Overlap Wallpaper

[anandcoral]

I promised to make an App as a thank you to DC members, so here it is.

Latest version is 2.6.0 (03 Feb 2015)

Description (of the application) :

Displays a photo on the desktop wallpaper in overlap manner, so that one can have the photo of loved ones on different wallpaper images on desktop. The overlapped photo can be sized, and positioned on desktop as required; and also can be made semi transparent.


Benefits (of using it) :

I like to have my family photo on my desktop (who don't). Now sometime I come across a good nature image as desktop wallpaper (I like nature, abstract etc.). To have my loved ones photo over the nature's wallpaper, I open up image editor, adjust the two images, save and set as wallpaper, done. In another few months, I find a breath taking image of water fall and want it as my wallpaper. Open image editor, and ... done. When I need to change the family photo with the latest naughty one of my son, I look for the image editor, and ... done.

Well as a developer, somewhere inside me I was not feeling good. I wanted the benefit of both worlds and in automated manner.

Googling gave me many freeware wallpaper changers and some with collage facility. All these does the job but not as I required. I wanted the wallpaper to change the main background image but keep my family photo overlapped on it.

I made one, which does as required. It shows the given image overlapped on the existing desktop wallpaper. Further one can use a wallpaper changer and have the loved ones photo always overlapped on different wallpaper images.

My colleagues, who wanted the same but could not use image editor properly, love it. We all have our religious photo (looks like we all turn religious as the pay day nears), overlapped on different wallpapers on all our desktop now.

Download:

https://sites.google...verlapwallpaper/home

(sites.google.com/site/overlapwallpaper/home in case the above link does not show fully)

Hope you will find this software useful.

Regards,

Anand

[mouser]

That s a very cool idea.  Thank you for sharing!

Works perfectly here by the way.

[mouser]

Was just featured on ghacks today with a long writeup:
http://www.ghacks.ne...-desktop-background/

[anandcoral]

Thanks a lot, Mouser.

I also like to thank here, Martin Brinkmann (gHacks) for such complete writeup. 

Regards,

Anand

[siouxdax]

Love it. Great idea! I like being able to mix up two different wallpapers.

[steeladept]

Didn't see this till today.  Brilliant.  Simply brilliant.

[anandcoral]

Thanks @siouxdax and @steeladept for appreciation. 

Regards,

Anand

[kyrathaba]

Very cool idea, and well-executed

[anandcoral]

Thanks @kyrathaba 

Regards

Anand

[anandcoral]

After receiving feedback about user not being able to put the apps shortcut link in startup folder and Google not giving any simpler explanation, I made a webpage in this regard.

Simplest way to put shortcut of a program into the startup folder.

I wanted the steps to be very simple and common to even non-technical person. I will request all to give comments on it to make it even simpler, if possible.

Regards,

Anand

[bob99]

After receiving feedback about user not being able to put the apps shortcut link in startup folder and Google not giving any simpler explanation, I made a webpage in this regard.

Simplest way to put shortcut of a program into the startup folder.

I wanted the steps to be very simple and common to even non-technical person. I will request all to give comments on it to make it even simpler, if possible.

Regards,

Anand

-anandcoral (June 27, 2011, 02:57 AM)

Anand,

Thank you for this.  These steps are 'old hat' and simple to some, but if a person hasn't done it before they don't necessarily know where to start.  Or what to search for.  ie the feedback you received.  It's not that they can't do it, it's just something new to them.

[anandcoral]

Just updated Overlap Wallpaper to version 1.5.0

Main feature added is "Preview mode in settings", to instantly preview the size, transparency and position changes of the overlapped photo.

Regards,

Anand

[stophereareyou]

Hello Anand,
I tried Overlap Wallpaper (version 1.5.0), well that is "nice to have" app  ,
I'm not sure it is right way (right thread) to ask,
but as background image and overlayed may have different (combinations of) color / contrasts
the overlayed image may not look stand out(may not be correct words)

>adding facility to add frame to overlayed image and / or
simply a shadow at "right and bottom"/left and bottom" or as per location and users choice would separate the overlayed image from desktop wallpaper
>secondly not a must feature but a kind of slide show would be good for user set interval...

this is for information only...
Well, I have rainmeter installed, you can see frame over wallpaper,

Spoiler

Overlap Wallpaper

My friend liked it and wanted same on his pc but he don't know coding or tinkering(!) code for users with little or no knowledge of coding your app is great (don't take it as you know a wrong statement I'm just making my point clear...

Really liked the app and ease of doing what you said

[vmars316]

OverlapWallpaper, very nice.
I have been using Skwire's FrameLess for this overlapping.
But yours has more features.
Thanks...Vernon

[anandcoral]

Updated to version 2.0.1, long over due, nearly a year.

- New setting, reload photo after every given seconds.
- New setting, show photo always on top.
- New setting, make a given color in photo transparent.

https://sites.google...verlapwallpaper/home

I have also added "Feature and Tips" page on website to help the new users.

Please give some feedback, as did not get enough time to check the app in different combination.

@stophereareyou, I have added the 'interval' option as 'reload'.

Thanks Vernon.

Regards,

Anand

[stophereareyou]

Updated to version 2.0.1, long over due, nearly a year.

- New setting, reload photo after every given seconds.

@stophereareyou, I have added the 'interval' option as 'reload'.

-anandcoral (September 13, 2012, 02:09 PM)

Tried the latest version,
Few things I observed...

Spoiler

Overlap Wallpaper

overlapped wallpaper (lets call it 'frame' for convenience) can not be set for custom size, it retains proportions (see the image, I kept height 100 and width 200)

Again, about Reload, you may have misunderstood my previous reply,
I have folder containing 2-4 images and want to show them as 'frame', after certain interval...
And adding a bottom shadow will make 'frame' stand out on the main wallpaper,

I liked the Idea and want to use it, Please do these three changes...

[anandcoral]

Hi stophereareyou, thanks for the feedback.

1. Click on the 'Preview' button or better enable 'Preview mode' to see the changes as you change the size.

2. I got your 'reload' idea now, i.e. load next image from given folder after few seconds. Hope to take up next time.

3. The 'shadow' options is difficult as of now, so I do not promise it. If possible I will definitely  do it.

Regards,

Anand

[anandcoral]

Well OW has seen some update lately but I forgot to mention it here.

Below are the latest changes,

Version 2.5.2 (16 Feb 2014)
- Fixed, photo not displaying full, if photo size is same as desktop size.

Version 2.5.0 (11 Mar 2013)
- New INI setting, hide tray icon (1=hide, 0=show), changes to be made directly in the ini file.
- Running the exe again, does not prompt the user but auto reloads the photo.

Version 2.0.1
- New setting, reload photo after every given seconds.
- New setting, show photo always on top.
- New setting, make a given color in photo transparent.

Regards,

Anand

[anandcoral]

New version released.

Version 2.6.0
-------------
- New setting, display photo full screen

Download from same link as above.

Regards,

Anand

[anandcoral]

Upcoming feature:
Support for PNG image with Alpha Channel Transparency.

Overlap Wallpaper

This has been long time request of users. Hope to release a new version soon.

Regards,

Anand