Blog4 min read
360 virtual tour or 3D virtual tour? The differences and which to choose
The short answer: if you want to show an existing space as it is, a 360-degree virtual tour may be enough. If you want products to be examined and bought, colours and materials to be changed, or a space that hasn’t been built yet to be explored, an interactive 3D virtual tour is the better fit.
VinionaPublished:
In short
- A 360-degree tour is made of panoramic photos taken from fixed points; the space has to exist.
- An interactive 3D space is built from a plan; visitors walk freely, click products, change options and shop.
- Two questions decide it: does your space exist yet, and will the tour include shopping, product information or options?
In this article
The providers you asked for quotes all say “virtual tour”, yet the examples they send look nothing alike. In one you jump from one point on the screen to the next; in the other you walk as in a game, step up to a shelf and look at the product. What they ask of you differs too: one wants to come and shoot on site, the other only wants your plan.
That difference is no accident: different technologies hide behind the name “virtual tour”. To see which one fits you, it’s enough to look first at what they are, then at the state of your space.
What is a 360-degree virtual tour?
A 360-degree virtual tour is made of panoramic photos taken from fixed points in a space. At each point the visitor can look around, then move on to the next shooting point.
To make one, the space has to exist and be photographed on site. If something in the space changes, the images have to be retaken.
What is a 3D virtual tour?
A 3D virtual tour can be made in two different ways:
3D scan tour
An existing space is scanned end to end with a special scanning camera. Visitors move between the scanned points.
Interactive 3D space
The space is built in 3D from a plan or a description. Visitors walk freely as in a game; they click products, change options and shop. This is the type Viniona produces.
The differences in one table
All three bring a space online. The difference lies in how they are made, how freely visitors can move and what they can do inside.
| 360-degree photo tour | 3D scan tour | Interactive 3D space | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How is it made? | On-site shoot with a 360-degree camera | On-site scan with a scanning camera | Built in 3D from a plan or a description |
| Does the space need to exist? | Yes | Yes | No; spaces still at project stage can be built |
| Moving around | Jumps between shooting points | Jumps between scanned points | Free walking |
| Products | Info points can be added | Info points can be added | Info cards, product options, shopping |
| Changing colours and materials | Requires a new shoot | Requires a new scan | Can be changed live inside the tour |
Which one should you choose, and when?
Two questions decide it: whether your space exists yet and what you expect from the tour.
Does your space exist yet?
No, it’s at project or construction stage
Interactive 3D space: built from the plan
Yes
Will the tour include shopping, product information or colour and material options?
Yes
Interactive 3D space
No, it will be shown as it is
360-degree photo tour or 3D scan tour
We explain how an interactive 3D space is used for each goal on our solution pages:
- Selling from the tour: for example a 3D virtual store in sync with Shopify.
- Showing colour, material or furniture options: for example a real-estate virtual tour.
- Presenting products with info cards and variants: for example a virtual exhibition or trade-show space.
An example of an interactive 3D space
Blackbörk virtual store
The Blackbörk virtual store opens in the browser from a single link. Visitors walk freely around the store, get close to products and can shop.
Your next step
Answer the two questions in the decision tree for your own space. The answers also decide the kind of quote to ask providers for: a shoot, a scan or a build from the plan?
If an interactive 3D space looks right for you, answer the four questions in the Quote Wizard.
