Software to control Wallpaper?

[tomos]

Does some software exist for working with desktop wallpaper?

Current options for desktop wallpaper are:

• Fit
• Fill
• Stretch
• Tile
• Centre

Fit will stretch a smaller image to desktop height (doesnt look good)
Centre will not reduce larger images to screen size
so,
what's missing is an option like you get in good viewers:

• Centre - and reduce to fit in screen if necessary

Naturally I could resize the images, but that means a lot less flexibility (i.e. I'm a lazy beggar)

Another nice option would be the ability to cycle manually forward/back through images on the desktop via a hotkey.

[rsatrioadi]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the Fill option does exactly what you want?

[tomos]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the Fill option does exactly what you want?

had to double-check there:

Fill enlarges the image so as it completely fills the screen (i.e. the shorter side of the image is stretched to screenheight or width) - which doesnt look good.

I like the images that are smaller than the screen left that way (with a background showing) - see this post for examples
http://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=25840.msg320944#msg320944

(sorry if not fully clear - rushing off)

[skwire]

As rsatrioadi said, correct me if I'm wrong but:

• Does "Fit" work how you like for images taller/wider than your screen height/width?
• Does "Centre" work how you like for smaller images?

If that's the case, I guess you're asking for something that will intelligently determine which method to use based on image size and screen resolution?

[tomos]

• Does "Fit" work how you like for images taller/wider than your screen height/width?
• Does "Centre" work how you like for smaller images?

If that's the case, I guess you're asking for something that will intelligently determine which method to use based on image size and screen resolution?

yes, yes, and, yes :-)
(just in case - note that "Fit" is different to "Fill" which was suggested by rsatrioadi)

Fit to screen is good for larger images. Or fit to a fixed width and heigth (smaller than the screen)

I would love to be able to manually cycle through the images but suspect that might be impossible(?) - in which case maybe a batch resizer might be the best option (e.g. reduce height to 1050 if larger, reduce width to -say- 1000 if larger. Constrain proportions.) I just had a look at IrfanView - it could do that easy enough.

~~~

Another idea I just had:
is if an image is larger than xy, then a random section of the image (size xy) would be shown centered on the screen. Sort of like a window into the image.

edit/ adding thumbnail image for last idea (desktop with icons on both sides):

[attachimg=#]

[tomos]

As you can see I dont have a fixed idea here - but my basic idea is good (for me at any rate ).

I notice I can move to the next image via the desktop context menu (Win 7 64bit)

[attachthumb=#]

[Curt]

£6 http://awc.smurphy.co.uk/

3 screenshots:








I have been using it for several years. Some say it uses too much memory when changing wallpaper. Otherwise perfect (to me).

[tomos]

THanks Curt, that looks good. Has a lot I wouldnt use -
but that's better than not enough

[app103]

Try Panorama. It has always been and still is my favorite wallpaper changer. Light as a feather, it is approved by Laggy the Snail for use on old slow computers.




Install it, run it, drag & drop a bunch of wallpapers into the program window, then save the list.

• You can configure each wallpaper to stretch, tile, or center (doesn't have options for the newer fit or fill)
• You can set it to change the wallpaper at intervals from every second to every 24 hours.
• You can set it to change them in the order of the list or random order.
• You can pause/suspend wallpaper changing from the tray icon.
• There are user configurable hotkeys to change the wallpaper. (forward/back)

Panorama doesn't have any resource wasting fancy eye candy on the program's window, or an overabundance of features, but it does have what is important. It was written a long time ago, by Shaun Ivory, who has since gone on to bigger and better things, like working for Microsoft.

Some time within the last year, Shaun took down his site full of freeware which has made getting his software (without bundled crapware from download sites) increasingly difficult. It is essentially abandonware, unsupported, but well written...so unless something drastically changes in Windows itself to cause it to break, it will probably keep on working just as good as it always has for the 14 years that I have used it.

I have attached the original zip file to this post.

[tomos]

Thanks app!
that one sounds good - even though it doesnt have the intelligent resizing I wanted.
If it does forward/back with hotkeys it looks like it's better that way than Curt's suggestion**
will test


** Curt, in the video for AWC it shows the following hotkey options:
[attachimg=#]
it's not clear if there's any more.
Could you let me know if there are? Many thanks

[Curt]

** Curt, in the video for AWC it shows the following hotkey options: it's not clear if there's any more. Could you let me know if there are?

-I couldn't say! My stand has been that if I need the hotkeys, I have not chosen the right wallpapers. ;-) But your question made me first search the AWC forum and then realize that it really has been quite a while since anything happened; I am not too sure the program even is maintained anymore! If he is preparing for version 5 or something entirely else, I cannot know, but I guess it would be best not to make a purchase right now.

[georgeasantesiaw]

The mountain lion 2.0 is best by far. makes my pc look so lovely.