Set a custom delay time for desktop picture changes

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Wed, Mar 26 2003 at 9:46AM PST • Contributed by: mrbiiggy

Are you unhappy with the limited selection of time settings available in the Desktop prefs panel's "Change picture" options? What if you want a new picture every 10 minutes? It's not on the list. Luckily, it's easily changed...

Once you have enabled desktop rotation via the Desktop preference panel, open up ~/Library -> Preferences -> com.apple.desktop.plist in your favorite text editor. Look for:

<key>ChangeTime</key>
<string>some_number</string>

Change some_number, in seconds, to something you'd like to use. Changes take effect the next time you login.

[robg adds: You can probably force the change to take effect by restarting the Finder. As a side note, setting the picture to change every one second is probably not a good thing to do! ;-)]

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Set a custom delay time for desktop picture changes
Authored by: geek-e on Wed, Mar 26 2003 at 9:58AM PST

The one second thing Rob mentioned is true. Not a good thing.
Just for s&g's I created a series of images that changed just one aspect of the image in each file so when the desktop background changed it looked like little aliens were fading in and out. I set the background change for 1 second. Really, a cool effect but the processor was maxed out (tibook 867) w/o having any applications open. It didn't last long as I had work to get done.

video monitoring
Authored by: LouieNet on Wed, Mar 26 2003 at 11:13AM PST

Hmm...just thought of a use for this....

If I get a netcam to ftp in a picture of, say...the highway view from my office window, at regular intervals, as long as I set it to use the same filename to overwrite the old file, I can have my desktop show updated views as long as I rotate on the same picture. Right? :)

---
G4 cube, 1152M RAM, OS X Server 10.2.4

video monitoring
Authored by: geek-e on Wed, Mar 26 2003 at 1:47PM PST

As long as that is the only picture in the folder I believe it is possible. You might also want to alternate between two photos just to make sure. I guess just try it manually and see what happens.

video monitoring
Authored by: at_sym on Wed, Mar 26 2003 at 4:07PM PST

I had something similar set up, but I couldn't get it to work reliably with just one picture. The desktop image switcher seemed to forget to do anything if there was only one image in the folder. So I had curl alternate between two names so that the desktop rotator would be happy.

This was on 10.1.something, so the point may be moot on Jag. :^)

Set a custom delay time for desktop picture changes
Authored by: craig on Wed, Mar 26 2003 at 2:20PM PST

I was wondering if there is similar way to delay the time for the Pictures Folder screensaver? I'd like to extend the time for how long a picture is displayed, basically increasing the back and forth zooming for each picture.

Set a custom delay time for desktop picture changes
Authored by: punkmanandy on Thu, Mar 27 2003 at 12:58AM PST

The desktop is controlled by Dock.app (go figure), not the finder. so inorder to change it, you must force the dock to exit. best done from the command line. "killall Dock.app".

Set a custom delay time for desktop picture changes
Authored by: mrbiiggy on Thu, Apr 3 2003 at 3:11AM PST

You're partly right. It'd actually be `killall Dock`, without the .app.. But thanks for mentioning it.. Much simpler than logging out :)

Set a custom delay time for desktop picture changes
Authored by: JKT on Thu, Mar 27 2003 at 7:51AM PST

Alternatively you could simply download the freeware ChangeDesktop which lets you choose any time with ease among numerous other options (like selecting multiple folders to get your images from, display your desktop online, etc)

Search MacUpdate or Versiontracker for it.

---
iMacDV 400MHz, sl DVD-ROM, 10.2.4, 640MB RAM

Set a custom delay time for desktop picture changes
Authored by: subsoniq on Sun, Mar 30 2003 at 7:40PM PST

that file doesn't exist in the location you gave, is there anywhere else it could be?

Set a custom delay time for desktop picture changes
Authored by: Ganymede on Thu, Apr 24 2003 at 3:06PM PDT

My favorite is Switchpic, By Joe Howard, homepage.mac.com/maceuph/apps/SwitchPic

any number of minutes or hours for inteveral (although he does this funky "sync" to clock time for 15-minute intervals)
very easy, powerful image collection manager.
same or different image on multiple monitors.
system preference with menu bar access.

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