Any tips for repeatedly displaying an image fullscreen on System 7.5.5?

[Huxley]

Hi all,

I'm working on something neat (which I'll share soon!), and for it to work I need a way to display a "PICT" image full-screen, and refresh / redraw the image if/when the PICT file is replaced in the background.

My ideal outcome would actually be doing this with AppleScript, since the "behind the scenes" portion of this project is all done with AppleScript anyway. The workflow would go something like this:

1. AppleScript tells Fetch to download a PICT file from a specific FTP address (more on this in a future post!)
2. AppleScript moves image to a specific folder in the Finder, while also deleting any existing images from that folder (for this particular project, there needs to be only one image in the folder at any given time)
3. AppleScript triggers some action which displays the most recent image fullscreen, and the image stays onscreen until the image is replaced in the background via steps 1 and 2 noted above

I already have Steps 1 and 2 working fine, but Step 3 is where it falls down. I'm currently using the "Slide Show" module in After Dark and it does achieve the effect I'm aiming for but it's pretty fussy - if its refresh cycle happens to overlap with the PICT file being replaced in the background, it fails back to the "Starry Night" module with a scrolling error and never displays the (new) image. Are there alternate slideshow-type screen savers (or other apps) that can run on an SE/30 with System 7.5.5, which might be a little more suitable to this project?

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Huxley

 

[volvo242gt]

GraphicConverter does have a slide show mode that might work, but I'm not sure if it'll work with files that are being downloaded. Probably will, though.

 

[Huxley]

GraphicConverter does have a slide show mode that might work, but I'm not sure if it'll work with files that are being downloaded. Probably will, though.

I had the same idea! I got GraphicConverter 4.x running on the SE/30 and played with its slideshow mode for a few minutes. I think it might work for what I'm attempting, but frustratingly some of the slideshow settings are literally off the bottom edge of the screen on a 512x342 display and I can't quite configure it for this purpose!

One step forward, two steps back...

 

[cheesestraws]

feels like the kind of thing where you might be able to knock something up relatively easily in HyperCard?

 

[mikes-macs]

@Huxley
I've been using AppleScript to automate many tasks for years so I have some experience with the scripting language.
GraphicConverter 4.x is scriptable and I have been working on what you are trying to do on my own to see if I can come up with a solution for what you're trying to do. If the setting you need are not accessible on screen then perhaps you can use a Macintosh with a larger screen to set the preferences for GraphicConverter and then transport the GraphicConverter preference file over to the SE/30.

Alternatively, Quicktime 4 is scriptable and so any Quicktime based Image viewer can be used to display a jpeg at fullscreen for a defined time period then obtain another file to display at fullscreen replacing the previous one. Timing is everything, is there a defined amount of time you want the image displayed or is the time randomly based off when the next image is available? I'm not sure a slide show is necessary as you can just display an image at fullscreen for a defined time period and then script it to close the image and reopen the next available image at fullscreen. If the timing is random based on when the next available file is present then more detailed scripting can be accomplished.

 

[mikes-macs]

If you install Akua Sweets 141 scripting addition in Mac OS 7.5.5 Scripting Additions Folder and have Quicktime 4.0 Installed then this script should work. With some work it can accept the newly downloaded file for your scenario instead of choosing a file.

The first two lines work on a Mac IIsi but not on a Mac SE/30, not sure why. I made them unavailable in the script but left them for you to try if you are interested. They get the monitor resolution in a rectangle bounds and then can be used as the screen_res.

Removing the Mac Menu Bar with AppleScript requires Mac OS 8.5 within Akua Sweets 141 so you'll still have the menu bar in Mac OS 7.5.5
I cannot remember how to temporarily hide the control strip menu so I suggest just you just disable it in the control panel.



I included the script. In the script I have the screen_res set to {640,480} for my Mac IIsi but you can change it to (512,342}.