Pivo

Bring your Tour to a whole new level with our 3D Capture, which is what we call our 360 virtual walk-through with a 3D Dollhouse, which is created with the use of our Pivo Tour app. A 3D Tour has a more accurate location mapping, providing you and your audiences with a better navigation experience! 

Note: Pivo Tour 3D Capture (beta) is available for Pivo Tour version 1.5.0 and above, so please make sure you have the latest app version. This feature is free only during the beta testing period. Charges may apply for capturing and sharing your 3D Tour at the end of the beta test.

For the best quality 3D Tour with a 3D Dollhouse, here are a few things to keep in mind before getting started : 

1. Make sure the smartphone you are using has a good camera lens and is clean. Our 3D Tour can only be as good as the quality that the device you're using allows.
2. Use a smartphone with at least iOS 13 or Android version 8.1 operating system. 
3. The 3D Dollhouse feature only works with phones with Lidar scanners. Please check this article for more information.

Getting started with your Pivo Pod

The first thing you should do is prep the area you are capturing. Make sure all the windows are closed, doors are open, and all lights are turned on. Make sure the space is clean and organized to make sure Pivo gets the best results.

Once the space is ready, start by setting up your Pivo Pod and Tripod at about 5 ft/150 cm. Make sure your Tripod is level and stable. Once that’s set, place your phone into the Pivo Pod. Make sure your phone’s camera is centered in the Pivo Pod. 

Tip: If you have a Pivo Tripod, you can set your default capture settings to ‘Pivo Tripod’. Extend the bottom two sections, then the Pivo Tripod, Pivo Pod Black, and smartphone will roughly be around the recommended height. 

While you are able to capture your tour by tapping on the smartphone’s screen, for the best quality, use your Remote Control. Avoid unnecessary contact with your phone which may cause unwanted movement during the capture process.

Getting started with the Pivo Tour app

1. Log into the Pivo Tour app with your Pivo Account
2. Click on Create Tour at the bottom of the main screen and connect the app to your Pivo Pod 
3. Once you've successfully paired the app and the Pod, a pop-up regarding this beta feature will appear on the screen. Select Yes, I want to capture 3D 
   
   
   
4. Now, you're ready to start capturing your very own 3D Tour.
   

Creating a 3D Tour

1. Capturing Points

• Place your Tripod at your first capture point. The best practice is to place it right before the door of your first room and then right inside.
• On the 3D Capture screen, press Start to close the onboarding screen. Once you've done that, press the + button on the Remote Control or click the Capture button on the screen to start capturing your Tour. 
• Pivo will first take a panorama capture as it does with the 2D tour and then will rotate once more to capture the 3D scan. If you can, try not to get too close to the walls. Make your way around the room and capture as many points as you’d like. Please don't touch your smartphone and Pivo Pod while it is capturing the Tour.  
• The recommended maximum distance between each point is 6.56 ft/2 m.
• Capture at least 2 points per room, but use your best judgment to decide what's best for the space.
• Click on Floor to add more floors to your capture, or select Finish once you're done capturing your Tour.
• Repeat the process for all rooms on that floor of the space. If there are multiple floors, repeat the process for each floor.

2. Editing Your Tour

• Check all the points you've captured and, if necessary, recapture and replace all the points you didn't like for the perfect take. Place your Tripod in your first capture point. 
• Name the points for easier navigation of the tour. On the 3D Capture screen, press Start to close the onboarding screen. Once you've done that, press the + button on the Remote Control or click the Capture button on the screen to start capturing your Tour. 
• Then, enter all your information about the space. Give it a name, add thumbnails, details about the space, a floor plan, address, and more. Once you're finished, you’re ready to upload your tour.  

3. Uploading Your Tour

• The Tour will be saved in your draft after the processing is completed. You can upload it to your Private/Public folder and view your 3D Tour by clicking the 3D icon on the top left of the particular tour. If it shows '3D Processing' on the top left, it means that your 3D Tour is still processing, and if shows '3D' in yellow, it means that the 3D Tour hasn't been processed successfully and you'd need to recapture the tour. 
• When you upload your tour, it will automatically be saved as Private. 
• Anytime you’re ready to share, simply change the tour to Public, share the link, or embed it into the platform of your choice. 

Now, you're ready to share your 3D Tour.

Note: You can make changes at any time within the Pivo Tour app. Take more Tours, edit your existing Tours and change privacy modes — all from one place.

Tips & tricks

• If you're filming inside a room, keep the room's doors open to ensure a smooth connection
• Keep all the lights turned on in rooms where the capture will take place. Close and cover all windows with window blinds or curtains
• Tidy up and organize the space to make sure Pivo gets the best results. If you have a plain and undecorated wall, consider adding decorative wall pieces to make the space even more captivating
• For a smooth capture experience, imagine how you'd like to capture the space, so you'll know where you'll want to start and where you'll create your points even before starting
• Each new capturing point should be visible from the closest captured point - when capturing inside the room, make sure to capture at least one point around the entrance so that Pivo can detect the room as it connects all the points
• Set the tripod on a flat surface and adjust it to the recommended height of approximately 5 ft/150 cm
• Keep your Pivo away from moving objects such as fans, pets, people, etc.
• Avoid capturing around reflective objects like mirrors, furniture made out of glass, and windows
• Take note of the blind spots. Capturing points in a zigzag pattern is more likely to result in a better 3D tour than capturing them in a straight line
• Keep the maximum distance between each point to less than 6.56 ft/2 m
• Avoid capturing tours around constantly flickering or blinking objects (e.g. TV and monitors)
• Avoid capturing under the sunlight or anything that uses an infrared wavelength
• Use the Remote Control when creating your Tour instead of tapping the smartphone's screen
• Capture at least two points inside the room, even if it's a small area