Guides·2026-09-13·5 min read

360° Panorama vs AI Video: Which Should You Send a Client?

Compare viewer control, model accuracy, output formats and credit use for architectural panoramas and short AI videos.

Choose a 360° panorama when the client should decide where to look from one position. Choose a short AI video when you want to direct their attention through a timed sequence. Use a real-time model viewer when they need to navigate the building freely or inspect dimensions.

QuestionMaquete panoramaMaquete AI video
Who chooses the view?The client rotates around a fixed positionThe exported clip sets the motion and timing
Starting pointComplete surroundings captured from SketchUpAn approved rendered image
OutputInteractive 4K panorama; equirectangular image downloadShort video clip
Current credit use2 credits4 credits for 5 seconds; 8 for 10 seconds
Best useInspecting finishes and spatial context around the viewerA directed presentation or short social clip
Main review riskSeams, stretched areas and altered details around the sphereGeometry drift, invented hidden surfaces and inconsistent motion
Free movement through a model?NoNo

Compare real examples

Explore the apartment and cabana panoramas. Rotate away from the opening view and inspect the ceiling, floor and wall junctions. This is the value of the format: the client can spend longer on a particular area.

Watch the bathroom video. Follow the movement and inspect the vanity, shower and reflections as the clip progresses. Video offers a controlled presentation, but a convincing opening frame does not establish that every later frame is correct.

These examples come from different scenes. They illustrate the formats; they are not a controlled comparison of quality or fidelity on the same room.

A simple decision for your next presentation

For a material review, prepare a panorama and ask the client to identify the finish and location in their feedback. For a short introduction to the design, send a video with a clear opening composition. For decisions about dimensions, access or construction, return to the model and drawings.

You can include both a panorama and a video in a presentation, but approve the design in the stills first. Otherwise you may spend credits presenting an image that still needs correction. The SketchUp panorama guide explains camera preparation; the render-to-video workflow explains the video sequence.

What should accompany the link?

Name the project and design revision, state what the client is being asked to review, and distinguish a visual proposal from a technical drawing. For example: “Living room, revision B — please review the timber and stone palette. Drag to look around. Dimensions remain as shown in the drawing set.” This is an example review brief, not a customer quotation.

What should you check before sending?

For a panorama, rotate through the entire sphere. For video, watch the full clip at normal speed and pause at the start, midpoint and end. Check doors, windows, furniture counts, material boundaries and reflections against the source. Generative outputs require review in both formats.

Compare Maquete plans and credits, create a panorama, or explore architectural video.

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