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Author Topic: How to create a mosaic in PS?  (Read 3542 times)

feppe

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How to create a mosaic in PS?
« on: March 21, 2010, 09:31:14 pm »

I have 400 or so images of 50x50 pixels each with uniform color, and I would like to create a mosaic of them, 20 rows and 20 columns. Order doesn't matter, but I'd like to have them in one image. I can't figure out how I could do this in PS with an action - any tips?

I've averaged the colors for each of my highest-rated photos, and am curious to see what the resulting mosaic tells about the palette I use.

capital

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How to create a mosaic in PS?
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2010, 03:04:06 am »

Quote from: feppe
I have 400 or so images of 50x50 pixels each with uniform color, and I would like to create a mosaic of them, 20 rows and 20 columns. Order doesn't matter, but I'd like to have them in one image. I can't figure out how I could do this in PS with an action - any tips?

I've averaged the colors for each of my highest-rated photos, and am curious to see what the resulting mosaic tells about the palette I use.

The easiest way would to go about it would be to make a photo contact sheet.

File > Automate > Contact Sheet II

(you might need to install this plugin from your install disk)
« Last Edit: March 25, 2010, 03:04:53 am by capital »
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Dick Roadnight

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How to create a mosaic in PS?
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2010, 09:31:00 am »

You could just create an empty picture 1,000 pixels square and paste them in, but getting them lined up pixel perfect would be a pain.

Do you want an space between the pictures?

It might be easier to do this in a program like Adobe illustrator or even Microsoft word.
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bill t.

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How to create a mosaic in PS?
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2010, 12:42:23 pm »

Well I think feppe wants to completely automate the process.

If one is willing to place each 50 pixel square manually, there is a good way to do it that takes advantage of Photoshop Snap so you don't have to exactly position each square.

Eidt->Preferences->Guides, Grids & Slices

Set "Gridline every 50 pixels" and "Subdivisions 1".

Create a new file 1000 x 1000 pixels.

Press " Ctrl + ' " to display the gridlines.

Make sure View->Snap is selected and that View->SnapTo includes at least "Grid".

Set the Select Tool for "Fixed Size" and "Width: 50 px" and "Height: 50 px".

Now open up a few of your source files at a time.  Place the selection square over the desired piece of the image and Ctrl-C.

Drag the selected bit over to the grid, and drop it.  It should snap into place.  With no apoplectic micro-positioning needed.

Now the problem is you get new layer for piece you drop.  That means you can easily rearrange the grid, but it also means you will wind up with 401 layers.  So every so often you may want to merge the layer stack down to a single layer.  Or go crazy.

You can also get borders if you maybe you Grid a little bigger than your image squares, and have a colored background at the bottom of all the layers.

Man, this is SO BAUHAUS and SO EAMES!  I just love it, gotta do some of these.

But it's not exactly what feppe wanted, sorry.



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feppe

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How to create a mosaic in PS?
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2010, 01:15:40 pm »

Thanks for the tips. The Contact Sheet tip prompted me to try LR, and its contact sheet worked pretty nicely.

Attached the averaged color of each of my highest-rated (by me) photos, excluding portraits. Second file is the same created from a bunch of random shots downloaded from the internet.

Not sure what it says, though  The main difference is that my colors are darker, which is not surprising as a significant portion of my photography is done in low-light or at night.

bill t.

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« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2010, 06:58:53 pm »

OK, what's the average of the averaged colors?  Would also be interesting to arrange the averages in the order of color and/or density.  Or map the colorspace defined by your averages against the colorspace mapped by the web or the real world or such, like you can do for ICC profiles...



Or map your average colorspace against those of various other photographers.

And should you include the average of the averages in the matrix of averages?  Oh never mind.
« Last Edit: March 25, 2010, 07:00:40 pm by bill t. »
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feppe

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« Reply #6 on: March 25, 2010, 08:01:15 pm »

Quote from: bill t.
OK, what's the average of the averaged colors?  Would also be interesting to arrange the averages in the order of color and/or density.  Or map the colorspace defined by your averages against the colorspace mapped by the web or the real world or such, like you can do for ICC profiles...

Or map your average colorspace against those of various other photographers.

And should you include the average of the averages in the matrix of averages?  Oh never mind.

That's exactly what would be nice to do, if there were tools more easily adaptable to such analysis..

BradSmith

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« Reply #7 on: March 27, 2010, 12:02:18 pm »

A gray card??........Oh, never mind.
 
Quote from: bill t.
OK, what's the average of the averaged colors?  ........... Oh never mind.
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Rob C

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« Reply #8 on: May 05, 2010, 05:33:40 pm »

I have a very similar problem which I have dealt with before, but am finding impossible to manage now. I don't know why.

I have two photographs that I want to combine into a single picture showing the two individual shots side-by-side. This is what I have been trying to do:

1.    I get both images into Pshop;
2.    the first one has had an extended canvas built around it into which I want to incorporate the second image;
3.    the second image is actually a mirror of the first one but without the added canvas;
4.    I make the second image the live one;
5.    I Select All;
6.    I then drag that second image into the space here I want it within the added canvas area of the first image;
7.    it then seems impossible to stick them together in that position.

Why can't I do this when I have put two images together successfully before? I think one of them was two self-portraits-in-one that I posted here on LuLa some time ago.

Rob C

EDIT:

I have gone about this another way, on advice, and what I did was create a New Image, big enough to fit both my shots, as a white background. I then brought the two images onto that new background and positioned them as required. The problem is then how to Flatten?

I have gone up to the Toolbar and when I hit Layers, the Flatten bit is greyed out; trying the tiny icons at the bottom of the small Layers box that you can slide around the screen provides no joy either - the closest I can see to anything that sounds remotely like Flatten is that little chain icon that promises to lock the layers together. I even tried that, but nothing changes.

Is it me or the machine?
« Last Edit: May 06, 2010, 05:47:31 am by Rob C »
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Dick Roadnight

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How to create a mosaic in PS?
« Reply #9 on: May 06, 2010, 10:14:21 am »

Rob...

If you create a new image, and then paste the two images into it, do they go into the same layer, or into different layers?

Was the "flatten" option greyed cos both images were in the same layer?
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Steve Weldon

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How to create a mosaic in PS?
« Reply #10 on: May 06, 2010, 01:34:36 pm »

Quote from: feppe
I have 400 or so images of 50x50 pixels each with uniform color, and I would like to create a mosaic of them, 20 rows and 20 columns. Order doesn't matter, but I'd like to have them in one image. I can't figure out how I could do this in PS with an action - any tips?

I've averaged the colors for each of my highest-rated photos, and am curious to see what the resulting mosaic tells about the palette I use.
Is there any other use for this mosaic?  For instance, you can use many small images to 'show' a bigger image.  

There used to be specialized software for this.  Then, most of it was pulled over a copyright/patent issue.. and as far as I know there is only one left available.  It works.. but takes a grunch of computer power.

Link..
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Rob C

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How to create a mosaic in PS?
« Reply #11 on: May 06, 2010, 02:29:45 pm »

Quote from: Dick Roadnight
Rob...

If you create a new image, and then paste the two images into it, do they go into the same layer, or into different layers?

Was the "flatten" option greyed cos both images were in the same layer?


Hi Dick,

Thanks for the suggestion,  but I have been hit with a fresh glitch: the cloning brush now refuses to show the size of the brush head - it remains a small cross hair thing or even a circle that never grows regardless of what size of brush I dial in. Even a 500 brush looks tiny. I think it must be the machine. I shall disinstall PS and reinstall and see if it works as it used to again. Or take up the bottle.

Rob C

Les Sparks

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How to create a mosaic in PS?
« Reply #12 on: May 06, 2010, 04:08:47 pm »

Quote from: Rob C
I have a very similar problem which I have dealt with before, but am finding impossible to manage now. I don't know why.


Rob C



I have gone about this another way, on advice, and what I did was create a New Image, big enough to fit both my shots, as a white background. I then brought the two images onto that new background and positioned them as required. The problem is then how to Flatten?

I have gone up to the Toolbar and when I hit Layers, the Flatten bit is greyed out; trying the tiny icons at the bottom of the small Layers box that you can slide around the screen provides no joy either - the closest I can see to anything that sounds remotely like Flatten is that little chain icon that promises to lock the layers together. I even tried that, but nothing changes.

Is it me or the machine?


EDIT:I just tried your procedure with CS-4 64 on Windows 7. Steps
1.File New to create new blank image (set color to RGB andbits to 16) (don't know if this is really necessary)
2. Bring in two photos and size (image size) accordingly
3. Make photo 1 the active photo
4. Select everything thing (Select all)
5. Copy (Edit copy)
6. Make the blank image the active image
7. Paste the photo 1 into the blank image (edit paste)
8. Repeat for the second photo
9. With the image that now contains the two photos active layer flatten image. Nothing is grayed out. Same works for CS5.
I have seen the layer flatten image grayed out when I forgot to make the image the active image. Just clicking anywhere on the image fixed the problem.
I've seen the disappearing brush problem and have always been able to get things back to normal by exiting photoshop and then running it again. Never had to reinstall.
Ain't computers wonderful? Biggest time sink ever invented.
Les
« Last Edit: May 06, 2010, 04:10:19 pm by Les Sparks »
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Les Sparks

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How to create a mosaic in PS?
« Reply #13 on: May 06, 2010, 04:20:14 pm »

Quote from: Rob C
Hi Dick,

Thanks for the suggestion,  but I have been hit with a fresh glitch: the cloning brush now refuses to show the size of the brush head - it remains a small cross hair thing or even a circle that never grows regardless of what size of brush I dial in. Even a 500 brush looks tiny. I think it must be the machine. I shall disinstall PS and reinstall and see if it works as it used to again. Or take up the bottle.

Rob C
Is your cap lock key on? If not then check out these suggestions to see if any of them solve your brush problems
vanishing brush size in Photoshop
brush size acting up (Mac)

Hope these help.
A bit of unblended Scotch is always a good answer to any computer problem.
Les
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Rob C

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« Reply #14 on: May 06, 2010, 04:20:52 pm »

Les

Thanks for your time - I have also done what you have just suggested (regarding brushes) and didn't uninstall either, and the brushes came back to normal just by shutting down and then restarting. However, I have never seen the phenomenon before. And hope not to again!

I'll try your detailed sytem of merging two images next.

Rob C
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