Shape Collage FAQ

Common


How to use Shape Collage


Errors

  • I am running Windows and I can't get the program to run.

    You probably have a problem with your installation of Java:
    1. Go to "Control Panel" -> "Add/Remove Programs"
    2. Uninstall all versions of Java from your computer (there may be multiple copies)
    3. Download and install the newest version of Java.

    If you are still having problems, please contact us and we can help you.

  • I am running Mac OS X and I can't get the program to run.

    You probably need to update your version of Java:

    Mac OS X 10.4

    Mac OS X 10.5

    Mac OS X 10.6

    Mac OS X 10.7

    Mac OS X 10.8


    If you are still having problems, please contact us and we can help you.

  • It says that some photos could not be read and the photos don't show up in the collage.

    For some reason, the photos could not be read by the program. If you look at the photo panel on the left, any photo that only appears as a gray box and not a thumbnail preview could not be read correctly. If you open those photos with an image editor and re-save the files, then that usually solves the problem. Sometimes the embedded color profile is the problem and the image needs to be saved without a color profile in order for it to work with Shape Collage.

    You can also have Shape Collage ignore the color profiles by going to Options -> Advanced -> Ignore ICC Profile
  • The color of the photos in the collage and thumbnails is weird or the photos turn out really dark.

    The cause of this is an embedded color profile that is incompatible with Shape Collage. You can fix this by opening up the photos in Photoshop or another image editor, and re-saving the photos without an embedded color profile or convert the color profile to a standard one, like sRGB.

    You can also have Shape Collage ignore the color profiles by going to Options -> Advanced -> Ignore ICC Profile
  • It says that it "Could not create the collage file" and I am getting a "java.lang.IllegalStateException" or "java.lang.NullPointerError".

    This is usually because you tried to save the collage in an invalid location or a place on your computer that you are not allowed to save files. Try saving the collage to a different location on your computer and using a different filename.

    This error can also sometimes be caused by a photo that Shape Collage can't read. Check the photos in the left side of the program and if any of them only show a gray box, then remove them and try creating the collage again.
  • I am getting an "Out of memory" error.

    The collage is too big and is overwhelming your computer (this usually happens with collages larger than 200 megapixels, like a 15,000 x 15,000 pixel collage). If you are trying to make a really, really big collage like this and get an "Out of memory" error, try saving the collage in Photoshop's PSD format (instead of JPEG or PNG). If you are using a photo as the background for the collage, use a single colour or transparent background instead. Disabling multithreading in the options may help as well. If all else fails, then reduce the size of the collage or create the collage in separate, smaller pieces and combine them in Photoshop.

    See the Out of Memory help page for more information

Shape Collage Pro


Other