New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts...

Posted by: Cris

New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 28/04/2005 12:18

I have got this mad idea in my head that there is program out there that generates custom desktop wallpapers out of your own photos that look like a scattering of polaroid photos on a table top.

I am sure I have seen this some where, I have searched on here and google for ages now, and so far I have had no luck. Does anyone know of such a program, or know how I can create such an effect, but keep it in mind that I have almost zero photoshop skills.

Cheers

Cris.
Posted by: robricc

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 28/04/2005 12:26

You saw it here:
http://empegbbs.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=offtopic&Number=252585
Posted by: tfabris

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 28/04/2005 12:27

Yeah, I remember seeing that here on the BBS, too. I don't remember enough details about the post to do a successful search, though, sorry.

<edit> Now where'd I put that pebble?...
Posted by: Cris

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 28/04/2005 13:10

Thats amazing !!!

What the hell did you enter in the search to end up with that ?

I tried everything I could think of !

Thanks

Cris.
Posted by: robricc

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 28/04/2005 13:12

I searched for the word "desktop" in the subject and body. I searched only for posts within the last 2 months and only in the Off-Topic forum.
Posted by: andym

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 28/04/2005 13:25

I've got it running at work spanned across my two monitors. I do get odd looks when this one appears every now and again.



How was the holiday?
Posted by: Cris

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 28/04/2005 13:48

I guess it's easy when you know how, I think I was trying to be too cleaver with my search.

The holiday was great, Jet2.com were faultless, I got quite a nice shot out of the plane window...



I am getting a bit more used to the 300D now, it has given me some really good photos, and the good ones are getting less and less random and more and more on purpose.

A good time was had by all, the south of France is a great place if you avoid the usual Brit spots, we stayed in Menton, and I think the full trip cost me less than £500, not bad for 2 people all in I don't think.

Cheers

Cris.
Posted by: andym

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 28/04/2005 14:54

Ahh, good to see the engine still attached to the wing.

I've not really flown much. In fact my first ever flight was to New York a couple of years ago. I decided to get a window seat and was sat right over the wings. Imagine my surprise when I looked out of my window during takeoff to see the wing flexing wildly as we climbed into the air. I turned to my traveling companion and asked in a worried voice whether the wings were supposed to wobble like that, he found it quite amusing. I think it was his second trip to America that month.
Posted by: andym

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 28/04/2005 15:02

I've been considering getting a 350 with my bonus this year but I don't think I really take enough photos to justify getting one. The optics and sensor are so good in my Ixus I doubt there's too much to be gained from upgrading.
Posted by: Cris

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 28/04/2005 15:13

Do you know of anything that will do the same on the Mac ???

I am thinking of getting a nice new TFT for teh mini, it would look sweet with a background like the one now on my PC

Cheers

Cris.
Posted by: belezeebub

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 28/04/2005 15:13

If you use windows xp or xp pro it can cycle a folder of images as a screen saver or use any bmp, jpg as back ground
Posted by: Cris

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 28/04/2005 15:21

Quote:
If you use windows xp or xp pro it can cycle a folder of images as a screen saver or use any bmp, jpg as back ground


Yea, I know, but I was after a different effect, FirePaper seems to be almost there, but I would prefer a static background with a selection of pictures I have selected and positioned myself.

Cheers

Cris.
Posted by: andym

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 28/04/2005 15:23

Quote:
Do you know of anything that will do the same on the Mac ???


Not that I know of, I've still got the blue swooshy thing on my backdrop. Mind you I rarely see my backdrop as I've always got a window or two open.
Posted by: andym

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 28/04/2005 15:27

Quote:
Yea, I know, but I was after a different effect, FirePaper seems to be almost there, but I would prefer a static background with a selection of pictures I have selected and positioned myself.


You can do the positioning manually in firepaper. What would be really cool would be to write a little bash script that periodically grabbed the backdrop file that firepaper creates and puts it on the backdrop of your mini. Which TFT have you got in mind?
Posted by: Cris

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 28/04/2005 15:49

This looks interesting, might give it a go later.

I have 3 TFT in mind, cheapo Aria with DVI 19", LG L1980U, or Dell 2005FP. It all depends on budget.

I have ruled out an Apple monitor, the Dell uses the same panel (different backlight) and only has 1 DVI input, for less money the Dell gives me much more useable features and doesn't look all that bad, although I do prefer the Apples looks.

I had hoped to delay this purchase for a good 6 months, but I gave my spare TFT to my mum (long story) and mine has started playing up, I dragged out my nice NEC 17" CRT and I can't stand using it, so I am in the market. I just have to delay a few projects I had planned for the summer

Cheers

Cris.
Posted by: andym

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 28/04/2005 16:25

I friend of mine has the Aria one, it looks a little cheap but the panel itself is excellent, very nice even though he's still using the VGA connector for the time being.
Posted by: FireFox31

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 29/04/2005 01:04

Dell2005FP! I just got all Dell 1905FP's for my office. If the 2005FP is at all similar, it'll be worth it.

Probably has a similar high quality Samsung panel in there. I was sold on the 1905FPs when I saw used the same parts as the high priced Samsung 193P, and included high priced features like adjustable height and side-panel USB hub, YET cost low end 19" LCD price.
Posted by: Dignan

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 29/04/2005 02:29

Agreed. I was high on the Samsungs as well and still am, but I love the Dell I use at the office. If I could, I'd buy the 24" widescreen they have for sale now that includes the usual USB hub, a 6-in-1 card reader, and a range of inputs (how's DVI, VGA, Component, S-Video, and Composite for you?). Best of all it's waaaay below every other monitor this size at $1200. I can't wait to waste a future paycheck on that thing.
Posted by: furtive

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 29/04/2005 08:24

Re: Firepaper

If anyone has any feature requests for it, let me know. The developer is a friend of mine.

Oh, and don't forget to register - it's his only income!
Posted by: peter

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 29/04/2005 08:44

Quote:
Dell2005FP! I just got all Dell 1905FP's for my office. If the 2005FP is at all similar, it'll be worth it.

We just got a bunch of 2001FPs at Rio, with pretty mixed results. We got a bunch of new Nvidia cards in order to drive them over DVI, but some people found there were nasty digital artifacts when used in DVI mode (but not in analogue mode). Some other people found that when it went into power-saving, it never came out. On the other hand, some people had no problems. I eventually got mine working, but only by swapping the Nvidia card for an ATI one and then patching X to ignore the DDC data: the panel is 1600x1200 but claims, over DDC, to be 1280x1024 and then goes on to recommend, over DDC, a 1600x1200 mode which it's not, in fact, capable of displaying.

Once suitably larted, though, the display is gorgeous. Unfortunately the ATI driver doesn't support RandR (and doesn't have a bletcherous non-RandR rotation hack like the Nvidia one does), so I don't get to use it portrait.

Peter
Posted by: peter

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 29/04/2005 08:57

Quote:
24" widescreen [...] $1200

It's always worth looking at both the home and small-business bits of Dell's website: they often sell the same thing at different prices. The home section has the 2405FPW for $1020.

Peter
Posted by: Cris

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 29/04/2005 11:10

After loosing my rag with the old TFT this morning while trying to edit the holiday photos, I checked Aria's website, they have the Dell on offer today for £399.95, so I jumped in the car and went and got one...



I paid the extra for the dead pixel check, don't know why I bothered really as there is one very dim blue pixel stuck on, I only notice it on a fully balck screen, and even then the room has to be quite dark to see it, I haven't yet decided what I am going to do, I'm not sure if I can be bothered to go through the whole returns thing, I can see why they didn't spot it, they would have to check it in a darm room to see it.

One thing that bugs me is that PnP only seems to work with once PC/mac input and one video, so you can't have DVI and DSub at the same time on the screen, I am sure I have seen this done, as yet I can't figure out how, the option is greyed out?

Cheers

Cris.
Posted by: burdell1

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 29/04/2005 11:29

Have you checked out Picasa 2? I think that has the ability to change photos into a screensaver that would be like Polaroid pictures all over the dekstop....
Posted by: Dignan

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 29/04/2005 13:50

Quote:
Quote:
24" widescreen [...] $1200

It's always worth looking at both the home and small-business bits of Dell's website: they often sell the same thing at different prices. The home section has the 2405FPW for $1020.


So true, and they seem to drop their prices on certain products every couple weeks! No matter, I checked with our employee discount program, and I can actually get that one for around $800. Possibly less now that the price there has dropped.
Posted by: burdell1

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 29/04/2005 16:30

Although I might start this as a new thread, but what is the cheapest someone has seen this monitor? I know dell has lots of coupon codes all the time
Posted by: gbeer

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 30/04/2005 01:58

I have one of those at work. The center of the screen can go no lower than what is needed for free rotation between landscape and portrait modes. For a workstation, I prefer a monitor that can sit with the frame near the desktop. About like a laptop.

I do admit, at about 100dpi it's a fine looking display.
Posted by: Roger

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 30/04/2005 07:42

Quote:
The center of the screen can go no lower than what is needed for free rotation


At work, I've got a Samsung 213T -- really nice, quite pricy -- which has portrait and landscape modes. The centre of the screen is too low to rotate, unless you first tilt the screen backwards a bit, IYSWIM.

Since I only ever use the screen in landscape mode, this doesn't bother me.
Posted by: andy

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 01/05/2005 03:44

Quote:

We just got a bunch of 2001FPs at Rio, with pretty mixed results. We got a bunch of new Nvidia cards in order to drive them over DVI, but some people found there were nasty digital artifacts when used in DVI mode (but not in analogue mode).


I get digital artefacts on my 2001FP in certain circumstances (most noticablly when running mIRC with the default font). However I get exactly the same artefacts if I plug the Apple Cinema display in in place of the Dell.
Posted by: andy

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 01/05/2005 03:46

Quote:
One thing that bugs me is that PnP only seems to work with once PC/mac input and one video, so you can't have DVI and DSub at the same time on the screen, I am sure I have seen this done, as yet I can't figure out how, the option is greyed out?



PnP only works with composite and s-video.
Posted by: Cris

Re: New Desktop Wallpaper, I think I am going nuts... - 01/05/2005 06:35

Quote:
PnP only works with composite and s-video.


Bugger

Still a very cool monitor, I used to think the screen on my laptop was good, but it now seems very dim when put next to the Dell. This was a good purchase I think, and extra desktop space really makes OSX work! Now I can have SoftSqueeze fully visable, the Dock fully open and still have space for multiple windows

Cheers

Cris.