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So, about wallpaper changers...

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ConstanceJill:
@ skwire : I tested the prototype, pointed it to a folder with a few pictures, set it to change every 1 minute and clicked start, but whether the exlusionary process I added is running or not, it doesn't seem to actually change the wallpaper even after waiting several minutes ^^'

@ Shades : I've been using John's Background Switcher for a while now but the resizing of small pictures is pretty bad too :/
I'll take a look at the other two you've mentionned.

@superboyac : Wallpaper Master is cheap enough indeed yet I don't like that the freeware version doesn't allow PNG images, even though these would be the ones to choose for testing the quality of its resizing :(

Shades:
Upscaling (enlarging) images is very hard to do. Of course, enlarging an image with dimensions 1024x768 to 1280x1024 is not that hard, especially when the ratio remains the same. However, when upscaling to bigger

The compression level of the JPG image format is a huge factor in the upscaling capability of an image. Compression normally means: how can I get rid of as much image data as possible, without affecting the image (too much).

After compression (of any image format, really) the upscaling capability diminishes significantly. Myself, I tend to use the following rule of thumb: if you have a JPG image with 80% compression (a very common, if not the default level of compression) you can more or less safely upscale up to 20% of the original size (about 25% of the compression level value), but only if the ratio remains the same. For example: 1024x768 (original) + 20% would become 1280x1024.

After that, don't bother. Years ago, around 1998-2000, I did buy a piece of software (for about 150 of today Euros) that could significantly upscale images successfully. The floppy it came on wasted away and as far as I know this software isn't on the consumer market anymore. The guy who made it was always busy making computer demos (in Assembly) in his free time, while studying mathematics in University. He finished his study with a project where someone would make a random pile of coins from different countries and his software could tell you the exact amount of coins from a satellite image.

Recalculating the correct missing image information from any image is very hard to do and will always lead to artifacts. Nothing substitutes uncompressed image data. Still, all bets are off when the image ratio changes during upscaling, even if the image is uncompressed. Not all of the tricks that work when upscaling (compressed) movies, work as well for stationary images I'm afraid.

skwire:
So you have another NANY entry? ;)-Ath (December 25, 2013, 03:36 AM)
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@Ath: Let's see if I can get it working for ConstanceJill first.

@ skwire : I tested the prototype, pointed it to a folder with a few pictures, set it to change every 1 minute and clicked start, but whether the exlusionary process I added is running or not, it doesn't seem to actually change the wallpaper even after waiting several minutes ^^'-ConstanceJill (December 25, 2013, 05:15 AM)
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@ConstanceJill: That's odd.  I developed and tested this in W7/64 and also tested it under an XP/32 VM and my wife's W7/64 laptop.  Now...there is one thing, under my W7/64 box.  For some reason, when a wallpaper is changed, it doesn't get repainted properly unless I drag a window around the desktop (or maximise, then minimise) some window.  Could that be the issue you're seeing?  FWIW, the XP/32 VM doesn't exhibit this issue, nor does my wife's W7/64 laptop.  BTW, for testing purposes, you can use a float value like 0.1 to switch walls every six seconds.  This part of the GUI will be changed in a future build.

Anybody else give this prototype a try?  At any rate, Merry Christmas, all!

ConstanceJill:
@Shades: Yes, I know that, but when you see that Windows 7 and some other programs add huge artifacts to pictures that didn't have any (such as small sized PNGs that never were compressed with a lossy algorithm) when upscaling them, while other programs don't, working with the very same picture set, it's pretty obvious that some of these programs are not working the best way.

@skwire: yup, looks like that was it, it started working once I maximised/moved a window and kept working after I set it back to its original size.
I'm also satisfied with the quality of resized pictures, and it does stop changing pictures when one of the specified processes is running. Good job, I am very pleased \o/

Now if I may ask for just a few more minor features:
- I'd like a way, from the program's interface (or system tray icon), to open or copy the path+filename of the original picture, so just in case I decide I don't like that one anymore, or I want to show it to some friends, it makes it easier for me to find it again
- would it be possible to force the picture change without waiting for the pre-defined delay from the system tray icon ?

That would make it perfect for me ♥_♥

tomos:
Nice app!
I actually thought it didnt work, but then I realised I had to click "Enable Wallpaper switching" at the bottom :-[
I'll bet that's why you made that button so big - so as I wouldn't miss it. (But I still managed to...)

The resizing is being done quite well.
Last requests from ConstanceJill sound very good :up:

__________
win7 x64

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