System and method for automatic generation of image distributions

Abstract

A method and system for automatically producing arrangements of two-dimensional extents in a computer-based editing or animation environment is presented. The method consists of defining a set of objects having two or more dimensions automatically calculating and presenting an arrangement of send objects, and optionally iterating to produce alternative arrangements. The arrangements may use templates to guide the selection of sizes, border colors and transparency, rotation, and other attributes of the contained regions.

1 . A computer-implemented process for generating arrangements of a set of images, wherein there is a number of images in the set, comprising:
 receiving from a user the set of images, wherein the set can contain any number of images,   generating, in a memory of a computer, a collage of the set of images in a plurality of frames, thereby providing a number of frames, by:
 specifying the plurality of frames according to a set of attributes, and setting the number of frames to correspond to the number of images, 
 generating an arrangement of the plurality of frames wherein the plurality of frames fits within an overall dimension defining a border with a uniform distance between all edges of all frames and edges of adjacent frames and the border in the collage, 
 associating each of the images with at least one of the frames, 
 sizing and cropping each image to fit the frame with which it is associated; and 
 rendering the sized and cropped images in the frames to create the collage of the images with a uniform distance between all edges of all images and edges of adjacent images and the border in the collage; and 
   causing the collage to be displayed on a display.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented process of  claim 1 , wherein each image has attributes that are independent of content of the image, and wherein associating an image with a frame is based on matching one or more attributes of the image to one or more attributes of the frame, without requiring analysis of the content of the image. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented process of  claim 1 , wherein images and frames have corresponding attributes, and wherein associating an image to a frame is based on matching one or more attributes of the images to one or more attributes of the frames. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented process of  claim 1 , wherein associating an image with a frame is based on attributes of the images and frames. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented process of  claim 1 , wherein arranging the frames is based on attributes of the frames. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented process of  claim 1 , wherein the arrangement of the plurality of frames is specified by a template having a number of frames, and wherein the number of frames is adjusted to match the number of images. 
     
     
         7 . A computer-implemented method for generating arrangements of a set of images wherein there is a number of images in the set, comprising:
 receiving from a user the set of images,   generating, in a memory of a computer, a first collage of the set of images in a template comprising a plurality of frames by:
 specifying the plurality of frames according to a set of attributes and corresponding in number to the number of images, wherein values used for the set of attributes in the first collage are selected by the computer from within ranges defined for the attributes, 
 generating a first arrangement of the plurality of frames wherein the plurality frames fits within an overall dimension with uniform spacing among the frames, and 
 associating each of the images with at least one of the frames in the first arrangement; 
   causing the first collage to be displayed on a display;   generating, in the memory of the computer, a second collage of the set of images using the same template as the first collage, by:
 specifying the set of attributes of the plurality of frames such that values used for the set of attributes in the second collage are selected by the computer from within ranges defined for the attributes and differ from the values used for the set of attributes in the first collage, 
 generating a second arrangement of the plurality of frames wherein the plurality of frames fits within the overall dimension with uniform spacing among the frames, and 
 associating each of the images with at least one of the frames in the second arrangement; 
 causing the second collage to be displayed on the display; and 
 enabling the user to select at least one of the first and second arrangements. 
   
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein images have attributes that are independent of content of the images, and wherein associating an image with a frame is based on matching one or more attributes of the image to one or more attributes of the frame, without requiring analysis of the content of the image. 
     
     
         9 . The computer implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein generating the second arrangement comprises varying an attribute within a range of values for the attribute. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , wherein varying the attribute comprises varying the attribute in a random fashion. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein images and frames have corresponding attributes, and wherein associating an image to a frame is based on matching one or more attributes of the images to one or more attributes of the frames. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein generating the second arrangement comprises varying an attribute within a range of values for the attribute. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12 , wherein varying the attribute comprises varying the attribute in a random fashion. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein associating an image with a frame is based on attributes of the images and frames, and wherein generating the second arrangement comprises varying one or more of the attributes within ranges of values for the one or more attributes. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 14 , wherein varying the attribute comprises varying the attribute in a random fashion.