Change Wallpaper on Rainmeter Start

[WandersFar]

Can someone look this over and see if I've done this correctly? I just tested it and it works, but I don't really know what I'm doing and I'd like to know if there's a better approach. Thanks.

Code: Select all

[Rainmeter]
Update=1000

[MeasureWallpaper]
Measure=Plugin
Plugin=QuotePlugin
PathName=[path to wallpaper folder]
FileFilter=*.bmp;*.gif;*.jpg;*.png;*.tiff
UpdateDivider=-1

[WallCounter]
Measure=Calc
Formula=WallCounter+1
IfEqualValue=1
IfEqualAction=!Execute [!UpdateMeasure MeasureWallpaper][!SetWallpaper "[MeasureWallpaper]"]
UpdateDivider=-1

[DummyMeter]
Meter=String

The goal is to have Rainmeter load a random wallpaper every time it starts up or is refreshed.

[Kaelri]

The approach is good. :) Just a few minor things I would change:

- When UpdateDivider=-1, the measure does update once when the skin is loaded, so you don't need to [!UpdateMeasure MeasureWallpaper].
- You do need to set DynamicVariables=1 on the Calc measure in order to set the wallpaper to a measure value.

Code: Select all

[Rainmeter]

[MeasureWallpaper]
Measure=Plugin
Plugin=QuotePlugin
PathName=[path to wallpaper folder]
FileFilter=*.bmp;*.gif;*.jpg;*.png;*.tiff
UpdateDivider=-1

[WallCounter]
Measure=Calc
Formula=1
IfEqualValue=1
IfEqualAction=!SetWallpaper "[MeasureWallpaper]"
UpdateDivider=-1
DynamicVariables=1

[DummyMeter]
Meter=String

Also, you may already know this, but for anyone who doesn't: normally, you can use OnRefreshAction to trigger an action when the skin is loaded. The reason you can't do that here is because the action includes a dynamic variable, which can only be used in a meter or measure, not the [Rainmeter] section.

EDIT: I was actually wrong about that. Using the measure value in OnRefreshAction appears to work, even though I'm not sure it's supposed to. That means the following would work, as well:

Code: Select all

[Rainmeter]
OnRefreshAction=!SetWallpaper "[MeasureWallpaper]"

[MeasureWallpaper]
Measure=Plugin
Plugin=QuotePlugin
PathName=[path to wallpaper folder]
FileFilter=*.bmp;*.gif;*.jpg;*.png;*.tiff
UpdateDivider=-1

[DummyMeter]
Meter=String

[WandersFar]

I did not know about OnRefreshAction, thank you! That slims down the ini quite nicely.

[Grmblfz]

Hey,
I want to make a Live Wallpaper skin for Rainmeter.
This technique should work, right? If I Update the Wallpaper every 1/30s with the next frame it should work.
I'll try and keep you up to date.

[balala]

If I Update the Wallpaper every 1/30s with the next frame it should work.

You mean you'll update it 30 times per second? Will cause you a lot of headache.

[jsmorley]

I don't recommend even exploring this. Rainmeter will just eat up CPU trying to update the entire screen at a rate that even approaches "live".

[Grmblfz]

Yup, I thought about that too but I finally got it to work:

Code: Select all

[Rainmeter]
Update=100

[Variables]
MaxPictures=294
Path=#@#Wallpaper\Darth_Vader_
Ending=.jpg

[cCounter]
Measure=Calc
Formula=cCounter%#MaxPictures#+1

[Wallpaper]
Meter=Image
OnUpdateAction=[!SetWallpaper #Path#[cCounter]#Ending#]
DynamicVariables=1

It's laggy as hell but, hey! I'll try it with an Image that is behind everything, just a sec!

[Grmblfz]

Ok this is much better somehow...

Code: Select all

[Rainmeter]
Update=120

[Variables]
MaxPictures=294
Path=#@#Wallpaper\Darth_Vader_
Ending=.jpg
ScreenW=1600
ScreenH=900

[cCounter]
Measure=Calc
Formula=cCounter%#MaxPictures#+1

[Wallpaper]
Meter=Image
ImageName="#Path#[cCounter]#Ending#"
W=#ScreenW#
H=#ScreenH#
X=0
Y=0
DynamicVariables=1

So you can't see any Windows Symbols on your Desktop any more but the CPU is a bit higher than normal (not extreme) and the image is updating fluently.
Any Tips on how to get this to work better?
I'll see if I can get the Image behind even the Windows Symbols.

[balala]

Yup, I thought about that too but I finally got it to work:

Code: Select all

[Rainmeter]
Update=100

[Variables]
MaxPictures=294
Path=#@#Wallpaper\Darth_Vader_
Ending=.jpg

[cCounter]
Measure=Calc
Formula=cCounter%#MaxPictures#+1

[Wallpaper]
Meter=Image
OnUpdateAction=[!SetWallpaper #Path#[cCounter]#Ending#]
DynamicVariables=1

It's laggy as hell but, hey! I'll try it with an Image that is behind everything, just a sec!

As both jsmorley and I said, I don't think setting a wallpaper so often is a good idea. Probably sooner or later you'll get freezing your computer. 10 times per second is a bit too much...

[balala]

Ok this is much better somehow...

Code: Select all

[Rainmeter]
Update=120

[Variables]
MaxPictures=294
Path=#@#Wallpaper\Darth_Vader_
Ending=.jpg
ScreenW=1600
ScreenH=900

[cCounter]
Measure=Calc
Formula=cCounter%#MaxPictures#+1

[Wallpaper]
Meter=Image
ImageName="#Path#[cCounter]#Ending#"
W=#ScreenW#
H=#ScreenH#
X=0
Y=0
DynamicVariables=1

So you can't see any Windows Symbols on your Desktop any more but the CPU is a bit higher than normal (not extreme) and the image is updating fluently.
Any Tips on how to get this to work better?
I'll see if I can get the Image behind even the Windows Symbols.

This code doesn't set wallpaper. Probably that's why it runs much more fluently. However you have there an Image meter which still updates almost 10 times per second. Still too much, even if it doesn't set the wallpaper. You can't even take a much or less normal look to those images. Still have no idea what would you like to achieve.