Fotoze ScreenSaver 1.0.202

 

Fotoze ScreenSaver by Michael Neice

Uses for Fotoze ScreenSaver:

 

  • Display digital photograph collection
  • Show off images and pictures downloaded from the Internet
  • Display icon libraries

 

Just leave your computer running with the screen saver activated, and family and guests can see your photos one by one as they are displayed!

Fotoze ScreenSaver © Copyright 2000 Michael Neice. All rights reserved.

 

Document updated 4/23/2000 9:13:20 AM

 

The most current version of this document is maintained on the Internet at http://www.geocities.com/michaelneice/fotozescreensaver/fotozescreensaver.htm

 

Contents:

 

 

 

About Fotoze ScreenSaver

 

Description

 

Fotoze ScreenSaver is a free, Windows® screen saver developed by Michael Neice that cycles through images, pictures, photographs, and icons from a designated folder and displays them one at a time on the screen. It displays the following image types: .bmp .gif .jpg .jpeg .wmf .emf .ico

 

Computer System Requirements

 

Intel or Intel-compatible Personal Computer (PC) running a Microsoft Windows® operating system such as Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, or Windows 2000. A minimum of 10 megabytes (MB) of free hard drive space is recommended for download and installation.

 

Where to Obtain Fotoze ScreenSaver

 

The current version is 1.0.202 released Sunday, April 23, 2000

 

 fotozess.zip 3.73 MB (3,827 KB or 3,919,872 bytes)

 

The latest version of Fotoze ScreenSaver is always available from http://www.geocities.com/michaelneice/fotozescreensaver/fotozess.zip

 

To download the application, click the floppy disk icon, select “Save this file to disk” when prompted and click OK and save it to the Windows Desktop or a folder on the hard drive such as My Documents or Download.

 

 

Distributing and Redistributing Fotoze ScreenSaver

 

Fotoze ScreenSaver is FreeWare. The developer does not charge money for the development, creation, or distribution of Fotoze ScreenSaver. Anyone may download it, forward it, package it, and distribute it as long as the application is not altered and remains in the original zip archive. The zip archive may not be altered. No one may charge money for Fotoze ScreenSaver. It may be distributed on any media. It may be distributed as part of other applications, products, and packages as long as there is no charge for Fotoze ScreenSaver and the application and its original zip archive are not altered. Distributors may only charge for the distribution media, labor, and associated costs, but not for the application itself. Full credit for development of the product must be given to Michael Neice. No other individual, company, or entity may claim authorship, development, ownership, sponsorship, or licensure.

 

How to Contact the Developer of Fotoze ScreenSaver

 

Suggestions, requests, bugs, problem reports, thank you notes, and money donations (☻ just kidding! ) should be sent via e-mail to michaelneice@yahoo.com. Please include the version number listed on the About tab of the Fotoze ScreenSaver Options window. Even if you have nothing to say, please send me a note and let me know what you think. To satisfy my curiosity, tell me where in the world you are located. To satisfy your curiosity, I am located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (NC) in the United States of America (USA). The dog in the photo is my beagle, Indy, named after Indiana Jones. He will be 6 years old in May 2000.

 

 

Installing Fotoze ScreenSaver

 

Downloading Fotoze ScreenSaver

 

Select “Save this file to disk” when prompted and click OK and save it to the Windows Desktop or a folder on the hard drive such as My Documents or Download.

 

 

 

Launching Setup from the Zip File

 

After downloading the zip file, launch the fotozess.zip file (usually by double clicking it) on your Windows Desktop or from the folder you downloaded it to, such as My Documents or Download.

 

WinZip should launch and display the following window. If you do not have WinZip or some other unzipping application installed, then you can download and install WinZip from http://www.winzip.com

 

Launch setup.exe in the zip file (usually by double clicking it).

 

 

Click OK to minimize the zip window during install.

 

Stepping Through the Setup Screens

 

The setup application will begin copying files to other parts of your hard drive. You may have to restart the computer after this step. Just follow the prompts presented on the screen.

 

 

If you receive a message that files need to be updated and Windows restarted, click OK or Yes and let Setup restart your computer. After the computer restarts, launch setup again and continue the installation.

 

 

Click OK.

 

Click the big computer button to start installation.

 

Click OK.

 

            Click OK.

 

 

 

Configuring and Using Fotoze ScreenSaver

 

Activating Fotoze ScreenSaver

 

To activate Fotoze ScreenSaver as your Windows screen saver, click Start, Settings, Control Panel, then double click the Display icon. Select the Screen Saver tab. Select Fotoze ScreenSaver from the Screen Saver list. Click OK or Apply to save your selection (clicking OK will also close the Display Properties window).

 

Example of clicking the Start button, then Settings, Control Panel:

Example of clicking the Start button, then Settings, Control Panel:

 

Example of Display icon in Control Panel:

Example of Display icon in Control Panel:

 

Example of Screen Saver tab on Display Properties window:

Example of Screen Saver tab on Display Properties window:

 

Launching Fotoze ScreenSaver Options

 

To configure Fotoze ScreenSaver, just click the Settings button to launch Fotoze ScreenSaver Options. You can also launch Fotoze ScreenSaver Options by clicking Start, Programs, Fotoze ScreenSaver, Fotoze ScreenSaver. If you have never configured Fotoze ScreenSaver, the Options window will appear automatically when you select Fotoze ScreenSaver from the Screen Saver list on the Screen Saver tab.

 

Location of Images Tab

 

The Location of Images tab is the where you tell Fotoze ScreenSaver to find the images you wish for it to display. You can type in a path to a folder on your local hard drive or to a network location. To eliminate any possible input errors, you should click the Browse button and navigate to a folder containing images. Images that Fotoze ScreenSaver recognizes will appear in the box on the right. All images listed will be displayed. If you do not wish for an image to be displayed, remove it from the folder using Windows Explorer (under Start, Programs, Windows Explorer). Click the Apply or OK button to save your selection (clicking OK will save your selection and also closes the Options window).

 

Example of Location of Images tab:

Example of Location of Images tab:

 

Preferences Tab

 

The Preferences tab is where you set most of the screen saver options. By default, all options are selected (turned on) when the screen saver is first installed.

 

Display each image for # seconds: displays each image for a selected amount of time. Accepts only seconds. If you need minutes, multiply each minute by 60 to get the total number of seconds. For example, 2 minutes would be 2x60 seconds for a total of 120 seconds. The default display time is 5 seconds.

 

Hide mouse pointer: mouse pointer disappears when the screen saver appears. Most screen savers hide the mouse pointer. Deselect (uncheck) this option if you wish to see the mouse pointer while the screen saver is running.

 

Screen saver always on top: screen saver hides all other windows on the screen while displaying images. Most screen savers hide all other windows. Deselect this option if you wish for other windows to be able to appear while the screen saver is running.

 

Display images in random order: displays images in random order. Deselect this option if you wish for images to be displayed sequentially and in the same order each time the screen saver cycles through the list of images in the designated folder.

 

Image number in sequence of images: displays in the upper left corner of the screen each image’s sequence number in the list of images and the total number of images to be displayed.

 

Image file path & file name: displays in the upper left corner an image’s file path and file name.

 

Example of Image number and Image file path & file name:

Example of Image number and Image file path & file name:

 

Example of Preferences tab:

Example of Preferences tab:

 

Preview Tab

 

Click the Preview button on the Preview tab to save your selections and launch the screen saver. Clicking the Preview button will also close the Options window. You can also preview the screen saver by clicking the Preview button on the Screen Saver tab of the Display Properties window. Previewing the screen saver allows you to verify that it displays the images from the folder you designated and displays them according to the preferences you selected.

 

About Tab

 

Click the About tab for a brief description of Fotoze ScreenSaver and to find out the version number of the version installed on your computer. The current version available from the Internet is listed in the section above in Where to Obtain Fotoze ScreenSaver. When contacting the developer, please include the version number listed on the About tab.

 

Help Tab

 

Click the Help tab and then click the Help icon or link to access this document. You can also access this document by clicking the Start button, then Programs, Fotoze ScreenSaver, Help for Fotoze ScreenSaver. The most current version of this document is located on the Internet at http://www.geocities.com/michaelneice/fotozescreensaver/fotozescreensaver.htm

 

 

Uninstalling Fotoze ScreenSaver

 

To uninstall (remove) Fotoze ScreenSaver from your computer system, click the Start button, then click Settings, Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs. Select Fotoze ScreenSaver from the list, then click the Add/Remove button. Follow the prompts on the screen. (Note: these instructions may vary slightly for different versions of Windows, but the steps are generally the same). The uninstall process as it appears on Windows 2000 is pictured below.

 

Example of clicking Add/Remove Programs, selecting Fotoze ScreenSaver, then clicking Change/Remove

Example of clicking Add/Remove Programs, selecting Fotoze ScreenSaver, then clicking Change/Remove

 

Example of what the uninstall application looks like

Example of what the uninstall application looks like

 

Example of Application Removal prompt. Click Yes.

Example of Application Removal prompt. Click Yes.

 

Example of Shared Component removal prompt. Click Remove.

Example of Shared Component removal prompt. Click Remove.

 

Example of Application Removal prompt, uninstall completed. Click OK.

Example of Application Removal prompt, uninstall completed. Click OK.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Is there a limit to the number of images that can be displayed?

No limit has yet been established. However, it is recommended that you have 500 or fewer images in a folder from which the screen saver pulls images. I have used the screen saver successfully with folders containing over 2000 images. With such a high number of images in one folder, it will take a minute or two for the screen saver to cycle through the folder counting the number of images and loading the file names into memory, so you may notice a delay when the screen saver activates or when you access the Fotoze ScreenSaver Options window.

 

What image types can the screen saver display?

The screen saver recognizes and displays images with the following file extensions:

.bmp .gif .jpg .jpeg .wmf .emf .ico

 

Can I launch the screen saver as a stand alone application that doesn’t consume the entire screen and use it as a slide show?

No, not at this time. Deselecting the options, Hide mouse pointer and Screen saver always on top will give you some flexibility in using the screen saver as a slide show presenter, but it was not designed to be used in that manner. Look for this functionality in future versions.

 

Is there a version available for Apple computers or Linux?

No. The screen saver only runs on 32 bit Windows operating systems on Intel compatible computers.

 

Can the screen saver display images from subfolders of the folder I have chosen?

No, not at this time. Look for this feature in future versions.

 

Will the splash screen image of you and your dog always display each time the screen saver starts?

No, it no longer appears after the fifth time the screen saver activates.

 

Will the screen saver resize images too large for my monitor or screen?

Yes, it resizes images too large to fit the screen in proportion to the original size.

 

Can I set the screen saver to display images using a network path?

Yes. The preferred method is to map the network path as a mapped drive, then choose the drive from the list of available drives. You can also type in a network path starting with the double slashes and click the Apply button. For example: \\computerb\pictures

 

Why do I see only a black screen or a picture of you and your dog?

The screen saver options are pointing at a non-existent folder, can no longer reach the images in the folder, or there are no images in the folder. Verify that the folder or images were not deleted. If you are using Windows NT, verify that the permissions on the folder are not restricting the application from reading images from the folder.

 

Why do I see a black screen with the text Image # 0 of –1?

If you see Image # 0 of –1 then screen saver options are pointing at a non-existent folder, can no longer reach the images in the folder, or there are no images in the folder. Verify that the folder or images were not deleted. If you are using Windows NT, verify that the permissions on the folder are not restricting the application from reading images from the folder.

 

Why does the Options window pause when appearing on the screen?

You probably have more than several hundred images in your designated folder. It is recommended that you have 500 or fewer images in a folder from which the screen saver pulls images. I have used the screen saver successfully with folders containing over 2000 images. With such a high number of images in one folder, it will take a minute or two for the screen saver to cycle through the folder counting the number of images and loading the file names into memory, so you may notice a delay when the screen saver activates or when you access the Fotoze ScreenSaver Options window.

 

Why does the screen saver take so long to display the first image?

You probably have more than several hundred images in your designated folder. It is recommended that you have 500 or fewer images in a folder from which the screen saver pulls images. I have used the screen saver successfully with folders containing over 2000 images. With such a high number of images in one folder, it will take a minute or two for the screen saver to cycle through the folder counting the number of images and loading the file names into memory, so you may notice a delay when the screen saver activates or when you access the Fotoze ScreenSaver Options window.

 

 

 

Developer’s Notes

 

Fotoze ScreenSaver was developed and written using Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0, Service Pack 3 (SP3) under the Windows 2000 Professional operating system on both a Dell Optiplex GX1 desktop workstation and Dell Latitude CP laptop notebook computer. More details on how the screen saver was developed will be documented soon. The source code may also be released at a future date.