The program used by will take a plurality of rectangular images, along with their sizes, and arrange them to fit inside of a rectangular area.
For example, provides collage creation software on its website that allows users to build rectangular collages. Many have also recognized the value of automatically arranging images in a collage, and have made computer programs that create collages automatically on the user's behalf. For shapes other than rectangles and rectangular images, it is currently impossible to fully satisfy both goals. This desire and the desire to avoid extending beyond the shape edge are often in conflict. Similarly, it is desirable to have images covering the entire area of the shape so that the collage resembles the shape. If a shape mask is applied to the collage that cuts off or otherwise occludes images that extend beyond the shape edge, then this reinforces the desire to avoid having images extend beyond the shape edge, as parts extending may be partially or fully hidden from view. Furthermore, it is desirable to allow users of the software to make changes to automatically generated shape collages to customize their display, either by enlarging, shrinking, moving, deleting, rotating/replacing or re-centering individual images without substantially disrupting the look of the collage.ĭuring the process of building a collage of images in a particular shape, it is often desirable to limit the extent to which each image extends beyond the boundary of the shape edge so that the collage more closely resembles the shape. It is therefore desirable to partially or fully automate the process of creating a shape collage with a computer program.
Creating a shape collage by hand requires one to be skilled in the field of image editing, and expend a decent amount of manual effort. Regardless of the eventual embodiment of a shape collage, the process of creating one can be complicated and time-consuming.
One of ordinary skill in the field knows that shaped collage images can be printed on or transferred onto almost any type of object. Shape collages may be visually appealing, whether viewed in digital form on a display, printed on paper, knit into fabric, or displayed on other objects.
This invention generally relates to method, systems and computer program products for creating shape collages and, in particular, to methods, system and computer program products which create shape collages by automatically determining placement of images in the shape collages. 21, 2010, which claims the benefit of U.S. This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S.