snapScreen Screen Saver for Kodak EasyShare Software

SnapScreen 1.5

This version of SnapScreen if for use with version 6 and greater of Kodak EasyShare software.

You can get detailed instructions on how to find your EasyShare version here, or download the latest version from Kodak.

Settings Dialog

Description of Settings

Change Picture

Transition Settings

Caption Settings

Display Order:

Picture Selection

Album Selection Dialog

Catalog

Serial Number

Version Information

SnapScreen Demo Dialog

Settings Dialog

The easiest way to access the SnapScreen settings dialog box is via the Windows start menu by selecting the SnapScreen Settings entry that can be found in the SOLIDFX program group. Alternatively, a right mouse click on the desktop followed by the selection of the Properties menu item will bring up the following dialog (all examples show Windows XP - other versions of Windows will appear slightly different):

Clicking on the Screen Saver tab results in the following dialog:

The screen saver box should have snapscrn selected on Windows 98 and ME systems and SOLIDFX SnapScreen on Windows 2000 and XP systems. From here, clicking on the Settings button brings up the settings dialog window. Regardless of the approach used to get to the settings, the dialog box appears the same as follows:

Description of Settings

Changes may be made to any of the following settings. After making the desired changes click the OK button (at the bottom of the dialog box) to save the settings. If you decide to abandon the changes made in the settings dialog simply click Cancel. The Help button facilitates easy access to this web page. You must be connected to the internet to access help.

Change Picture

Transition Settings

Caption Settings

Display Order:

Picture Selection

Album Selection Dialog

EasyShare Catalog

Serial Number

Version Information

SnapScreen Demo Dialog

Change Picture: This includes control over how often the screen saver should change the image in seconds and defines the way the image should be drawn and replaced with the next image.

The slider control can adjust the rate of image changes from 4 seconds to 2 minutes. Very fast image change rates on low performance computers may result in uneven transitions. The default is 6 seconds. You can see screenshots of the transitions. Currently there are thirteen transitions:

Simple - The simplest transition is also not configurable. Images are displayed full screen and simply replaced.
Traditional - Similar to "Simple," but configurable. You can adjust how large the image is, and the size and color of the border. When the image is smaller than the screen, it will be placed randomly about the screen. This is the default setting.
Collage - Images are drawn on top of each other randomly about the screen to produce a collage like effect. You may control the size of the image, as well as the size and color of the border.
Fade Out - Images fade to black before the next image is drawn randomly about the screen. You may control the size of the image, as well as the size and color of the border. This transition requires hardware support to achieve its full effect, and may use a more conservative fade technique if it does not have that support.
Blend - Images are blended smoothly into each other. You may control the size of the image, and they will be placed randomly about the screen. This transition requires hardware support to achieve its full effect, and may use a more conservative blending technique if it does not have that support.
Curtain - A black curtain is lowed over the image and raised revealing the next one, similar to a curtain lowered between acts of play. You can control the size of the image.
Block - The image is broken down into a series of blocks and is replaced a piece at a time. You can not configure this transition.
Scan - A line scans back and forth across the screen replacing the image behind it. You can not configure this transition.
Slide - The next image slides down in front of the current one. You can not configure this transition.
Scroll - The images scroll passed the screen. You can not configure this transition.
Flip 3D - The image is centered in the screen and flipped over like a pancake with the next image on its back. You can configure the image size, as well as the size and color of the border.
Cube 3D - The image is drawn on the face of a cube centered in the screen, which is rotated to reveal the next image on a different face. You can control the size of the image, as well as the extra border and color of the cube.
Flag 3D - The image is turned into a flag centered in the screen and flapping in a gently breeze. You can control the size of the image, as well as the extra border and color of the flag.
Combo - This is a combination of the Slide, Scan, Scroll, and Block transitions. Every time the picture changes, the transition displayed is chosen randomly from the Slide, Scan, Scroll, and Block transitions.
Gradual Scan - Similar to the Scan transition, except instead of a line that scans back and forth, the next picture is gradually faded in across the screen.

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Transition Settings: The size of the image, and the size and color of the border may be selected. Not all transitions support all of the settings. This section also contains the settings to control the image captions.

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Caption Settings: You may choose to have captions displayed with the pictures. The captions are taken from the Kodak EasyShare software. If you select to have captions displayed, then the position, font, color, and highlighting used on the caption may be chosen. By default, the caption is centered at the bottom of the screen, or in the largest blank area of the screen for the Traditional Transition. Selecting Random Position causes the caption to be positioned randomly about the screen -- even on top of the picture. If the font color is very close to the color behind it, it may be difficult to read. By selecting Highlight Caption, the text will be highlighted using the selected Highlight Color using the selected highlighting type The types of highlighting that are available are:

Outline Text: the text will be outlined using the selected Highlight Color. This is the default.
Background: a semi-transparent, rectangular background in the selected Highlight Color will be drawn behind the caption text.

The Simple, Collage, and Flag transitions do not allow captions to be displayed.

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Display Order: Images may be displayed in either random or one of ascending or descending order by the date taken.

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Picture Selection: The number of pictures that SnapScreen is currently configured to display is shown here, and you may select which pictures to display. By default, all of the images in the EasyShare catalog will be displayed by SnapScreen. The Show Favorites Only setting will limit images displayed by the screen saver to those marked as favorites in EasyShare when the box is checked. If you are using SnapScreen's internal catalog, the Show Favorites Only option is inaccessible. The Select By Album setting will limit images displayed by the screensaver to those albums which have been selected in the Album Selection dialog box. The Albums button brings up the Albums Selection dialog box; it can only be accessed when the Select By Albums setting is checked.

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Album Selection: You may select only those albums you wish to be displayed. Check the box next to those albums you wish to see, and uncheck the box next to those you don't. You may click OK to save your settings or Cancel to abandon your changes. If you are using an old version of Kodak EasyShare that uses "Keywords" then you will be able to select images based on keywords in the same manner. If you are using SnapScreen's internal catalog then you will be able to select images based on their location on your hard drive.

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Catalog: This allows you to control the catalog being used by SnapScreen. When Use EasyShare Catalog is selected, the Kodak EasyShare software catalog will be used. If Kodak EasyShare software is not installed or if SnapScreen could not find the catalog a warning message will be displayed when clicking on this option. When Use SnapScreen Catalog is selected, SnapScreen will use an internal picture catalog.

In order to build its internal catalog, SnapScreen must search your computer for pictures to display. To do so you must click on the Build Catalog button, which brings up the dialog shown below. Clicking on the Start button begins the process. It may take several minutes to complete. You may choose to stop the search by clicking on the Stop button, in which case only those pictures SnapScreen found and had a chance to add to the catalog will be displayed. SnapScreen will add any JPEG images it finds that are at least 256x256 in size. SnapScreen will not look in any folders named "WINDOWS", "WINNT", "RECYCLER", "TEMP", "TMP", and "Temporary Internet Files"; this prevents SnapScreen from adding any system or temporary files to the catalog.

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Serial Number: This facilitates the activation of a SnapScreen installation in one of two ways (you must be connected to the internet).

If you have been sent a serial number by e-mail as the result of a web store purchase simply type, it exactly as sent, into the Serial Number edit box. It is easier to cut and past in the value directly from the email to avoid any errors. Then simply click on the validate button to complete SnapScreen activation. You must be connected to the internet during this operation.

If you would like to activate a demo version simple click the Purchase button and follow the instructions. You must be connected to the internet during this operation.

Once activated, the Purchase and Validate buttons will not be shown and you will not be able to change the Serial number box.

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Advanced Information: This contains text describing the version of SnapScreen you are using. Include this text with any support questions emailed to support@solidfx.com.

The location of the catalog currently being used by SnapScreen is also shown here. If SnapScreen is unable to locate the catalog automatically using the buttons provided in the Catalog section, you may attempt to locate the catalog by hand using the Browse for Catalog button.

Also included is a button that checks for updates available to your SnapScreen software. You must be connected to the internet to use this feature.

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SnapScreen Demo Dialog: While operating in demo mode, Snapscreen will remind of this every time your computer wakes up from the screen saver. If you have already purchased SnapScreen from the online store you will have been sent an email containing your serial number. Enter this serial number into the box labeled Serial Number and click Validate. If you have not already purchased SnapScreen, you may buy it using the integrated store by clicking on Purchase and following the on screen instructions. You must be online to use these options.

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