[release] Image-in V0.2

iMage-in has been updated! This program lets you put one or more picture windows on your desktop. They can work as slideshows and/or desktop shortcuts, and have many options to play with.

New in version 0.2:

* Group feature

The program dialog box now contains a Group field. Enter something like "shortcuts" for several images, and you can move all of them as one unit. (Check out the web page for simple instructions on moving one image in a group without affecting the others.)

* More images

Since the group feature will probably lead to users combining multiple images, the maximum number of picture windows has been doubled from 32 to 64.

* WebCam support

A few users requested the ability to have a weather radar map on their desktop, and now they can! Picture windows in iMage-in 0.2 can update from the Internet, and the Shortcut feature lets you double click the image to go to the corresponding website.

* Three icons included

This release includes an icon from InsaniSoft, another from well-known community artist mephisto, and one from amnesia (no stranger to graphics himself, and the guy who generously provides us and other Aqua developers with free web space). A big "Thank you" to them for their quality contributions!

Here are some ideas for all the talented graphics people on this site:

• Create a wallpaper picture with a TV in it. Use iMage-in to place a weather map or other webcam image on the screen.
  
• Make a PNG of a picture frame. Put an image window on top of it that stretches to fit inside the frame, and make it act as a slideshow. Use the same group name for both images, and you have a framed picture that moves easily and constantly changes.
  
• Find a site that has a picture of the day (it must always use the same filename). Create an image using that web address and have it update every 24 hours.
  
• Make a transparent PNG of black lines that resemble cracks in a window. Install iMage-in on your buddy's computer and set the image to "Always on top," then "Pin to desktop." Or use a picture that's a single, black pixel and tell him, "Dude! That pixel burned out." Since iMage-in doesn't appear in the taskbar or even in the Alt-Tab list, he'll probably believe you. Offer to buy the monitor for $20.
  
• Don't actually use that last one. Oh, sure, I may have gotten a decent monitor for almost nothing, but I have to leave that black pixel on the screen just in case my friend shows up unannounced. It's simply not worth the trouble.
  

Note that your settings file from version 0.1 will not work with this new version. Also, "Duplicate image" has been moved to the right click menu.

Here's the link: InsaniSoft

(Please read the entire iMage-in page for an explanation of the changes, then try it out and post your feedback!)

#171982

w00t, this is a great app dude, thnx, this is pretty cool

#171984

good app you have add the url image but it doesn't support GIF images :cry: damn

#171988

Good work, nice app.

-Aviel.

#171995

Can I see some desktop pics with that program doing it's magic? I can't find any e.g. on the website.

#172172

Damn!...I can't get this to work...and I would really love this one!

The exe does nothing on my machine...although Task manager has it running at 0 cpu usage.

Anyone else having these probs?

#172523

yes it does this on mine i was told to restart but it does nothing ?

#172534

Mad Mike...help?

#172852

You could try deleting the config file and see if there was a problem there (not likely, but it's worth a shot). Could you give a little more information about your computer set up, the programs you have running, etc? iMage-in needs Windows XP (Haven't test Windows 2000, but that should be compatible) and GdiPlus.dll.

Megabit, can you be more specific about the GIF problem? iMage-in DOES support GIF images, although with animated GIF's it'll only grab out the first frame. Is that what you're talking about?

#172942

Yes...I've tried a clean re-install and I have GdiPlus.dll in win32. Still no luck though.

Win XP sp1 1.8 cpu 256 Ram.

#172943

how can i check to c if i have GdiPlus.dll and where can i get it if i dont?

#173046

@bh2 and nillinu, if you don't have GDIplus.dll in C:\Windows you need to get it from our site. Try erasing the iMage-in folder and running the setup.exe again. If you're using Windows ME or earlier, this program won't work.

Minimize all other programs so your desktop is totally visible. When you run iMage-in.exe you should see "Ian Sane.png" in the center of your screen.

Give us more information about your PC so we can help you out. This program should work on pretty much any Win2K/XP computer.

@frease, I attached a picture that shows the little guy you see when you run this program the first time. The 2nd part shows that I zoomed him to 150% and made him transparent. You can drag him around on your desktop, change him to another picture, and have up to 63 more pictures. Try it! If you don't like it, just erase the iMage-in folder. There are no Registry entries left behind, and it doesn't change any files outside of the program folder.

#173148

still dont work mate n yes i did do dat n im on a good ole xp mate so its all good n dandy there ? help my fellow brothers?

#173280

Are you using a U.S. English version of XP? What is the color depth of your screen (256, 16-bit, or 32-bit)?

Try this: Start -> Run... -> msconfig (then hit Enter). Choose the "Startup" tab on the right. Click "Disable All" and then OK. Reboot when it asks you to.

When Windows starts again, no extra programs will be running. See if iMage-in works now. (Don't forget to run msconfig again and re-enable the startup programs.)

I'm not sure why it isn't working for you. It ran fine on every computer I've tried so far. Please give us more information so we can solve this problem.

#173433

Mad Mike...I'm using xp home edition sp1...with FlyaKites system files... 16bit colour. Latest NVidia drivers...still nothing...after three installs...Damn it! Desktop is set to 1600 by 1200 pix.

#173572

Have you tried disabling all of the start-up programs like I suggested?

Another thing to try is boot into Safe Mode (restart the computer; press and hold F8 the instant the first screen goes black, then choose Safe Mode from the menu).

Try running the program after doing each of those. If it still won't work, it may be related to the modded system files. iMage-in creates tool windows, not "real" windows. If you can see the various palettes in Photoshop, you should be able to see pictures created by iMage-in.

P.S.- Do you have a friend's computer you could try it on? If it worked there, you could figure out what was different between the two PC's.

#173722

Mike...I will try all your suggestions...bit busy with other stuff at the moment though...Transit of Venus early morning...hope to get some images! May well end up viewing with Celestia...what a cheat!

#173962

Mike...it's working...I don't why though...scratches head again...the only thing I've done is set the colour to 32.

Thanks for your help.

(I didn't edit previous post because...) Really cool app btw.

#174626

This app is great! I love it! thanks Mad_Mike! (Y) :rock:

#175639

does this program have to be used in 32 bit colour

#175705

Yes, thanks to bh2 we know the problem.

Your desktop MUST be set to 32-bit color. SuperJerk is looking to see if he can get it working in 16-bit color mode.

#176041

Your desktop MUST be set to 32-bit color. SuperJerk is looking to see if he can get it working in 16-bit color mode.

Make sure you pass a DC that is compatible with the screen to UpdateLayeredWindow(), Otherwise it will fail.

HDC screenDC( GetDC(0) );
HDC sourceDC ( CreateCompatibleDC(screenDC) );
/* ... do your drawing into sourceDC... */
UpdateLayeredWindow(yourHwnd,screenDC,&pos,&size,sourceDC,......);
/* ... cleanup code ... */

#176054

Originally posted by SuperJerk@Jun 5 2004, 05:19 PM

  Megabit, can you be more specific about the GIF problem? iMage-in DOES support GIF images, although with animated GIF's it'll only grab out the first frame. Is that what you're talking about?

i want to dysplay this Gif animated. And i would to refresh it every 30 minutes, because if i display it and the image onthe server change Image-in what do?

thx

#176700

Hm. The e-mail-adress you have given at your homepage doesn't seem to work. So i just post this here. I hope somebody from the developer team will read this:

i just stumbled upon your great little app iMage. I just love tiny

tools like that.

Its excactly what i needed to make my everyday easier or at least a

little more funnier. You see i have all comic strips from Garfield or

(my favourite) Calvin & Hobbes and now i just cycle them through

pinned to my desktop... they always crayck me up.

Anyway... i just thought of a great feature that i hope you might add

in one of the future releases. It would be great if i could drop any

kind of file on the image provided by iMage. iMage would then send

this file to the attached program (through the already implemented

shortcut feature).

This way some incredible droplets (i believe this is how they call it

in "mac world"). You see i can add the handwritten batch file of mine

as a shortcut to iMage. And if i drop a file on iMage it would work

with the file dropped into it.

For example you can create a batch file to resize an imahe to 400x500

pix reduce its color palette (all with the help from IrfanView) and

move it d:\My Pictures or something.

Users from all over the world could contribute new batch files or

whatever to make Windows-Life much more easier.

What do you think?

MfG.Eversor

#179697

@AndreasV, that's how SuperJerk did it, so the problem must be somewhere else in the code. But thanks for always helping your fellow developers.

@megabit, sorry, but there are no current plans to support animated GIFs. Handling them is more complicated than static images. I could make a Visual Basic program that does what you want, but VB apps. always use a ton of memory. Let me know if you're willing to pay that price, and what features you would like included. I'll see what I can do, but I can't promise anything.

@eversor, I'm not sure why the e-mail address didn't work, but I'm glad you like iMage-in! Right now you can drag and drop image files to change the picture, but I think you have a good idea. I'll try to talk SuperJerk into adding a Drag & Drop section to the dialog window. You'll be able to choose to have dropped files change the image (like it does now), or forward the file to a specified program/batch file. It shouldn't be hard to implement, so the chances are good that it will get in. (P.S.- The comics you mentioned are my brother's favorites, too.)

#179740