360 Spin files?

[AVsupport]

Has anyone here yet managed to produce 360 Spin files for square online store? 
Ideally without having to use another subscription platform like Sirv

I am a professional content creator, with all the camera gear, turn tables 3d scanners etc etc and can host myself..

But cannot find good practical content through the Square online help files.

Anyone point me in the right direction @Seamus ?

[Laurie_]

Hey there, @AVsupport 👋,

The method for adding .spin files to your Square Online site is the same as for adding any image, however, I wonder if the image requirements are preventing you from uploading your content.

While you can add .spin files, currently the individual file size cannot exceed 25MB. 

If your file meets the above requirements, can you let me know what happens when you attempt to upload the file? E.g. do you receive an error message?

[AVsupport]

Hi Laurie, thanks for coming to the rescue.

I have created a 360 .spin file in Sirv, downloaded both the .spin and gif. 

But cannot upload the .spin through the online store [edit item] > [item images] as the upload file formats are restricted to JPG and PNG.

I can upload GIF through the [add other media type] but .SPIN is not accepted.

GIF does not have the same image control that spin does, it cannot be controlled with mouse, touch, etc.

I don't want to embed a link, I want to upload.

[Laurie_]

Got it, @AVsupport, and thank you for including this additional detail in your reply!

This is certainly unusual as we mention here that .spin files are supported in the same way. However, in testing this on my end I'm running into similar issues with the file type limitations. 🤔 

What I've done is I have reached out directly to our Square Online team to share this thread and confirm the expected behaviour for .spin files for Australian Sellers. Once I receive a response, I'll circle back to you here with an update (hopefully, to share some good news!).

Given this team is based in the US, it may take up to 48 hours for us to receive a response. Thanks for waiting in the meantime while we look into this for you!

[AVsupport]

Thank you @Laurie_ for moving this forward,

As a Content Creator I am really looking forward to be using this (in the 3 Square stores that I look after), and perhaps even offering this as a service to other AUS/NSW based Square businesses.

Back to the .spin, it is strange that I can upload a GIF but not the SPIN since this is essentially just a GIF with a little more metadata.

I get it that 'someone' perhaps wants to protect their 'invention' and make some extra $ through a subscription service, but in order for faster/wider uptake this shouldn't be a limitation, then everyone wins.  

[Laurie_]

Hello again, @AVsupport 

Thanks for waiting - we've had a few people out of office in Australia so we're just playing a bit of catch-up!

So, when I ran this by the Square Online team they were a little stumped as to why your .spin file would be unsupported for Square Online item images if it's meeting the current image requirements. The only way we'd be able to continue troubleshooting this is to try uploading your .spin file from our side so we can see if the behaviour can be replicated, to give us a better understanding of the issue.

The fastest way to get this looked at would be to call our Support Team so they can have your file submitted to our Square Online team tomorrow. What I'll do is ensure you have access to phone support when calling in over the next 24 hours. You'll be able to call 1800 760 137 between Monday - Friday, 9 am - 5 pm Melbourne time. 

You can mention our conversation here, and request that your case be escalated to the Square Online team so that they can test whether your file can be uploaded. The advocate will need to get you to email a copy of your file during the call.

Let me know how you go with this! 

[AVsupport]

Good on you Laurie, I will give this go! 

Shall report back 😉

Thank you

[AVsupport]

Hi @Laurie_ before I waste valuable time of your team members I've done a little more digging on the home front:

When I inspected the downloaded ZIP file I found the *.spin file only contains references to the images used, no real image data.

As such uploading this wouldn't do anything. All the other images were enclosed alongside. 

I now believe Square Online cannot 'run' a .spin natively on its own servers (as it can with a GIF), however you can embed a HTML link back to Sirv like this one

https://avsupport.sirv.com/Spins/SennheiserMD420/SennheiserMD420.spin

where it's hosted and processed. 

On html import Square checks for links coming from sirv.com, everything else gets rejected. So I guess that's a business partnership right there which is currently limited to that approach. 

Would be great to consider whether this approach could open up pathways for other Content Creators like myself, who could even provide full 3D model images and AR capability served on fast Amazon based servers like in this example here:

https://avsupport.com.au/armodels/cow-block-on-cork-stool/

Here's the 'proof of concept' (containing still, gif and spin) on my wife's online store:

https://miiostore.square.site/product/test-item-sennheiser-md420-spin/518

What do you think?

[Laurie_]

Thanks for doing a bit more digging here on your end, @AVsupport!

You've certainly raised some really good points about the expected behaviour of .spin files running on the Square Online platform. I've passed this on to our team to gather their thoughts on this and to see if they're able to offer any other tips or tricks in the meantime.

I've taken a squiz at your 'proof of concept' via your wife's Square Online site and I think this is looking really great! This .spin file is working nicely for me and it definitely adds to the product experience by being able to view the item in multiple ways. Two thumbs up from my end! 👍 👍

I'll jump back in here once I hear back from my team. 

[Laurie_]

Hey there, @AVsupport,

It seems I've run into a bit of a dead end with my investigation into how .spin files run on the Square Online platform.

What I was able to ascertain from the Square Online team was that .spin files aren't hosted natively through Square Online, however, I'm unsure if we only support links from sirv.com.

I did loop in another team member into this discussion but I'm unsure when I'll receive a response from them. If it is important that you confirm these details, I suggest reaching out to our Support Team so that they can further escalate your questions through their channels. 👍

[AVsupport]

Thanks for the update @Laurie_ appreciated, 

I might have a go at dropping a line at the developers forum, just to see what comes up at that end before I pester the Support Team 😉

Will share info here if something pops up!