DesktopSlideshow 2.0
May 6th, 2006
The DesktopSlideshow widget (for the Yahoo Widget Engine / Konfabulator) is a Windows-only widget that periodically changes your desktop wallpaper to different images in a folder that you specify.
Now in version 2.0, DesktopSlideshow has been updated to automatically scale images to fit the screen while preserving the aspect ratio. Also, more image formats are now supported: bmp, jpg, png, and tiff (filename .tif or .tiff).
Since I’m not a graphics programmer, Desktopslideshow requires Imagemagick for scaling images and converting non-bmp images. Read about it and download and install it from www.imagemagick.org. For DesktopSlideshow, find and install the Windows binary called ImageMagick-currentversion-Q16-windows-static.exe. Then when you first run DesktopSlideshow, go to the preferences and tell DesktopSlideshow where to find ImageMagick.
If you don’t install ImageMagick, DesktopSlideshow will only work with .bmp images, and will not scale them to fit the screen.
Other usage notes:
- Set your Windows wallpaper setting to “center”, not “stretch”, or Windows will mess with the aspect ratio
- You can manually force a wallpaper change by double-clicking on the slide projector
- DesktopSlideshow doesn’t work when it’s set to only “Show Only in Heads Up Display”
Enjoy! Download it here. I hope to have it up at the widget galleries soon.
10 Responses to “DesktopSlideshow 2.0”
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Karl’s Tech Blog » Desktop Slideshow major update Says:
May 8th, 2006 at 7:47 am[…] DesktopSlideshow 2.0 is out, and finally supports scaling images to fit the screen. Check out the link to the right –> […]
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Jed Says:
May 26th, 2006 at 10:56 amKarl,
Just wanted to let you know that I really like and enjoy DesktopSlideshow. It is a fantastic little widget that really works well. Perhaps in the next version, you could remove the requirement for ImageMagick and only require it that need the auto resizing feature? I really have no desire to install another app on my already bloated system and the dependency makes DesktopSlideshow a little less appealing.
Thanks,
–jed
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Karl Says:
May 27th, 2006 at 7:51 amThat’s a great suggestion. I thought seriously about it when I was getting ready to release 2.0, and I mainly didn’t do it because the jpg-to-bmp converter that I had been using always delayed the approval of the widget for the widget gallery (since I didn’t write the sourcecode for it).
But I’ll do this in the next release.
-karl. -
Jim Says:
June 16th, 2006 at 9:50 amGreat Widget! Drag-n-Drop and perhaps multiple folder support would make it even better. :)
Thanks,
-Jim
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steve Says:
March 5th, 2007 at 6:54 pmHi Karl - worked out the math now !!!
Just a great widget - have been able to view photos I’ve got and haven’t seem for ages in quick time on the desktop - the most useful widget for me I’ve used. Would be greatly useful if would display the file name - or even better - a right click that would find the currently displayed picture in explorer - i have thousands of photos of home and stuff - not all of them I want - esp crap ones of me :) Anyway - if you do amend the programm please do let me know - its already tops fro me but that would be the icing on th cake!!! all the best - Steve -
chris Says:
December 20th, 2007 at 11:58 amI downloaded ur program but i can not get to work I have the right kind of pics and have done everything i know to do plazs tell me anything i can do to get this to work
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karl.kranich Says:
December 20th, 2007 at 2:43 pmDifferent people have been having problems. I’ll try to put out a version 2.1 soon that doesn’t require ImageMagick, and then you can try that one to see if the problem is with ImageMagick.
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matt Says:
January 28th, 2008 at 2:19 pmquick question i suppose: ive been using this widget on multiple computers for a while now, but recently was upgraded at work. for some reason now i cant get it to function, its installed and appears to be functional (no errors), but it doesnt change my windows XP background, its still just the default view.
ive installed imageMagick and pointed the widget to the appropriate directory for both imagemagick and my pictures to scroll thru, but no luck. any ideas?
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karl.kranich Says:
January 29th, 2008 at 7:26 pmI really don’t know what to suggest. I haven’t been able to duplicate
the failures that some people are experiencing.Are you running as an admin of the local machine?
Since people complain about having to install ImageMagick, I’m hoping
to put out a version soon that has the ImagMagick “convert” utility
packaged in. Watch for that on my blog, and give it a try. -
juan Says:
February 5th, 2008 at 1:23 amHi Karl
I’m sadly having the same problem as matt.
I also tried with an older imagemagick (6.3.2-4-Q16-windows-static) but the same problem.
Thanks for your work and for trying to maintain it
[…] DesktopSlideshow 2.0 is out, and finally supports scaling images to fit the screen. Check out the link to the right –> […]
Karl,
Just wanted to let you know that I really like and enjoy DesktopSlideshow. It is a fantastic little widget that really works well. Perhaps in the next version, you could remove the requirement for ImageMagick and only require it that need the auto resizing feature? I really have no desire to install another app on my already bloated system and the dependency makes DesktopSlideshow a little less appealing.
Thanks,
–jed
That’s a great suggestion. I thought seriously about it when I was getting ready to release 2.0, and I mainly didn’t do it because the jpg-to-bmp converter that I had been using always delayed the approval of the widget for the widget gallery (since I didn’t write the sourcecode for it).
But I’ll do this in the next release.
-karl.
Great Widget! Drag-n-Drop and perhaps multiple folder support would make it even better. :)
Thanks,
-Jim
Hi Karl - worked out the math now !!!
Just a great widget - have been able to view photos I’ve got and haven’t seem for ages in quick time on the desktop - the most useful widget for me I’ve used. Would be greatly useful if would display the file name - or even better - a right click that would find the currently displayed picture in explorer - i have thousands of photos of home and stuff - not all of them I want - esp crap ones of me :) Anyway - if you do amend the programm please do let me know - its already tops fro me but that would be the icing on th cake!!! all the best - Steve
I downloaded ur program but i can not get to work I have the right kind of pics and have done everything i know to do plazs tell me anything i can do to get this to work
Different people have been having problems. I’ll try to put out a version 2.1 soon that doesn’t require ImageMagick, and then you can try that one to see if the problem is with ImageMagick.
I really don’t know what to suggest. I haven’t been able to duplicate
the failures that some people are experiencing.
Are you running as an admin of the local machine?
Since people complain about having to install ImageMagick, I’m hoping
to put out a version soon that has the ImagMagick “convert” utility
packaged in. Watch for that on my blog, and give it a try.
quick question i suppose: ive been using this widget on multiple computers for a while now, but recently was upgraded at work. for some reason now i cant get it to function, its installed and appears to be functional (no errors), but it doesnt change my windows XP background, its still just the default view.
ive installed imageMagick and pointed the widget to the appropriate directory for both imagemagick and my pictures to scroll thru, but no luck. any ideas?
Hi Karl
I’m sadly having the same problem as matt.
I also tried with an older imagemagick (6.3.2-4-Q16-windows-static) but the same problem.
Thanks for your work and for trying to maintain it