Picture framing visulisation software for website

[Nigel]

Does anyone out there know of any visualisation software for a picture framing website?
I know that such software exists because I have seen may picture framing website that allow you to upload your picture and choose a frame and be able to see what it will look like against your picture.
Any ideas please?

[Minsc]

Originally Posted by Nigel

Does anyone out there know of any visualisation software for a picture framing website?

You want to generate a preview of a picture in a frame for a site that sells picture frames or something(like CafePress)?

You'd have to use a server-side language like PHP with GD. To do it, you'd have to do something like:
-Apply aspect correction to the picture. Pad the top and bottom or left and right sides with transparent pixels until its aspect ratio is that of the frame.
-Map the picture onto the frame. There would be four points corrisponding to the corners of the picture somewhere on the image of the frame and you'd put the image inside of these points. It might get narrower or wider, ect.
-Maybe add a shadow?
-Blur the picture or the edges of it a little so that it looks natural.
-Overlay some lighting/glass onto the image.

You basically use server-side scripts to put the image over a picture of an empty picture frame. You'd have to use scripts for a website. If you're doing it manually, you could use Photoshop or something.

If you want to put a border that looks like a picture frame around an image, then you'd use textures that can repeat vertically or horizontally and some corner images and paste them onto the sides of the image with GD or Photoshop. Some programs can do this automatically if that's what you want.

[jamestl2]

Have you considered snapshots?:
Snap

They generate a preview of a link or image, using a thumbnail, I believe.

[Nigel]

Hi guys,
Thanks for those emails, but the sort of software I am looking for is what has been used on this website Frame Express
This website lets you build you own frame on the web so you can see how it will look before its even framed
I know lots of different websites use similar software but I don't know where I can get it from.
Any ideas?

[tobyhede]

That site looks custom built to me ... using PHP and an Image Library (GD, ImageMagick or similar)

[Minsc]

Originally Posted by Nigel

Hi guys,
Thanks for those emails, but the sort of software I am looking for is what has been used on this website Frame Express

That particular website uses CSS to put a border around an image... If you select the preview, you'll see that it's more than an image.

It's usually done with, say, PHP/GD since you can do more with those. (although CSS is less server-intensive and is usually smaller)

You can't use normal software on a website. You have to write a script that has no UI and interfaces with the webserver to generate an image from some input. (generating a picture frame is done in the same way as you would make a blog or a forum)

You might find something if you Google "php scripts", ect, but it's usually custom-written for something like a preview.

[gale44]

AbleDesign - Dynamic Picture Frame

Came across this, and wondered if it might be what you are looking for.