Available in two versions CharityPro
and Lite
Panoramic
Description
Version CharityPro
This is the charity paid for version whose basic function
is as the lite
version - to let the user set the current background/wallpaper picture as
the screensaver picture.
To do this is simple. First time in the screensaver
picture defaults to the background picture automatically. All you need to
do is click OK and it's done.
A version is downloadable that instead of displaying the current background
it displays a panoramic picture of a beach.
The visual effect is that when the screensaver is called
the desktop icons disappear. As with any screensaver a touch of a key or
the mouse and the screensaver is closed giving the visual effect of the icons
being displayed again. In addition it lets the user choose any picture from
the system and network and display it as the screensaver picture.
The screensaver can be any picture it does not have to be the background
picture - they can be different.
Set any chosen picture as the background picture -
i.e. choose the screensaver picture first then set it as the background.
Choose whether or not to display the screensaver picture
file name.
Write a picture description and whether to display
it.
What is CharityPro? - A minimum donation is given for the program. In that donation usually 60% will go to a default or user chosen charity - the set default is cancer research. The remainder is a donation to Screengold to cover costs. The user/purchaser can elect to pay more than the given minimum price in which case 70% goes to charity.
There are many extra and useful features compared
to the lite
version.
The screensaver picture can be displayed in four different
modes. Three of the modes match the background display modes in the Control
Panel settings - stretch, center and tiled; so particularly if the screensaver
and background pictures are the same the screensaver display mode can match
the background - e.g. the background is tiled so also can be the screensaver.
The fourth mode is panoramic.
PANORAMIC is the most
useful extra mode .
If the picture is panoramic, i.e. proportions are more than 4/3 width/height
(normal screen proportions), then the picture will scroll to and fro if the
stretched mode is chosen. If the picture width in pixels is more than the
screen pixel width then the scroll will also be applied in center true mode.
A description will not be displayed in this mode.
Many digital cameras have a panoramic mode and this
display mode lets you see the full panorama as if you were scanning the view
with your own eyes. If you set the same picture in Control Panel as the main
background and set the mode to center then if the picture size height is
the same as the screen height when the screensaver comes in the same picture
will now be shown scrolled.
N.B. The display in stretch mode is somewhat system
performance dependent and low specification systems may show abnormally if
the proportions are very great (e.g. more than 3.5/1) or the file size is
very large. The picture size is shown in pixels in the browse dialog top
right after the "Browse" button or RH thumbnail is clicked.
In the settings window helpful hints are displayed
when the mouse is over a settings feature. This can be turned off
In the main screensaver display a "Help fight cancer
dragon" is shown as a reminder. This can be turned off except in the 30 day
trial period.
The picture description can be multiline and
the user can choose the font and font characteristics (color etc.) so as
to best show up the description against the background of the picture. The
description does not display in panoramic mode.
The description can be set to display for a set time
in seconds - the description goes away the picture stays. The user can decide
if the description should be shown again after the lapse of the set number
of seconds. The user can also choose where on the screen in six positions
to show the description.
When the "Set this picture as background" button is active; if you have not turned on Active Desktop you cannot show "jpg" backgrounds, a button is shown to let the user automatically make a "bmp" format copy of the "jpg" picture file if you do not want to use Active Desktop (see Windows help about Active Desktop);.
The Settings window has an attractive default background which can be also user chosen.
Clicking on the background thumbnail picture will show the picture as the background to the settings window - so you can see how it would look as a background - click that picture to close it and return to the normal settings window.
Install hot corners, if not already installed, by clicking caption at top left in BackgroundShow Settings . Hot corners let you call the screensaver anytime just by moving the cursor to the screen top left corner. You can also move the cursor to the top right corner and prevent the screensaver from being called. There are settings for hot corners by right clicking its icon in the system tray bottom right.
In the screen capture copy below you can see the Settings controls : - Most are self evident. In the real display a hint is displayed as the mouse is moved over a control - see example below.
The left arrow makes the LH picture the
same as the RH one. The right arrow the converse.
When the screen first shows the LH picture
shows the current background/wallpaper picture and the display mode matches
that set in Control Panel Background. To show the same picture as the screensaver
picture therefore just click the right arrow and then OK - that simple!
The Reset button restores the two pictures
to the original i.e. cancels a left or right transfer.
Below Reset button is the screensaver
display mode - stretch, tile or center true
Below display mode is the Panoramic on
or off check box - only applied to the main screensaver display if the picture
has panoramic proportions (>4/3)
Below Panoramic is the "Settings bkg"
button that allows you to choose any picture as the background to the settings
window. The default is the blue sky and clouds as shown. If you want no background
picture to the Settings window enter "nil" in the "Choose picture file" dialog.
To restore the original sky background enter "sky".
Below the LH picture is the "Make this
my background..." button. This only shows after a picture has been transferred
from the RH thumbnail to the LH thumbnail.
If you transfer a picture from RH to LH
thumbnail and the "Make this my background..." button appears, it warns you
that you must have Active Desktop set active to show a "jpg" picture file.
The red "Active desktop.." panel only
appears if Active Desktop is not active.
The "Make a bmp copy..." gray panel only
appears if Active Desktop is not active.
Browse button or click the RH picture
to show the "Choose picture file" dialog
Below the file name under the RH picture
is the description edit - click this and a larger edit window appears where
you can set font characteristics such as font, style and color.
The RH picture
has a panoramic picture chosen which shows distorted in this thumbnail. When
shown in the main screensaver display the picture is larger than the screen
so it is scrolled to and fro. It is also shown scrolled in the little preview
window in the Control Panel Screensaver panel.
Note the descriptive
hint that is shown at the top of the window (in aqua color). When the screen
was captured the cursor was over the "Enter picture description..." box
The OK button is the save button and closes
the Settings window - nothing altered is saved until the OK button is clicked
Cancel closes the window and saves no
alterations
The Help button at bottom left calls this
document
Now added a Text Visibility
button to show text if background obscures text
Version Lite
This is the free version whose basic function is to
let the user set the current background/wallpaper picture as the screensaver
picture.
The visual effect is that when the screensaver is
called the desktop icons disappear. As with any screensaver a touch of a
key or the mouse and the screensaver is closed giving the visual effect of
the icons being displayed again.
In addition it lets the user choose any picture from
the system and network and display it as the screensaver picture. The screensaver
can be any picture it does not have to be the background picture - they can
be different.
Set any chosen picture as the background picture -
i.e. choose the screensaver picture first then set it as the background.
Choose whether or not to display the screensaver picture
file name.
Write a one line picture description and choose whether
or not to display it.
Install hot corners if not already installed to let
you call the screensaver anytime just by moving the cursor to the screen
top left corner. You can also move the cursor to the top right corner and
prevent the screensaver from being called.
The controls are shown below
in a screen capture copy of the Settings panel
Most controls are self evident
The left arrow makes the LH picture
the same as the RH one. The right arrow the converse.
When the screen first shows the LH
picture shows the current background/wallpaper picture and the display mode
matches that set in Control Panel Background. To show the same picture as
the screensaver picture therefore just click the right arrow and then OK
- that simple!
The Reset button restores the two pictures
to the original i.e. cancels a left or right transfer.
If you transfer a picture from RH to
LH thumbnail then the "Make this my background..." button appears and warns
you that you must have Active Desktop set active to show a "jpg" picture
file.
The picture description is written in
the edit box below the RH picture (screensaver) filename box.
No alterations are saved until and
unless the OK button is clicked.
The Help button at bottom left calls
this document.
When the cursor is over the about button the
CharityPro features are listed