Overview
This “little bit's” tutorial shows you how to download and open a Pano2VR ggpkg from Facebook into the Garden Gnome Packages App (figure #1)
Note: I’m using an iPhone 11 Pro running iOS 16.11. The package is “Bali to Cairns” and this tutorial was updated on the 19th January 2023
Final Output
Figure #1: Pano2VR Packages App showing the download package “Bali to Cairns” and the tour contained within it.
Overview
In response to a post on the Pano2VR Users Group on Facebook, I posted a link to a test .ggpkg file I’d uploaded to a bucket on S3 and I was curious to see if I could download and publish it directly from the Facebook link.
Well, it turned out a bit more circuitous than I first thought,
So I set up a new post on Red 360 Panoramas to try it out and I grabbed some screens while I was playing around.
If you are looking for the Android version you can find it here
1. Click on the Link
Let’s start with the Facebook post you can find it here
Click on the link (figure #2)
Figure #2: Facebook Post
2. No Internet connection
Now, this screen really surprised me, I wasn’t expecting this at all! (figure #3)
Figure #3: No Internet Connection screen after clicking the link
3. Click 3 Dots in the bottom right
To proceed Click on the three dots on the bottom right corner of the window (figure #4)
Figure #4: Click on the 3 dots
4. Open in Browser
From the dropdown select ‘Open in Browser’ (figure #5)
Figure #5: Dropdown menu
5. Download
When you see the ‘Do you want to download’ message click on Download (figure #6)
Figure #6: Download
6. Downloading
While the file is downloading the arrow in the circle will be highlighted and a loading bar shown underneath it. (figure #7)
Figure #7: Downloading
7. Download Finished
Once the loading is finished the arrow in the circle remains highlighted. (figure #8)
Figure #8: Download finished
8. Open Download Menu
Click on the highlighted arrow in the circle to open the Downloads Menu figure# 9)
Figure #9: Open Download menu
9. Downloads
Click on the Downloads button to open the list of downloads (figure# 10)
Figure #10: Downloads button
10. Select the Download File
Select the downloaded Package File (figure #11)
Figure #11: Select file
9. Share the File
Click on the Share icon in the bottom left corner of the screen (figure #12)
Figure #12: Share the file
10: Select the Destination
From the Share, window select the Package Viewer icon (figure #13)
Figure #13: Select the Destination - Package Viewer
11. Extracting to Package Viewer
The file is now shown as extracting and in a second or two it will open showing the Preview image. (figure #14)
Figure #14: Extracting
12. Loaded
See what I mean about circuitous :-) (figure #15)
Figure #15: Loaded
Package Viewer - Custom Preview (Mac)
If you are using the Garden Gnome Package Viewer I have a tutorial that shows you how to use a custom preview image layout (.psd) that has been designed specifically for the multiple grid sizes available within the Viewer. (figure #16)
Figure #16: Photoshop preview file
The tutorial also shows how to add a custom preview image to the Garden Gnome Package (GGPKG) file.
Summary
I hope you have enjoyed the tutorial and it has helped you to achieve the best possible project outcome. If it has please take a second to consider a donation so that I can continue to add more tutorials.
