LandWalk FAQ
How can LandWalk be most beneficial to me?
Beyond the obvious advantages of visually communicating the type of property you are listing, a potential Buyer can ask to see a particular vantage point or an additional view. YOU can put them right there on the property by adding another ViewPoint per their request. Have them return to your link after you have added the View. Now you can communicate in ways never before available. Still sitting at their computer screen, across the country, you and they can have a meaningful dialogue about your listing
What is a BackGround Image?
A BackGround Image is the first picture you will upload. It is a visual overview of the property in question. Normally that is an aerial photo of the property you are working with. While these are more effective in color, it is acceptable as a black and white picture. You choose the photo you want to use. You can use a Plat or Survey that is black and white, but it first must be converted to a jpg file.
Where do I get my BackGround Image?
If you are a Real Estate professional, you probably use aerial photographs all the time. Your normal source will be fine. (Remember: jpg format works best) One great source is your County GIS data service. These photos, when available, normally have the property lines on them already. Many county GIS websites offer Internet mapping services that include customizable layer options and download capabilities. These sites are typically very user friendly and easy to navigate. Property boundary lines are not absolutely required for a BackGround Image, but they prove to be very helpful.
A quick Internet search will reveal many sites offering aerial imagery, maps and photographs. Not all are available with property or parcel boundaries. Fortunately, there are alternatives. One site that may be utilized is LandVoyage, www.landvoyage.com. This site allows (members) to search by street address, location type, township/section, USGS quad name, UTM coordinates and latitude/longitude. Although no property borders are present by default, LandVoyage offers a polygon tool that allows the user to create a property border and download files in a variety of sizes and formats. For LandWalk purposes, we suggest an 8x8 inch jpg file. (TIPS below for help with sizing)
What are ViewPoints?
ViewPoints are normal, regular everyday digital pictures. Whether you think about it or not, every time you take a picture, you are standing in one particular place, looking one specific direction (unless you have your camera on a stand). This is a ViewPoint; that is, the "view" from that particular "point" of reference.
Where do I get my ViewPoints?
You're in control! YOU take the digital pictures, with your camera. From whatever perspective you want. As many as you like. While your subscription level determines how many can be displayed at one time, it never hurts to have lots of pictures (ViewPoints).
Do I need a special camera?
No, just a digital camera. Almost any recent model will produce photos good enough to create excellent results for your Landwalk Virtual Land Tour.
Are there any TIPS to look out for?
The very first thing you should do is print out a copy of the aerial photo you intend to use for your BackGround Image and carry it with you when you go to take your ViewPoint digital photos. Mark your approximate location on the copy and number the pictures as you take them. Be sure to place an arrow on the copy indicating the direction you were looking when you take each photo.
OK, I have chosen my BackGround Image and my ViewPoints. What's next?
We recommend this: Download those pictures to the computer you will be using to access the Internet. But, before you start, create a Folder (the main folder) to put all the pictures in. Name it something you can easily relate to, such as the property address or owner's name. Next, create two (2) folders inside of this folder: one for the BackGround Image and one folder for the Viewpoints. You can, of course, now copy this 'main folder' anywhere you want and you still have all the current pictures of this property organized in one place. More detailed instructions are available on our Instruction Page.
How do you keep the digital photos (ViewPoints) numbers straight when placing ViewPoints?
Don't worry. This seems like it can be confusing. However, simply number each picture beginning with 1 (one) as you mark the direction you are looking when photographing. Your camera will be sequentially numbering the photos on its own. If, for instance, your first picture ends in xxxxxxx23.jpg, just add 22 in this case (one less than the starting number) to each of your picture numbers when you go to set up your Virtual Land Tour. #1 would be #23, #2 would be #24, #3 would be #25, and so on. Obviously, you could rename the pictures with easily identifiable titles.
I forgot which picture is which when I am placing ViewPoints.
Again, don't worry. Placing the cursor over a picture in the ViewPoint Palette will show you the original number (title) of the picture when it was uploaded. If you have organized the numbers as per the above example, you'll know exactly which photo goes where.
How do I change out my BackGround Image for the same property?
This is easy to do, but can cause some extra work. If you replacing the same property, simply navigate back to the Upload BackGround Image page and go through the Browse and select process just like you did the first time through. The new Image will replace the older one. However, your ViewPoints will likely not match up and you will have to re-place them.
I want to REPLACE on Tour (property) with another. How do I do that?
Navigate back to the Upload BackGround Image page, Browse and find the aerial photo you want to use and select it. Continue on like normal. When you come to the Upload ViewPoints page, you will need to delete all of your current ViewPoints by clidking the "x" box inside the picture. Then Browse and select the ViewPoint pictures you want and they will appear in the ViewPoint Palette.
Does it matter how big my photos are?
Yes and No. Higher resolution digital cameras (6 megapixels and higher) typically have superior picture quality in addition to higher resolution, BUT this can result in slower uploading. With 2 to 4 megapixels of resolution, a very effective LandWalk Virtual Land Tour can be created from your photos.
Is there an optimal picture size?
The size suggested is 1024 x 768 at 72 dpi.
How should I prepare them?
We recommend using picture sizing software (Windows Office Picture Manager works well) to reduce the size of all the pictures to shorten the upload time, many free applications are available on the web. More detailed instructions are available on our Instruction Page. If you use Picture Manager, normally compressing the pictures to no larger than "Document Size" will produce a 1024 x 768 resolution that should work.
How long does it take to create a Landwalk tour?
The process is complete in 4 intuitive web-based steps. A typical tour can be created in less than 10 minutes and can be published to the web instantly with a paid subscription.
Do I need to download or buy any special software?
LandWalk is 100% web-based and is hosted by LandWalk so you do not use up any of your computer's resources. There is no software to buy; however, LandWalk uses Flash to upload photos which is readily available for free downloads and upgrades from the internet.
Password. Are there specific requirements?
Yes, your password must have at least 8 characters. And, it must have at least one alpha character ( a letter of the alphabet) and at least one numeric (a number) or special character (something like these: &,#,>,/,!).
How does someone locate my LandWalk Virtual Land Tour?
As you complete your Tour, a unique link is generated. That means you have your own exclusive address on the world wide web for your Virtual Land Tour. You will receive an email with this link embedded in it. You can forward that email to anyone you like or save it and do so later. Also, you can cut & paste that link and put it in any kind of correspondence. You can embed it on your own website along with information about that particular property. Plus, you can even put it in printed advertising like a magazine or a newspaper ad. For MLS and IDX compliant websites that require non-branded tours, you are provided a separate URL designated as "/non branding". This will remove all branding and contact information associated with that particular tour. Direct contact with prospective clients is provided on your LandWalk Tour header via email as well as a link to your company website. If you do not provide your company URL on the “Registration Page”, a link to your company website is not generated in the header.
Can I change my LandWalk Tour once it is active?
Yes. Your tour is completely editable and available to you 24/7. Editing instructions are included with your standard tour instructions. You may even substitute a new tour for an existing tour within your subscription limits.
What is "ARCHIVE"?
Should you want to keep a property "on file" yet need to take it off line, for any reason and don't want to lose it, click ARCHIVE from you Properties Page. To bring that particular property back "Live" you will need to be in touch with LandWalk directly. We'll be glad to help you out.