge down the new layer - export panorama.

but recently i noticed that when opening the panorama image in 3D view, the details become pixelated horribly.
and so if i make a change (healing brush), that part of the image will not be the same quality as the rest.

strange thing is that if i just export the image without changing anything, the quality is still perfect!

see the attached image, all i did was copying my head next to the original, using the workflow above, and exported the pano.
as you can see, the left is sharp (even though in 3D view it LOOKED pixelated!) and the copied one on the right IS pixelated.

so it seems to me that the 3D view is the problem.

noticed after installing PS 2020.
but even when i try it in 2019 (which worked fine before) now it's the same issue there as well.

Report · Oct 03, 2020

@zoltan_kerenyi Okay, I've found a not exactly perfect but an easy and workable solution to this but it does cost $100. However, I would say it's worth the investment. You can basically do your editing as per usual via photoshop and export the file. I experimented with a 10MB jpeg image shot on the Insta360 Pro2. After going through the standard Photoshop procedure the final exported file was 1.2MB. I put it into Topaz Gigapixel and even on the default settings it was amazing. I increased the file size x 4 and exported the finished image which was now 248MB!!!! I then repeated the Photoshop process and exported what is now a 4th gen version of the image. The final result was 12MB. But, and here's the crazy part, it was substantially better than the original image... and I mean SUBSTANTIALLY even after PS had reduced the quality from 248MB to 12MB. This is, in my opinion, far easier than any other workaround offered so far. I know it means buying a new piece of software for $100 but think how much time you've spent trying to get an answer from PS and work out what your hourly rate is and how many commercial jobs you could have done in that time and I think $100 is worth it. I'd seen it on Ben Claremont's YouTube channel and was sceptical at first but it really did work for me. It's not perfect but it's better than the original PS result. See the attached image which is an extreme zoom. The image on the left is the original file and the one on the right the 4th Gen PS file!

And here is another example where I've used the stamp tool to remove a woman from the background of a shot and used the warp tools and text to rebuild a logo on a wall:

Report · Oct 20, 2020

v 22.0

and the 3D canvas still NOT FIXED.

Report · Oct 20, 2020

@andrew_sender

v 22.0

and the 3D canvas still NOT FIXED.

Report · Oct 23, 2020

I have Ps 21.2.4 and I can see low res version of my panorama when displayed as 3D in photoshop 2020. So anything I use as tool will only work in the low res version. Exporting the panorama stays high res but parts edited (tripod removal, people removal) will be low res, pixelated. Which settings influence displaying panorama in full original resolution when working in 3D space (I have english version, just to think changing language affects 3D working space is just hilarious or really sad)

Report · Oct 23, 2020

Can you not download the version you want (2018) and use both at the same time. I am quite annoyed by 3D space and spherical panorama. It's just crap and no support I can find.

Report · Oct 23, 2020

Yep, useless as always

Report · Oct 26, 2020

This is so very frustrating. I had hoped to avoid purchasing Affinity, but see no other option now that 22 hasn't fixed it. Such a let down, Adobe devs.

Report · Nov 16, 2020

Hi Andrew,

Would you please copy the red circles in the exact same place, right after the main part, so that we can compare the "healing" parts of the same image?

Report · Nov 16, 2020

using an other paid software to "fix" PS bugs is not a solution.
not to mention it's not even fixing the issue i posted here.

Report · Nov 16, 2020

exactly! thanks for confirming my claims.

Report · Nov 16, 2020

v 22.0.1

and the 3D canvas still NOT FIXED.

see the attached image for easy understanding:

right click+open in new tab for full res:

Report · Nov 17, 2020

I found a fix! It's called Affinity Photo. I got it for 50% off so it's like 2.5 months of Adobe subscription and it's yours for life. I don't do much other stuff in it yet but it handles 360 panos exactly the way I need it. So if Adobe isn't able to fix this damn issue since 3D editing was added to PS, this is for me the quickest and least painful and time wasting solution. Shame on you Adobe!

Report · Nov 17, 2020

FOUND THE FIX! it's called Affinity Photo. I bought it as 50% and does exactly what PS couldn't do since 3D feature was introduced. I stopped trying to fix this damn issue for Adobe and went with workaround which in a long run will only help me learn new stuff.

It's a workaround I know that but one that works and saves you a lot of gray hair and time.

Shame on you Adobe!

Not sure if my other post got posted, so just a recap here

Report · Nov 17, 2020

I agree. It's the best solution for now. I downloaded the Affinity trial and it edits the spherical pano's with ease. I just wish Photoshop could perform in the same way and that this bug could be fixed. It's taken way too long and Adobe don't seem concerned enough to even acknowledge there's a problem. I'm going to have to buy Affinity when the trial expires. I might send Adobe the invoice and request a refund 🙂

Report · Nov 17, 2020

Adobe should reimbursed the money as we use Affinity Photo solely because they failed to fix a feature advertised in Photoshop. So its false advertisement I would say. Let aside the frustration and hours of internet research for possible fixes. I spent 4 hours at night with Adobe support to no avail. On the other hand, we support Affinity Photo team that could provide some competitive environment for Adobe to recognize what customers want.

Report · Dec 06, 2020

Blatant attempt at co-opting this forum for soliciting for her own business.

Report · Feb 15, 2021

v22.2.0 still NOT FIXED.

Report · Apr 15, 2021

v22.3.1 still NOT FIXED.

Report · May 19, 2021

v22.4.1 still NOT FIXED.

Report · Oct 15, 2021

Hi there!

Have you gone around this issue?

I have been using this workflow from the equirectangular projection :

1- rotate 180 degrees

2- FILTER/DISTORT "rectangular to polar"

3- (Edit)

4- FILTER/DISTORT "polar to rectangular"

5- rotate 180 degrees

6- (save edited version)

The case is that PS is not performing the action DISTORT POLAR TO RECTANGULAR so I cannot go beyond step 3...

Some people workflow consists in changing the equirectangular projection to a cubemap an editing the side needed in PS to finally going back to equirectangular but I don't know software to make such conversion in MacOS...

Report · Jun 16, 2023

Yeah same issue is still present in 24.2 on Windows.
Whenever image turnet into spherical panorama it lost so much detail and gets pixeleted.

As said problem is in 3d view. Exported panorama seems fine

Report · Jun 20, 2023

@Enkhbileg5FFB

You’ve posted to a very old thread. It is highly unlikely that the issue described in this thread, though not impossible, is the same issue which you are currently experiencing. Rather than resurrect an old thread that is seemingly similar, you are better posting to a new thread with fresh, complete information including system information, a complete description of the problem and step-by-step instructions for reproduction.In the unlikely event the issue is the same, we will merge you back into the appropriate location.