Click here and install this wallpaper?

[megens]

Is there some trick, so that a wallpaper gets installed by clicking a link inside the projector?

the same as "Set as wallpaper" in IE.

MartijnM

[northcode]

It's not difficult, you just can't do it without getting your hands dirty with a few Windows API calls. I've created a little utility (attached) that will help you out though. It's not a plugin just a simple EXE you can call from SWF Studio to change the wallpaper. You can try this from a DOS prompt to play around with it.

usage: wallpapr mode filename

mode can be CENTER (the default), TILE or STRETCH and the filename should be the fully qualified file name of the image to be used as the wallpaper (any image type supported by Windows can be used).

For example: If a file call IMAGE.BMP and the WALLPAPR.EXE file are in the same directory as your projector you could use the following FSCommand to set the wallpaper stretch it to fill the desktop.

fscommand("RUN", "%ORG%\\wallpapr.exe stretch %ORG%\\image.bmp")

Calling wallpapr with no arguments removes the wallpaper. So you can use the following command to remove the desktop wallpaper.

fscommand("RUN", "%ORG%\\wallpapr.exe");

[megens]

WOOT!!!

THX a bunch!!!

[northcode]

I guess it worked okay for you. Glad I could help. Anyone (except the competition) feel free to use WALLPAPR in your own stuff

[hodgejr]

Well, I tried the install wallpaper function and worked like a dream for me...as long as the bmp files and executable are located on my hard drive!!! Then, I burned my CD and tried it out. It saves the image as wallpaper, but upon removing the CD, and poof! The wallpaper disappears...

Is there anyway to set the image as wallpaper AND make sure it's been copied to the user's hard drive? Otherwise this feature is useless for me...

Thanks in advance...

[northcode]

I've attached a sample project but I didn't include an EXE version (to keep the size down) so you'll have to open the SPF and build it.

When you press the button, an image is copied to the users Application Data directory and then the desktop wallpaper is set from the copy instead of the original.

You have to set three properties of the "wallpaper" movieclip before playing it.

_root.wallpaper.folderpath = "images"; is the directory where the image file is located. This is relative to the EXE. Don't add path separator characters ("\\") to the beginning or end, just between folder names like "images\\moreimages".

_root.wallpaper.filename = "stamp.bmp"; is the name of the file in the folder specified above. You can use long file names (with spaces etc).

_root.wallpaper.mode = "CENTER"; is the placement mode of the image. You can set this to CENTER, STRETCH or TILE

Once you've set up the parameters for the clip you can start it playing like this _root.wallpaper.play(); and if you've done everything right your wallpaper will be changed.

[Numpty]

I'm trying to do a similar thing, but with a whole desktop theme for windows.

Would I need a custom .exe to get the .theme file to apply?

I have looked at setting all of the registry entries with the swf studio registry plugin but this doesn't take effect until you restart the computer.

[northcode]

Rather than extend this thread (about wallpaper) to talk about themes, I've started a new thread with your username in the subject

[th'FOOL]

Hi. I downloaded the second file and tried to build the projector for the example, but kept on getting an error. I checked it out and every time I tried to build, a check box is listed under plugins that says 'Missing (file sys)' Is this an XP issue?

ADDED: D'oh! I needed the filesys plugin! You shoulda mentioned it....

[northcode]

I guess I should add some more explanations in the build errors about the missing plugin messages. Sorry about that!

[batybarr01]

NC and all--

Alright, i am about to pull my hair out. I am builing an app that queries an asp page to get a listing of images in a directory. I display a thumbnail and have a hyperlink that allows users to download the image. I have a button that (in theory) allows them to set that image as the desktop wallpaper. I have been working with your getURL example and wallpaper example and have been trying to marry the two together with no results. I am using the variable for the local location and passing that to the wallpapr.exe--but no dice.



what could be the issue?

[batybarr01]

okay, i was assuming that the wallpapr.exe was actually part of my exe--this was not the case. I have it marked as internal however. With that said I am calling wallpapr.exe using the %ORG%\\ syntax--

is this correct when calling an internalized exe or how do i know if it is trully internalized?

[northcode]

If the WALLPAPR.EXE file is internal and you don't have "preserve layout for internal files" enabled (under Build Settings) then you can just use fscommand("EXEC", "wallpapr.exe tile whatever.jpg"); The %ORG% is for external files only (stuff that lives on the CD or outside the projector).

[batybarr01]

You have the best tech support ever--is there a place where we can vote/brag about that in your behaf?

can i test your http plugin?

[northcode]

Well, there's the Feedback forum here, and then there's everywhere else on the internet

[crustyclown]

Originally posted by batybarr01
You have the best tech support ever--is there a place where we can vote/brag about that in your behaf?

I agree wholeheartedly!

I recommend you go to www.FlashKit.com and brag about Northcode in the Standalones forum! I've done this several times even though North's competitors hate hearing it!!!

To go there directly,

http://board.flashkit.com/board/foru...php?forumid=15

Cheers,
John in Chicago

[batybarr01]

I'm just outside chicago, where do you work (john)

I am on several mailing lists and frequent flashkit and were-here and pump this product every opportunity i get. I see so many posts about working with flash as a stand-alone and i often reply with a reccomendation for swf studio.

[crustyclown]

Originally posted by batybarr01
I'm just outside chicago, where do you work (john)

I am on several mailing lists and frequent flashkit and were-here and pump this product every opportunity i get. I see so many posts about working with flash as a stand-alone and i often reply with a reccomendation for swf studio.

Our office is in Bartlett (far west suburbs) but we do most of our work in the Northwest suburbs (Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, Palatine, etc.)

I've actually had to temper my enthusiasm over on FlashKit. I have been accused of being a Northcode "plant" and worse. Just because I love this product and this guy provides the absolute best Customer Service I have ever seen. He is most deserving of our support and testimonials!

Many of Northcode's competitors over at Flashkit are just SCHMUCKS IMHO! I'll never know whether they have good products or not because I have no respect for their sales techniques and tactics.

Keep up the good work Northcode!

[northcode]

I've been accused numerous times on FK of paying people to plug SWF Studio. One guy even suggested I logged in as different people and was making all these postings myself and wanted to check the IP logs!

I do read EVERY post on FK so I know who's been plugging SWF Studio and I REALLY appreciate it (no matter how much it riles up the other guys).

I also try to read every post on my competitors boards so I know who's slamming me too. Give my proximity to the North Pole, that's probably not a good idea. If you think a bird can make a mess of your car, think what eight reindeer could do

[Wizard]

Some questions :

- Does WallPapr.exe support JPEG files (or any other image format that can be wallpapered in IE) ?
(didn't find an post about that...)

- Whould you make a plugin instead of embeded exe ?
so we can use a FSCommand that makes all that :
1. check if file exists
2. put it in the good directory
3. set file as wallpaper
and if any error occured, return an error code...

[northcode]

WallPapr.exe doesn't care what kind of file you tell it to use as wallpaper, it will happily make the registry entry with whatever file name you provide. However, if you don't have the Active Desktop enabled you can only use BMP files as wallpaper.

I could have made this a plugin (I could still do it) but I didn't really see a big demand for it when I first wrote it! I thought it was just going to be a "one off" for megens

[lliberty]

I'm a newbie to this program but have consulted with someone who has used it alot and I'm still having problems with this wallpaper thing.

First I tried the WallPapr.exe in DOS and it worked fine ( although I did discover that the directory structure I was using couldn't have any spaces in it for it to work ).

Then I downloaded the example file given in this thread and opened the Wallpaper.spf, built it and tried to run the exe. Nothing happened, at least the wallpaper didn't change at all, although the stamp.bmp was copied to my Application Data directory.

I have gone over all the instructions here several times but I still can't get it to work. Can anyone please help and let me know what I may be doing wrong? It seems this does work for others.

This is an old thread, could the fla or spf need updating possibly?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I would love to use this feature, but if I can't get it to work soon I may have to abandon it and give the user the image and let them install the wallpaper themselves.

thx.

[lliberty]

I'm really starting to think it's the directory structure of where the bmp is that is causing me problems.

When I run WallPapr.exe in dos with a directory structure that has spaces it doesn't work. When i take out the spaces, it works.

Since the bmp is going to C:\Documents and Settings\myname\Application Data , I think that is why it's not working for me. Is it possible to change this path so I can test it?

Has anyone else come across this?

thx.

[northcode]

I just sent Rich an email with an updated copy of this utility you can try. If that doesn't work for you, fire off an email to support@northcode.com and I'll see if we can figure out what the problem is. Include all the info you can like the OS where you're seeing this happen etc.

[photoman]

Originally posted by northcode
WallPapr.exe doesn't care what kind of file you tell it to use as wallpaper, it will happily make the registry entry with whatever file name you provide.

Hi there,

Can someone verify this? I tried wallpapr.exe for jpg and htmls, but only bmp works.

Running on XP.

[blanius]

WallPapr doesn't seem to work in Windows 7

I just built a new system and am testing an app that worked in XP and Vista but it's not working on 7

[northcode]

I just copied the EXE and a test image to a Windows 7 test machine and ran it (from the command line) and it worked just fine. Can you do the same?

The location being written to is under HKEY_CURRENT_USER so unless there are some policies that disallow writing to that part of the registry you should be okay.

If you're trying to launch the utility from anything other than a V3.8 application (with a compatibility manifest) then it probably won't work.