Create a Mosaic

A Mosaic is a 2D picture made with LEGO pieces. Studio can convert an image into a mosaic.

Opening the Mosaic dialog

To create a mosaic:

1. Click on the Mosaic button in the toolbar
   
2. This opens the mosaic dialog with no pictures

or

1. Use the File | Import | Import Mosaic… menu entry
2. This opens a file browser where you can choose an image
3. Once an image is selected, the mosaic dialog is opened with the image preloaded.

Choosing an image and defining the area

The Original tab shows the selected image, or an empty zone if no image has been selected.

1. Images: shows a list of recently used images and sample images.
2. Preview: shows the currently selected image.
3. Original / Mosaic tab: these buttons let you switch between the Original image tab and the Mosaic tab.
4. Area: this is where you can set the size of the image that’ll be used to make the mosaic.
5. Create Mosaic button: this button switches to the Mosaic tab.

Changing or selecting an image

There are a few ways to change or select an image. You can click on the Open an Image link which is in the Preview (B) when no image was selected, click on the ⁺ Open New button in the Images list (A),

or click on one of the recent images in the Images list (A).

Once you’ve got your image open, you can use the following options:

1. Entire image / Crop: this tab allows you to choose if you want to use the whole image or only a part of it to create a mosaic. When Crop is selected, a frame with a selected aspect ratio will appear in the preview.
   • You can change the position of this frame by clicking inside and dragging it around.
   • You can change its size by grabbing a side or a corner.
2. Landscape / Portrait: these buttons allow you to choose the orientation of the selected area when Crop and an aspect ratio are selected.
3. Aspect Ratio: if Crop is selected, this menu allows you to select a fixed proportion for a selected area. When Custom is selected, you can change the width and height of the area independently. When an aspect ratio (1:1, 3:2, 4:3, or 16:9) is selected, the proportion between width and height will be locked in.

When you’re satisfied with the image, you can go on to create a mosaic by clicking the Mosaic tab or the Create Mosaic button.

Mosaic tab

The Mosaic tab shows a preview of the future Mosaic and lets you set its options.

1. Preview: shows a preview of how it will look with the current options selected in the settings area (B).
2. Settings: this is where you define the size, type of bricks and other options for the Mosaic.
3. Price: shows an estimate of how much it would cost to buy all the parts for your mosaic on BrickLink. This is only an estimate and the actual price may vary on the settings.
4. Import Button: clicking this button will generate a mosaic in the viewport.

When you’re satisfied with the options, click on the Import button and Studio will build the mosaic in the Viewport.

Settings

Studio offers many parameters to tune a mosaic design.

A. Size: define the horizontal size of the generated LEGO model. It’s better to use even numbers.

B. Base: define how you want Studio to generate a base. Studio can generate a base using two layers of plate combinations. However, you can select an option to only use regular baseplates if the size of your mosaic allows for it.

C. Type of Parts: You can choose parts types that Studio will use to make a mosaic. The available options are;

• Plates: thin parts with studs on top
• Tiles: thin parts with a smooth top
• Bricks: thick rectangular parts
• Round Plates: thin, round parts with a stud
• Round Tiles: thin, round parts without a stud

D. Colors: this dropdown menu lets you define which LEGO colors and parts Studio can use in the mosaic. It can be:

• All BrickLink Colors: Studio will use all the LEGO colors ever made, even if these parts are no longer available or ever existed in these colors.
• Available BrickLink Colors: Studio will use parts and color combinations that exist and are available on BrickLink.
• Custom Palette: you can choose a custom palette and Studio will only use the parts that are in that palette.

E. Image Adjustments: you can manipulate the colors of the original image to fine-tune the Mosaic.

1) Presets: these buttons change the other settings to predefined values.

• • Original: the values are set so that the image isn't modified.
  • Portrait: the values are set for better results with a portrait.
  • Grayscale: the image is transformed into a black & white picture that only uses shades of gray, black and white.

2) Hue: shift all the colors in the image. For instance, -60 shifts all the blues to greens and the yellows to reds.

3) Saturation: change how vivid the colors are: from grays to flashy.

4) Brightness: set how luminous the colors are: from black to white.

5) Contrast: if you decrease the contrast, you make the colors more alike and the whole mosaic hazier. If you increase the contrast, the image will look sharper.

6) Smoothing: Range defines how smooth the edges are. Threshold defines how the edges are detected.

F. Price Options

Use Various Sized Parts: when off, Studio will only use 1x1 parts. When on, Studio will use larger parts, when possible, which may result in a lower price.

Color Similarity: The higher you set this, the more similar the colors are to LEGO colors. If you lower the number, Studio will use colors that may look less than the ones in the original image but also cost less.

User Blacker Bricks demonstrates creating a mosaic design process