Mosaic generation from user-created content

1. A computer-implemented method for creating a mosaic based on a reference image, comprising:

providing a first interface on a content sharing website that allows users to interactively create mosaic tiles for insertion into respective portions of a mosaic based on a thematic reference image;

managing the interactive creation of a plurality of user-created tiles on the first interface, comprising, for each of the plurality of user-tiles:

painting at least a portion of a respective initial canvas in a second interface using a respective background color prior to the respective user-created tile being interactively created to increase a likelihood that the respective user-created tile will be inserted into the mosaic, based on one or more available portions within the mosaic and a corresponding one or more portions of the thematic reference image; and

generating the respective user-created tile by creating a customized image based on a plurality of user selections on the respective painted initial canvas in the second interface;

populating at least a portion of the mosaic with the plurality of user-created tiles created using the second interface, by operation of one or more computer processors, comprising:

determining a suitability value between each of the user-created tile in the plurality of user-created tiles and a corresponding portion of the thematic reference image; and

inserting a particular user-created image into the portion of the mosaic based on the determined suitability value, based on at least one of (i) a first proximity in the mosaic to a first user-created image by a same author, (ii) a second proximity in the mosaic to a second user-created image with a same title, and (iii) an effort value calculated for the particular user-created content.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the suitability value between the user-created tile and the corresponding portion of the thematic reference image is calculated using at least one Euclidean distance calculation.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein modifying an initial canvas further comprises:

determining a background color of a first portion of the one or more portions of the thematic reference image associated with a first available portion of the one or more available portions of the mosaic; and

setting a background color of at least one portion of the initial canvas of the interface, based on the determined background color of the first portion.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein modifying an initial canvas further comprises:

determining at least one background shape in a first portion of the one or more portions of the thematic reference image associated with a first available portion of the one or more available portions of the mosaic; and

inserting the determined at least one background shape into the initial canvas of the interface.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein modifying an initial canvas further comprises:

presenting a plurality of canvas templates on a third interface of the content sharing website, wherein each of the plurality of canvas templates is determined based on (i) a respective available portion of the mosaic and (ii) a corresponding portion of the thematic reference image; and

receiving a selection of a canvas template from the user, wherein the initial canvas is modified based on the selected canvas template.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein inserting particular user-created image into the portion further comprises:

identify a plurality of potential user-created tiles to insert into the portion, based on the determined suitability value for each of the user-created tiles;

receiving a selection of a particular potential user-created tile from an editor of the content sharing website; and

responsive to receiving the selection, inserting the particular potential user-created tile into the portion of the mosaic.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program that, when executed, performs an operation for creating a mosaic based on a reference image, the operation comprising:

providing a first interface on a content sharing website that allows users to interactively create mosaic tiles for insertion into respective portions of a mosaic based on a thematic reference image;

managing the interactive creation of a plurality of user-created tiles on the first interface, comprising, for each of the plurality of user-tiles:

painting at least a portion of a respective initial canvas in a second interface using a respective background color prior to the respective user-created tile being interactively created to increase a likelihood that the respective user-created tile will be inserted into the mosaic, based on one or more available portions within the mosaic and a corresponding one or more portions of the thematic reference image; and

generating the respective user-created tile by creating a customized image based on a plurality of user selections on the respective painted initial canvas in the second interface;

populating at least a portion of the mosaic with the plurality of user-created tiles created using the second interface, by operation of one or more computer processors, comprising:

determining a suitability value between each of the user-created tile in the plurality of user-created tiles and a corresponding portion of the thematic reference image; and

inserting a particular user-created image into the portion of the mosaic based on the determined suitability value, based on at least one of (i) a first proximity in the mosaic to a first user-created image by a same author, (ii) a second proximity in the mosaic to a second user-created image with a same title, and (iii) an effort value calculated for the particular user-created content.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the suitability value between the user-created tile and the corresponding portion of the thematic reference image is calculated using at least one Euclidean distance calculation.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein modifying an initial canvas further comprises:

determining a background color of a first portion of the one or more portions of the thematic reference image associated with a first available portion of the one or more available portions of the mosaic; and

setting a background color of at least one portion of the initial canvas of the interface, based on the determined background color of the first portion.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein modifying an initial canvas further comprises:

determining at least one background shape in a first portion of the one or more portions of the thematic reference image associated with a first available portion of the one or more available portions of the mosaic; and

inserting the determined at least one background shape into the initial canvas of the interface.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein modifying an initial canvas further comprises:

presenting a plurality of canvas templates on a third interface of the content sharing website, wherein each of the plurality of canvas templates is determined based on (i) a respective available portion of the mosaic and (ii) a corresponding portion of the thematic reference image; and

receiving a selection of a canvas template from the user, wherein the initial canvas is modified based on the selected canvas template.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein inserting particular user-created image into the portion further comprises:

identify a plurality of potential user-created tiles to insert into the portion, based on the determined suitability value for each of the user-created tiles;

receiving a selection of a particular potential user-created tile from an editor of the content sharing website; and

responsive to receiving the selection, inserting the particular potential user-created tile into the portion of the mosaic.

13. A system, comprising:

a computer processor; and

a memory containing a program that, when executed on the computer processor, performs an operation for creating a mosaic based on a reference image, the operation comprising:

providing a first interface on a content sharing website that allows users to interactively create mosaic tiles for insertion into respective portions of a mosaic based on a thematic reference image;

managing the interactive creation of a plurality of user-created tiles on the first interface, comprising, for each of the plurality of user-tiles:

painting at least a portion of a respective initial canvas in a second interface using a respective background color prior to the respective user-created tile being interactively created to increase a likelihood that the respective user-created tile will be inserted into the mosaic, based on one or more available portions within the mosaic and a corresponding one or more portions of the thematic reference image; and

generating the respective user-created tile by creating a customized image based on a plurality of user selections on the respective painted initial canvas in the second interface;

populating at least a portion of the mosaic with the plurality of user-created tiles created using the second interface, by operation of one or more computer processors, comprising:

determining a suitability value between each of the user-created tile in the plurality of user-created tiles and a corresponding portion of the thematic reference image; and

inserting a particular user-created image into the portion of the mosaic based on the determined suitability value, based on at least one of (i) a first proximity in the mosaic to a first user-created image by a same author, (ii) a second proximity in the mosaic to a second user-created image with a same title, and (iii) an effort value calculated for the particular user-created content.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the suitability value between the user-created tile and the corresponding portion of the thematic reference image is calculated using at least one Euclidean distance calculation.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein modifying an initial canvas further comprises:

determining a background color of a first portion of the one or more portions of the thematic reference image associated with a first available portion of the one or more available portions of the mosaic; and

setting a background color of at least one portion of the initial canvas of the interface, based on the determined background color of the first portion.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein modifying an initial canvas further comprises:

determining at least one background shape in a first portion of the one or more portions of the thematic reference image associated with a first available portion of the one or more available portions of the mosaic; and

inserting the determined at least one background shape into the initial canvas of the interface.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein modifying an initial canvas further comprises:

presenting a plurality of canvas templates on a third interface of the content sharing website, wherein each of the plurality of canvas templates is determined based on (i) a respective available portion of the mosaic and (ii) a corresponding portion of the thematic reference image; and

receiving a selection of a canvas template from the user, wherein the initial canvas is modified based on the selected canvas template.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein inserting user-created image into the portion further comprises:

identify a plurality of potential user-created tiles to insert into the portion, based on the determined suitability value for each of the user-created tiles;

receiving a selection of a particular potential user-created tile from an editor of the content sharing website; and

responsive to receiving the selection, inserting the particular potential user-created tile into the portion of the mosaic.