Photo Stitching

Purpose & User Intent: This tool solves the problem of creating seamless panoramas by stitching multiple overlapping photos into a single, high-quality image. Target users include landscape photographers, architectural photographers, real estate marketers, and travel publishers who need wide-view composites beyond a single frame. Use occurs when capturing scenes too wide for one shot or when consistency across frames is required. Core Logic & Features: The tool performs automated image alignment using feature-based matching, warping via chosen projection, seam finding, and multi-band blending. Required: input image set, projection method, alignment parameters. Optional/advanced: color matching, exposure compensation, distortion correction, HDR alignment, batch stitching, and templates for recurring projects. Inputs & Outputs: Inputs include: name (images), type (image formats), min_overlap (%), projection (cylindrical/equirectangular), crop mode, output_resolution (pixels), color_profile, and optional alignment_method. Outputs: stitched image (TIFF/PNG/JPEG), optional mipmaps, and summary metadata. Algorithms & Calculations: Core methods include keypoint detection (SIFT/ORB), pairwise homography estimation, robust outlier rejection (RANSAC), multi-band fusion, edge-aware blending, and optional exposure/color adjustments. Error & Edge Cases: Handles insufficient overlap by warning for manual reordering; detects, reports, and bypasses low-quality frames; alerts on missing metadata; adapts to varying focal lengths with distortion correction. Industry/Region & Localization: Aligns to general imaging standards; supports common color spaces and localization-friendly file naming; metrics are device-agnostic. Assumptions & Exclusions: Assumes input images are captured with minimal motion blur and reasonable exposure; excludes 360-degree stitching unless explicitly requested; not a general-purpose RAW demosaic tool.