FlashPanos

The HideAPano "encryption" utility is finally ready for public use! You can now hide your XML and images from prying eyes. When a lousy borrowing bum like myself tries to look at your XML file, or at your pano images, all we'll get is illegible junk, and broken images. And the images and XML file for a tour will be tied together to your key, so no one can try to use your "encrypted" XML and switch out the images. There is no performance penalty with HideAPano "encryption". HideAPano works with cubic QTVR (.mov) files, cubes, and stripes, and supports loaderStreamed loading or normal loading.

Here is a simple demo

You can look at the XML file. (It's about as legible as Chinese algebra!)

You can look at a cube face image (broke as a bum)

And here is a more complicated multi-node QTVR real example, courtesy of my friend Paulo Fernandes at GoGoPixel:
Parque Navegantes

There are only three caveats (You can now use multiple panoType in one tour):
1: This is not "state of the art" encryption, and because we don't want to kill the performance of Flash Panorama Player, it can't be "state of the art". So don't put your credit card number in the XML and challenge a cryptographer to Caribbean Cruise if he can find it. He'll go to Aruba on your dime.
2: Does not work with Flash Version Detection, or Flash Plugins before Flash 9.
3: Does not currently support equirectangulars or cylinders, however support will probably be built in soon.

Please give us the email to which the files will be sent. Orders will be fulfilled with 24 hours of reception. Contact me to discuss customization if desired: zleifr @t yahoo . com

Price: $40 US - Buy Now through PayPal

When I have finished making the utility into a "proper" desktop application with the ability to save files to the hard drive, instead of to a server, the price will be $50, and all "early adopters" will get a free upgrade.

How to use the utility:

1. Set up the pano or tour and XML as usual, with ONE EXCEPTION: you will have to set a new panoType for ALL panoramas to be loaded. In the parameters section put the appropriate panoType. DO NOT use ...&panoType=... in load pano commands, since the XML interpreter in FPP will break on the &. (This appears to always be the case when using xml_text to pass the XML file). This means that all of your panoramas in the tour have to be the same type. I am still looking for a workaround for this; if one can be found, I will find it!
panoType=hideacube -> panoType for "encrypted" cubes with _f.jpg etc suffixes
panoType=hideacube0 -> panoType for "encrypted" cubes with 0.jpg etc suffixes
panoType=hideacube1 -> panoType for "encrypted" cubes with 1.jpg etc suffixes
panoType=hideastripe -> panoType for "encrypted" stripes
panoType=hideamov -> panoType for "encrypted" QTVR .mov files
panoType=hideacylinder -> panoType for "encrypted" cylinders or equirectangulars

Tip: you might want to write up the XML normally, with a normal panoType declaration, test the panorama, and switch the panoType at the end.

Example:

2. The way you embed the tour in the HTML, or load it as a bare .swf in the browser file will change slightly with the "encryption":
if it is embedded in HTML:
OLD embedding code:

NEW "Encryption" embedding code

Notice that this bit, "new SWFObject("shell.swf?fpp=files/files/pano.swf&xml=enc.xml&"..." is different. You are actually embedding shell.swf, and passing the path to pano.swf and the xml file as parameters in the query string, "?fpp=files/files/pano.swf&xml=enc.xml&"

If it is loaded as a bare swf:

OLD: used path to renamed pano.swf file, e.g.: http://www.someserver.com/myGreatTour.swf
NEW: uses path to shell.swf which calls pano.swf, e.g.: http://www.someserver.com/shell.swf?fpp=path/to/pano.swf&xml=myxml.xml&

3. Fire up HideAPano.swf.
3 a. type in an "encryption" key. NOTE: use something good, like "*$&^huey", and not short and simple like "zz"
3 b. type in the LOCAL path to the xml file relative to HideAPano.swf and the name to give the file on uploading it. Click "Encrypt XML and Upload"
3 c. type in the LOCAL path to the panorama image files, leaving off the suffix (exactly as you would with a panoName in the XML), select the appropriate panoType from the dropdown, and type in the panoName the files will be saved under on the server. Click "Encrypt Images and Upload"

Note that you may get errors if you try to save a file under a name is already present on the server. If you do run into this problem, the workaround is use an obscure name, and then rename the file after downloading it.

4. Fire up your favorite browser, Safari, Firefox, etc, and navigate to:
http://advancedvirtualtours.com/amfphp/services/temp/
And download your files!

And last: a screenshot of the utility (yes, I know it's ugly, maybe it'll be pretty-fied in the update)