Digital Light & Color

I am trying to place 9 images (each 3000 x 2000 pixels) on a plain coloured background (9400 x 6400 pixels), in three rows of three and with a border (colour of the background) between each image and around the 4 edges of the resultant image.

I have used the Layout tool before, albeit sparingly and for simple tasks. The Layouts from those previous uses have not been saved as a default (and checked in the appropriate folder to confirm no new default exists). And to ensure I started fresh, I shift-clicked when opening the tool.

The Panel 1 Properties box for the first image shows that image being selected and Proportions are set at: Match Image to Panel

Initially, I set up the dimensions of the Layout background, using a solid coloured 9400 x 6400 image, with the following info showing in the dialogue box:

Width: 9400 pixels
Height: 6400

Snap Grid: 0

Clicked on the "Shrink rectangle to match image" button.

Clicked on the "centre image horizontally and vertically" buttons.

The image centred itself in the background, however, in the preview the size of the panel image is disproportionately larger than it should be and the following info is shown:

Panel Size: 4700 x 3133
Lower Left Corner: 2350 x 1633

My questions are, how do I get the image to show properly in the preview panel and where does the Panel Size and Lower Left Corner dimensions come from and how do I influence those dimensions? I can cancel the operation and re-open it again, but those numbers do not change.

As an aside, when I cancel the Transform or delete (minus button) a particular panel, remnants of the Properties dialogue box remains on screen as a grey rectangle with the Panel 1 Properties title still visible. The only way to eliminate this remnant is to erase it by wiping across it using an open image.

Also, I read the "Using the Layout Transformation" article and found some of the example images are missing (the dialogue boxes as well as the buttons the examples show to click for various actions).

Thanks,

Marv

Have done some more work on this. Did not realize one needed to manually go into the Layout dialogue and physically grab and move the bounding lines to reduce the size of the bounding rectangle until it meets the image size (just presumed the image would be properly proportioned when first placed onto the layout and "shrink rectangle to match image" would snug it up - and am still not certain why it isn't). So, I was able to get all images in their proper place but still a bit confused on exactly what does what and why an image will show on the preview at a size different than it's dimensions.

Cheers,

Marv

The Layout transformation has a grid button which will automatically create a grid of panels according to your specification. In the Panel Properties dialog there you can also select Proportions as Free or Match Image to Panel.

If you pick Match Image to Panel, the image will be cropped to completely fill the panel and you can adjust the cropping by dragging the cropping rectangle displayed as an overlay on the input image.

If you pick Free, the image is placed in the panel as large as possible. You can still crop it as well using the overlay.

Images are always resampled to fit the panel they are in, regardless of their dimensions.

You can make the preview display larger by resizing the Layout dialog box.