Abstract:
A pattern for camouflage and a method for making the pattern. Rely on photographic images arranged in a synthetic perspective relationship, appearing to extend toward the horizon. The photographic images are images of landscape features in a selected environment. The pattern blends in with landscape features both in proximity to and distant from the camouflage pattern. In one embodiment, the pattern is adapted to be seamlessly repeatable across a surface. In one or two dimensions the method for making the camouflage includes taking photographs and selecting photographic images that represent the landscape features in the selected environment. The method also includes separating those images and arranging them into a repeating pattern. Photographic images are arranged in synthetic perspective which includes obscuring background images with foreground images in a manner that simulates the perspective in the selected environment.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is a Continuation of my co-pending application Ser. No. 09/436,280 filed on Nov. 8, 1999 for Camouflage Pattern Method and Apparatus. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    1. The Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    This invention relates to a pattern for camouflaging a user and to novel methods for making a pattern for camouflage.  
           [0004]    2. The Background Art  
           [0005]    Since World War II, a variety of patterns have been designed to camouflage people and objects in an outdoor environment. Military personnel use camouflage clothing for combat and training. Other users of camouflage include hunters, bird watchers, paint ball players and other outdoor recreation enthusiasts. Camouflage prevents people from being detected by other people and animals. A good camouflage can allow hunters and other wildlife watchers to avoid startling wildlife. Camouflage aids the military in performing covert operations and hiding from enemy fire.  
           [0006]    Early camouflage was a single color, often a shade of green or brown. More recent camouflage arrangements include repeating geometric shapes with borders. This type of camouflage typically has two or three colors, including green, brown, or black. A green version of this camouflage is designed for hiding a person in a forested environment. Another version of this camouflage is light brown with dark borders around the geometric shapes to match a dry, desert background.  
           [0007]    Camouflage clothing manufacturers have recently attempted to create a more realistic appearance by using plant-like three-dimensional additions. However, this camouflage is noisy, cumbersome and may catch on snags. Other camouflage arrangements include artists&#39; renderings or photographic images of wilderness scenes.  
           [0008]    Typically, camouflage patterns are effective only in an environment where the user does not stand higher than vegetation. The camouflage schemes currently in use do not provide the illusion of perspective to blend in with a landscape that has low or sparse vegetation. The prior art generally provides camouflage only for a person standing in close proximity to the vegetation. The vegetation must also stand as high as the person for the camouflage to be effective.  
           [0009]    In many regions around the world, a camouflage user stands taller than the surrounding vegetation. For example, in the western United States, large regions have only sagebrush and low ground cover. This sagebrush may stand as tall as an individual&#39;s knees or waist. Above the sagebrush immediately adjacent to the user, the viewer sees only plants and landscape features behind the user, many of which elements are a considerable distance behind the user. This type of open landscape, where the view is unobstructed by vegetation, is common in arid and semi arid regions, such as southern Europe or the western United States.  
           [0010]    Prior art configurations do not camouflage any part of a user above the height of the vegetation because they cannot give the appearance of an open landscape, with vegetation in the distance. The prior art is designed for use only when vegetation reaches the full height of the body of a user. Moreover, no method is available to represent the vegetation or appearance of such landscapes.  
           [0011]    In a landscape where a user stands higher than the vegetation or the vegetation is sparse, the camouflage scheme must blend with vegetation some distance behind the user. No currently available camouflage layout recreates an open landscape&#39;s view into the horizon.  
           [0012]    The prior art is designed primarily for use in forests and not for use in sagebrush, other brush regions, forests or other arid or semi-arid environments. As a result, the currently available camouflage generally does not blend in with the vegetation of arid or semi-arid regions.  
           [0013]    Moreover, the more realistic looking camouflage patterns, particularly those that use more realistic images rather than pseudo-random patterns, do not create a repeatable pattern because the images are not adaptable to do so. Some images must be matched to extend across a person&#39;s entire body. A repeatable pattern is necessary for commercially feasible large-scale production of camouflage clothing, without telltale discontinuities in the camouflage scheme.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
         [0014]    In view of the foregoing, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a pattern that camouflages a user in an environment and blends in with the vegetation in proximity to and at a distance from the camouflage.  
           [0015]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a camouflage pattern that blends in with a landscape dominated by comparatively low growing vegetation.  
           [0016]    It is another object of the invention to create an image that recreates the appearance of a landscape extending to the horizon.  
           [0017]    It is another object of the invention for provide a method for making the pattern.  
           [0018]    It is another object of the invention to provide a pattern that combines photographic images into a composite image that blends realistically into the landscape, through the use of synthetic perspective, where the photographic images are selected to reflect the arrangement and density of landscape features in a selected environment.  
           [0019]    It is another object of the invention to provide a pattern that can be seamlessly repeated in one or two dimensions, be imprinted on a substrate, be adapted for imprinting on a fabric, or provided in a commercially feasible pattern for mass production on bolts of cloth.  
           [0020]    Consistent with the foregoing objects, and in accordance with the invention as embodied and broadly described herein, an apparatus and method are disclosed, in suitable detail to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention.  
           [0021]    In certain embodiments an apparatus and method in accordance with the present invention may include taking photographic images of discrete landscape features of a sagebrush environment. In a sagebrush embodiment, photographic images of sagebrush may be the largest of the photographic images used in the pattern. This embodiment may also includes photographic images of small bushes and low groundcover. These photographic images may be selected and isolated from larger photographic images, which include the landscape feature in the natural environment. The isolated photographic images may be arranged in a synthetic perspective relationship. The synthetic perspective relationship is created by overlaying a photographic image on top of any other photographic image that lies above and behind the first photographic image.  
           [0022]    Any environment can be recreated by taking photographs of the landscape features in the environment and separating the photographic images of each landscape feature of interest. For example, one embodiment includes photographic images of reeds and rushes arranged in a synthetic perspective relationship, recreating a marsh environment. Another embodiment includes photographic images of aspens, conifers, and herbs, also arranged in a synthetic perspective relationship, recreating an alpine forest environment.  
           [0023]    To recreate the appearance of the selected environment, a background color may be selected and can be seen in the spaces between the photographic images of the selected principal element. An accent color may be selected to match the appearance of the environment&#39;s background in shadow. The accent color may be smeared across the background color to mottle and shade naturally and randomly.  
           [0024]    The repeating pattern is created by the selection and positioning of edge elements and corner elements. Each edge element is selected and split into two halves. The first half is positioned at its opposite edge of the pattern and the other half is position at its opposite edge opposite the first half. The edge halves create a single image when two pattern edges are placed together. The pattern contains split edge images positioned at each of the pattern&#39;s four edges. The corner elements are split into four quadrants. Each quadrant is positioned at its opposite corner of the pattern, creating a complete image when the pattern is repeated in two dimensions.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0025]    The foregoing and other objects and features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are, therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope, the invention will be described with additional specificity and detail through use of the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 1 is an illustration of a pattern of one preferred embodiment of synthetic perspective camouflage;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a diorama illustration of the pattern organization;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 3 is a line drawing representing a photographic image of a large element;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 4 is a line drawing representing the organization of photographic images in a pattern;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 5 is an illustration of a groundcover layer of a pattern;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 6 is an illustration of a mid size element layer suitable for super position over a groundcover layer;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 7 is an illustration of a large element layer suitable for super position over groundcover and mid size element layers;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 8A an illustration of an edge element;  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 8B is an illustration showing the position of an edge element in a pattern;  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 9A an illustration of a corner element;  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 9B is an illustration showing the position of a corner element in a pattern;  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 10 is an illustration of a pattern repeated;  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 11 is an illustration of a sample of a pattern in accordance with the invention  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 12 is an overview flowchart of a method of creating a pattern in accordance with the invention;  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a method for artistic design of a pattern in accordance with the invention;  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 14 is a flowchart of a method for element selection of a pattern in accordance with the invention;  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 15 is a flowchart of a method for element separation and classification of pattern in accordance with the invention;  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 16 is a flowchart of a method for pattern assembly;  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 17 is a flowchart of a method for element placement;  
         [0045]    [0045]FIG. 18 is flowchart of a method for printing of a pattern in accordance with the invention;  
         [0046]    FIGS.  19 - 21  are illustrations of various color plates for a color separation process in accordance with te invention;  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 20 is an illustration of a single color plate; and  
         [0048]    [0048]FIG. 21 is an illustration of single color plate. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0049]    It will be readily understood that the components of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the Figures herein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the system and method of the present invention, as represented in FIGS. 1 through 21, is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is as broad as claimed herein. The illustrations are merely representative of certain, presently preferred embodiments of the invention. Those presently preferred embodiments of the invention will be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout.  
         [0050]    Those of ordinary skill in the art will, of course, appreciate that various modifications to the details of the Figures may easily be made without departing from the essential characteristics of the invention. Thus, the following description of the Figures is intended only by way of example, and simply illustrates certain presently preferred embodiments consistent with the invention as claimed.  
         [0051]    [0051]FIG. 1 shows a pattern  10  of one preferred embodiment in grayscale. The illustrated pattern  10  is composed of twelve different colors (represented by shades of gray) selected to match a selected environment. The pattern has an ecotone motif, meaning the landscape features used in a pattern are selected from landscape features that occur naturally together. The pattern  10  may contain any number of colors selected to match the selected environment. The colors of the pattern  10  may also reflect a selected time of day. The illustrated pattern is particularly suited to camouflage for open landscapes during daylight.  
         [0052]    The environment of the illustrated embodiment is a western United States region with a sagebrush landscape. The selected environment may be any environment in which users desire camouflage. Users include hunters, bird watchers, and other outdoor recreation enthusiasts. Military personnel may also use camouflage for training and combat.  
         [0053]    The pattern may be printed on a substrate. The substrate may be any surface, such as a fabric-like material, for example, where the presentation surface is the same as the area of the substrate.  
         [0054]    The pattern  10  includes photographic images  11  of discrete landscape features. The photographic images  11  of the illustrated pattern may include images of shrubs, bushes, grasses and the like. Alternative embodiments may contain any combination of shrubs, bushes, grasses, rocks, herbs, trees, flowers, rocks, deadwood, and the like to match the pattern  10  to the selected environment. For example, the pattern  10  may include photographic images of scrub oak and grass to match a western United States foothill environment. Alternatively, the pattern may include a combination of photographic images including: Joshua trees, desert shrubs and small cacti to match a desert environment; reeds and rushes to match a marsh environment; or conifer, aspens, and herbs to match an alpine terrain or even tundra.  
         [0055]    [0055]FIG. 2, a perspective view of a three dimensional diorama illustration  12  of the pattern  10 , shows the synthetic perspective relationship and organization of photographic images  11  in the pattern  10 . The perspective illustration  12  has a horizon  14  that is imaginary and above the pattern  10 . The perspective illustration  12  shows a vanishing point  16  in the horizon  14 , an imaginary point at which the pattern  10  would disappear in horizon  14 , if the pattern  10  extended indefinitely. The perspective illustration  12  has viewing planes,  18 ,  20 ,  22  and a reference plane  24 . A reference image  26  lies in the reference plane  24  and has a base  28 . A reference line  30  runs through the base  28  of the reference image  26 .  
         [0056]    The perspective illustration  12  also shows several photographic images  11 , including three that are background images  32 ,  34 , and  36 , lying in viewing planes  20  and  22 . Any portions of the background images  28 ,  30 , or  32  that appear to be directly behind the reference image  26  are obscured by the reference image  26 .  
         [0057]    The perspective illustration  12  also has photographic images  11  that are foreground images  34 ,  35  in a viewing plane  18 . Foreground images  34 ,  36  will mask any portion of the reference image  26  that appears to be directly behind foreground images  34 ,  36 . The base  28  of the reference image  26  is obscured by an upper portion of a foreground image  38 , adding to the synthetic perspective in the pattern  10 .  
         [0058]    The perspective illustration  12  shows that the perspective of the pattern  10  may run toward the vanishing point  16 . This perspective creates a perception in the viewer, an animal or another person, that the object represented by foreground images are smaller that the objects represented by the background images, even if the two images are actually the same size.  
         [0059]    [0059]FIG. 3 shows a computer representation (e.g. line drawing) of a large pattern element  42 . Large element  42  is a photographic image that has been isolated from a larger photographic image (not shown) of large element  42  and the surrounding vegetation or landscape. A large element is a photographic image  11  of a landscape feature that is large relative to all the landscape features in the environment.  
         [0060]    The complete photographic image (not shown) of a selected environment is selected to represent part of an ecotone of the environment. Large elements  42  combined in a single pattern  10  are usually from the same ecotone. The term ecotone describes a given group of plant types that occur naturally together, such as aspen/conifer or sage/juniper. The environment is a given landscape, in which hunters need camouflage. For example, the environment may be a landscape in the western United States, where the ecotone selected may be sagebrush and grass.  
         [0061]    Large element  42  is separated from a larger photographic image along both its exterior boundaries  44  and its interior boundaries  46 . The interior boundaries  46  create to interior spaces  48  within large element  42 .  
         [0062]    [0062]FIG. 4 shows a simplified line drawing  52  representing the organization and synthetic perspective of photographic images  11  in a pattern  10 . The line drawing has a first layer of a background  54  and an accent color  56 . The background  54  is a color selected to match a dominant ground color or background foliage color of the selected environment. For example, the background  54  could be rusty colored to match the red soil of the southwestern United States. Alternatively, the background  54  could be a light brown to match the sandy soils of desert regions. The background  54  could also be black with a light accent color to match a wet, marshy environment.  
         [0063]    Accent color  56  is selected to be a secondary color of the selected environment. The accent color may be the color the ground in shadow. Alternatively, the accent color may be a secondary color of the soil or undergrowth. Accent color  56  is smeared across background  54 , giving a textured and shadowed appearance to background  54 .  
         [0064]    As shown in FIG. 4, the next layer of the pattern  10  contains groundcover  58 . In this representation of the pattern  10 , the groundcover  58  is made up of images of small and large rocks  55 . The groundcover  58  could be any number of distinct images, selected to match the desired environment. For example, one camouflage pattern could contain a groundcover  58  of low growing clumps of grass. An alternative pattern  10  could have a groundcover  58  of small bushes. Any mixture of images of rocks, herbs, grasses, and/or small bushes could be used to recreate the appearance of the selected environment.  
         [0065]    The layer on top of the groundcover  58  contains several large elements  42 . One of the large elements  42  of FIG. 4 is a reference image  64 . The interior spaces  48  of the reference image  64  reveal groundcover  58  and background images  30 ,  32  that lie directly behind the reference image  24 .  
         [0066]    Where the reference image  64  overlaps another photographic images and has a base  65  that lies below the other photographic image, the reference image  64  obscures the overlapping portions of photographic image. Any large element  42 , groundcover  58  or other photographic images  11 , that lie below the reference image  64  and interfere with a part of the reference image  64 , mask the overlapping part of the reference image  64 .  
         [0067]    FIGS.  5 - 7  show the organization and synthetic perspective of a pattern  10 . FIG. 5 shows a groundcover layer  66  with substantially evenly spaced groundcover  58 . The groundcover  58  of this embodiment is made of photographic images of low growing shrubs. However, groundcover  58  could be made up of discrete images of low grass clumps, rocks, or low shrubs, or any combination of the same. Background  54  and accent color  56  are visible around the groundcover  58 .  
         [0068]    [0068]FIG. 6 shows a mid-size element layer  70  on top of a groundcover layer  66 . Mid-size element layer  70  is composed of mid-sized elements  72 , which are images of small bushes in this illustration. The mid-sized elements  72  could be photographic images of rock, groups of herbs, small trees, bushes or other plants. The mid-size elements  72  are mid-size relative to other elements in the pattern  10  and represent mid-size landscape features, that are mid size relative to the features in the landscape.  
         [0069]    The mid-size elements  72  obscure portions of groundcover  58  with bases  76  that appear to lie above and behind the base  74  of each mid-size element  72 . Groundcover  58  obscures a mid-size element where the base  76  of groundcover  58  lies below a mid-size element  72  in the pattern  10  and overlaps mid-size element  72 . The bases  74  of mid-sized elements  72  are generally obscured by groundcover  58 . Exposed bases of mid-size elements  72  are obscured by overlapping groundcover  58  with a base  76  positioned below the base  72  of the mid-size element, adding to the synthetic perspective.  
         [0070]    [0070]FIG. 7 shows a pattern  10  with a large element layer  78  over a groundcover layer  66  and a mid-size element layer  70 . Large element layer  78  has large elements  80 , which are images of large bushes in the illustrated embodiment. Large elements  80  are photographic images of landscape features that dominate the landscape and are large relative to other landscape features. The large elements  80  could be a number of images, including trees, deadwood, large rock, or cactus, in any combination required to match the appearance of the selected environment.  
         [0071]    The organization of the large element layer  78  is similar to the organization for the mid-size layer  70 . The large elements  80  are spaced farther apart than the groundcover  58 . The large elements  80  partially obscure all other images directly above and behind, except for portions of other images that show through the interior spaces  48  of the large elements  80 . All images with a base  74 ,  76  below a base  82  of a large element  80  obscure the overlapping portion of the large element  80 . The bases  82  of large elements  80  are obscured by overlapping groundcover  58  or mid-size elements  72  with bases  74 ,  76  that lie below the base  82  of the large elements  80 .  
         [0072]    [0072]FIGS. 8A and 8B show the organization of edges  85 , 86  of the pattern  10 . An edge element  84  has two halves  88 ,  90 . One half  88  of the edge element  84  is positioned with dividing line A-A aligned with an edge  85  of the pattern  10 .  
         [0073]    The other half  90  of edge element  84  is positioned on the opposite edge  85 . The positioning of halves  88 , 90  create a pattern capable of repeating along edges  84 ,  85 .  
         [0074]    [0074]FIGS. 9A and B show the position of a corner element  92 . The corner element  92  in the illustrated embodiment, is a large element  80 , although a mid-size element  72 , groundcover  58 , or background  30  could also be corner elements.  
         [0075]    Corner element  92  has four quadrants,  94 ,  96 ,  98   100 . Each quadrant is positioned in one of four corners  102 ,  104 ,  106 ,  108  of the pattern  10 . The four quadrants  84 ,  96 ,  98 ,  100  create a pattern  10  that is continuous at corners  102 ,  104 ,  106 ,  108  of the pattern  10  when the pattern  10  is repeated in all directions.  
         [0076]    [0076]FIG. 10 shows a repeating pattern  110  created by several patterns  10 . The repeating pattern shows the position of corner element  92  and edge element  86 , which create a seamless, repeatable pattern  110 .  
         [0077]    The pattern  10  may be printed on a surface of a substrate. The pattern  10  may also be seamlessly repeated in one or two dimensions. The substrate may be a fabric or another material that is fabric-like, being relatively flexible in the transverse direction and relatively inflexible orthogonally. The substrate may be adapted to print on cloth or fabric.  
         [0078]    [0078]FIG. 11 shows, for discussion purposes, a pattern consisting of a background  54  with an accent color  56 , groundcover  58 , mid size elements  72 , large elements  80 , edge elements  84  and a corner element  92 .  
         [0079]    The pattern is arranged in accordance with the principles of the method shown in FIG. 12, a flowchart overview of the method. The method is divided into three parts, the artistic design of the camouflage  112 , pattern assembly  114 , and printing the pattern  116 .  
         [0080]    [0080]FIG. 13 is flowchart showing each step of the artistic design of the camouflage  112 . The steps are: photographing elements  118 , selecting elements  120 , separating and classifying elements  122 , defining a color scheme  124 , and ordering the elements  126 .  
         [0081]    The first step in artistic design of the camouflage  112  is photographing elements  118  in the selected environment. Each photograph should include at least one entire landscape feature that represents a part of the ecotone of the selected environment. The term ecotone describes a given group of plant types that occur naturally together, such as aspen/conifer or sage/juniper. A landscape feature is any plant, rock, or any other stationary part of the selected environment.  
         [0082]    For the pattern of FIG. 11, landscape features are photographed as close-ups and at a distance. Where the selected environment has mainly low landscape features relative to the user, the viewer of the pattern can see landscape features farther off than a viewer can see in an environment with tall features relative to the use. Therefore, where the selected environment has mainly low landscape features, both close up and distance phonographs should be taken. Alternatively, where the selected environment has mainly tall landscape features relative to the user, mainly close up photographs should be taken.  
         [0083]    Several photographs are taken in the selected environment under selected conditions to obtain all the desired landscape features in the desired level of daylight. The photographs may be scanned into a computer for easy manipulation with a computer graphics program.  
         [0084]    The next step in the artistic design  112  of the pattern  10  is selecting elements  120 . Selecting elements  120  includes the following steps: selecting background  128 , selecting an accent color  130 , selecting photographic images  134 . Selecting background  128  includes reviewing all photographs of the selected environment and finding a color to represent the most dominant ground color or undergrowth color of the selected environment. The background may match the dirt color or may match the color of a ubiquitous plant.  
         [0085]    Selecting accent color  130  also requires reviewing photographs of the selected environment. The step includes reviewing the photographs and selecting a secondary color of the soil or undergrowth. Alternatively this steps includes selecting a dominant color of the ground or undergrowth in shadow.  
         [0086]    The step of selecting photographic images  132  includes reviewing photographs and selecting landscape features to represent the ecotone of the selected environment. An ecotone is a term describing the types of plants that occur naturally together. The photographic images  11  should be selected to represent the distinct colors and sizes present in the landscape features of the selected environment.  
         [0087]    The step after selecting elements  120  is separating and classifying elements  122 . FIG. 15 shows a flowchart of the steps in separating and classifying elements  122 , including separating elements  138 , cutting out interior spaces  140 , grouping elements  142 , and classifying elements  144 . Separating elements  138  includes cutting out the selected photographic image  11  from the entire photographic image, cutting along exterior boundaries  44  of the photographic image  11 .  
         [0088]    The next step, grouping the elements  142  includes dividing the photographic images into groups by color, shape and texture, putting like images together. The final step in separating and classifying elements  122  is classifying elements  144 .  
         [0089]    Each separated photographic image  11  is classified as groundcover  58 , mid-size element  72  or large element  80 , depending on the size of each image relative to the other images in the pattern  10 . The classification of each photographic image depends on the selected environment.  
         [0090]    Generally, common low growing plants or rocks would be groundcover  58 . For example in one embodiment, the groundcover  58  is made up of photographic images  11  of small shrubs. In another embodiment, the groundcover  58  could be clumps of grass, rocks, or low growing herbs. Which photographic images are selected as groundcover  58  depends on the size and types of plants present in the selected environment.  
         [0091]    Mid-size elements  72  may range from grasses to trees, depending on the selected environment. In the illustrated embodiment of a sagebrush environment, the mid-size elements  72  are small bushes. In an alternative embodiment of a conifer/aspen ecotone, the mid-size elements  72  may be photographic images  11  of aspen trees. The selection of mid-size elements  72  depends on the features in the landscape. For example, groundcover  58  in one embodiment may be a mid-size element  72  in another.  
         [0092]    Large elements  80  may be photographic images  11  of tall grass clumps, herbs, bushes, trees, rocks or any other landscape feature that dominates the selected environment. In the illustrated environment, photographic images  11  of large sagebrush are the large elements  80  in the pattern. In another embodiment of a juniper/sage forest, the large elements  80  would be the image of juniper. The photographic images  11  selected as large elements  80  also depend on the other landscape features in the selected environment. Mid-size elements  72  in one embodiment may be large elements  80  in another embodiment. For example, in a pattern  10  representing a sagebrush/juniper environment, sagebrush may be the mid-size element  72 . In a pattern  10  representing a sagebrush and small bush environment, the sagebrush images may be the large elements  80 .  
         [0093]    [0093]FIG. 16 is a flowchart of the steps for pattern assembly  114 , including laying elements  146 , selecting edge and corner elements  148 , and splitting and placing corner and edge elements  150 .  
         [0094]    As shown in FIG. 17, the steps of laying elements  146  are: placing background  152 , smearing accent color  154 , placing groundcover  156 , placing mid size elements  158 , placing large elements  160 , masking bases of elements. The placing background step  152  includes laying the background  54  as the first layer of the pattern  10 . Smearing accent color  154  includes reviewing selected environment, as captured in photographs, and placing the accent color  56  to create an appearance of shadow and texture that reflects the ground or background foliage of the selected environment.  
         [0095]    In the illustrated pattern  10 , placing groundcover  156  includes evenly distributing the groundcover  58  over the background  54 , in a density that approximates the density of groundcover in the selected environment. Alternative embodiments may have unevenly distributed groundcover  58  to match the groundcover of the selected environment. In other embodiments, where the selected environment has no low growing plants or other groundcover, the pattern  10  lacks groundcover  58  altogether.  
         [0096]    In the illustrated pattern, the next step, placing mid-size elements  158 , includes distributing the mid-size elements  72  farther apart relative to the groundcover  58 , with more space between each mid-size element  72  than between each groundcover  58 . The spacing of the mid-size elements  72  matches the spacing of mid-size landscape features in the selected environment. The mid-size elements  72  are spaced close together relative to the groundcover  58  in patterns  10  where the selected environment has a higher density of mid-size landscape features than groundcover features.  
         [0097]    Each mid-size element  72  obscures any overlapping portion of groundcover  58  that lies directly behind and above the mid-size element  72 . Each groundcover  58  that lies below and directly in front of the base  74  of a mid-size element  72  obscures the overlapping portion of the mid-size element  72 .  
         [0098]    The next step of laying elements  146  is placing large elements  160 . The large elements  80  are spaced to match the density and distribution of large landscape features in the selected environment. A large element  80  obscures any mid size elements  72  or groundcover  58  that overlap and lie above the base  82  of a large element  80 . A large element  80  is obscured by any overlapping mid-size elements  72  or groundcover  58  with bases  74 ,  76  that lie below the base  82  of the large element  80 .  
         [0099]    The final step of laying elements  146  is masking exposed bases of mid size and large elements  72 ,  80  to continue creating synthetic perspective. Where the base  74  of a mid-size element  72  is exposed, a groundcover  58  is brought below and overlapping the base  74  of a mid size element  72 . This step is repeated until the base  74  of the mid size element  72  is obscured to the point a base of a mid-size landscape feature would be hidden by surrounding vegetation in the selected environment. These same steps are followed to mask an exposed bases  82  of large elements  80 , using either groundcover  58  or mid-size elements  72 , matching the features that surround large landscape features in the selected environment.  
         [0100]    In some selected environments, some or all of the bases  74 ,  82  of the large elements  80  and mid-size elements  72  may not require masking. For instance, in the case of a conifer forest as the selected environment, no other plants grow around the base of certain conifers. Where the bases of landscape features are exposed, the masking step is skipped.  
         [0101]    The next step in pattern assembly  114  is selecting edge and corner elements  148 . A number of edge elements  84  should be selected to ensure that all four edges of the pattern  10  are repeatable. In the illustrated embodiment, a range of distinct sizes of edge elements  84  have been selected. At least one corner element must be selected. In the illustrated embodiment, a large element  80  is selected to be a corner element  148 . In alternative embodiments, the corner element  148  may be groundcover  58 , background  54 , mid-size element  72  or a large element.  
         [0102]    Splitting and placing edge and corner elements  150  includes splitting the edge elements  84  into two halves  88 ,  90  and the corner elements  92  into four quadrants  94 ,  96 ,  98 ,  100 . One half  88  of the edge element  84  is placed at one edge  85  and the other half  90  is placed at the edge  86  opposite the first edge, creating a pattern  10  that repeats at the edge, as shown in FIG. 8B. The four quadrants  94 ,  96 ,  98 ,  100  of the corner are positioned in alignment with the four corners  102 ,  104 ,  106 ,  108  of the pattern  10 . The positioning of the four quadrants  94 ,  96 ,  98 ,  100  creates a pattern  10  that repeats at the corners, as shown in FIG. 9B.  
         [0103]    The step after laying elements  146  is printing the pattern  116 . The step of printing the pattern  116  includes: selecting color groups  164 , sorting elements portions  166 , selecting palette  168 , color separating  170 , ordering colors  172 , and printing  174 . Selecting color groups  164  includes choosing the most frequent colors within the entire landscape.  
         [0104]    The next step, sorting elements  166  includes determining which elements belong in each color group. A color group is a set of portions of the pattern  10  that share a similar coloring. For example, a portion of all the large elements  80  may share a similar coloring and be grouped together as a color group. Alternatively, every portion of the large elements  80  in the pattern  10  may be of distinct colors and be placed in unique color groups. Portions of background  58 , mid-size elements  72 , and large elements  80  may all share a similar color, and be placed in the same color group. For example the background  58 , mid-size elements  72 , and large elements  80  may all have a dark brown color on a stem portion of the photographic image. The stems would then make up a dark brown color group.  
         [0105]    Selecting the palette  168  includes selecting a single color to represent each color group. For example, the most common color in the color group may be chosen to represent the entire group. Alternatively, all colors in the color group may be combined to form a composite color of the color group.  
         [0106]    The next step, separating colors  170 , includes isolating each color group of the pattern  10  from the other color groups in the pattern, creating a single color image for each color group.  
         [0107]    Ordering colors  172  includes reviewing the pattern  10  in conjunction with the photographic images  11  of the selected environment and determining the order of dominance of the colors, the most dominant color being the color which appears to be in the foreground relative to other colors in the pattern  10 . The single color images should be placed in order of least dominant color to the most dominant color.  
         [0108]    Printing the pattern  10  includes printing each singe color image on a substrate. The single color images are printed in order from least dominant color to the most dominant color. Printing may also include printing the pattern repeatedly in one or two dimensions. The substrate may be any substrate adapted for printing on fabric or the fabric itself.  
         [0109]    FIGS.  19 - 21  show examples of single color images in black. In the illustrated embodiment FIG. 19 is a single color image  176 , printed as the fifth layer on a substrate. FIGS. 20 and 21 are single color images  178 ,  180  and are printed as layers seven and ten, respectively, in the illustrated embodiment.  
         [0110]    The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its structures, methods, or other essential characteristics as broadly described herein and claimed hereinafter. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims, rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.