Selecting and activating screensavers
Hot corners
Installation

What you can do with PicShowPlus:

Prime function is to display a slideshow of pictures as a screensaver.
Display a different single screensaver picture each time the screensaver is activated.
Display a different single screensaver picture each time the system is rebooted.
Display a different wallpaper each time the system is rebooted.
Set any picture as your current wallpaper (background).

You can make your own picture collections from any source.
Display from any collection
You can download picture collections from the www.screengold.com website.

A future version will allow display from a different picture collection on each screensaver activation or system reboot.

Summary:-
Every list MUST have a collection title, but to display it is optional.

You can Browse for pictures("Browse for pics") from different folders to make a collection or you can Browse for a specific folder("Browse for folder" ) containing pictures.
If you add or delete pictures to or from a folder collection, the folder itself  is left unchanged, only the list is changed - it does NOT delete or add actual files. You are not therefore forced to show all picture files in a particular folder and you can add a file from another folder. The list is independent of the folder contents.

To make a collection - Enter the title, then clear the list("Clear list" button), then browse for pictures.
You can select multiple picture files(Ctrl+click) but only the last one will display in the preview box on left.
You can download beautiful pictures from the www.screengold.com website.

If you click the preview box in Setup or the Choose pictures dialog then the picture will display full size with the correct proportions .Click this picture to return to normal.

You can add pictures ("Add to list") to the end of the list or insert them ("Insert after") after the currently selected (highlighted) picture.

When the list is complete click the "Coll'n Add" button and the title will appear in the collection list box.

Nothing is saved until you click the "OK" button.
Click OK to save the list for that title (and all other settings). The screensaver will work from the list whose title was in the title box when you clicked OK.

For the screensaver to use a different list (i.e. a different collection) go to settings from Control Panel and choose a different collection from the collection list.

You can call PicShowplus any time by a hot corner, if activated, at screen top left or by double clicking on it in Windows Explorer or by creating a shortcut to it (right click in Win Explorer) and putting the shortcut on the desktop.
If you install any screensaver from a non Windows folder by right clicking on the file name in Win Explorer and selecting Install, BEWARE - if a file of the same name (e.g. a previous version) is in a Windows folder Windows will use that file and NOT the one you think you have installed. It is important to overwrite a previous version in a Windows folder or rename it.

The PicShowPlus install routine does NOT automatically set PicShowPlus as the current screensaver. You must select it in Control Panel or install from Win Explorer.

If you have installed an "Images of ***" collection or a "Backgrounds" collection from the Images of or Backgrounds screens on the www.screengold.com website, it will install automatically. You can select it by selecting it in the collection list.
You can modify the list of an "Images of" or "Background" collection exactly as written above for any other collection.

An "Images of" or "Background" collection may also contain a text file which gives a brief description of each picture at the top of the Setup screen. Selecting a picture in the list will display its description in the box.

If you have any problems, suggestions or praise; please contact via the website at www.screengold.com

This is freeware and there are no warranties or guarantees whatever and no liability is accepted of any kind.
 

Making a picture collection
Every list MUST have a collection title, but to display it is optional.
Pictures are displayed in the order they appear in the list.
With no collections the picture displayed is the current wallpaper (background).

Entering a title
Choosing single pictures
Choosing a folder of pictures
The collection list
Downloading a picture collection from www.screengold.com

To make a collection, you can browse for pictures ("Browse for pics" button) from any folder, including those on other systems on a network, or you can browse for a specific folder ("Browse for folder" button) containing pictures.

Entering a title
Every list MUST have a title even if it is only one picture. The picture collection lists are saved with reference to the title.
The title can be any length and you enter it in the Collection title box.
Enter the collection title in the collection list by clicking "Coll'n Add" button.

Choosing single pictures
As you choose a picture using the "Browse for Pics" button it is displayed in a preview panel in the "Choose picture files" dialogue and in the preview panel on the Setup window.
In the Choose picture files dialogue you can preview the picture full size by clicking preview at top right.
In the Setup window you can preview the picture full size by clicking on the small preview panel.
If you want the picture in your collection then the picture file name is added to the list by clicking the button ("Add to list").
If you want to insert a picture file in a particular place in the list, highlight the filename (by clicking) before the insertion place and click the button ("Insert after").
You can select several picture files at once in the "Choose picture files" dialogue by holding Ctrl Key while selecting pictures. They will all be addded to the list if you click "Add to list". Only the last selected picture however is shown in the preview screens.

You can delete a picture from the list by clicking the "Delete from list" button. This only deletes the picture file name from the list, it does NOT delete any actual file. The deletion from the list is not saved until OK is clicked.

Clicking on a picture file name in the picture list highlights the name and will display that picture in the small preview panel on the left. Click the small picture to see it full size. The box underneath displays the file name of the picture in the preview panel.
By clicking "Make this my wallpaper" button the picture in the preview panel is set as the background wallpaper immediately.
You must have Active Desktop On to display a "jpg" wallpaper (background) file. Otherwise you are limited to "bmp" picture files. A warning notice tells you this.

Choosing a folder of pictures
To choose a set of pictures from an existing folder use the "Browse for folder" button a folder dialogue appears, click the folder icon at right and select a folder.
If you do NOT want the pictures from the folder ADDED to the EXISTING list then use the "Clear list" button first.
All picture files (jpg and bmp) in the folder will be added to the list.
The list is independent of the folder contents.
If you add or delete pictures to or from a folder collection, the folder itself  is left unchanged, only the list is changed - it does NOT delete or add actual files. You are not therefore forced to show all picture files in a particular folder and you can add a file from another folder.

The collection list
When you are satisfied with the picture list click "Coll'n Add" button to enter the collection title in the collection list (if you have not already done so when you entered a title). The collection title will show as added to the bottom of the collection list.
Nothing is saved until you click the "OK" button.
Click the "OK" button and the collection is saved referred to the current collection title (as displayed in the title box) and the setup screen closes. To close without saving click the "Cancel" button.
Clicking the OK button saves ALL current settings.
You can delete a collection from the collection list by clicking "Coll'n delete". This only removes the collection title from the collection list it does NOT delete any files. The deletion is not saved untile the OK button is clicked.
 

Displaying a picture collection
There are various settings for how the pictures are displayed.
There is a radio button box to select the screensaver mode.
The modes are:-

Do not activate screensaver list - as it says. The only picture displayed should be the current wallpaper.
Display the list as a screensaver slideshow - When this is selected another panel appears in the right of the Setup window. The functions are:-

Select the time for which each picture is displayed. The default is 5 seconds.
Select the time between pictures. The screen goes black between pictures (if the "black" check box is checked) and the collection title is displayed if the check box next to the title box is checked. The default "gap" time is 2 seconds.
Check "black" box for a black screen between pictures.
If the "black" box is unchecked then the gap time is fixed and is determined by the time the system takes to dissolve one color into another.

Change the screensaver picture from the list each time the screensaver activates - as it says. The next picture in the list, sequence from the top down, is displayed as the single picture. The next time the screensaver is activated the next picture is displayed.

Change the screensaver picture from the list on each system reboot - as it says. A single picture is displayed as the screensaver picture for the whole of a session. When the system reboots it takes the next picture from the list in sequence top down.

To choose a picture collection enter the Setup window in the normal way (Control panel/ Settings) or right click on the file (PicShowPlus.scr) in Windows Explore, and select a collection title from the collection list and click OK.
 
 
 

Downloaded picture collections
On the www.screengold.com website there are several collections of beautiful pictures.

"Images of xxx" are collections of pictures on a certain theme or location e.g. Images of Crete.
"Backgrounds" are meant as individual background pictures. Background pictures are chosen because they show up icons and are beautiful.
Some of these backgrounds have been formed into a downloadable collection e.g. Seascapes.
The background show screensaver (see the website www.screengold.com) displays the wallpaper picture as the screensaver picture or vice versa and so gives the visual effect of the background with and without icons.

An "Images of" or "Background" collection may also contain a text file which gives a brief description of each picture at the top of the Setup screen. Selecting a picture in the list will display its description in the box.

All pictures are copyright Dynol Ltd unless stated otherwise.
 
 

Future version

Suggestions for improvements and enhancements are always welcome.

Ability to cycle through the collection list with the same relevant options as the picture list.
Sound to accompany downloaded collections.
Choose sound against any particular picture file.
Move pictures within a list and move collection title within the collection list.
Option to keep wallpaper and single screensaver picture in step.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Selecting screensavers
To install PicShowPlus as your current screensaver (the install routine does NOT do so automatically), you can do one of the following:-

Go to Control panel either from Start/Settings/Control panel or right click anywhere on the desktop (screen background) and select properties.
Assuming PicShowPlus has been installed in a Windows folder then it should be listed in the list of available screensavers.

Activate Windows Explore by Start right click/explore or start/run. Find PicShowPlus in the folder to which it was installed (default c:\windows), right click to Install or Configure or Test.
Warning! - If you install any screensaver from a non Windows folder by right clicking on the file name in Windows Explore and selecting Install, BEWARE - if a file of the same name (e.g. a previous version) is in a Windows folder, Windows will use that file and NOT the one you think you have installed. It is important to overwrite a previous version in a Windows folder or rename it.
 

You can activate PicShowPlus at any time by double clicking on its file name in Windows explorer in the folder to which it was installed (default c:\windows).
Warning! - If you install any screensaver from a non Windows folder by right clicking on the file name in Win Explorer and selecting Install, BEWARE - if a file of the same name (e.g. a previous version) is in a Windows folder, Windows will use that file and NOT the one you think you have installed. It is important to overwrite a previous version in a Windows folder or rename it.

You can activate PicShowPlus any time by creating a shortcut to the file by right click/createshortcut on the file name in Windows explore and drag the shortcut to the desktop.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Installing PicShowPlus
The PicShowPlus install routine does NOT automatically set PicShowPlus as the current screensaver. You must select it in Control Panel or install from Windows Explorer.
At the end of the install routine, the Setup screen is automatically displayed so you can make your first picture collection.
The install routine downloads 5 files to the chosen folder (default c:\windows):

PicShowPlus.scr  the screensaver file
Scrhot3-setup.exe - the hot corners program
picshowplushelp.htm & .txt - this help screen will be read in the default Internet browser or as a backup in Notepad.
picshowplusreboot.exe - a small program which primarily takes care of wallpaper changes. This program is run on system start up (A dragon with a paint brush appears briefly)  and closes automatically having updated the wallpaper and/or the screensaver picture if PicShowPlus.scr Setup has been so configured.