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Bixorama can convert between 11 different panorama formats including Apple's QuickTime VR, Microsoft's DirectX DDS, angular maps, sphere maps and various cube map layouts.

Apple's QuickTime VR is the most popular panorama format on the internet.

DDS is the DirectX texture format used in realtime 3D applications. The big advantage of the DDS format is that you can not only use it for panoramic backgrounds, but also for reflection mapping. This example movie has been created with BluffTitler DX9. The UFO and the alien are reflection mapped with the same DDS file that is used to render the background.

The following projections can be loaded and saved in the bmp, jpg, gif, tif and png formats.

This is what most people mean when they're talking about panoramic photos. The horizontal coordinate is the longitude and the vertical coordinate is the latitude. The mathematical name is (equi)rectangular projection.

The 6 faces of the cube map are laid out as a horizontal cross.

The 6 faces of the cube map are laid out as a vertical cross.

The face order is: front, right, back, left, top, bottom.

This mode imports and exports the panorama as 6 single files.

This projection is used by realtime 3D applications for reflection mapping. Notice that the back face is squeezed into the border of the circle resulting in poor quality reflection mapping.

This is the only featured projection that isn't a true panoramic projection because it contains only half the world. When you import this projection the front is mirrored into the back.

This cute looking projection is a tribute to the French mathematician Oronce Finé who wasn't afraid to work out crazy ideas.