Find and use Views from the web

Know what to look for

Resolution is required: the image displayed in the Browser must be at least 4,096 × 2,048. A smaller thumbnail does not qualify even when the original image is large enough.

A compatible View is a complete 360° equirectangular panorama. It looks unusually wide and contains the whole sphere in one flat image.

Check	What Locus needs
Shape	Exactly twice as wide as it is tall: a 2:1 equirectangular image.
Minimum size	4,096 × 2,048 pixels. Larger images generally look clearer in Apple Vision Pro; 8K or 12K is preferable when available.
File type	An SDR JPEG, PNG, or HEIC image. HDR, EXR, cube maps, video, and interactive 360° viewers are not View images.
Web source	A public HTTPS image that the page lets Locus read. A thumbnail, private file, canvas, or `blob:` preview may not qualify even when a full-resolution download exists.
Rights	A license or permission that allows your intended use. Being downloadable does not by itself grant permission.

Useful search phrases: “360 equirectangular panorama JPG,” “2:1 skybox,” or “tonemapped HDRI JPEG.” If an HDRI site offers several formats, choose its ordinary tonemapped JPEG rather than an .hdr or .exr file.

Find a full-resolution image

Sites such as Wikimedia Commons and Poly Haven can help you find equirectangular panoramas. Check the individual file's license, dimensions, and format before using it.

Many download pages embed only a small thumbnail or an interactive viewer. That preview will not show Use as View if it is below 4K or is rendered as a canvas. Look for Original file, Full resolution, or a direct JPEG, PNG, or HEIC link. The full image should open by itself in the Browser tab.

Example: a Wikimedia Commons file page may show a 960 × 480 preview even when its Original file is 5,000 × 2,500. The page preview is too small; the Original file qualifies.

Use the image in Locus

Open the page in Locus Browser. Browse normally until you reach the panorama or its download page.
Choose the full-resolution image. If the qualifying image is embedded directly in a page, select the Use as View mark in its corner. Otherwise open the page's Original file or direct image link.
Wait for Locus to inspect it. A qualifying standalone image opens the prompt Use this 360° image as a View? with its filename, host, dimensions, and format.
Choose Apply Preview or Save as View. Both use the pixels already displayed by that Browser tab; Locus does not silently fetch a different file after you confirm.

Preview or save?

Apply Preview Applies the View for this app session only. It does not use an import allowance. Locus keeps the package in temporary storage and removes it automatically.

Save as View… Adds a permanent custom View to your library. The filename is the suggested name, and you can change it before saving. Saving uses an available import and follows your current import entitlement.

After saving, use Edit View in Locus to adjust its starting direction, brightness, contrast, color, Room lighting, and optional sunlight.

If Use as View does not appear

Open the original image rather than the download page's thumbnail.
Confirm that the displayed image is at least 4,096 × 2,048 and exactly 2:1.
Choose a JPEG, PNG, or HEIC instead of HDR, EXR, ZIP, video, or a cube map.
Interactive WebGL, canvas, blob:, sign-in-only, and cross-site-protected previews may not expose reusable image pixels. Use the site's direct public HTTPS image link when it provides one.
If a download button hands the file to another app, return and look for an Original file or full-resolution image link that opens in the current tab.

See the FAQ for short answers about resolution, import allowances, and download behavior.