Qmos

Images help us better define visual elements or present objects and projects. Catalogs and magazines are also filled with pictures so the end user knows how the product looks like. Art also takes advantage of static images, with advanced computer applications giving you the possibility to create stunning visuals from scratch. A different approach is offered by Qmos, which lets you generate mosaics from a custom selection of pictures.

One of the main advantages is that the application can easily be used on the go, because it does not need to be deployed on your system in order to properly function. Keep it on a removable storage device along with a collection of pictures and you can generate various mosaics nearly everywhere you are in a matter of seconds.

The main window is pretty intuitive and is the only workspace put at your disposal. There aren't any restrictions when it comes to the number of images you can add, but for stunning results it's best you add as many as possible.

Adding pictures is only done through the file explorer menu, with no support for drag and drop. You need to target an entire folder, so you need to store pictures in a single directory for a smooth workflow. On the other hand, there's also the possibility to include more folders into one project in case your pictures are scattered around your disk drive.

You also need to add a picture in which your mosaic library items are transformed into. With still no support for drag and drop, you can add files found under the PNG, JPG and BMP formats. As an output, one file is generated and depending on your selection it can either be JPG or HTML for web exporting.

There are two transformation methods at your disposal, each with its own set of configurable options. The fixed method generates a symmetric construction with library items, placing them at an equal distance and under the same size specifications.

On the other hand, you can opt for the adaptive method, which arranges pictures according to color and no restrictions to size. You can manage several sliders to either increase or decrease the number of tiles, size, border, distance between tiles, as well as color change rate.

As mentioned above, the application lets you generate two possible output files. One of them is a basic JPG you can implement in other projects or simply use as a wallpaper. The other generates a HTML file which you can preview in a web browser, with the difference being that each tile can be clicked on, bringing up the original image for preview. This comes in handy for picture galleries, providing a visually appealing alternative.

All things considered, we come to the conclusion that Qmos is a lightweight, yet intuitive and practical application anyone can use to generate custom mosaics from and for any picture. What's more, the two methods, as well as their corresponding set of configurations let you experiment with various arrangements, while export options further increase practicality.