Changing Image Ranking

AutoCollage allows you to change each image ranking category. If allow manual ranking is enabled in advanced input options, you can change an image ranking category as follows.

Click on the image in the image preview pane. This will zoom the image in the preview pane, and display one of five icons in the upper left corner of the image. This icon shows how the image ranking category is determined for the image.
Click on the image ranking determination icon, or use your mouse scroll wheel to change its value. This will cycle the icon to its next value, with an appropriate affect on the image rank.

The five image ranking determination icons are shown below, along with an explanation of their affect on ranking for a given image, and its likelihood to be included in the next AutoCollage.

Top ranked image. This image becomes the 1st ranked image. If it wasn't already 1st ranked, the previous 1st ranked image will be made 2nd ranked, etc. AutoCollage will try to place the top ranked image in the center of a collage.
Second ranked image. This image becomes the 2nd ranked image. If it wasn't already the 2nd ranked, the previous 2nd ranked image will be moved into the set of images that the user prefers to include in the next AutoCollage.
Prefer this image. Promotes this image to the top of a list of preferred images, which will be added to the AutoCollage after the 1st ranked and the 2nd ranked images.
Avoid this image. This effectively makes the image the least desirable image. The image may still be included in the next AutoCollage if there are not enough other images to complete the set required in the AutoCollage Image Count Slider.
Automatic ranking. You can reset manual settings back to automatic ranking for an individual image by reselecting the automatic ranking icon.

Images are automatically ranked once, when the first set of images has finished loading. If you later add images to the set of AutoCollage images - for example by copying them to the selected image folder after the folder has already been loaded, or adding them via Windows Live Photo Gallery - the added images are ranked as if you manually selected 'prefer this image.'

You can ask AutoCollage to discard any manual ranking changes, and to re-rank all images by pressing the "Esc" key after at least one image has had a manual ranking change made.

Ranking is a critical part of AutoCollage, and the ability to modify image ranking provides tremendous influence over AutoCollage results.