Photo Fun - Single Picture Collage Effect

Just a little photo fun using Xara Xtreme to create a collage from a single picture. Did I mention that it's also very easy to do. The secret to the effect is using the ClipView Tool (Q) to combine 4 rectangles with 4 separate copies of the original photograph. Add a thick line for the photo borders, then rotate and position the four ClipView objects to your liking. You're all done unless you want to add a background image or shape, drop shadows, or other effects. Pretty nifty, eh?

Why not give it a try,
HayTay

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That is a very nice effect :) especially overlayed on a desaturated, out of focus copy of the image.

Thanks Ampa! Very observant of you to notice the zoomed in, out of focus, and desaturated background image.

Actually, I was just observing my handiwork in Xtreme when it occurred to me that this 'collage' effect is really a 'puzzle' effect. It's just that the pieces don't have any interlocking tabs and they were given a border. It's still a cool effect in my book.

I like it very much. Would be excellent for scrapbooking or a travel log page.

Or ... group four rectangles, fill with an image from bitmap gallery (think it works from Windows Explorer too) and ungroup. :)

Great tip John http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/icons/icon14.gif
Works very well, thanks. :D

Attachment 62462

Thanks Harry for starting the idea off.

Some great ideas. It's good to celebrate what Xtreme can do.
Saludos,
Bob.

> Nancy - You're right, I can 'picture' this technique being used for scrapbooking and in the travel industry.

> John - That makes the collage effect even easier to produce, thanks.

> Steve - You're welcome.

> Bob - The added effect of the skewed rectangles is a nice touch.

Tiled 50px rectangles with a .25px white line border given the above treatment, then the extrude tool used to alter angles and lighting. Drop shadow added.

Would make an impressive wall hanging given the right treatment.

Attachment 62465

Now that tile effect is looking superb... if only it moved!

Waht teh? Real nice indeed. I think this effect works better with inanimate objects than with the living. Something about the dismembering process...
Sledge, can you break it down to one or two more intermediate steps, like how you filled each individual rectangle? Was it select-all-rectangles, then apply clipview with the photo below?

Import the image and cut it [image goes to the bitmap gallery]. Select all the rectangles and group them. Select image in bitmap gallery and click 'Fill' :)

This doesn't have to be limited to rectangles...

... and hexagons can be used for links too ... :)

Angelize, you need a cherry pie for the picture :)

Just messin' about...

Attachment 62481

I was not able to do it the way HayTay said (or what I thought he said) but I did it the way John mentions. I also added the 3D that Sledge mentions. Looks very cool. Used an old pic of grapes and pears....boring.

Steve, very cool effect.

That's a great time-saver, John (post #12). I used that method for the attached. With an appropriate background and a glow shadow, I made this swift window effect.
Saludos,
Bob.

Haytay/sledger, would you mind posting the .xar files in order to break apart and learn from. Thanks Brad!

While browsing through a JCPenny store today my eyes were drawn to an advertisement hanging on the wall using this very same technique. Theirs used a single photo split between a 2 x 6 matrix of squares.

> Steve - Awesome use of this technique on the airplane. I can 'picture' all of the little squares dangling by fishing line in an aerospace museum somewhere.

> John - I was working on a photo divided between a number of hexagons, also. Alas, you beat me to it. Nicely done. I may finish the one I was working on, or maybe not.

> Frances - You're right, of course. It doesn't have to be squares, rectangles, hexagons, or pie slices. As a matter of fact it can be a hodge-podge collection of numerous shapes. Good job on the flower pie, though.

> Bob - Leave it to you to come up with an easy way to do windows. And they look so clean!

> Nancy and Brad - Since I created the effect a different way, and you're having trouble duplicating it, and since you asked so nicely, and I'm feeling generous, here's the .XAR file so you can rip it apart. Remember, I used ClipView (Q) to create the 4 tiles. If you want to Remove the ClipView operation it is Arrange > Remove ClipView (Alt+Q). As previously mentioned, John's method is much quicker. You'll also get to see how I made all of the tiles appear to be in front of and behind the two adjacent tiles. ;)

Good job all,
Harry

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HayTay

...I was working on a photo divided between a number of hexagons, also. Alas, you beat me to it...

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I cheated a bit Harry! One I made earlier - a couple of months ago :D Aridzone had the idea to use the hexagons for a template design and I changed the pic and turned the hexagons into links for a website idea, the .web is here post#46 if you want to have a look. :)

EDIT The .web is a bit large, but there's a working mock-up here :) MouseOver's and basic links work.

Thank you HayTay!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by neodeist

I cheated a bit Harry! One I made earlier - a couple of months ago :D Aridzone had the idea to use the hexagons for a template design and I changed the pic and turned the hexagons into links for a website idea

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Hah! I see how you are. Seriously, though, very clean and neat. Bang up job, John.

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Originally Posted by Burpee

Thank you HayTay!

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You are most welcome. I hope you learned something by ripping my file apart. Nothing really amazing but I do like a good ClipView operation. That's one tool I probably use, abuse, misuse and over use. As you can plainly see by my file.

Later,
Harry

I know it isn't hexagons, but here are several different effects combined with a single photo collage to make a framed print.

Breakin' up (photos) is fu-un to do-oo,
Harry

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Neat image Harry! :)

Haytay, I got it now. You only need to make one clipview, 1/4th the size of the image, and copy it 3 times. I can then move the photo around inside the clipview to position it where I want. Think that's it.

Very pretty 'window' flowers you made there.

Nancy,

There you go. Now you've got the hang of it! ClipView is one of the cooler tools in Xara Xtreme. Like I said, I probably overuse it, but who cares as long as it gets the job done.

I'm glad you liked the sunflowers. :)

Check out the next one...,
Harry

I had some serious photo fun with this one. I combined the Single Picture Collage effect with some OOB (Out-Of-Bounds/Out-Of-Border) Photo manipulation to produce the attached image.

For more fun with OOBing check out Meia's OOBing Thread. Burpee even has an OOB submission or two there that she's probably forgotten about. ;)

Way too :cool:,
Harry

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Neat! :) Lots of work in that ;)

Thanks for reminding me of that thread. It was one of my favorites and everyone did such cool work for it. Well worth a second 'look-see'. I like the rocket too....where'd you get such a great pic to work with? Were you there to snap it?

Hay Tay, it's been fun to follow this thread. I discovered today that I can also do this in CorelDRAW, which I use a lot. I will have to see if I can play around with a rocket style image like yours. Everyones stuff look so good.

Chuck

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Originally Posted by neodeist

Neat! :) Lots of work in that ;)

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You bet! It isn't too bad, though, once you've honed your vector masking skills.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Burpee

Thanks for reminding me of that thread. It was one of my favorites and everyone did such cool work for it. Well worth a second 'look-see'. I like the rocket too....where'd you get such a great pic to work with? Were you there to snap it?

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You're welcome, Nancy. I'm sure we'll see a few more additions to the OOBing thread now that I've caused it to resurface. ;)

As to the pictures, if you don't have any sitting on your digital camera, you can find some great photographs at stock.xchng vi. You need to check before using the pictures, but they have a very liberal licensing on most of the available photos:

You may use the Image:

• In digital format on websites, multimedia presentations, broadcast film and video, cell phones.
• In printed promotional materials, magazines, newspapers, books, brochures, flyers, CD/DVD covers, etc.
• Along with your corporate identity on business cards, letterhead, etc.
• To decorate your home, your office or any public place.

Here's the link to the Boeing CIM-10A "BOMARC" 1 I used in the OOB Photo Collage.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TXchuck2u

Hay Tay, it's been fun to follow this thread. I discovered today that I can also do this in CorelDRAW, which I use a lot. I will have to see if I can play around with a rocket style image like yours. Everyones stuff look so good.

Chuck

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Chuck,

Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying it. I look forward to seeing your contribution(s) to this subject. Be warned... once you start, it's hard to stop. Be sure to browse around on stock.xchng vi. I'm sure you can find something to your liking there that will lend itself to a Single Photo Collage, OOBing, or both! I posted the link to the 'rocket style image' in my reply to Nancy (above) if you want to play around with the same one I used.

Now that everyone has a good photo source, let's see what you can do,
Harry

Great tip John.

Rupert