Generating an assembled group image from subject images

1. A method of generating an assembled group image from subject images, the method comprising:

receiving by at least one computing device image selection criteria;

determining subjects to be included in the assembled group image, the subjects associated with one or more subject images;

for each of the determined subjects, conducting a search using the at least one computing device to select a subject image for inclusion in the assembled group image from the one or more subject images by querying a data store of information about the subject image using the received image selection criteria;

generating by the at least one computing device an arrangement for the selected subject images based on information about the subject images stored in the data store, the arrangement including subject positions that are based at least in part on information stored in the data store; and

generating by the at least one computing device the assembled group image by arranging the subject images at the subject positions.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying a plurality of subjects for inclusion in the assembled group image; and

wherein selecting subject images comprises selecting subject images for the identified subjects.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the subjects are identified based on group affiliation data for the subjects.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the group affiliation data identifies affiliation with at least one a school, a class, a team, a club, a business unit, and a department.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information about the subject images comprises body points information, the method further comprising processing at least one of the subject images to identify locations of body points in the at least one of the subject images.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining an arrangement for the selected subject images further comprises:

determining a number of subjects to be included in the assembled group image;

determining a size of a workspace for the assembled group image;

determining a number of rows and a number of subjects per row to fit the number of subjects in the workspace; and

identifying the subject positions in the workspace wherein the number of subject positions equals the number of subjects and wherein the subject positions are arranged in the number of rows and having a number of subject positions per row that equals the number of subjects per row.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the number of subjects is identified based on the number of subjects that are associated with a particular group.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein determining an arrangement for the selected subject images further comprises determining a desired head size for the subject positions.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein generating the assembled group image comprises scaling the subject images according to the desired head size.

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising selecting a subject image for a subject position based on information about the subject images.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the information about the subject images comprises pose information, including a direction the subject is facing, wherein subject images are selected for subject positions so that the subject is facing a center of the assembled group image.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the information about the subject images comprises pose information, including arm position information, wherein subject images are selected to have the same arm position.

13. The method of claim 6 , further comprising assigning a z-order to the subject positions based on a row position of the subject position.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein generating the assembled group image further comprises generating subject shadows, generating subject shadows comprising:

generating a copy of a subject image;

adjusting the color and transparency of the copy of the subject image and blurring to generate a representation of a shadow;

offsetting the representation of the shadow from the subject image;

removing excess portions of the representation of the shadow; and

applying the representation of the shadow to other subject images based on z-order.

15. An assembly station for generating an assembled group image from subject images, the assembly station comprising:

at least one processing device; and

at least one computer readable storage device, wherein the at least one computer readable storage device comprises data instructions, which when executed by the at least one processing device, cause the processing device to:

receive image selection criteria;

determine subjects to be included in the assembled group image, the subjects associated with one or more subject images;

for each of the determined subjects, conduct a search using the at least one computing device to select a subject image for inclusion in the assembled group image from the one or more subject images by querying a data store of information about the subject image using the received image selection criteria;

generate an arrangement for the selected subject images based on information about the subject images stored in the data store, the arrangement including subject positions that are based at least in part on information stored in the data store; and

generate the assembled group image by arranging the subject images at the subject positions.

16. The assembly station of claim 15 , comprising further data instructions that cause the processing device to:

determine whether a subject image includes a cut-off portion; and

when determined that the subject image includes a cut-off portion, apply a gradient mask to the subject images.

17. The assembly station of claim 16 , wherein the gradient mask comprises a transparency gradient having a transparency of 100% at a top and 0% at a bottom, the bottom being aligned with the cut-off portion of the subject image.

18. The assembly station of claim 17 , wherein the arrangement for the selected subject images comprises multiple rows of subject positions, and wherein the data instructions further cause the processing device to assign subject images to subject positions within the rows and to generate gradient mask for the subject images based on the row assignment.

19. A method of generating an assembled group image from subject images, the method comprising:

receiving by at least one computing device image selection criteria, including group affiliation criteria;

identifying by the at least one computing device using the image selection criteria a plurality of subjects for inclusion in an assembled group image based on group affiliation data for the plurality of subjects by querying a data store of information about the subject images using the received image selection criteria, the plurality of subjects associated with one or more subject images;

determining a number of the identified subjects to be included in the assembled group image;

determining a size of a workspace for the assembled group image;

determining a number of rows and a number of subjects per row to fit the number of subjects in the workspace;

identifying the subject positions in the workspace wherein the number of subject positions equals the number of subjects and wherein the subject positions are arranged in the number of rows and having a number of subject positions per row that equals the number of subjects per row;

for each of the plurality of identified subjects, conducting a search using the at least one computing device to select a subject image from the one or more subject images for the identified subject positions based on pose information about the subject images stored in the data store, including a direction the subject is facing, wherein the subject images are selected for subject positions so that the subject is facing a center of the assembled group image; and

generating by the at least one computing device the assembled group image by arranging the subject images at the subject positions.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

extracting an identifier from metadata stored with at least one of the subject images; and

using the identifier to retrieve information about the at least one subject image from a database of image-specific data for the subject images.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the image selection criteria include information about subject pose in subject images.