Send 360 Photos for Tour Building: How to Prepare Your Files

Send 360 Photos for Tour Building: How to Prepare Your Files

You already have 360 photos of your venue — shot yourself with a 360 camera, or delivered by a photographer. To turn them into a tour, you only need to send the right original files to the tour builder; no editing of your own is needed first. But "the right files" has a few points worth attention: which files to send, how to name them, how to send them, and which mistakes make the finished tour look worse even though the original photos were good.

This guide covers preparing 360 photo files to send to StayPano for tour building — for venue owners who already have photos, and for photographers who want a long-term partnership.

What files does StayPano accept?

StayPano builds tours from your existing 360 photos — you send the photos, StayPano checks them, builds the tour, and hands over the tour link plus a website embed code. For files, there is only one rule: send the original photos, not heavily compressed or cropped versions.

• Original 360 panoramas: full 360-degree panoramas from a 360 camera or your stitching software, at the 2:1 ratio the camera produces. Do not send photos cropped into flat images, screenshots from an old tour, or photos that have been compressed many times.
• No minimum resolution to quote: if you are unsure whether your photos meet the standard, just send the originals — StayPano checks them free of charge and reports which scenes are usable and which need reshooting, before building.
• Send every scene along the real walking route: lobby, each room or zone, and the walkways connecting them. A tour missing its connecting scenes makes viewers "jump" from room to room without understanding which way to go.

If you do not have 360 photos yet, you can work with a suitable photographer and send the photos over — StayPano focuses on building the tour and does not include photography.

Name files by room and zone

This small step decides whether the finished tour follows the correct route. The tour builder was not on site, so file names are the only way to know which scene connects to which.

• Name by the real space: for example 01-lobby, 02-living-room, 03-main-bedroom, 04-balcony, 05-pool — numbered in the order visitors walk in from the entrance.
• One file is one viewpoint: each 360 photo is one standing position in the space. Do not merge several angles into one file, and do not send two files with the same name.
• Add notes for anything special: which zone should carry an info point, where the contact button should go, which scene needs attention — put these in your accompanying message, not in the file name.

Clear naming means the builder does not have to guess, and you do not have to fix the route after the tour is built.

How to send the photos

Depending on file size and count, choose one of three ways:

• Via Zalo: most convenient for a few photos or a quick exchange — send the photos with a message noting the route and the venue details.
• Via Google Drive: best for many photos or large files — create one folder, name files as above, and share the link with StayPano.
• Via another download link: any storage service you already use works, as long as the link downloads and does not expire before StayPano has fetched the files.

Whichever way you send, include three pieces of information: the venue name, the venue type (homestay, restaurant, clinic, exhibition...), and what you want the tour for (website embed, sending to customers via Zalo, Google Maps...). These help the builder place contact points and shape the tour route for the right purpose.

Common file mistakes — and how to avoid them

• Heavily compressed photos: photos passed through many forwards shrink and lose detail — and the finished tour loses it too. Avoid by sending originals from the camera or from Drive, not photos downloaded and re-uploaded many times.
• Photos cropped at top or bottom: a panorama cut at ceiling or floor leaves gaps when viewed in the tour. Avoid by keeping the camera's original 2:1 ratio and not cropping before sending.
• Missing connecting scenes: a living room and a bedroom with no corridor between them leave viewers unsure how to get from one to the other. Avoid by shooting extra points at walkways, corridors and stairs — not beautiful, but needed for the route.
• People in frame: guests, staff or the photographer appearing in the photo — for healthcare, exhibition or any public-facing tour, anyone in frame must be dealt with: reshoot that scene or drop it. Avoid by shooting when the space is empty, or during a dedicated photography session.
• Personal information visible: records, screens showing customer names, personal items in frame — clear them from the frame before shooting rather than relying on post-processing.

Photographers: what extra to send for a long-term partnership

If you are a 360 photographer wanting to partner with StayPano on the "you shoot, StayPano builds" model, send these in addition to the photos:

1. Venue information: name, type, general location (no detailed address needed if the customer has not agreed to publish it).
2. Route and notes: the order of scenes, which zone is the highlight, which zones need info points.
3. Usage rights: confirmation that you or your customer have the right to use this photo set to build and publicly share the tour.

StayPano builds from the photos you send, customises features as requested, and hands over the tour link plus embed code. You keep the relationship with your customer; StayPano handles the build.

A final check before sending

1. Are the photos originals, 2:1 ratio, not heavily compressed, not cropped at top or bottom?
2. Are file names by room/zone and numbered along the walking route?
3. Are all connecting scenes included, or are corridors and stairs still missing?
4. Is anyone, or any personal information, visible in frame?
5. Did you include the venue name, type and the tour's purpose?

If all five check out, your photo set is ready to become a tour.

Send your photos for a free check via Zalo: Chat on Zalo