---
title: Cubic panoramas
framework: QuickTime File Format
role: collectionGroup
path: quicktime-file-format/cubic_panoramas
---

# Cubic panoramas

A panorama represented by six faces of a cube, so the viewer can see all the way up and down.

## Overview

Overview important: VR Media is deprecated in the QuickTime file format. The information that follows documents existing content containing VR Media and should not be used for new development. A new type of panorama was introduced in the current version of QuickTime: the cubic panorama. This panorama in its simplest form is represented by six faces of a cube, thus enabling the viewer to see all the way up and all the way down. The file format and the cubic rendering engine actually allow for more complicated representations, such as special types of cubes with elongated sides or cube faces made up of separate tiles. Atoms that describe the orientation of each face allow for these nonstandard representations. If these atoms are not present, then the simplest representation is assumed. The following describes this simplest representation: a cube with six square sides. Tracks in a cubic movie are laid out as they are for cylindrical panoramas. This includes a QTVR track, a panorama track, and an image track. Optionally, there may also be a hot spot track and a fast-start preview track. The image, hot spot, and preview tracks are all standard QuickTime video tracks.

## Topics

### Storing cubic image nodes

- [Image tracks in cubic nodes](quicktime-file-format/image_tracks_in_cubic_nodes.md)

## See Also

### Media data atom types

- [Sprite media](quicktime-file-format/sprite_media.md)
- [Sprite track properties](quicktime-file-format/sprite_track_properties.md)
- [Sprite track media format](quicktime-file-format/sprite_track_media_format.md)
- [Sprite media atom and data types](quicktime-file-format/sprite_media_atom_and_data_types.md)
- [Sprite button behaviors](quicktime-file-format/sprite_button_behaviors.md)
- [QT atom container description key](quicktime-file-format/qt_atom_container_description_key.md)
- [Sprite media handler track properties QT atom container format](quicktime-file-format/sprite_media_handler_track_properties_qt_atom_container_format.md)
- [Sprite media handler sample QT atom container formats](quicktime-file-format/sprite_media_handler_sample_qt_atom_container_formats.md)
- [Wired action grammar](quicktime-file-format/wired_action_grammar.md)
- [Tween media](quicktime-file-format/tween_media.md)
- [3D media](quicktime-file-format/3d_media.md)
- [VR media](quicktime-file-format/vr_media.md)
- [Node parent atom](quicktime-file-format/node_parent_atom.md)
- [Node location atom structure](quicktime-file-format/node_location_atom_structure.md)
- [Custom cursor atom](quicktime-file-format/custom_cursor_atom.md)