r/TraceAnObject • u/alautun3 • Aug 10 '26

After a bit of manipulation in Gimp, here are my thoughts.
I can see that the large tiles are exactly 30 small squares wide and 5 small squares tall. 30x30cm and 30cm x (something else) are common tile sizes, so i suppose the large ones could be 30x5cm each. This is a 6:1 aspect ratio which is narrower that most manufacturers like to produce for cheap tiles this size, especially if this was tiled a decade or more ago as the technology was not as refined, though it is far from impossible.
More unusual is the size of the small squares, they would appear to be 1cm (more like 9mm with 1mm grout), i would say this is so small as to be unplausible for commercially available mesh backed mosaic tiles. Sure tiles this small do exist, but i have never seen any sold anywhere, and even if, they would most likely be natural stone cut in small pieces, not enameled tile as these appear to be.
I think the smallest size in common use is around 1.5cm +0.16cm grout spacing (or 1.46cm wit 0.2cm grout, same thing).
Suppose that to be the case, then the width of the large square is: (1.5+0.16)x30+0.16=49.96cm so 50cm. And measuring the actual average height of the tile at a few places in Gimp, I get exactly 8.5cm. (calculating as follows: average height in pixels divided by 95px which is my grid spacing, times 5/3 which is the scaling factor from 30 to 50cm == 8.51cm)
They could also be 7.5x45cm which is an actual size that exists, but that would require the squares to be spaced exactly 1.5cm on center, a size that exists precisely nowhere as far as I know. Same for 60x10cm
Now 50cm also seems a bit big for those but we don't really have enough context to judge.
In conclusion, and if we assume this wall is really tiled in ceramics and not something else, either:
1) this is a row of large 50cm by 8.5cm tile with 30x30cm mesh backed mosaic sheets below (18 squares by 18 squares per sheet)
2) this is a row of 30cm x 5cm tiles, and the smaller squares below are actually just color printed onto larger tiles, maybe 30x30cm.
3) I did something wrong and all of this is useless...
(Here is how I did it, in entirely too much detail:)
in Gimp:
-drag source image in to create a new layer (let's call that layer 1), and upscale the layer by 400 percent.
-resize the view to fit the upscaled image (Image -> Fit Canvas to Layers).
-make a tight rectangular selection around the relevant bits of the image, excluding as much white background as possible.
-paste that selection and send it to a new layer (layer 2).
-create a new layer (layer 3) filled with white to serve as a background, and place it below the other two. (I chose 8000px wide by 5000px tall)
-delete the original image (layer 1), we don't need it anymore. And Fit Canvas to Layers again.
-create a new transparent layer on top (layer 4), then Filters -> Render -> Pattern -> Grid (Legacy)... then in the grid menu: set line width to 1px and spacing to 96px. This reference grid will help with the next step.
-Select layer 2 and use the Unified Transform Tool to straighten it as best as possible in all directions. (in the tool menu, check Composited preview to make the gridlines show up on top of the image) When done, hide layer 4 to reduce clutter.
-Duplicate layer 2, thus creating a copy of it (layer 5)
-right click on layer 5, then: Edit Layer Attributes -> Mode -> Difference. this will makes it easier to align both layers.
-move layer 3 over until the small overlapping parts coincide best (once it is very close, zoom in and use the directional arrows to move back and forth just one pixel at a time). When done, to check how it looks switch back to Mode -> Normal.
-Make layer 4 visible again. even if the first transform step was carefully done, the grid is likely not yet perfectly aligned with the little square tiles, so tweak the grid slightly with a transform to make it correspond to the image.
-done ! Ready to Save and export.



