This screensaver & desktop changer (a la Webshots) for Gallery 2 uses the random Image Block functionality in Gallery 2 to download images from your Gallery installation and use them as a Windows screensaver, and to select a random image for your Windows desktop background.
Current features
- Local user-configurable caching and offline mode (displays random pictures from local cache when offline).
- Allows you to specify the max size of the images to be displayed as a percentage of the available screen real estate.
- Supports multiple monitors - can choose to have the screensaver fill a screen or the whole desktop. I use UltraMon, so with my screensaver, I can choose to have one screensaver fill the whole virtual desktop, or have two copies of my screensaver running in different monitors.
- Authentication against username/password protected Gallery2 installations.
- Ability to select random images only from specific albums in your Gallery2 installation
- Ability to change your Windows desktop background at regular, user-selectable intervals to a random image from your Gallery2 installation.
- Gallery access is performed in background threads, thereby maintaining responsiveness.
- Control over fade-in/out of images, image centre-ing, desktop blanking on startup, collage effect vs. single images, etc.
- EXIF Info display widget on Desktop Changer
- Google Map display widget for geocoded photos on Desktop Changer (so get geocoding those images with Microsoft's WWMX Location Stamper or similar)
- High quality image resampling using a Lanczos Kernel filter when resizing images (will be particularly apparent when resizing small images to fill the screen)
- Store history of desktop image changes
- Prevention of screensaver startup when particular application is active (user configurable)
- Mouse scroll wheel and double-click support on Google Map Widget
- Drag 'n' drop image onto Thumbnail Widget to change desktop image
- Double-click on image in Thumbnail Widget to open image in default viewer
- Optional balloon hint on desktop image change
- Google Earth 4 integration - live display of current desktop image location (geocoded images only); timestamped display of locations of geocoded cached images
- Automatic cache-purging to prevent cache becoming stale after images are deleted from Gallery
- Upload of JPEGs to Gallery, including resizing of images prior to upload using a Lanczos Kernel filter, and ability to create albums in Gallery where permissions allow.
Requirements
- Gallery2 (only been tested against G2.1.1)
- Image Block module
- Remote module
- Requires Windows 2000 or Windows XP [Only been extensively tested in development on Windows XP]
- (Optional) Google Earth integration requires version 4.0.2080 or later of Google Earth
You can find more information and download the latest version here: http://gloss.ildica.com/.
Feedback and encouragement welcome!
Conor
GLoSS: Gallery2 Local Screen Saver & Desktop Changer
Posted: Fri, 2006-09-22 02:55
Posts: 166
You can read more in this thread about the development of GLoSS during the beta stage of testing/development.
FYI, GLoSS is developed using Borland Delphi 2006.
Conor
Christchurch, NZ
GLoSS: Gallery2 Local Screen Saver & Desktop Changer