Workshop - Drawing Equirectangular Perspectives for VR Panoramas with Eq A Sketch 360

Abstract

In this workshop we will explore the construction of immersive environments in equirectangular perspective using the Eq A Sketch 360 software. Eq A Sketch 360 is a serious toy for spherical perspective drawing. It has two innovative features: a sliding geodesic grid and an equirectangular snap-to ruler. These tools turn equirectangular drawing into a proper perspective, where all lines and vanishing points may be drawn by hand, to create immersive environments from either observation or imagination. This contrasts with previous methods of equirectangular drawing, that either avoided perspective altogether by drawing directly in VR view, or were limited to fixed grid methods with ad-hoc estimation of measurements. Eq A Sketch both forces and helps the user to learn spherical perspective. We will show how to draw by hand with perfect control of proportions and bearings, to make standalone designs or constructions that can be mixed with 360-degree photography.