Microsoft ICE - Free Panorama Stitching Software

[Chris]

Microsoft ICE (Interactive Composite Editor) has been previously mentioned on this forum a few times. It's a free panorama stitching software worth having. When I have a panorama to stitch, my first choice is either Lightroom 6 or Photoshop Elements 2020. However, there are occasions when I get an error message that the panorama can't be stitched. Then I try Microsoft ICE, and it succeeds where other programs fail.

Below is a case in point. It is a 7 frame panorama from my film days. Previously, I had to cut out the prints and stick them together. Now in the digital age there are easier methods. PE Elements could not stich it. Microsoft ICE worked great the first time.




Evidently "Microsoft ICE" can no longer be downloaded from the official Microsoft download page. (It says "Archived").
www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/product/computational-photography-applications/?from=https://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/redmond/projects/ice/&type=exact


However, if you search, you can find alternative sites.

Microsoft ICE 64 Bit 
web.archive.org/web/20190223050207/https://download.microsoft.com/download/7/3/9/73918E0B-C146-40FA-B18C-EADF03FEC4BA/ICE-2.0.3-for-64-bit-Windows.msi

Microsoft ICE 32 Bit
web.archive.org/web/20190309221948/https://download.microsoft.com/download/A/7/8/A7804C73-ECDB-4459-BB3E-A7F13C4C5382/ICE-2.0.3-for-32-bit-Windows.msi


Kind regards
Chris

[Peterj]

100% agree, Normally I use On1 to automatically stitch raw panos but when that fails ICE is second in line. There's only a slight disadvantage in that ICE doesn't process raw files.

[pontiac1940]

Thanks Chris and Peterj. I have used it for years. About 4 years ago, I had forgotten about it and Peter reminded me. 

ICE is great software! As noted, it will stitch when others fail. The best feature is is ability to stich photos taken in a grid. This has two advantages. 1) I often walk with just a telephoto lens so I can take a scenery shot by taking many photos in a grid and 2) It effectively can convert your 24-MP camera into a 200-MP camera and you could make a print a large enough to fit in huge wall...if you wanted. 

When shooting a grid, I try to pre-think how the grid with be shot. I shoot with 30 to 50% overlap. The camera should be set on M mode including ISO and WB...100% manual: speed, aperture, ISO and WB. When the raw images are opened in ACR they are all adjusted the same (levels etc). When opened in PSE they are reduced in size (process multiple files) for the stitch but they could be left as original size.  

This is a 9-shot grid image.  


Helps to be crazy. I was walking in the valley and was smitten by this scene (as ordinary as it is) and took 60 (yes, 60) images with the 200-600-mm lens set to 200 mm focal length. 

[BuckSkin]

Mar 22, 2023 13:58:05 GMT Chris said:

Microsoft ICE (Interactive Composite Editor)

Thank you; if you hadn't made mention, I probably would have waited until it vanquished forever.

When I clicked the link, it immediately downloaded with no further hassle whatsoever from the WayBack Machine.

Version 2.0.3 ; it says Content Created 21-June-1999; not that it matters to me, if it works it works, is that the most recent version ?

[Chris]

Mar 22, 2023 17:09:40 GMT BuckSkin said:

Mar 22, 2023 13:58:05 GMT Chris said:

Microsoft ICE (Interactive Composite Editor)

Thank you; if you hadn't made mention, I probably would have waited until it vanquished forever.

When I clicked the link, it immediately downloaded with no further hassle whatsoever from the WayBack Machine.

Version 2.0.3 ; it says Content Created 21-June-1999; not that it matters to me, if it works it works, is that the most recent version ?

Buckskin, I guess version 2.0.3 must be the latest version.1999 must be an error. According to Cnet, version 1.4.4 dates to May-June 2011. So version 2.0.3 must be later.
download.cnet.com/Image-Composite-Editor-64-Bit/3000-2192_4-75207152.html


Kind regards 
Chris

* PS On some computers, Photoshop Elements may find it difficult to work with enormous files. In the example I posted above the original jpg was 4000 x 30,000 pixels. In order to do do some tweaking in PS Elements I had to downsize by 50%.