Getting started (user interface)

Collaizer 3.0 - Help

Getting started (user interface)

Collaizer is easy to use. On the left side the main menu items are shown, when clicking on a menu item the work area is shown on the right. There are three workflows: Photo library, Collage and Tools. Each workflow has several functions.

Figure: The 'Home' view

Add photos
This work area is the explorer in which you can select the picture folder you like to use for the collage. On the left is the well-known explorer (as in Windows Explorer), on the right the pictures are shown. Also non-pictures like .pdf files are shown, but these will not be taken into account when making a collage.

The selected folder is 'copied' into the collage picture library by pressing one of the buttons at the bottom of this work area. Each button represents a different way to add or replace images from the picture library (as it is shown in the 'Library' ). The small button at the right is a toggle to show images and detailed information (as you can also do in the Windows Explorer).

Add this file to the library: the file that you selected when right-clicking is transferred to the picture library of the collage.
Add this folder to the library: like the file, but now the entire folder is transferred and added to the collage selection.
Replace current library with this folder: exactly as it states.
Replace all: only when this folder was added to the collage picture library the pictures will be de-selected from the collage library.
Random select: the application will select 10 images each time you press this button. In case the image is already present less images will be copied to the picture library.

Figure: The 'Add photos' work area

Library management
This work area is the overview of all the pictures that are used to create a photo collage. Adding and removing is done via the 'Add photos' work area (see above).

When clicking on a picture the key data is shown in the area on the right. When you want to save this picture selection, you can save is by pressing the 'Save current library' button. A pop-up window appears requesting a library name. By default it also adds the number of currently selected pictures:

In the pull-down box previously saved libraries can be reloaded ('Libraries on disk'). By pressing the 'Remove selected library' button the current library can also be deleted from hard disk. The corresponding files are never deleted, just the file that stores the names of the library pictures.

Figure: The 'Library management' work area

Collage lay-out
This work area is the main area to make the lay-out of your photo collage. It has several work items: on the top a number of buttons are available for layer management, on the right a series of art-work pictures are shown. By clicking on a button or an artwork button, the function is activated.

The artwork buttons, from left to right:

Fill-out of the selected layer. This will fill the artwork picture to match the current size of the collage.
Move the current layer up, where the artwork is put on top of the underlying layer. This way artwork can be put in the required sequence.
Move the current layer down.
Delete all the artwork (and start with a clean slate).

The shape and type selectors:

Shape collage: the black shape is the template to arrange the collage pictures.
Artwork collage: drag and drop any picture into the work area. No collage will be made from teh picture library.
Landscape or Portrait: the 'paper' orientation.

The paper size: select a paper size from the drop-down box. Typical photo sizes are possible, and paper sizes from (metric) A4 to A1. Please make sure you have A1 printing possibility before making any (very) large collage.

The artwork tabs. From left to right:

The collage photos. These photos are the same as selected in the library work area. These photos can be selected to make an artwork collage (or as part of the photo collage).
The shapes for the picture collage.
The artwork pictures. These pictures are loaded at application start as currently available in the artwork folder. See here for details how to add or change pictures to the artwork folder.
The frame pictures. These should be .PNG files to allow for transparent parts that makes a frame. Like artwork pictures, these files are loaded at application start.
Background pictures. These pictures could be of any kind, and are only used to fill the background of the photo collage. Like the artwork and frames, these files are loaded at application start.

For artwork, frames and background, new folders can be conveniently be selected and added to the corresponding folders. Press the button (at the bottom of the application), e.g. 'Add frame'. A pop-up window is shown, from which you have to select the folder containing the new artwork, frame or backgrounds. When OK-ed, that folder is copied to the corresponding folder. The artwork becomes available immediately.

A final tab 'Projects' is used to load existing lay-outs or save new lay-outs. Simply drag and drop an existing project in the lay-out work area and that lay-out becomes active. All layers and artwork is exactly as it was done after saving.

Figure: The 'Photo collage lay-out' work area

Drag and drop the artwork
All artwork can be drag-and-dropped from the active tab to the work area. When dropped, a rectangle is visible to move, resize or rotate the artwork to match with the intended position and size. To rotate the artwork, the CTRL key must be pressed first, while moving the mouse at a corner of the artwork. A rotation arrow becomes visible and the artwork can be rotated. Releasing the CTRL key will change the mouse pointer to resize and move.

Photo collage creator
This work area is the last step in creating the photo collage. When the collage is ready, simply press the button at the botton 'Create collage', and wait for the results.

A little tweaking is still posible ('Collage options' and 'Settings'):

The type of frame can be selected (simple, round or classic)
The size of the shade of each photo can be set, incl. the color
The amount of picture from the collage can be set (the maximum is also shown)
The enlargement: a relative multiplication factor to make each picture somewhat larger that as calculated by the application. The application uses an optimum size to match the collage shape. This factor can be set to smaller or larger.
The maximum rotation angle of each of the pictures in degrees (180 degrees is upsize down). This angle is the maximum of the randomly selected angle for each of the pictures.
The background can be discarded and a solid color can be selected. This way the standard setting of background can be overruled.

Figure: The 'Photo collage creation' work area

The Shape editor
In this work area you can create your collage shape. Drag-and-drop any shape from right to left in the editor area. The tools on the top are used to change your selected basic shape. When the CTRL key is pressed while dragging a shape, this shape is added to the existing shape in the editor.

The follow shape controls are available (from left to right):

Use the drawing pen. A black pen is now available to create the shape.
Use the eraser. In fact the pen becomes white and is now acting like an eraser.
The paint bucket (only works when the pen is selected): fills the area with black, starting at the place where the mouse is clicked. Only contiguous areas are painted.
The pen and eraser thickness (the slider).
Undo the last change.
Delete the entire shape.
Transfer the current shape to the collage lay-out editor.

The shape font can be selected, using the pull-down box: Webdings, Wingdings, Wingdings 2 and Wingdings 3. If Any of these fonts is not available on your system, the corresponding shapes won't be visible.

Figure: The 'Shape editor' work area

The Graphic effects
In some cases you might want to create a little grphic effect to your photo collage. We have provided a few simple effects to the application, with which (mainly) color changes can be made. A few preselections are available and a more elaborate color tuning:

There are 9 color tuning filters. The default is 'None', or select filters like 'Black and white', 'David Hamilton' or 'Manual filter'.
The manual filter has several common/basic colour manipulation possibilities: tune the master color ('Hue'), the color 'Saturation', the 'Blur', the 'Sharpness' and the 'Contrast'. The result is immediately shown in the work area. left picture: original. Right picture: the result of the (cumulated) effect.

The effect of the filters will only apply to the photo collage pictures, and not to the artwork. To tune the eeffect, try out a few settings and see the result. The slider at the bottom can be used to zoom in or out to see more details of the result. The picture in the double viewer has a predefined (small) size, and does not reflect the full size of the the sample picture.

Figure: The 'Graphic effects' work area

Print and Save: result of the photo collage
When the photo collage is ready, the print and save work area is now shown. A number of convenient controls are now visible.

Slider and buttons on the left: the slider is a zoom bar. The flanking buttons are used to fit the picture in the current view window, or to enlarge to 100%
Print collage: a print dialogue is shown. Select your printer and then follow the print instructions of your printer dialogue.
Save collage: a save dialogue is shown, and you can save the collage anywhere on your hard disk.

Figure: The 'Print and save' work area

The Defaults
Most of the settings in the application can be changed. All the settings in the 'defaults' work area are stored and used when the application is next started. There are several settings to choose from. All these settings are stored in the configuration file. For that reason you need admin rights to use Collaizer under Windows 10!.

Figure: The 'Default settings' work area

Updates
The application can check for new updates at start (can be turned off). If updates are available, the application will indicate this and the user can download the updates. The application must be closed, and the updates must be installed as the current application has been installed, and with the same conditions (admin rights are needed).

Figure: Part of the 'Updates' work area

About and help
This work area has two possble views: connect to our website, and show the web help (this help file). The 'Back' button is only used for internet browsing, not for the help file.
The current version of Collaizer is indicated in the right top corner. In case you want to make a comment on the application by e-mail, please indicate this version in the correspondence.

Figure: The 'About Collaizer & Help' work area