OneTaskBy Tim King · Updated
Kaleidoscope Effect
Mirror a Slice of Your Photo Into Symmetrical Segments With Rotation and Zoom
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How the Kaleidoscope Effect works
This kaleidoscope effect takes a wedge of your photo and mirrors it around the centre, again and again, until flowers, city lights or plain textures become a symmetrical pattern like the view down a real kaleidoscope tube.
How to use the kaleidoscope effect
Choose a photo and the pattern appears straight away. Segments sets how many mirrored slices make up the circle. It starts at 3, because a single slice has nothing to mirror, so a lower value is raised to 3. Rotation turns the wedge so a different part of the photo is reflected, and Zoom moves in or out. The two Sample point sliders choose which part of the photo the wedge is taken from, so small moves produce completely new patterns.
Picking a good source photo
Busy, colourful pictures make the richest results: flowers, fruit, street lights at night, stained glass and fabric all work well. Plain skies give soft, simple shapes. Try the same photo with 6, 8 and 12 segments, because each count creates a different style of symmetry.
Uses for kaleidoscope images
The square-ish patterns suit phone wallpapers, album covers, social posts and backgrounds for posters. Set an odd number of segments for a star-like look, or a high count for a dense mandala.
Private by design
Every pixel is mirrored on a canvas in your browser, and the photo is never uploaded.
FAQ
How does a kaleidoscope effect work?
The tool measures the angle of every output pixel from the centre, folds that angle back into one narrow wedge, mirroring every second slice, and then copies the colour from that position in your photo. The result is perfect radial symmetry.
Why does my pattern look stretched at the edges?
Pixels far from the centre sample points further out in the photo. When they run off the edge the tool reflects back into the image instead of leaving gaps. Lower the zoom or move the sample point towards the middle for cleaner outer rings.
Can I make a kaleidoscope video or animation?
This tool makes still images. For moving patterns, export several versions while changing the rotation slider a few degrees each time, then join the frames with an image-sequence-to-video or GIF maker tool.
Is the output the same size as my photo?
Yes. The pattern keeps the dimensions of your photo, up to 2,400 pixels on the long side, and is saved as JPG unless the original was a PNG.
See also: all Images tools, Audio, Video & Screen, PDF, SVG, Simulations & Screensavers, Generative Art, Chart Makers, 3D Model Viewers, Drawing Pads, Mockups & 3D Making, Diagram Makers, 3D Science, Tracker Music.
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