wallpaper changing

[easonadam]

Is there a qay to set my desktop background to change periodically? i.e different one every time i start the computer.

[NuckingFuts]

After some quick searching on Google, I found a few examples of software which state can accomplish this goal:

 

 

 

Automatic Wallpaper Changer

 

http://awc.smurphy.co.uk/

 

 

 

Stardust Wallpaper Control (this one mentions being able to set the wallpaper to change at startup)

 

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/stardustwall.html

 

 

 

ScrollWall 1.2

 

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Desktop-Enhancements/Other-Desktop-Enhancements/ScrollWall.shtml

 

 

 

Moody Desktop

 

http://www.zeroideas.net/MDesktop/Index.html

[sloter]

I actually made you a simple little application that will change it every time the computer starts up. To use it you need to make a shortcut to the application in your startup folder. Make the location of the shortcut C:\the\path\to\the\changer[Caution: Executable File] C:\the\path\to\images. You can use a batch file to if you wish. Put all your images in one directory and that is what it will use. I tested this using 3 jpg images in a directory and it worked fine i am sure bugs will appear as it is 5 a.m and i have been up all night and i am tired. Just let me know and i will fix them. You can download a copy of it compiled here. I will post the source too.

 

 

 

#include 

#include 

#include 

#include 

#include 

#include 

#include 



using namespace std;



bool checkFile(string file)

{

int x = 0;

char * ext, * imgFile;

imgFile = new char [file.size() + 1];



strcpy(imgFile, file.c_str());

char * img = strtok(imgFile, ".");



while(img != NULL)

{

	ext = img;

	img = strtok(NULL, ".");

}



string types[8] = {"jpg", "jpeg", "jpe", "gif", "tif", "tiff", "png", "bmp"};



for(x = 0; x < 8; x++)

{

	if(types[x] == ext)

	{

		return true;

	}

}



return false;

}



int main(int argc, char * argv[])

{

int i = 0, x = 0, change = 0;

vector files;

DIR * open;

struct dirent * read;



open = opendir(argv[1]);



if(!open)

{

	MessageBox(NULL, "The directory you have set is invalid!", "Wallpaper Changer", MB_OK | MB_ICONERROR);

	exit(1);

}



while(read = readdir(open))

{

	if(checkFile(string(read -> d_name)))

	{

		files.push_back(string(read -> d_name)); 

		i++;

	}

}



closedir(open);



srand(time(NULL));

x = rand() % files.size();



string imgFile;



imgFile = argv[1];

imgFile = imgFile + "\\" + files[x];



char * img;

img = new char [imgFile.size()];



strcpy(img, imgFile.c_str());



change = SystemParametersInfo(SPI_SETDESKWALLPAPER, 0, img, SPIF_UPDATEINIFILE);



if(change == 0)

{

	MessageBox(NULL, "Could not change the wallpaper!", "Wallpaper Changer", MB_OK | MB_ICONERROR);

}



return 0;

}

[NuckingFuts]

[hide=]I actually made you a simple little application that will change it every time the computer starts up. To use it you need to make a shortcut to the application in your startup folder. Make the location of the shortcut C:\the\path\to\the\changer[Caution: Executable File] C:\the\path\to\images. You can use a batch file to if you wish. Put all your images in one directory and that is what it will use. I tested this using 3 jpg images in a directory and it worked fine i am sure bugs will appear as it is 5 a.m and i have been up all night and i am tired. Just let me know and i will fix them. You can download a copy of it compiled here. I will post the source too.

 

 

 

#include 

#include 

#include 

#include 

#include 

#include 

#include 



using namespace std;



bool checkFile(string file)

{

int x = 0;

char * ext, * imgFile;

imgFile = new char [file.size() + 1];



strcpy(imgFile, file.c_str());

char * img = strtok(imgFile, ".");



while(img != NULL)

{

	ext = img;

	img = strtok(NULL, ".");

}



string types[8] = {"jpg", "jpeg", "jpe", "gif", "tif", "tiff", "png", "bmp"};



for(x = 0; x < 8; x++)

{

	if(types[x] == ext)

	{

		return true;

	}

}



return false;

}



int main(int argc, char * argv[])

{

int i = 0, x = 0, change = 0;

vector files;

DIR * open;

struct dirent * read;



open = opendir(argv[1]);



if(!open)

{

	MessageBox(NULL, "The directory you have set is invalid!", "Wallpaper Changer", MB_OK | MB_ICONERROR);

	exit(1);

}



while(read = readdir(open))

{

	if(checkFile(string(read -> d_name)))

	{

		files.push_back(string(read -> d_name)); 

		i++;

	}

}



closedir(open);



srand(time(NULL));

x = rand() % files.size();



string imgFile;



imgFile = argv[1];

imgFile = imgFile + "\\" + files[x];



char * img;

img = new char [imgFile.size()];



strcpy(img, imgFile.c_str());



change = SystemParametersInfo(SPI_SETDESKWALLPAPER, 0, img, SPIF_UPDATEINIFILE);



if(change == 0)

{

	MessageBox(NULL, "Could not change the wallpaper!", "Wallpaper Changer", MB_OK | MB_ICONERROR);

}



return 0;

}

[/hide]

 

 

 

I keep getting the error:

 

"The directory you have set is invalid!"

 

While trying to get it working my end.

 

 

 

[hide=Image][/hide]

 

 

 

Have I got the setup all wrong?

[sloter]

It works fine in vista. It would have to do with line 78 as to why it isn't working in XP. You might try just setting it via the registry which you can do with win32 api. I hav proved the source code so someone else that has time for it can look and make it work better. Also in XP it doesn't like you make parameters in shortcuts so just make a batch file.

 

 

 

start C:\path\to\changer[Caution: Executable File] C:\path\to\images

exit

[easonadam]

thanks slotter, I'm using vista so fingers crossed it'll work for me. Give it a try tomorrow.

[sloter]

thanks slotter, I'm using vista so fingers crossed it'll work for me. Give it a try tomorrow.

 

Great! i have tested it in 32-Bit and 64-Bit vista.

[NuckingFuts]

thanks slotter, I'm using vista so fingers crossed it'll work for me. Give it a try tomorrow.

 

Great! i have tested it in 32-Bit and 64-Bit vista.

 

 

 

I gave up trying to use it on XP, so put it on my Vista laptop :D

 

 

 

And it works perfect, I tested it quick by logging on and off, new wallpaper each time. Thanks Sloter!

[sloter]

thanks slotter, I'm using vista so fingers crossed it'll work for me. Give it a try tomorrow.

 

Great! i have tested it in 32-Bit and 64-Bit vista.

 

 

 

I gave up trying to use it on XP, so put it on my Vista laptop :D

 

 

 

And it works perfect, I tested it quick by logging on and off, new wallpaper each time. Thanks Sloter!

 

Thanks for posting that it worked on your vista machine. ;)

[easonadam]

I got the 'directory is invalid' popup my end aswell, using vista though so it should work right? Maybe I'm doing something, quite the the technophobe, mind giving me a step by step of setting it up?

[sloter]

First off put the changer[Caution: Executable File] were you wish. The make a new shortcut in the startup directory. The shortcuts path should C:\the\path\to\the\changer[Caution: Executable File] C:\the\path\to\images. So you putting two paths in the shortcuts location separating them by a space.

[easonadam]

sorted thanks :)

[sloter]

sorted thanks :)

 

Glad it worked out. :)