help needed : image software

[audyovydeo]

I realise this isn't the most appropriate forum, but I'll have a go.

The problem is that i don't know the specific name of the function I'm looking for, so searcing is vain.

I am looking for a software that, given a number of (small res) images, automatically spreads & aligns them within a (large) background. I need to make posters with numerous small images, and don't want to do the alignment by hand.

I have tried looking for "mosaic" "aligning" and "tiling" but each term represents a specific function quite different from what I'm looking for.

any clues are welcome.

thanks
audyovydeo

[mgh]

possible
use imagesource in avisynth to create an .avs file with your images
use
http://www.videohelp.com/tools/Video_Thumbnails_Maker
load the .avs
go to settings
specify width of each image that you want (height will be automatically calculated)
decide number of rows and columns, which will fix the number of images per page
make sure you have unchecked all the text options
save settings
hit start
if the page has less than required number of images-it does not come out correctly
you will need to create avs file for each page-you will need to change the start and end options

alternately-you could get thumbnail generators for the web

found this on cnet
a collage maker (http://download.cnet.com/Collage-Maker/3000-12511_4-10073063.html?part=dl-CollageMa&subj=uo&tag=button)
might be what you are looking for- don't know whether it is freeware or not.

[LoRd_MuldeR]

If nothing else helps, maybe this can be scripted with ImageMagick (http://www.imagemagick.org/script/index.php) somehow ???

[iffybob]

The photgraphic name for what I think you are looking for is "a contact sheet", if that helps.

[audyovydeo]

thank you all for taking the time to answer.

Variable-size auto-adaptive Contact sheet is what I would call it.

Anyone familiar with the excellent PhotoMesa will know what I mean : an auto-layout feature.
Except that I don't want to layout thumbnails, but the real pics, and audjust, then print.

as giveback, I recommend the much-regretted PhotoMesa :

http://www.windsorinterfaces.com/photomesa.shtml
but originally :
http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/photomesa/
http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/photomesa/download/layout-algorithms.shtml

(I still prefer the older Java version over the newer .NET thingy, PM me if you want the JAR).

Anyhow, all I can do is regret I didn't learn a programming language 20-something years ago, with all these fabulous toolkits doing almost everything these days...

cheers
audyovydeo