Stunning Panoramic Images in Minutes; Enhanced Program Provides the Easiest Way to Create Panoramas for Retail, Travel, eCommerce and Personal Use

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 25, 2002--ArcSoft Inc., a leading provider of software for digital media creation, enhancement, management, presentation and distribution, today announced the release of Panorama Maker(TM) 3.0, an upgraded version of its popular program that transforms a series of photos into seamless panoramic images. Panorama Maker 3.0 enables computer system, digital camera, scanner, printer and consumables vendors to offer their customers the ability to create panoramic images in minutes. The program features an intuitive interface, enhanced automated stitching technologies, powerful photo-editing tools and various export options.

"Manufacturers are looking to include more functionality in their digital imaging devices," says Jonathan Snyder, ArcSoft product manager. "Panorama Maker enables them to offer even the most novice user the ability to create a range of panoramic images for business or personal use -- all in a matter of minutes."

To create a panorama, images can be acquired directly from any TWAIN-compliant device, or from files stored on a hard drive, floppy disk, CD or other removable media. After users drag and drop photos onto the Storyboard, Panorama Maker automatically matches the overlapping areas of the photos to quickly and seamlessly stitch them together.

Panorama Maker's automated photo warping, alignment and color blending save time and produce high-quality results. In addition, the program's manual adjust controls allow the user to refine complicated stitches by hand for enhanced control. New enhancements provide automatic de-ghosting, advanced color enhancing and improved 360(Degree) wrapping for superior quality in the least amount of time.

A built-in photo album allows users to open, manage and preview photos and panoramas on the desktop. The editing tools let users adjust brightness and contrast, crop and rotate before or after creating a panorama.

Panorama Maker 3.0 is faster and more accurate than other stitching products on the market and provides a variety of panorama options, including:

-- Horizontal Panoramas -- Users can create visually striking

landscape panoramas from a series of side-by-side photos. Ideal for photos of sunsets, crowds, landscapes, athletic events, or anything too long to fit in a single frame.

-- Vertical Panoramas -- Allows users to build vertical panoramas from a series of top-to-bottom photos. The vertical option is perfect for shots of tall landmarks, commercial real estate, or anything else too tall to fit into a single frame.

-- Tile-style Panoramas -- Users can quickly make a large image from a series of smaller ones in a tile-like order. This type of panorama works well for creating a high-resolution photo from a series of low-resolution originals or for creating fish-eye effects without expensive lenses or professional know-how.

-- 360-degree Panoramas -- Enables people to easily create surround-view 360-degree files. This type of panorama is perfect for showcasing products and locations over the Web. These panoramas can be viewed using the standard QuickTime player or by using VRML plug-ins for Web browsers.

The program includes a wide variety of ways to share panoramas. For example, users can save panoramas in popular image file formats (JPEG, BMP, TIF, etc.), output HTML or QuickTime files to post a panorama on the Web, copy panoramas to presentations and other documents, or print panoramas on a single page, multiple pages or Z-fold banner paper.

System Requirements

Windows: Macintosh:

-- Windows 98/ME/2000/XP -- Macintosh OS 8.6/9/X -- Pentium-based PC or equivalent -- Power PC -- 50 MB free hard disk space -- 30 MB free hard disk space -- 32 MB RAM (64 MB recommended) -- 64 MB RAM -- 16-bit (or higher) color display -- 16-bit (or higher) color display -- CD-ROM drive -- CD-ROM drive *T

Pricing and Availability

Panorama Maker 3.0 is available now to ArcSoft's OEM customers. Pricing varies depending upon the licensing agreement. More information is available at www.arcsoft.com

About ArcSoft

ArcSoft is an international leader in providing interactive digital media software for the desktop, embedded systems, mobile devices, and server infrastructures. Founded in 1994 and based in Fremont, CA, ArcSoft's customers include leading global digital camera, printer, scanner, computer and consumer electronic manufacturers, as well as millions of licensed users. Today, the company has research and development centers in California's Silicon Valley and Hangzou, China, as well as sales and support offices in Asia, Europe and the Americas. For more information, visit www.arcsoft.com.