Using Ranking Information

Before creating a collage, AutoCollage must choose which images to use. It does this by examining each of the images it has loaded, ranking them from most interesting to least interesting, and preferring the highest ranked images for inclusion in the collage.

Ranked images can be divided into four categories:

The 1st ranked image. Usually presented larger than other images in the collage, and usually in the collage center.
The 2nd ranked image. Usually smaller than the 1st ranked image, but larger than the rest.
Included images. Images which are not 1st or 2nd ranked, but which are included in the collage.
Excluded images. Images ranked too low to be included in the collage.

For example, if you make a 7-image collage from a folder with 50 images, then the 3rd through 7th ranked images are included images, and the 8th through 50th ranked images are excluded images.

To review and modify image ranking, enable ranking information display and manual ranking via advanced input options. This will allow you to review and influence the ranking of images for collage creation.

Interpreting Image Ranking

When you select a set of images, those images are loaded one by one into the Image Preview pane. After all images have loaded, AutoCollage ranks them. If display image ranking is enabled in input options, images will be rendered one of four ways, depending upon their rank.

The 1st and 2nd ranked images have an icon with their rank superimposed on the top of them.

Other included images are rendered normally, but may have another icon superimposed when they are zoomed. These icons are shown and explained in Changing Image Ranking.

Excluded images - those which will not be in the created collage - are rendered with diagonal lines across them.

Since the number of images included in the collage is determined by the Image Count Slider, changing this slider will affect the set of included and excluded images.