Our software comes with a Lifetime Floating
License. Buy it once, and install it on as many computers as you need (Software can only be
live on one computer at a time). Download our free demo version and try the Mosaic Manager
software for yourself.
Its intuitive interface will guide you all the way:
The software is provided as a Windows 10 Application. It only runs on Windows 10 (version 1803 and higher) and requires a printer of course.
Installation is straightfoward. Just click here to download the latest version and follow the installation steps in the video below.
If you are having trouble with this process, feel free to contact us using the website's contact form.
Here you can activate/release your licence.
A mosaic event is an event where people take photos and these photos are used to fill a gigantic mosaic board in order to reveal a big picture. Let us show you what it is. This a picture people took of themselves.
And this is the picture you want to be revealed:
Each photo of people will be used by our app to reveal a little portion of the image. So, on a wall, you put a mosaic board that looks like this one (minus the photos that are already on it):
You run our app and your mosaic event is ready to go.
In the following of this documentation, we will call:
Please select the Windows button at the left bottom corner of your screen.
And search the app named mosaicEventManager.
Click it to launch the app. The app launches and a new window opens that looks like this one:
If this is the very first time the app launches, then the app has no events for now and the interface is pretty simple: you can click only two buttons. The left one creates a new mosaic event and the second one sets licenses and print options right. To get started right away, please click on the "+" button. The content of the app changes. You get:
Enter EventPrint, select the third switch so you get:
Click "CREATE". The app returns to the home screen with a first even.
Click the play button of the event. Your first event is live. Put pictures in
C:\Mosaic\EventPrintand your printer should
begin to print tiles.
Here we will use a demo overlay by default preloaded in the software (the one with the car you have seen previously).
Click on the "SETTINGS" button on the home screen. Then click the "Licensing" tab to enter the licensing part of the app.
The licensing page is mostly a page where you can
find information about the app:
you will see the version of the app (at the time we are writing this documentation, the last
version is 2.0.15);
the version of the server (the server is an internal part of the app:
you don’t need to be concerned about it - this information is mostly for the developers of
the app) and the unique ID of your computer.
That ID is used to link your computer with the license you have. In the picture above, the
license is already set.
Until you do the same, the mosaicEventManager is in DEMO mode.
In DEMO mode, the app writes all over the tiles the word DEMO and considers an
event to be finished way before all tiles are placed on the wall.
So, if you want the app to run fully, you must activate your license number as soon as
possible.
Please be sure that your computer is fully connected to the Internet or wait for it to be
before activating your license number.
If your computer is not on the Internet, the activation will fail.
When you purchase the mosaicEventManager app, you receive by email a license number. Check
your emails and copy the license number that we gave you.
Now, enter that number and click the “Activate” button. The app should prompt that
everything is ok as shown in the next picture.
You might want to release your license number. If you need to do that, please click on the “Release” button. As earlier, you must do that while your computer is connected to the Internet. Once the license number is released you can activate your license number on another computer. If by some misfortune, you have no way to release your license number (your computer totally crashed) and you must do that anyway, please go to Contact and fill the form explaining your problem.
You need to access print settings whenever you want to change the printer the app will print with. To go to "Print settings", click the "SETTINGS" button in the home screen and the "Print settings" tab.
Select your printer in the dropdown list then click on SAVE.
Even if there are three entries you can fill (print
bat file path, print bat file name and printer name), the one you need to focus on is the
last one. These three entries have been preset by us and if this the first time you run the
app, the print bat file path is set to “c:\Mosaic\services\”, the print bat file name is set
to “sbprint.bat” and the name of the printer is set to “MOSPRINTER”. “sbprint.bat” is a
batch file. if you have no idea what a batch file is, we strongly suggest you not to change
the print bat file path and print bat file name entries. But if you do, it may be important
you know what the batch file text is:
rundll32 C:\Windows\System32\shimgvw.dll,ImageView_PrintTo %1 %6Click the “Tile settings” tab of the settings page
If you don’t know what we mean by a tile and a tag,
we suggest you to read carefully the section “What is a mosaic event?” in the "My first event" section of this documentation.
To know where to put the tile on the wall once it is printed, we put a tag on it. You can
choose to set the height of the tag and the tag position. In the entry dedicated to the
tag’s height, you must put an integer. Keep in mind that that integer is a percentage of the
tile. For example if you put 30 in the entry and the tiles are 100 pixels high, the tag will
be 3 pixels high, which is not a good choice because you won’t see the tag if you allow the
tag to be 3 pixels high. But if you put 30 in the entry and the tiles are 1280 pixels high
then the tag will be 42 pixels high, which is sufficient for the app to write the tag. Be aware
though that whatever the integer you fill the entry with, the app will not allow the tag to be
under 20 pixels high (20 pixels is the minimum size to be able to read the tag).
For example:
with a 2 inches tile (150 DPI), tile height is 300 px. The smallest tag doable is 1/30 high.
If you want to minimize the tag size, choose 300 DPI instead of 150. Now the tile height is 600 px,
the smallest tag is 1/60 high.
The app lets you choose between four places where the tag will be placed: Bottom-Right,
Top-Right, Bottom-Left and Top-Left.
Click “Confirm” to save your preferences.
Before you create any event, we strongly suggest you to set print options, tile options and license number properly or at least that you verify that everything is in order. To create an event, click on the “New Event” button on the home screen of the app.
This is the screen you get:
It is pretty easy to create a new mosaic event: choose a name that suits your event and enter it. Once you type a letter the button “Confirm” is enabled. Be careful though that there cannot be any special characters nor spaces in the name of the event: only numbers and letters are allowed. If you type a space or a special character anyway, the color of the name text will become red and the button “Confirm” disabled again. And now, you must choose the type of your event. An event may be:
When you are all set, click the button “CREATE”. The app returns to the home screen and shows you the new event.
The picture above shows three events: EventDigital, EventPrint and EventPrintDigital. You can differentiate them by the icons on the upper right corner of the event tile.
From left to right, we have the icon for a "print" event, a "digital" event, and a "print & digital" event.
Once your event is created, you can rummage through the parameters of an event to set it as
you wish. Click the parameter button of your event:
This is how the app looks like right after you clicked the parameter button of an event:
You can notice several tabs on top of the page: “Event Parameters”, “Simulation”,
“Reprint”, “Delete” and “Filling”. Before running any event, you must verify some of the
tabs. The other tabs will be useful later while running the event or after the event. The
tabs vary due to the type of the event. The tabs you can see in the previous section are the
tabs of a “print” event. If the event were a “digital” event then the tabs are the
following:
There is a new option named “Background” and the tab “Reprint” is missing because there is
nothing to reprint since there was nothing to print.
If the event were a “print & digital” event, then the tabs are the following:
The tabs “Background” and “Reprint” are both there.
In the “Event Parameters” tab, there are entries to modify the values of the parameters of your event. All these values apart from the name of the event have been preset for you but they might not be the ones you expect.
Apart from the name of the event, you can change several parameters:
We are going to show results with various values of HardLight and Opacity with the overlay
we preset in the app. This is the overlay we preset:
With some images we have, we simulated a mosaic. First we set the Hardlight parameter to 10
and we simulate by increasing the Opacity parameter from 10 to 90. We got these pictures:
Then we set the Opacity parameter to 50 and we simulate by increasing the HardLight
parameter from 10 to 90. We got these pictures:
From the first serie of pictures, we understand that the higher the Opacity parameter is,
the more we see the overlay and the less we see the pictures. From the second series of
pictures, the general feeling is the same - it seems we see more and more the overlay. But
if we look closer, we notice that the pictures are not fading away but we tend to see the
overlay more because the white is brighter and the black is darker.
The preset are 80-40 (40 for opacity and 80 for HardLight).
These parameters are well-known to those who use a design software but if you don’t we
strongly recommend that you simulate the mosaic before you go live (see the “Simulation”
section for more details about Simulation).
Regarding the “Overlay” part. The content looks like this:
It begins with a reminder about the size of the overlay and the tile. The "Overlay" tab is where you must go if you want to change the overlay of the event. Click the “Modify” button and select the file that is right for you. Then you can see the overlay and check if it is the one you expect to be.
This option is visible only if the event is a “digital”
event or a “print & digital” event and it resembles a lot the “Overlay” option. The content
looks like this:
What is a background? The background is the digital board of the mosaïc event: it is the
board you would have put on the wall if the event were a print event. Since it is not (or
since is is but is also digital), every time a picture arrives in the folder the app
watches, the app virtually adds the tile on the background. Instead of computing one unique
background, the app keeps every step: so, you get, in the background folder, as many
backgrounds as there are tiles.
If you want to change the background of the event, click the “Modify” button and select the
file that is right for you.
If you want to change the size of the backgrounds the app will compute, enter the value expected (divisible by two only).
We recommend to only use this option for a print event.
With this option you have the option to ask the software to ignore some tiles of the Grid. You can dedicate the use
of these tiles to display specific design elements as logo directly on the mosaic grid sticker.
Once you click on the IGNORE TILE button, you will have the option to ignore tiles directly by clicking on an tile in
the grid or by selection a range of tiles on the right section of the window then click on SAVE.
Once everything is set, we strongly suggest you to verify that everything is in order. The
"Simulation" tab helps you do that since it will simulate the final result of the mosaïc.
This the "Simulation" tab.
The tab says pretty much everything there is to say. To compute the final result, the app
needs a set of pictures. You can either enter a folder where you know there is a set of JPG
pictures that are of interest, or you can let it empty. If the entry is empty, the app has
ten default pictures it will use to compute the final result.
Click the "SIMULATE" button. A message says that the file is in progress. After a while (the
bigger the overlay is, the longer the time will be), a preview will be displayed.
Simulation files are always saved in
C:\Mosaic\SimulationsWhat changes is the
name of the file.
This the kind of picture you will get:
If the file is ok, then your event is all set.
When everything is set and the time comes, you can run your event.
You can stop the event whenever you want. This can come in handy if your event lasts 2 hours during three consecutive evenings. You run the event at the begining of the first evening and stop it at the end of it. You can stop the app and the computer. Then you just do the same the next day. And the next day until your event is finished.
If you have to delete a tile then you must click the "Delete" tab of the event parameters. This is the "Delete" tab:
To delete a tile, you must know its column and row. You get them from the tag printed on the
tile. Enter the column and row and click the "DELETE" button that should be enabled. If the
app returns to its home screen then the tile is deleted. If you mismatch the number of
column and/or the number of row, you get a message and the app stays in the "Delete" tag
screen. Since the place on the mosaïc board is now available, it will be used by the app for
a future tile.
If the place must be filled again right away then you must select the switch on before you
click the "DELETE" button.
Be aware though that the switch is enabled only if the event is running.
The "DELETE ALL" button deletes all the tiles of the event. The app also asks you if you
want to reset the duration of the event. So, use this button very cautiously.
This option is only available if your event is a "print" event or a "print & digital" event. If you have to reprint a tile then click the "Reprint" tag of an event. This is the "Reprint" tag screen:
You reprint a tile from the number of its column and the number of its row. You can get them by looking at the first print and ckecking the tag or by counting the columns and rows on the mosaïc board on the wall. Enter the number of column and row and click the "REPRINT" button. That's it.
This option is only available if your event is a "digital" event or a "print & digital" event. You can for example display a digital live version of your mosaic during your event:
By clicking on the button "Start Browser", the mosaic app will automatically open in your default browser a window with the digital mosaic. Be aware though that the event must have created at least one tile for the slideshow to run.
Let's say you create a mosaïc board with 1000 tiles. But unfortunately you only have 100 people taking 1 picture. You are afraid the mosaïc board will be empty at the end of the event. The app helps you manage that kind of unfortunate situation. Go to the "Filling" tab of the event. This is the "Filling" tab screen:
First, you must absolutely enter the number of seconds you need to print a tile and put it on the mosaïc board (that value is irrelevant for a digital only event). Second, you must enter the number of tiles the app creates with one picture. In general, this value is always equals to one at the beginning of an event. These values are used by two methods. The goals of these methods is to have a full mosaïc board at the end of the event.
These two methods of filling can be used at the same time.
The "FINISH FILLING NOW" button is only enabled when the event is running. It gives
unrestricted powers to the "Automatic Filling" method by bluffing it with a zero remaining
time. In consequences, the app starts producing tiles continously and only stops when the
mosaïc board is full.
If you want to accelerate things a little without using a filling method then go to the "Quick fill" tab of the event. This tab is only available when the event is running. This is the "Quick fill" tab screen:
Enter an integer value inferior to the number of tiles already created the app shows you. Click the "OK" button. That is it.
Once our event is finished, your are able to generate a final image of the mosaic. Please go in the simulation tab:
Here you have to select "create the simulation using the created tiles". Then you can find this image in C:\Mosaic\Simulations
This option is only available if your event is a "digital" or print & digital" event. Once your event is finished, when you edit your event a new tab will appear: "VIDEO".
You can choose the frame rate of the video generated then click on "start". Videos are saved in C:\Mosaic\Videos
The mosaic grid is the grid where users will stick their tiles.
The mosaic is made of
cells. Each cell is a unique combination of letters and numbers that correspond to a unique
tile.
To simplify everyone's life , we created standard mosaic grids that you can
download below.
Those standard grids are made with 4x4inches/10x10cm tiles.
SIZE #1 - 44x44 grid / 4 inches tiles: download
SIZE #2 - 80x56 grid / 4 inches tiles: download
SIZE #3 - 80x64 grid / 4 inches tiles: download
SIZE #4 - 44x44 grid / 2 inches tiles: download
SIZE #5 - 80x56 grid / 2 inches tiles: download
SIZE #6 - 80x64 grid / 2 inches tiles: download
SIZE #1 - 110x110 grid / 10 cm tiles: download
SIZE #2 - 200x140 grid / 10 cm tiles: download
SIZE #3 - 200x160 grid / 10 cm tiles: download
SIZE #4 - 110x110 grid / 5 cm tiles: download
SIZE #5 - 200x140 grid / 5 cm tiles: download
SIZE #6 - 200x160 grid / 5 cm tiles: download
Add 3 cm or 1 inch on the size of the mosaic grid to get the size of the Dibon.
We recommend to use 3mm dibon board
The mosaic image is the final image that everyone will see once all the tiles will be placed
on the mosaic grid.
Please use an image with contrasts, we do not recommend a white
background with only a company logo for example.
SIZE #1 - 44x44 grid / 4 inches tiles: download
SIZE #2 - 80x56 grid / 4 inches tiles: download
SIZE #3 - 80x64 grid / 4 inches tiles: download
SIZE #4 - 44x44 grid / 2 inches tiles: download
SIZE #5 - 80x56 grid / 2 inches tiles: download
SIZE #6 - 80x64 grid / 2 inches tiles: download
SIZE #1 - 110x110 grid / 10 cm tiles: download
SIZE #2 - 200x140 grid / 10 cm tiles: download
SIZE #3 - 200x160 grid / 10 cm tiles: download
SIZE #4 - 110x110 grid / 5 cm tiles: download
SIZE #5 - 200x140 grid / 5 cm tiles: download
SIZE #6 - 200x160 grid / 5 cm tiles: download
The choice of the mosaic image is very important. You need to make sure that:
We suggest you the following items so your event runs as smoothly as possible.
We suggest you to use the Epson TM-C3500 printer label.
Here you can choose between centimeters or inches.
Create your custom media with the correct Width & Height.
Select the borderless printing option.
Push pin no.3 and no.7 upwards on the printer.
Please do exactly the same in the print
tool of
windows.
Right click on an image and choose "print".
Choose the correct label
name and
print a test.
