Document Loading Workflow
PanoView Editor does not require importing files into an external library. Instead, it reads the document currently open and focused in Adobe Photoshop.
Photoshop with a valid 2:1 panorama document active and PanoView Editor recognizing it.
Open the Panorama in Photoshop
In Adobe Photoshop, open your equirectangular image using File > Open.... PanoView Editor supports standard Photoshop formats including PSD, PSB, TIFF, and JPEG.
Make the Document Window Active
Ensure the panorama tab is the active window in your Photoshop workspace. If multiple documents are open, PanoView Editor targets whichever tab is currently selected.
Open PanoView Editor
Access the plugin panel from Window > Plugins > PanoView Editor. The panel immediately reads the active document context.
Automatic Preview Ingestion
If the active document meets the geometric and color mode requirements, PanoView Editor encodes a high-resolution preview and displays the interactive 360 viewer within seconds.
2:1 Equirectangular Geometry Rules
PanoView Editor operates on full spherical equirectangular projections. In spherical geometry, the horizontal circumference (360 degrees) is exactly double the vertical range from pole to pole (180 degrees). Therefore, a compliant panorama canvas must have an aspect ratio of approximately 2:1.
Understanding the ±2% Geometric Tolerance
Real-world stitching workflows occasionally result in slight pixel variance along canvas boundaries. PanoView Editor permits a tolerance of approximately ±2% around the theoretical 2.000:1 ratio.
Color Mode & Bit Depth
PanoView Editor requires documents to use the RGB color model. Both 8-bit and 16-bit color depths are fully supported with native pixel fidelity.
Supported Configurations
- RGB Color mode (8 Bits/Channel)
- RGB Color mode (16 Bits/Channel)
- Standard color profiles (sRGB, Adobe RGB, ProPhoto RGB)
Unsupported Configurations
- CMYK, Grayscale, and Lab color modes
- 32-bit floating point HDR documents
- Indexed color documents
Image > Mode > RGB Color before editing. For full specifications, consult the System Requirements guide.Handling Incompatible Document Warnings
If the active Photoshop document is not a valid 2:1 equirectangular image, PanoView Editor prevents projection distortion by loading the neutral welcome panorama and surfacing a clear notification.
PanoView Editor showing the invalid 2:1 panorama warning for an incompatible active document.
The Invalid Aspect Ratio Warning Banner
When the aspect ratio diverges from 2:1 by more than ±2%, the viewer displays this exact warning format:
To resolve this, adjust your Photoshop canvas using Image > Canvas Size... or use the Crop tool with a fixed 2:1 ratio.
Refreshing Document State
While PanoView Editor automatically monitors document focus changes, certain external edits in Photoshop require a manual view refresh:
When to use Refresh View
Click the Refresh View button on the main panel if you have adjusted the panorama canvas size, painted directly on the background in Photoshop, or altered document resolution. This prompts PanoView Editor to re-read the pixels from Photoshop and refresh the 360 texture.