Why use a 3D virtual tour?

Unlike video and 360° panoramas, 3D virtual tours allow your customers to freely explore every room of a property as if they were actually there, which means you can ensure they are serious when arranging that viewing.

3D virtual tours are the only way to give your audience a true sense of presence – the feeling of being immersed in a space. That’s why our tours are the most realistic way to experience a physical location online. .

How long does it take?

As a guide, an average sized 4 bedroom residential home takes approximately half a day to capture. Building layout and furniture can affect how many scans we need to capture in each room. To speed up the photography process please ensure the rooms are ready, un-wanted items have been removed and that there are no moving objects (or pets) in the room.

Are virtual tours real life or CGI?

Virtual tours are created in a real life setting. The 3D element of the tours creates the 3D view known as a ‘dolls house’. The rest is HDR photography which is mapped onto the 3D model we create. We can only produce virtual tours of finished properties so Matterport is not the tool to use if you have not yet built the property.

How much will it cost?

Every building is unique and there are many factors which can affect how long it takes to produce a tour such as number of floors, mirrors, furniture layout and so on. We give a more accurate quote once we have had a consultation with you and seen photos or visited your venue. You can see some example prices here to give you a rough idea.

Do I need to pay a deposit?

Yes. Once we have produced your quote, we will take a 50% upfront payment to secure your image capture day. Once your tour is produced the remaining balance will need to be paid before it goes live. Our full payment terms can be found here.

How soon can we get our tour after image capture?

Once we have visited your venue and completed all scans we then have to load up the data and turn it into a ‘walk-around’. We have to add annotations and map out the route. We aim to get your tour to you within 7 days once payment has been made.

What areas do you cover?

Although we are based in Istanbul and cover the surrounding cities, we still produce virtual tours for businesses all over the Turkey. We must point out that projects sometimes need a physical check of the venue before 3D photography can take place.

Is special lighting required?

Special lighting is not required but the space will be captured exactly as it looks in real life. If you want to portray a more cosy feel, we’d recommend switching on lamps etc. If you rely on daylight then we’d be best to take the photography on a day when it is bright. Our camera takes 5 different exposures of each photograph (known as HDR), this ensures the lighting looks at it’s best when rendered.

How do I embed the tour on my website?

Click here to download the Matterport embed guidelines. If you are embedding just one tour then we’d recommend using the iframe embed code. If you have a WordPress website and publishing many tours then take a look at the 3rd party plugin called ‘WP3D Models’ which allows you to embed and customise with ease.

Can I annotate my virtual tour?

Once we start work on processing your tour, we can add tags to key features that you wish to include. We will factor the cost of adding such tags into your quote. The tags act as interactive ‘touch points’ throughout the tour where you can add descriptions, links or even embedded videos!

Much like signs in a museum or art gallery, tags are a useful way to annotate hidden areas or objects of interest.

Can you work before or after we open?

We can do the image capture Monday to Friday whenever suits your business. We must point out that scans can’t be done with people, animals, active televisions or any moving objects about. You will also need to consider the time of day for best lighting as image capture will be exactly as it looks in real life.

Can I stay open whilst you photograph?

Yes but it depends on what type of business you run. You will need to close the areas of the building that you wish to scan. The room needs to be photo-ready and not have moving objects, active screens or people or animals in the field of vision. If this is an issue for your business, we would recommend you arrange your image capture for a time just before you open or after you close.

Do we need to prepare before you arrive?

Our cameras will capture the venue exactly as it looks to the eye. We will need you to ensure all surfaces are clean and tidy and that objects or furniture is placed as you’d like it to be on the tour. We also ask that you remove any valuable objects or sensitive material like photographs or documents on desks that you do not wish to be included. We only need to scan the rooms that you want including in the tour but please ensure there are no active televisions, fans or moving objects (including pets) in the space.

My venue has a lot of windows/glass. Will this still work?

Yes we can do image capture on venues with lots of windows or glass but there will be significantly more post-photography work to do. We always recommend a consultation/visit beforehand. We may not be able to remove camera reflections from mirrors, glass or super shiny surfaces but we will always ensure your tour looks as professional as possible and offer advice beforehand.

Can you produce still images?

Our camera takes high-quality 4K images (18mp). From the captured imagery we are able to extract a collection of stills but for best results, we would always recommend using a professional stills photographer. Different shaped rooms require various lenses and flash lighting.

Do I need a VR headset?

You don’t need a VR headset to view a tour. This is what makes it so accessible to your customers. Having said that, the tour does look incredible on a VR headset, so if you can get your customers to use one you’ll find it is a very realistic experience.

We have found that estate agents like to show potential home buyers properties in virtual reality. There are many advantages of showing a customer 7 or 8 homes without even stepping out of the office.

Can you capture outdoor areas?

Yes! but camera equipment can only capture exterior areas as high resolution 2D in 360° views. 360° views are spherical 2D panorama images that users can view in all different directions. 360° views can be seen through 3D showcase along with the rest of your 3D space.

Can I 'edit out' something afterwards?

Currently, it it not possible to edit out anything after the scan/image capture has been done. If there is anything sensitive or valuable you do not want to be seen on the tour, please ensure it is removed prior to our arrival. The only way to remove anything from a tour once we have carried out our scan is to carry out a re-shoot which is chargeable.

What are your T and Cs of business?

You can read our full set of terms and conditions here. These apply to every project we work on.