Randomly place images around the text programatically

Question

Here in the MWE:

\documentclass[table]{standalone}
\usepackage{lipsum, graphicx, polyglossia, enumitem, amssymb, pifont, booktabs, cancel, animate, ulem, ragged2e}
\usepackage[most]{tcolorbox}
\graphicspath{ {/home/sandip/Downloads/} {images/} }
\linespread{2}
\newtcolorbox{highlightbox}{%
  enhanced,
  colframe=black,
  boxrule=2mm,
  coltext=white,
  colback=black}
\newtcolorbox{mybox}[2][]{%
  enhanced,
  before upper=\setlength{\parskip}{\bigskipamount},
  colframe=black,
  boxrule=2mm,
  bottomrule=8mm,
  colbacktitle=black,
  fonttitle=\bfseries\centering,
  coltitle=white,
  colback=yellow!10!white,
  coltext=black,
  watermark zoom=1,
  watermark color=black,
  watermark opacity=.05,
  clip watermark,
  watermark text={\rotatebox{65}{Watermark}},
  title=#2,#1}
\newcommand{\xxbody}{
  \lipsum[2,4]
}
\newcommand{\xxheading}{%
  Heading
}
\begin{document}
\begin{mybox}{\LARGE \xxheading{}}
\xxbody{}
\end{mybox}
\end{document}

In folder ./images, I have several image files.

I want to place all of them around the text randomly with random rotations. But at the same time, I do not want them cluttered around together.

The images are tiny icons and placing them around the text randomly improves the visual appeal of the document, at least, in my view :)

How do I do that?

The question here and here have something similar. But there is no text involved.

LaTeX can't read the contents of your image folder, you have to generate a list of the files you want to consider (one could easily script that). Then you could pull random samples from such list, for example using \seq_rand_item:N from expl3. — Skillmon, Oct 03 '21 at 12:00
Somewhat related: https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/144193/how-do-i-put-a-die-roll-at-the-top-of-each-page — John Kormylo, Oct 03 '21 at 15:02
@Skillmon Thanks. It would be of great help if you could elaborate. I am a newbie. But after creating the PDF from the above document, I convert it to PNG and use an image editing program to randomly place those images. I was looking forward to automating it. — deshmukh, Oct 04 '21 at 14:48
@JohnKormylo Yes. I can see the connection. But my problem is in a way simpler. No need to select the dice number that will show, etc. We are going to pick up images and place them. At the same time, my problem is a bit trickier. We are placing these images around the text. For a newbie like me, this is overwhelming. :-) — deshmukh, Oct 04 '21 at 14:50
With "around the text" do you mean it must be outside the text block? Or just anywhere on the page? — Skillmon, Oct 04 '21 at 15:47
@Skillmon Sorry, I could not answer this any earlier. The images should not cover the text. And if they can be randomly rotated, even better. — deshmukh, Oct 08 '21 at 07:48

Skillmon · Accepted Answer · 2021-10-09T09:28:50.033

The following places up to 10 pictures (random how many) per page on random spots. The pictures are randomly pulled from a list of valid pictures.

New code

Places anywhere in the margin, no collision protection (but depending on the size of your images very unlikely, just change the seed).

\documentclass[]{article}
\usepackage[]{graphicx}
\ExplSyntaxOn
\sys_gset_rand_seed:n { \int_from_alph:n { desh } + \int_from_alph:n { mukh } }
% list of image files here
\seq_const_from_clist:Nn \c_deshmukh_pictures_seq
  {
    example-image,
    example-image-a,
    example-image-b,
    example-image-c,
    example-image-duck
  }
\int_const:Nn \c_deshmukh_max_pictures_per_page_int { 10 }
\dim_new:N \l__deshmukh_x_dim
\dim_new:N \l__deshmukh_y_dim
\cs_new_protected:Npn __deshmukh_put_picture:
  {
    \put
      ( \l__deshmukh_x_dim , -\l__deshmukh_y_dim )
      {
        \includegraphics
          [ angle=\fp_eval:n{360rand()}, width=10pt ]
          { \seq_rand_item:N \c_deshmukh_pictures_seq }
      }
  }
\cs_new_protected:Npn __deshmukh_set_rand_left:
  {
    \dim_set:Nn \l__deshmukh_x_dim
      { \fp_eval:n { rand()  (1in + \hoffset + \oddsidemargin) } pt }
    \dim_set:Nn \l__deshmukh_y_dim
      { \fp_eval:n { rand() } \paperheight }
  }
\cs_new_protected:Npn __deshmukh_set_rand_bottom:
  {
    \dim_set:Nn \l__deshmukh_x_dim
      { \fp_eval:n { rand() * \textwidth + 1in + \hoffset + \oddsidemargin } pt }
    \dim_set:Nn \l__deshmukh_y_dim
      {
        \fp_eval:n
          {
            rand() *
            (
              \paperheight
                - 1in - \voffset - \topmargin - \headheight - \headsep
                - \textheight - \footskip
            )
            + 1in + \voffset + \topmargin + \headheight + \headsep
            + \textheight + \footskip
          } pt
      }
  }
\cs_new_protected:Npn __deshmukh_set_rand_right:
  {
    \dim_set:Nn \l__deshmukh_x_dim
      {
        \fp_eval:n
          {
            rand() *
            ( \paperwidth - 1in - \hoffset - \oddsidemargin - \textwidth )
            + 1in + \hoffset + \oddsidemargin + \textwidth
          } pt
      }
    \dim_set:Nn \l__deshmukh_y_dim { \fp_eval:n { rand() } \paperheight }
  }
\cs_new_protected:Npn __deshmukh_set_rand_top:
  {
    \dim_set:Nn \l__deshmukh_x_dim
      { \fp_eval:n { rand() * \textwidth + 1in + \hoffset + \oddsidemargin } pt }
    \dim_set:Nn \l__deshmukh_y_dim
      { \fp_eval:n { rand() * (1in + \voffset + \topmargin) } pt }
  }
\AddToHook{shipout/background}
  {
    \int_step_inline:nn
      { \int_rand:n { \c_deshmukh_max_pictures_per_page_int } }
      {
        \int_case:nn { \int_rand:n { 4 } }
          {
            { 1 } { __deshmukh_set_rand_left: }
            { 2 } { __deshmukh_set_rand_bottom: }
            { 3 } { __deshmukh_set_rand_right: }
            { 4 } { __deshmukh_set_rand_top: }
          }
        __deshmukh_put_picture:
      }
  }
\ExplSyntaxOff
\usepackage{duckuments}% <- dummy content, also random example-image-duck
\begin{document}
\duckument
\end{document}

Old code

Places anywhere on the page.

\documentclass[]{article}
\usepackage[]{graphicx}
\ExplSyntaxOn
% list of image files here
\seq_const_from_clist:Nn \c_deshmukh_pictures_seq
  {
    example-image,
    example-image-a,
    example-image-b,
    example-image-c,
    example-image-duck
  }
\int_const:Nn \c_deshmukh_max_pictures_per_page_int { 10 }
\AddToHook{shipout/background}
  {
    \int_step_inline:nn
      { \int_rand:n { \c_deshmukh_max_pictures_per_page_int } }
      {
        \put
          ( {\fp_eval:n{rand()}\paperwidth}, {-\fp_eval:n{rand()}\paperheight} )
          { \includegraphics { \seq_rand_item:N \c_deshmukh_pictures_seq } }
      }
  }
\ExplSyntaxOff
\usepackage{duckuments}% <- dummy context, also random example-image-duck
\begin{document}
\duckument
\end{document}

Thanks. This is close to what I am aiming it. Just a few problems. In your solution, the images cover text. They should not. I am using really tiny images --- size of an icon. Secondly, they should not clutter together. Here they do. And if they can be rotated randomly, nothing like it! — deshmukh, Oct 08 '21 at 07:50
@deshmukh they can't cover text, but they'd be in the background of text... But they can be inside the textblock currently. Is your real document twosided or onesided? — Skillmon, Oct 09 '21 at 08:53
Thanks. They do not cover text (as above text) but appear under the text. But I am trying to put them strictly 'around' the text. So, there is no overlap. And my document is one sided. — deshmukh, Oct 10 '21 at 08:01
@deshmukh then the new code should do (well, there is a possibility that half of the icon is behind the text, you could hopefully easily fix that by adding some offset in the \__deshmukh_set_rand_...: macros. — Skillmon, Oct 10 '21 at 17:33
Thanks. The new solution does it. And it almost feels like a miracle!! — deshmukh, Oct 14 '21 at 10:45

Randomly place images around the text programatically

1 Answers1

New code

Old code