While VideoMode increases your capturing speed, as you don't have to stop to take a photo, please keep in mind that you should not rush.

In the end, your VideoMode data will be as good as the recorded video. If you walk too fast or move the camera vigorously, the images can be blurry, and the VideoMode algorithm will have trouble keeping track of your walking path. We recommend walking at a normal, steady pace.

To start/end your VideoMode recording you are required to mark your location on the sheet. Please make sure to zoom in and be very precise when marking your location.

The more precise you are in this step, the better the VideoMode path will be aligned to your sheet.

Don't move between floors in the same video capture. Instead, stop the recording, switch sheets in the JobWalk app, and start a new recording.

The video endpoint should not be close to the same spot where you started. Create some distance and make sure the start and end points are at least 5 m (15 ft) apart. Ideally, your start and end positions are in opposite corners (diagonally) on the floor plan, which is even better.

To ensure good image quality and support the VideoMode algorithm in calculating your walking path later on, please avoid spinning or twisting the camera. Try to keep your motions smooth, and don't make any abrupt motions.

VideoMode captures data at a fixed rate so that you can review and share the 360 photos without effort. To make sure a photo is captured inside small rooms (e.g., a closet or storage room), stand still for about 3 seconds so that you can be sure a photo of the room is captured.

VideoMode will not work if the screen is turned off or minimized (due to a general limitation of Apple devices.) The JobWalk app forces the screen to stay “awake”, but manually turning it off will circumvent this measure and result in the recording to fail.

The camera needs time to adjust the exposure when there are large brightness changes.

Make sure to walk very slowly or even briefly stop when switching between dark and light (e.g., stepping outside), as otherwise images might turn out too bright/dark.

Over- or under-exposed images are not useful to you and may negatively impact the calculated walking path. Therefore make sure to give your 360° camera the time it needs to adjust the automatic exposure.

If you want to test VideoMode, follow the mentioned best practices and record meaningful data. If you just record a few seconds of video without movement or even with the camera cover still on our VideoMode algorithm will not be able to provide you with proper results.

For recordings under such conditions, video processing will fail, resulting in no proper data display in your project and you not being able to evaluate VideoMode. Therefore, please make sure to test VideoMode under real-world conditions, ideally already on site where you want to use it later on.

Upload times can be lengthy due to different variables (file size, device's processing speed, Wi-Fi, etc.). Due to the phone's requirements, uploads can not be performed without the app being active, thereby blocking your phone for other tasks. Please keep that in mind before beginning the upload.

Once the upload has started:

Any of the above will interrupt and cancel your upload, forcing you to start over.

If possible, avoid very dark and extremely bright areas. Images taken in a very dark/bright environment will turn out under/overexposed. These images are not properly usable for your documentation and can result in VideoMode being unable to track your walking path properly.

In large open areas, our VideoMode algorithm can have problems locating the users if the area is sparse in features. Since the algorithm requires capturing and comparing features across individual frames of your video, the fewer features are detectable, the more likely it is to lose capture data. Examples of large open areas include anything that shows the horizon, e.g., roads in deserts, tops of buildings, bridges, etc.

Similar to large open areas, featureless areas are generally a challenge for the VideoMode algorithm. Featureless areas are, for example, empty environments with only smooth-painted glass walls or big mirrors. Smooth-painted hallways are typical examples of a featureless environment.

Think of a building where everything looks the same: each hallway has the same number of rooms, the same doors, no additional decor on the walls or in the hallway, etc. It's easy to get confused or lost, right? The algorithm feels the same way. As soon as you add something unique, e.g., a painting on the wall, or a plant in the hallway, it becomes easier to navigate.

As mentioned before, the VideoMode algorithm requires capturing and comparing features across individual frames of your video to add your data in the correct position on the sheet. If you walk through a door and close it, the change in the environment might be too fast, causing the algorithm to lose your position.

Keep doors open if possible. Otherwise, walk very slowly or even briefly stop when walking through doorframes to ensure VideoMode can keep track of your location. The same goes for everything where you might lose your spatial context, e.g., walking around a narrow corner, etc...

Short example: In one frame of the recording everything in room 1 is visible with the door shut to room 2. Then the door has been opened and closed while you walked through to room 2. Now in the next frame of the recording you only see room 2 and a closed door. For the algorithm it's not understandable what happened and where room 2 now fits into the walk.