Slide Show Screen Saver displays
on the screen images, video files and chess games
found in files on your harddisk.
- Selecting files to show
Slide Show Screen Saver displays three kinds of items:
- Photos (or any pictures) - from files with extensions
specified in the settings dialog on "Filter" tab.
For example, jpg and gif files.
Other graphic files may also be used.
- Video - from files with extensions
specified in the settings dialog on "Filter" tab.
For example, avi and mpg files.
Comprehensive list of video formats that can be used
in the screensaver, depends on DirectX version. The possibility
of any file playback depends on presence of appropriate codec
on your computer. If you can open some file by hand,
it is likely it can be viewed in the screensaver.
- Chess games - from files in PGN format. Single pgn-file
may contain several chess games.
All mentioned files the screensaver gets in folders specified
in the settings dialog on "General" tab. You may specify there
one or few folders, where your photos, videos and chess games are located.
The screensaver browses specified folders and subfolders
- to unlimited depth. Though it skips subfolders
marked as "Hidden" by windows.
If no single folder is specified on the "General" tab,
the program resorts to the folder where it is installed
(usually c:\Program Files\Spade King\Slide Show Screen Saver).
The installation puts some pictures and chess games there.
If there are no files there, the screensaver leaves the screen black.
The screensaver has settings allowing to avoid usage
of too small pictures. You may specify the minimal size
of picture to be shown - for example, 800*600 pixels -
on the "Filter" tab.
It may be very useful if you keep your photos in the same folder
where other files present - for example, there may be
a saved internet page. Usually a special folder
(with the same name as the saved page, with "_files" suffix)
exists alongside such saved page; this folder contains various
little files belonging to the page - including graphic design elements,
advertisement banners etc. If you specify the minimal size
of picture to use, all this shit will not be shown by the screensaver.
The screensaver has settings allowing to avoid usage
of too narrow or prolate pictures. If some picture has enough
but not proportional size - like 4000*600 pixels - it will
appear on the screen as narrow horizontal stripe. You can avoid
displaying such picture by specifying minimal area the picture
should have after displaying. For example, if your screen has
1024*768 resolution, that picture with size 4000*600 pixels
will be proportionally stretched to 1024*154 size, so it will
cover only 20% of the screen area - a narrow stripe in the center.
Use the minimal area of 80% or 90%, so only pictures close
to the screen in proportions will be displayed.
Certainly area settings bigger than 100% are meaningless.
- Show order
The pictures, video files and chess games are displayed
in random order. The next item to display is always either
of all found files.
Some analogous programs allow to set show order
- random or sequent. I considered this option needless.
Immediately after launch the screensaver starts browsing folders
destined to show, and at the same time displays first items
- chosen from those it has already found. So in initial period
more likely that the photos laying in closest folders will be shown,
and less likely the photos laying deep in subfolders.
It is even possible that immediately after the launch
the screensaver may not find any appropriate item to display.
But few seconds later it may find something, so the show
will be started.
- Show speed
- While screensaver displays photos (or any pictures),
it makes intervals for several seconds. The interval duration
is set on the "General" tab.
- While screensaver displays videofiles, it plays video
with normal speed to the end, and then takes
the next item (any - photo, video, chess game).
- While screensaver displays chess games, it replays them
to the end making 1 ply per second, and then takes
the next item (any - photo, video, chess game).
- Pause
You can suspend the show by pressing the space button.
The same button resumes the show.
- Moving forward and backward
You can control the normal sequence of items in the screensaver -
bring back the previous picture, or force the appearance
of the next picture without waiting the normal interval.
- The "Backspace" button allows to return to the previous item.
If the previous item was a video file or chess game,
it will be replayed from the start.
If you returned to the previous item, the next after
it will be the same item selected before return.
You can return as many steps as you want. - The "left arrow" button allows to return back too.
For pictures it is equivalent to the "Backspace" button.
During video playback it allows to rewind 30 seconds backward;
if no more than 3 seconds from the start were shown,
the previous item is displayed, as on "Backspace".
During chess game playback the button allows
to rewind one ply backward; if the initial position
was shown, the previous item is displayed. - The "right arrow" button allows to move forward.
If a picture is shown, next item appearance is forced.
If a video file is played, it is rewinded 30 seconds forward.
If a chess game is played, it is rewinded 1 ply forward. - The "Home" button allows to return to video file start.
It has no meaning for pictures and chess games.
- The "End" button allows to skip to video file end.
It has no meaning for pictures and chess games.
- Picture subtitles
Slide Show Screen Saver may show titles under pictures.
Some other screensavers of this kind also display explanatory notes;
they take the notes either from internal data of photos,
or from a special file that user should prepare
and place in some location.
I am too lazy for that.
I have about 25 or 30 thousands of photos on my harddisk.
And the number continues to grow.
It is more easy to go crazy than to prepare a file with descriptions
for all those photos.
And I do not have an idea what the internal data include
- in the EXIF headers. Probably the date of shooting, camera model, etc.
- and not every file has it.
My photos are grouped by folders - country on the first level,
city on the second. The name of a file usually contains a date, number in a day
(thus, 21/5/2005 - 277 photo and video files, 750 megabytes total.
That was Florence. 16/9/2004 - 301 files, 888 megabytes total, Venice.
Yes, I am addicted.) and sometimes a few words.
Thats why I always wanted a screensaver that could build
a note to a picture from the fact of its existence and location.
Each time I retrieve a new picture from my camera I automatically number it
and place in appropriate folder; that must be sufficient - I am not going
to open any list and register there any file name and text.
So my screensaver builds descriptions from files full names
- including names of folders where files are located. To make the description
nice a set of rules is applied. The rules allow to remove or replace
all ugly symbols like slash separators and file extensions.
On the "Titles" tab you can turn on (or off) the titles;
you can also edit rules for the titles creation.
Using the rules, a file name 'C:\SSFotos\Italy\Venezia\20040916\20040916_A2.r.jpg'
is converted to title "Italy, Venezia, 16/09/2004". I like it.
The program contains few predefined rules.
I think I should not describe them here in details;
may be I'll write something later.
- Sound
The screensaver can play back sounds with video files.
The loudness may be regulated with "up arrow" and "down arrow" buttons.
The volume indicator appears for a second
in the top right corner of the screen.
Any way, the sound may not be louder than the limit
set by windows system settings or, moreover,
by sound regulator on your dynamics. If you do not hear
any sound, while the sound indicator is on maximum,
check your windows and dynamics settings.
You can turn sound off completely
on the "Options" tab.
- Pictures size
The photos in the screensaver are always stretched or shrinked
for the best fit to screen size - keeping proportions, certainly.
Some other screensavers allow to set options - should they stretch
or shrink pictures, or not. I consider such option needless
- my pictures are always stretched to fit the screen.
The video frame size fits the screen size, too,
keeping a little stripe for the title.
The screensaver may show the original size
of displayed picture (megapixels) in right bottom corner.
This information may be turned off on the "Options" tab.
If this information is turned on, and the title under the picture
in left bottom corner is too long, it may overlay
the right bottom corner a little. Do not be upset.
In the same right bottom corner video files duration
and current position are displayed. It may be turned off, too.
- Desktop background
The screensaver can set the desktop background
to the last shown photo. This option may be turned on (and off)
on the "Options" tab.
The photo for the desktop background is stretched
just like all photos shown in the screensaver;
it has a title too, but not other notes.
The prepared picture is saved in the file 'background.bmp'
in temporary windows folder
(usually c:\Documents and Settings\user name\Local Settings\Temp).
A photo selected for the desktop background should
match the desktop in proportions. To regulate that "match"
you can set the minimal area of the desktop to be covered -
just like the area of the screen on the "Filter" tab.
It is advisable to set the value close to 100% - for example, 90%.
If you set the value to be 100% exactly, likely
no single picture will be matched to the desktop
background. Do not be surprised.
- Running before login
The screensaver can work after the computer turning on
and before the user password is entered - of you turn on
appropriate option on the "Options" tab.
Certainly, if no user name and password is entered yet,
the program may run only under "default user" account.
For successful execution this user should have an access
to the config file and folders containing files to show.
It is usually true for mostly personal computers.
- "About" tab
The main tab in the screensaver settings is the last one.
It displays the author name. I have to satisfy my ego!
Besides, you can set the screensaver language on this tab.
- Preview mode
The "Screen Saver" tab in the "Display Properties" dialog
has a little window to preview the screensaver behaviour.
If you select "SlideShow" in the screensavers list,
it really runs in this window.
It's nothing, but nice.
