Looking for Assistance on My Latest "Inspiration"

[jim100361]

I have this picture:

Utilizing Masking, I intended to use this:

I came up with these:

Obviously, the problem comes into play with the original piece: the lines themselves separating each "cell". The first filled-in piece at a glance seems okay until you look at the second and you can then see the large gaps in between the pieces. Obviously, I was hoping to do an exploding arrangement (for lack of another term - spread the pieces out further maybe by utilizing alignment on a larger canvas and then put the second layer into those gaps (if I've explained myself adequately). Because of these gaps, I fear it will throw off the subsequent images as everything will actually be connected (a single picture filled w/holes vs individual pieces).

The second filled-in image occurs from inverting. Initially I started out with 2 "blank" versions and alternately filled the gaps on one and did the opposite cells on the other. Utilizing this method creates a different problem. Essentially the edges of each piece will then have the same edges of it's "neighboring" piece(s) because both masking layers maintain the exact same cell separation lines.

So, I'm at a loss as to how to correct/fix this. Any ideas, or am I out of luck utilizing the template like I wanted?

EDIT:

At least this hasn't caused me to lose my sense of humor:

Edited November 26, 2011 by jim100361

[Ego Eram Reputo]

Try thinning out the lines (e.g. pencil sketch - size 1 over the template)

[pdnnoob]

It appears to me that the puzzle image you give is tileable. That said, you can take your image where the pieces appear spread apart and rotate it, move it into place, then duplicate the layer to cover the rest of the image. That way, you will now have the "horizontal" pieces all black and the vertical white.

[jim100361]

Thanks for the help, but no matter what I've tried the lines themselves are still (and always will be) an issue.

That having been said though, I did come up with a way to "minimize" the effect. As opposed to masking "cells", what I instead did was used the layout/template as a mask. Of course this removes the image where the lines exist, but there will be no duplicate edges on anything.

I also modified the concept itself slightly. What I intended to initially do was to simply create an exploded view, but I modified it to appear like an actual puzzle on a table (see my gallery). I've received some other input on this via a PM which gave me an additional idea for what I did create, so what exists now will be modified once more.

Once again to you and everybody else for their input, I thank you!

[pdnnoob]

Ah now I see what you mean. Besides making your own puzzle template, I don't really have any helpful ideas. Sorry

[MadJik]

I've unburried old tut from my archive...

Adaptation for PDN of a French tutorial for PS... (exists perhaps in english)

http://www.dada-concept.com/formation/confirme/puzzle/pave.htm

We want to create from a picture a aspect 'puzzle like' with pentaminos pieces.

(pentamino: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentomino)

1.Create a checker (with the gridline plugin). Square size depends on your picture size.

In my example the picture in 800x600 and square is 50x50. So the checker is 16x12.

Just be sure the checker exactly fills the picture (ie: square size x nb of square = border size ; 50x16=800 AND 50x12=600)

2.Leave one row on each border as a margin. Set the tolerance to 0%. Use the paint bucket tool to fill and draw pentaminos. Use 5-6 differents colors to separe clearly the pieces.

In the end fill the margin with white color.

With my example now I have a white margin of 50px around 14x10 pentaminos checker...

3.Add a layer and put the picture you want to work with. The picture could overwrite the margin. But only the part covering the checker will be kept in the end. Uncheck the layer to make it invisible.

4.Add as many layers as colors you've used step 2 (5-6 colors). You could give each layer a name of these color.

For each color repeat this list of actions:

a.Use the magic wand (tolerance 0%) and select one color at a time on the checker layer (shift+left click).

b.With this active selection go to the layer with the picture and COPY.

c.Select an empty layer (or the layer named for the selected color) and PASTE.

On this picture: Red is done (copy/paste) and pink is selected.

5.At this point we have 4-5 pieces per layer and the picture is splitted in 5-6 layers. Go through each layer and with the rectangle selection (short key S) tool select only one piece and move it (short key M) a bit (up/down/left/right/rotate) some pixels (rotate is made by right click).

Tip1: Make all layers invisible and only the one you're working on should be visible.

Tip2: If the pieces are too closed together and the rectangle selection take a part of a near piece, with the rectangle selection tool you could right-click and drag to exclude from the active selection.

Tip3: Leave some piece unmoved...

Tip4: Rotate with the move tool is badly aliased. You could use the layer rotate instead (Ctrl+Shift+Z and only 'angle'). Be sure the selection area is big enough because the piece could be cut by a too high rotation angle. In case of difficulties with that you'ld have to cut/paste the piece to an empty (temporary) layer rotate this layer and cut/paste back to the layer with pieces.

On this picture: I'm working on the Pink layer. One piece has been moved/rotated. One other is selected (a selection part is excluded).

6.On each layer with pieces, apply this list of actions:

a.Feather

b.Drop shadow : Offset x=1, Offset y=1, Blur radius=0 (or 1), color black

c.(optional Ctrl+F to repeat drop shadow)

d.Drop shadow : Offset x=-1, Offset y=-1, Blur radius=0 (or 1), color white

e.(optional Ctrl+F to repeat drop shadow)

Tip: You could move some layers up or down to arrange the pieces you want most on top.

7.Add a new layer and fill it with a gradient and move it down as a background.

Final tips:

1. The colored canvas could be an idea to 'slice & save for web' stuff. If you don't rotate/move, then you could save each single piece as a file...

2. Pentamino is only a suggestion (and easy solution). You could create every colored canvas you want (Map of USA...)

Enjoy!