Overview
A 360 camera captures the entire environment at once using two lenses that each record slightly more than 180°. The camera stitches these feeds together so you can view the full surroundings in every direction simultaneously. This allows Harth's processing pipeline to pick out and reconstruct more accurately.
💡TIP: We are here to help! If you are ever unsure or would like a Harth team member to do a quick 10min training session with you or your team, please contact us at: [email protected]
Requirements
A desktop computer for uploading your scan.
A Harth account.
Supported cameras and video formats
Harth's processing pipeline supports 360 video uploads in two formats, depending on your camera.
Ensure your total capture file is no more than 10minutes long and is one continuous take.
Camera type | Upload format | Preparation required |
Insta360 X5, X4 Air, or X4 | Raw | Upload directly from the SD card. No stitching or conversion required. |
Other 360 cameras | Stitched equirectangular | Export the video from the camera manufacturer's desktop software before uploading. |
💡TIP: Insta360 cameras record both .INSV and .LRV files. Harth requires the original .INSV files. The .LRV files are low-resolution preview files and cannot be used for processing.
Scene setup
Prepare the scene before capturing by optimizing lighting and minimizing moving people moving during your capture.
Environment and lighting
Capture in well-lit, evenly lit environments whenever possible.
Avoid strong shadows, direct sunlight, and rapidly changing lighting conditions.
Good lighting produces sharper frames and improves reconstruction quality.
Camera setup
Ensure your camera is setup to capture 360 video. The following recommended settings are based on the Insta360 X5 but apply broadly to other supported 360 cameras.
Your camera will remember it's last used settings.
💡TIP: Ensure your camera is on 360 mode (not single lens mode).
Single lens mode (normal videos) do not contain the extra meta data we require.
Ensure your camera is on 360 mode
The 5.7K/30 is a quick way of knowing this is correct. Whereas if it says "4K" you probably have the wrong single lens mode selected.
Selfie stick
Use the invisible selfie stick supplied with your camera whenever possible.
Extend the selfie stick to maintain consistent coverage while minimizing your presence in the capture:
Hold the selfie stick slightly away from your body so the camera has a clear view of the environment while minimizing your appearance in the scan. The following image shows the recommended selfie stick positions:
Orient the camera so the lenses face left and right relative to your direction of travel, not forward and backward.
Capturing your scan
High-quality captures depend on smooth movement, consistent camera positioning, and complete scene coverage. The following techniques describe how to move through an environment to maximize reconstruction quality while minimizing alignment errors and artifacts.
Capture time
Always do your scan as one clip, to a max of no more than 10mins. Capture the entire environment with consistent overlap and as few gaps as possible.
Close the loop
Always finish your scan by returning to the same location that you started.
We recommend doing 2 loops. One at body height, then a second loop following the same way above head height (if you're in a tall space, hold it as high as possible). This ensures you capture everything and our system can stitch it back together.
Movement
The wave pattern
Use a gentle wave pattern as you move the camera, rather than keeping it at a constant height. This captures ceilings, upper walls, floors, and furniture in a single pass, improving coverage without requiring additional passes.
Slight changes in angle help the reconstruction.
Walk at a slow and steady pace.
Avoid jerks, bouncing, or rapid turns.
Distance
Maintain a minimum distance of 30 cm or 12 inches from all surfaces.
Avoid placing the camera into tight spaces or directly beneath furniture, or other overhangs unless you are intentionally capturing additional detail.
Avoid placing objects across the stitch line between the two lenses, which can cause warping, blind spots, or artifacts in the final asset.
Upload to Harth
Turn your camera on and plug it into your desktop computer.
It will ask if you want to enable file transfer mode, click yes.
Find the .insv file and upload this to Harth for processing.
The other files are purely for fast previews, but do not contain all of the info we require.
