Ease of Use:  

“Panorama” has never been associated with ease of use or user-friendliness; in fact, panoramas are more commonly associated with dizziness than anything. Nevertheless, despite the complexity of the finished product, the process itself is fairly simple and, given the software program’s functional focus, one that doesn’t take long to get the hang of. The interface, despite being updated for the 2009 edition, could still use a little work. Nevertheless, it gets the job done.

Import/Export:  

Autodesk Stitcher Unlimited is pretty standard in its import capabilities. Image files can be uploaded from the computer hard drive or through a device connected to a computer. URL images aren’t available, which, though not entirely common in image editing software programs, is always a welcome import path.

Like import, Autodesk Stitcher Unlimited allows users to save finished images to their hard drive using a few different file formats, which can then be used and distributed elsewhere.

File Compatibility:  

Again, Autodesk Stitcher Unlimited is fairly standard, offering compatibility for a few RAW file-types and other gold standard image file formats like JPEG, PNG, TIFF, JPEG2 and others.

Help/Support:  

Autodesk supplies a full user guide and “Getting Started” tutorial as PDF files online, in addition to built in help features and user resources. Autodesk also hosts a knowledgebase with information regarding common issues and topics and hosts forums for discussion between users.

Email information is available, though it seems to be a general account used for all Autodesk products.

For most, Autodesk Stitcher Unlimited falls in the gray area between novelty and occasional utility. But, when placed in the hands of graphic designers, new media artists and others, Autodesk Stitcher Limited has the potential to be a go-to program for manipulating and transforming 2-D photos into 3-D panoramic images. It might not be as useful as, say, Corel Paint Shop Photo Pro X2 or Adobe Photoshop Elements, but like a wedge golf club, does have its well-suited uses and its loyal users.