Mike Chaney's Tech Corner

I have been sharing an experience with Terry Mann whereby we are using a collage making application called MS Research Collage.
http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/cambridge/projects/autocollage/

It's a bit clunky, but fun as it has a mind of its own with regard to placement and which image butts against which image.
If you run it multiple times, you will get random placements and you just stop when you like one.
Thought I would try to show what I made. My wife likes hers a lot!  ;D

Anyone else like to play with this type of stuff?
It is nice to take a break from single prints.
Fred



(http://wa3ssz.jalbum.net/Fred%27s%20Stuff/slides/mar_AutoCollage_12_Images.jpg)




(http://wa3ssz.jalbum.net/Fred%27s%20Stuff/slides/FRED_AutoCollage_13_Images.jpg)

PBase is broken at present so I can't upload anything.
However, I've attached one below, on an industrial/railway theme, just for something different from pretty birds  ;)

It certainly has  ::) but that makes it entertaining to use.
However, you can apply some manual bias and it has face detection to make sure faces don't get obscured. In many ways it's quite clever because the blurred edge of the "envelope for each image is not rectangular. Look how Fred's white cockatoo head overlaps the image above.
Terry.

Here is another on the theme of a visit to a historical moated house.
Terry.

Now I am insulted.
I have a white Cockatoo head?
Tut Tut Terry.

 :D ;D ::)

Fred/Terry-

Is there a way to turn off the transition blur?   This could make some interesting logos for web sites with font overlays.

A quick look at Options shows a slider to minimize overlap or go the other way.
Maybe Terry has more time right now, but I have to get going. Going out for dinner.

Best,
Fred

No, the user has no control over that at all. The program bases the blur, transparency and transition margin on the images by some clever programming stuff.
Go to:
http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/i3l/autocollage.aspx
Download both the Video and Siggraph talk (ppt) to get an idea of what it does. You need a maths degree for the ppt  ::)
Terry.

I forgot about that. You can alter the relative sizes of images on the collage according to their ranking. That is automatic with some user input available including selecting faces the auto face detection has missed.
It's worth d/l the 30 day trial just for the fun of it.  :D
Terry

Oh, no, not another degree!  My free education benefits from the military ran out already.  I guess that's what happens when they let their programmers write documentation  ;D ;D ;)

I had a look around at some of MS's other projects on imaging etc. I was surprised to see MS have a lot of spare bodies playing with all sorts of stuff.
Terry.

My take on the collage

(http://JeffMilan.zenfolio.com/img/v4/p933505321-5.jpg)

jeff

Jeff,
I see you are using the trial Virgin of the collage application.  ;D

Fred

Fred-

I see by your new picture you are fading  :D :D ;D ;D ;).  You gonna make it?

I can put the old one back, but I live in Southwest Florida, and we never fade. Sunshine all the time (when it isn't raining)   ::)
Keep your eye on this profile picture. It will darken after I am in the sun a little more.  ;D ;D ;D

Fred

Fred

Will purchase full version later, cannot present 'her indoors' with too many card bills at once :)

Jeff

Fred-
Do you have one with your camera pulling your camera strap at a 90-deg angle behind you?  You know, the hurricane shot?  That would be ;D ;D ;D