Virtual Tour

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What is a Virtual Tour?

A virtual tour is a way to simulate a real location using a series of videos or still images. Other multimedia elements, such as music, sound effects, or floor plans, can also be included.

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These tours help create a realistic experience of the actual place and are useful for showing areas that are difficult to access. They also offer a good alternative to fieldwork, especially when cost, time, or logistics make it challenging for people to visit in person.

What is a Virtual Tour

Key Takeaways

  • A virtual tour is a digital way to explore real places using videos, images, and other multimedia elements.
  • The main types are video tours, 360° panoramic tours, still photo tours, and floor plan tours.
  • Virtual tours involve combining visuals like photos and videos with interactive features to let users explore different views of a place.
  • Virtual tours, including 360° virtual tours, are commonly used in education, tourism, real estate, and more.
  • Virtual tours are flexible and can be repeated, but they lack sensory experiences and need basic computer skills.

How Virtual Tour Works

A virtual tour uses different multimedia elements like images, videos, sound effects, and sometimes interactive features to simulate a real place.

The process starts with capturing high-quality photos or videos, often using special equipment like 360° cameras. These visuals are then combined using software to create a smooth experience.

The software also allows for adding extra information, such as text, audio guides, and floor plans, which make the tour more detailed. Users can explore the location by moving through different viewpoints, zooming in and out, and interacting with the content, providing an immersive experience.

Who Uses Virtual Tours?

Virtual tours are used in many fields to help provide more information than just text-oriented links and websites:

Education
Teachers and schools use virtual tours to create interactive lessons, allowing students to explore places or topics from a distance.
Entertainment
Virtual tours provide immersive experiences in games, museums, and virtual events.
Recreation
They allow people to virtually visit parks, historical sites, and other places.
Advertising
Companies use virtual tours to show products, real estate, and services, giving customers a realistic preview.
Tourism
Tourism websites use virtual tours to offer detailed views of destinations, improving the experience beyond just text and pictures.

Types of Virtual Tours

Several types of virtual tours exist, including:

Types of Virtual Tours

Video tours
Pre-recorded videos that take users through a location. They often include a narrator or text to explain what is being shown, offering a clear and organized experience, similar to a guided tour in real life.
360° or panoramic tours
A 360 virtual tour allows users to see a location from all angles, creating an immersive experience. Users can interact with the tour by clicking and dragging to look around, giving them the feeling of exploring the space as if they were actually there.
Still photo tours
Made up of a series of high-quality images that show different parts of a location. Users can move through the images at their own speed, allowing them to focus on specific areas and details within the space.
Floor plan tours
Use a visual layout of the location, usually in 2D, with clickable points that lead to photos or videos of specific areas. This type of tour helps users understand the overall design and layout of the space, making it easier to see how different areas are connected.

Virtual Tour Software

Knowing how to use virtual tour software is crucial for creating a seamless and engaging virtual experience. If you’re creating a website, adding a virtual tour can greatly increase user engagement and give visitors an immersive way to explore what you offer.

Here’s a brief overview of some popular virtual tour software:

  • Concept3D: An enterprise platform that provides 3D renderings, interactive maps, and virtual tours, often used in higher education and large businesses.
  • TeliportMe: A simple software ideal for small businesses, offering unlimited 3D models and Google Street View integration.
  • Real tour vision: Created for professional photographers in real estate, offering HD video, 360° panoramas, and property websites.
  • Pano2VR: Converts panoramic photos into interactive virtual tours, working with all modern browsers.
  • Kuula: Easy-to-use software for creating 360 virtual tours, widely used in real estate and architecture.

Virtual Tour Examples

Here are some examples of virtual tours based on the type of tour:

  • Travel bloggers often post video tours, guiding users through museums, cities, tourist attractions, and much more.

Virtual Tour Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Available to everyone, with flexible access that can be customized to meet users’ needs
  • Offer a wider perspective than normal views
  • Can be repeated, which is especially useful in education, as it helps reinforce students’ learning
Cons
  • Basic computer skills are needed to use virtual tours
  • Have limited navigation options and don’t offer sensory experiences, which some users might not like
  • Lack the element of surprise that you might get when exploring a real location
  • Can’t fully show the true three-dimensional nature of objects

The Bottom Line

Discovering how to use a virtual tour provides an immersive way to explore real places using videos, 360° images, and floor plans. Commonly used in education, tourism, and real estate, they offer a flexible and cost-effective alternative to visiting in person. Understanding the virtual tour unit definition helps make the most of this technology, despite some limitations.

FAQs

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Maria Webb
Tech Journalist
Maria Webb
Tech Journalist

Maria has more than five years of experience as a technology journalist and a strong interest in AI and machine learning. She excels at data-driven journalism, making complex topics accessible and engaging for her audience. Her work has been featured in Techopedia, Business2Community, and Eurostat, where she provides creative technical writing. She obtained an Honors Bachelor of Arts in English and Master of Science in Strategic Management and Digital Marketing from the University of Malta. Maria's experience includes working in journalism for Newsbook.com.mt, which covers a variety of topics, including local events and international technology trends.