Mosaic Art Generator

Appearance

Examples and Tutorials ​

This section provides step-by-step examples for common use cases and creative applications of the GUI application.

Basic Examples ​

Example 1: Your First Mosaic ​

Goal: Create a simple mosaic using default settings

Materials Needed:

  • 1 target image (photo or artwork)
  • 100+ material images (photos, screenshots, artwork)

Steps:

  1. Launch the GUI

    bash
    ./target/release/mosaic-gui

  2. Select Files

    • Click "Browse" next to "Target Image"
    • Select your main image (e.g., portrait.jpg)
    • Click "Browse" next to "Material Directory"
    • Select folder containing your tile images
    • Click "Browse" next to "Output Path"
    • Choose save location (e.g., my-first-mosaic.png)

  3. Basic Settings

    • Keep "Auto-calculate grid from total tiles" checked
    • Set "Total tiles" to 1000
    • Click "Calculate Grid"
    • Result: Approximately 42×24 grid

  4. Generate

    • Click "Generate Mosaic"
    • Wait for completion (1-5 minutes)
    • View your result!

Expected Results:

  • Processing time: 1-5 minutes
  • Output size: Similar to target image dimensions
  • Quality: Good balance of detail and recognizability

Example 2: High-Quality Portrait ​

Goal: Create a detailed portrait mosaic with optimal settings

Materials Needed:

  • High-resolution portrait (1920×1080 or higher)
  • 500+ diverse material images
  • Powerful computer (8GB+ RAM)

Steps:

  1. File Selection

    • Target: High-resolution portrait
    • Materials: Diverse collection with good color variety
    • Output: PNG format for best quality

  2. Grid Settings

    • Enable auto-calculate
    • Set total tiles to 2500
    • Calculated grid: ~67×37

  3. Advanced Settings (Click ► to expand)

    • Max materials: 800
    • Color adjustment: 0.4
    • Max usage per image: 2
    • Adjacency penalty weight: 0.4
    • Enable optimization: Yes
    • Optimization iterations: 1500

  4. Generate and Review

    • Enable verbose logging for detailed progress
    • Processing time: 5-15 minutes
    • Final result: High-detail portrait with minimal repetition

Expected Results:

  • Very detailed facial features
  • Smooth color transitions
  • Minimal tile repetition
  • Professional-looking result

Example 3: Landscape Mosaic ​

Goal: Create a landscape mosaic emphasizing natural patterns

Materials Needed:

  • Landscape photograph (mountain, ocean, forest)
  • Nature-themed material images
  • Medium-powered computer

Steps:

  1. File Selection

    • Target: Landscape with clear horizon and sky
    • Materials: Nature photos (trees, clouds, water, rocks)
    • Output: JPG format for smaller file size

  2. Grid Settings

    • Enable auto-calculate
    • Set total tiles to 1800
    • Calculated grid: ~57×32

  3. Advanced Settings

    • Max materials: 600
    • Color adjustment: 0.5 (higher for natural blending)
    • Max usage per image: 3
    • Adjacency penalty weight: 0.2 (lower for natural clustering)
    • Enable optimization: Yes
    • Optimization iterations: 1200

  4. Review Results

    • Sky should blend smoothly
    • Natural textures in terrain
    • Organic-looking patterns

Expected Results:

  • Natural-looking texture variations
  • Smooth sky gradients
  • Realistic terrain representation
  • 3-8 minutes processing time

Creative Applications ​

Example 4: Artistic Style Transfer ​

Goal: Create an artistic mosaic that mimics a specific art style

Materials Needed:

  • Target image (any subject)
  • Material images from specific art movement (e.g., impressionist paintings)
  • Creative eye for artistic effect

Steps:

  1. Curate Materials

    • Collect 200-400 images from chosen art style
    • Ensure good color and texture variety
    • Resize to consistent dimensions if needed

  2. Configure for Artistic Effect

    • Total tiles: 1200-1600
    • Max materials: 300-400
    • Color adjustment: 0.1 (preserve original art colors)
    • Max usage per image: 1 (maximum variety)
    • Adjacency penalty weight: 0.6 (avoid repetition)
    • Enable optimization: Yes
    • Optimization iterations: 2000

  3. Generate and Refine

    • First attempt with settings above
    • Adjust color adjustment if needed
    • Try different tile counts for different effects

Expected Results:

  • Target image rendered in chosen art style
  • Unique artistic interpretation
  • Each tile maintains original artwork character
  • Cohesive artistic aesthetic

Example 5: Pixel Art Style ​

Goal: Create a retro pixel art style mosaic

Materials Needed:

  • Target image with clear, bold colors
  • Pixel art sprites or simple geometric shapes
  • Retro color palette

Steps:

  1. Material Preparation

    • Collect pixel art sprites, icons, or simple shapes
    • Ensure consistent pixel dimensions
    • Focus on bold, saturated colors

  2. Settings for Pixel Art Style

    • Total tiles: 400-800 (fewer for chunky pixel effect)
    • Max materials: 100-200
    • Color adjustment: 0.0 (preserve pixel art colors)
    • Max usage per image: 5+ (allow repetition)
    • Adjacency penalty weight: 0.1 (allow clustering)
    • Enable optimization: No (preserve blocky appearance)

  3. Generate Pixel Art

    • Lower tile count creates chunkier effect
    • Monitor results for desired pixelated look
    • Adjust tile count as needed

Expected Results:

  • Retro pixel art aesthetic
  • Chunky, blocky appearance
  • Bold color contrasts
  • Nostalgic gaming feel

Example 6: Collage Effect ​

Goal: Create a photo collage mosaic using personal photos

Materials Needed:

  • Target image (family photo, pet, etc.)
  • Collection of personal photos
  • Sentimental value for creative project

Steps:

  1. Personal Photo Collection

    • Gather 200-500 personal photos
    • Include variety: people, places, objects
    • Mix color and black & white photos

  2. Collage Settings

    • Total tiles: 1500-2000
    • Max materials: 400-500
    • Color adjustment: 0.6 (help photos blend)
    • Max usage per image: 1-2 (see many different photos)
    • Adjacency penalty weight: 0.5 (avoid photo clustering)
    • Enable optimization: Yes
    • Optimization iterations: 1500

  3. Create Memory Collage

    • Each tile will be a recognizable photo
    • Resulting mosaic tells a story through images
    • Perfect for gifts or memory preservation

Expected Results:

  • Personal photo collage
  • Each tile is a distinct memory
  • Meaningful artistic creation
  • Unique family artwork

Advanced Techniques ​

Example 7: Multi-Pass Processing ​

Goal: Create extremely high-quality mosaics through multiple processing passes

Materials Needed:

  • High-resolution target image
  • Large, diverse material collection (1000+ images)
  • Powerful computer with 16GB+ RAM

Steps:

  1. First Pass - Structure

    • Total tiles: 3000
    • Max materials: 1000
    • Color adjustment: 0.3
    • Max usage per image: 3
    • Adjacency penalty weight: 0.5
    • Enable optimization: Yes
    • Optimization iterations: 2000

  2. Analyze Results

    • Enable verbose logging
    • Note areas with poor tile matching
    • Identify repetitive patterns
    • Check color accuracy

  3. Second Pass - Refinement

    • Adjust settings based on first pass
    • Increase color adjustment if needed
    • Add more materials if available
    • Focus on problem areas

  4. Final Pass - Polish

    • Fine-tune all settings
    • Maximum optimization iterations
    • Highest quality output format
    • Final quality check

Expected Results:

  • Museum-quality mosaic
  • Exceptional detail and color accuracy
  • Minimal artifacts or repetition
  • Professional presentation quality

Example 8: Batch Processing Workflow ​

Goal: Process multiple related images with consistent settings

Materials Needed:

  • Multiple target images (portrait series, landscape collection)
  • Consistent material collection
  • Organized file structure

Steps:

  1. Prepare File Structure

    project/
├── targets/
│   ├── image1.jpg
│   ├── image2.jpg
│   └── image3.jpg
├── materials/
│   ├── tile1.jpg
│   └── ...
└── outputs/
    ├── mosaic1.png
    ├── mosaic2.png
    └── mosaic3.png

  2. Establish Baseline Settings

    • Process first image with various settings
    • Document successful configuration
    • Note processing time and resource usage

  3. Process Series

    • Use identical settings for all images
    • Process one at a time
    • Monitor system resources
    • Save with consistent naming

  4. Quality Control

    • Review all results
    • Ensure consistent quality
    • Note any images needing adjustment
    • Reprocess if necessary

Expected Results:

  • Consistent visual style across series
  • Predictable processing times
  • Organized output collection
  • Professional workflow

Troubleshooting Examples ​

Example 9: Fixing Poor Results ​

Problem: Mosaic looks blurry or colors don't match

Diagnostic Steps:

  1. Enable Verbose Logging

    • Check advanced settings
    • Enable verbose logging
    • Regenerate mosaic
    • Review log messages

  2. Analyze Issues

    • Check material loading messages
    • Look for color matching warnings
    • Note any error messages
    • Review processing statistics

  3. Adjust Settings

    • Increase color adjustment strength
    • Add more material images
    • Increase total tiles for more detail
    • Enable optimization if disabled

  4. Iterative Improvement

    • Make one change at a time
    • Test results
    • Document effective changes
    • Build optimal configuration

Expected Results:

  • Systematic problem identification
  • Targeted setting adjustments
  • Improved mosaic quality
  • Repeatable success

Example 10: Performance Optimization ​

Problem: Mosaic generation takes too long or uses too much memory

Optimization Steps:

  1. Baseline Measurement

    • Record current processing time
    • Monitor memory usage
    • Note system specifications
    • Document current settings

  2. Systematic Reduction

    • Reduce total tiles by 25%
    • Reduce max materials by 25%
    • Disable optimization temporarily
    • Test processing time

  3. Find Balance Point

    • Gradually increase settings
    • Monitor performance impact
    • Find optimal balance
    • Document final configuration

  4. System Optimization

    • Close unnecessary applications
    • Ensure adequate free memory
    • Use release builds
    • Consider hardware upgrades

Expected Results:

  • Acceptable processing time
  • Stable memory usage
  • Maintained quality
  • Optimized workflow

Tips for Success ​

Material Collection Tips ​

  1. Diversity is Key

    • Wide range of colors
    • Various textures and patterns
    • Different subjects and themes
    • Mix of bright and dark images

  2. Quality Matters

    • High resolution when possible
    • Good exposure and contrast
    • Minimal noise or artifacts
    • Consistent format (PNG or JPG)

  3. Quantity Guidelines

    • Minimum 100 images for basic mosaics
    • 300-500 for good variety
    • 1000+ for professional results
    • Match to your tile count needs

Settings Optimization ​

  1. Start Conservative

    • Begin with lower tile counts
    • Use moderate material limits
    • Enable optimization
    • Adjust based on results

  2. Iterative Improvement

    • Make one change at a time
    • Test results thoroughly
    • Document successful settings
    • Build configuration library

  3. System Awareness

    • Monitor resource usage
    • Stay within system limits
    • Use release builds
    • Plan for processing time

Creative Exploration ​

  1. Experiment with Styles

    • Try different material themes
    • Vary color adjustment strengths
    • Explore different tile counts
    • Mix artistic and photographic materials

  2. Document Everything

    • Keep notes on successful settings
    • Record processing times
    • Save example outputs
    • Build personal style guide

  3. Share and Learn

    • Share results with community
    • Learn from others' techniques
    • Contribute to documentation
    • Explore new applications

These examples provide a foundation for creating stunning mosaics with the GUI application. Each example builds on previous concepts while introducing new techniques and creative possibilities.

Released under the MIT License.

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