Understanding Sessions
A conceptual guide to the session relationship model: how PanoView Editor bridges master panoramas, perspective edit workfiles, and applied projection layers throughout their lifecycle.
The Tri-Part Relationship
To keep 360° editing non-destructive, PanoView Editor establishes a clear tri-part architecture across every session:
Master Panorama
The parent 2:1 equirectangular Photoshop document. It acts as the container holding your base photo, session metadata, embedded workfiles, and applied projection layers.
Perspective Document
The flat, rectilinear working file (PSB format). It contains the locked reference layer and the creative editing canvas where you perform your retouching work.
Applied Projection
The warped result layer deposited back into the master panorama. It isolates only the altered pixels, perfectly mapped to the spherical geometry of the view.
A real sequence or set of 360 Edit Sessions entries representing useful lifecycle states such as editing, ready to apply, and projection available.
Practical Data Tracked
When a session is active, PanoView Editor maintains a lightweight set of practical properties associated with the view:
The Four Normal Lifecycle States
Under normal workflow conditions, every session transitions through four primary states:
Initial Creation State
The perspective edit document has been created, but no projection layer has yet been generated or committed back to the panorama.
Perspective Document Open
The perspective working document is currently open in Photoshop and active for painting, cloning, or AI generative edits.
Edits Detected
PanoView Editor detects that changes exist on the retouching layer compared to the baseline reference. The extension is primed to execute the reverse spherical transform.
Changes Committed to Panorama
The projection has been computed and inserted as a managed layer in the master panorama. The interactive 360 viewer displays the updated spherical canvas.
Photoshop State Synchronization
PanoView Editor dynamically inspects your Photoshop workspace to keep session badges accurate:
- Opening an existing view immediately shifts its badge to Editing.
- Closing the perspective document returns the badge to its committed or uncommitted state.
- Switching between different open panorama documents automatically switches the 360 Edit Sessions panel to display that document's sessions.
Returning to Past Sessions
Because sessions persist with the panorama file, you are never locked out of previous work. If client feedback requests an adjustment to a previously retouched object:
Locate the View in 360 Edit Sessions
Find the target view card in the list and click Open. Photoshop unpacks the embedded Smart Object and brings the perspective document forward.
Refine and Re-Apply
Make your adjustments on the retouching layer, switch to the main panel, and click Apply View Edits. PanoView Editor updates the projection layer in the master panorama.
