Overview

Welcome to Windrop Version 3 - The ultimate windows wallpaper manager

You have probably changed your wallpaper picture before. You've probably used other wallpaper managers. So what's so different about Windrop ?, you may ask.

Windrop aims to be the best and most comprehensive wallpaper manager available today. Windrop can support up-to 16000 wallpaper pictures, of nearly any format, and can do just about everything that's possible with a wallpaper picture.

Windrop is more than just a wallpaper manager, its a Screen Saver too!. Once you've set-up your picture groups, the Windrop screen saver can cycle through them like a slide show. With dozen's of screen saver options, you can do more than just show the picture - you can animate it!. Slide effects allow the pictures to fly in from all corners of the screen, and an optional stretch effect can produce humorous animation's.

Windrop may also prove to be of interest  to Shop Owners. The screen saver allows adverts and information to be displayed at set intervals (with those enticing animation effects) , which could improve sales!.

Windrop has too many features to list, but here's the important ones :-

•	Organisation of pictures into specific groups.

•	Auto-cycling of the backdrop, with options for specifying time interval, cycling method e.g. Random, etc.

•	Option to select favourite pictures, which allows for quick access to specific pictures.

•	Includes a screen saver which cycles through your pictures, with animation effects.

•	Hot-keys can be set-up so that changing of the backdrop can be done with the press of a key.

•	Backdrop history allows reverse cycling to be used, so that previous pictures can be viewed.

•	Support for BMP, JPG, GIF, TIF, PCX, WMF, EMF picture formats.

•	Ultra fast JPEG previewing and conversion, the preferred picture format.

•	Picture Enhancement allows sharpening, softening or grey-scale conversion of specific pictures.

•	User defined filters allow special effects such as embossing, contrast enhancement etc.

•	Full 'drag and drop' functionality allows pictures & groups to be easily added just by 'dragging' in the folders / files.

•	Fast System Tray access allows instant access to favourites and the configuration window.

•	'Suspend' feature allows the auto-cycling to be deactivated / activated with a press of a key.

•	Options to specify the way each individual picture is displayed, i.e. tiled, centred, stretched or Aspect lock Stretch.

•	'Maintain aspect ratio' option stretches pictures without distortion.

•	Re-sampling filter option smoothes out 'blockiness'

•	Full support for Windows 98, and Active Desktops.

•	Availability for up-to 16000 pictures ( Non evaluation version )

Plus many more features.


Windrop Player - System Tray Access

The Windrop Player is the 'door way' to all of Windrop's features. It provides for an easy way to :

•	Quickly select your favourite picture.

•	Force an immediate change of the backdrop - either by hot-key or by using the menu.

•	Access the configuration window, for managing picture groups and changing settings.

•	Activate the Windrop screen saver.

As standard a short-cut to the player is put in the 'Start Up' folder on the start-menu, so that it is loaded when Windows is loaded. The player adds an icon on the System Tray as can be seen below :-

To access the Menu, right click on the 'W' icon on the system tray. The menu options have the following meanings :

Configure Windrop.

This opens the main configuration  window, which allows groups of pictures to be managed and also allows access to Windrop settings.

Forward Cycle Backdrop.

This will 'cycle' the backdrop to the next one in the sequence, dictated by the cycle method.

Reverse Cycle Backdrop.

This will 'cycle' the backdrop to the previous one in the sequence. (You need at least three pictures)

Favourites

This will bring another pop-up menu which will allow you to quickly select a favourite to be the backdrop.

Add current backdrop to favourites.

Will add the current backdrop to the favourites list.

Suspend auto-cycle.

This will disable or re-enable the 'auto-cycle' timer, so that backdrops will/won't change at a set interval.

Activate Screen Saver

This will activate the Windrop screen saver.

Windrop Help

Allows easy access to the Windrop help database.

Close

Closes Windrop player, and removes the icon off the system tray.


Main Configuration Window

The main configuration window is where the user can view, organise and select their backdrops.

The window consists of two lists. The list on the left is the Groups List and the list on the right Is the Pictures List for that group.

Groups List

The groups window shows you what picture groups you have and which ones are selected. If a group is 'ticked' this means that the pictures contained within will be used in the 'auto-cycling' of a backdrop. To select / deselect a group for 'cycling', double click the group name in the list.

To rename, add or delete a group you can use the Toolbar or the menu bar.

By right clicking on a group name a pop-up window will appear which will allow you to instantly delete or rename a group.

For more information on managing groups see :

Adding a new group.

Picture List

The pictures window shows you what pictures are contained in the highlighted group. If a picture has a 'smiley face' next to it, it means that picture is a favourite. To set / unset a favourite, double click on the picture name in the pictures list. To quickly see all your selected favourites you can view the Favourites Window., which can be accessed from the Toolbar.

To rename, add or delete a picture you can use the Toolbar or the menu bar.

By right clicking on a picture name a pop-up window  will appear :-

Toggle Favourite

This is equivalent of double-clicking the picture(s) name in the list. It will set / unset the picture(s) as a favourite(s).

Edit / Show Favourites.

This will show the favourites window, equivalent to pressing the favourites button on the Toolbar

Open Picture in Default Viewer.

This will load the selected picture into your installed graphics package ( MS Paint is the standard package ) for editing BMP's.

Set as Wallpaper

This will make the selected picture the backdrop. This can also be done by clicking on the Apply button or double clicking on the picture preview window.

Delete

This will delete the selected picture(s). You can also use the 'Delete' key. Pressing 'SHIFT Del' will remove the picture from the hard disk.

Rename

This will allow you to rename the selected picture.

Move

This will bring the move window up, which will allow you to move the selected pictures to another group.

Select All

This will highlight all the pictures in the current group, so that multiple operations can be performed on them.

Invert Selection

This will invert which pictures are selected.

Windrop Properties.

This will show the Windrop properties window.

For more information on managing pictures see :

Adding pictures to a group.


Adding a new group

To add a new group you can :

•	Click on the Edit - Group- Add Group Menu on the menu bar.

•	Click on the Add Group Button on the Toolbar.

•	Drag the folder(s) from an explorer window, straight into the Windrop configuration window.

The first two methods will present you with the add group window :-

Type in the name of the new group, and the press the OK button.

Dragging Groups & Pictures into Windrop

Windrop version 3 allows more interaction with the Windows Explorer interface. It is now possible to simply highlight all the folders containing your pictures and drag them straight into Windrop. Windrop will then create new groups under the name of these folders, and scan the folders for any valid picture formats.

•	To 'drag & drop' your pictures and groups : -

•	First load up an explorer window.

•	Highlight the folders / files that you want to add ( you can do this by dragging a dotted outline box around them )

•	Then hold down the left mouse button on the highlighted items, and drag them over to the Windrop configuration window.

•	The new groups and pictures will then automatically be added.

Once you've added a group you can then add pictures  to that group.


Adding pictures to a group

Before adding pictures you must create at least one group. To add pictures you can :

•	Click on the Edit - Picture - Add Picture Menu on the menu bar.

•	Click on the Add Picture Button on the Toolbar

•	Drag the picture file(s) from an explorer window, straight into the Windrop configuration window.

The first two methods will present you with the open picture(s) window :-

From here the pictures you want to add can be located by selecting the drive and the required directory. To select multiple pictures hold down the left mouse button on the first picture name and drag the mouse down to select more. Alternatively hold down CTRL and left click on the picture name to highlight more than one. Press the OK button to continue.

Windrop supports the following picture formats :-

•	Windows Bitmaps - BMP

•	Tagged Image File Format - TIF

•	Compuserve Graphics Interchange - GIF

•	JFIF Compliant JPEG - JPG

•	Zsoft PaintBrush - PCX

•	Windows MetaFile - WMF

•	Windows Enhanced MetaFile - EMF

It is recommended that where ever possible to use the JPEG file format. This offers the best compression (smallest file size) plus fast decompression and previewing.

Dragging Groups & Pictures into Windrop

Windrop version 3 allows more interaction with the Windows Explorer interface. It is now possible to simply highlight all the folders containing your pictures and drag them straight into Windrop. Windrop will then create new groups under the name of these folders, and scan the folders for any valid picture formats.

•	To 'drag & drop' your pictures and groups : -

•	First load up an explorer window.

•	Highlight the folders / files that you want to add ( you can do this by dragging a dotted outline box around them )

•	Then hold down the left mouse button on the highlighted items, and drag them over to the Windrop configuration window.

•	The new groups and pictures will then automatically be added.

Once you've selected your pictures, a window will appear asking you for the description you want for each picture, if you don't want to specify a description, press the 'OK to All' button and the filenames will be used as the description.


Properties Window - Settings

The properties window allows access to Windrop settings, it consists of four tabs - The Settings tab, Image tab, 'Hot-Key' tab  and the Screen saver tab :-

To change a setting, double click on the required option. This will toggle the tick/cross icon.

The settings are explained below :-

General Options

Splash logo on start-up.

Setting this to true enables the 'Splash' screen which is shown while the configuration window is loaded. The evaluation versions doesn't allow this to be false.

Quick picture preview.

Enables or disables the preview picture window in the Main Configuration window. This allows the picture to be quickly previewed before it is applied as the backdrop.

Status bar in config window.

Enables or disables the status bar in the Main Configuration Window.

Delete picture confirmation.

Enables or disables the 'Are you sure?' prompt when a picture is deleted from a group.

Delete group confirmation.

Enables or disables the 'Are you sure?' prompt when a group is deleted.

Prompt for file delete on picture remove.

Enables or disables a prompt which asks you if you also want the selected picture erased off the hard disk as well as removed from the group.

Use Standard toolbar buttons.

If enabled it forces the toolbar in the main configuration window to use standard windows 95 buttons instead of the newer flat buttons.

Send deleted pictures to recycle bin.

If enabled then pictures will be sent to the recycle bin, instead of erasing them completely off the hard disk. This option has no effect if 'prompt for file delete on picture remove' option is disabled.

Fast Update

Enables or disables fast backdrop changing. If enabled other applications will not be notified of the backdrop change, which results in a faster change but may cause problems with certain applications e.g. Windows 98 Active Desktop.

Cycling Options

Cycle at start-up.

Enables or disables the cycling of a picture when the Windrop Player is loaded, i.e. when  windows boots. This is equivalent to a forward cycle.

Suspend when screen saver active.

To stop Windrop from interrupting screen savers, this option lets you turn off the auto-cycling timer when a screen saver is running.

Enable picture timer.

Enables or disables the 'auto-cycling' timer.

Only cycle through favourites.

When enabled, the 'auto-cycling' timer will only cycle through favourite backdrops. This also applies to forward cycling via the hot-keys or system tray menu.

Cycling Method

There are three ways in which a picture can be cycled to the next one :-

Cyclic.

The next picture is chosen by order of the next one in the list, e.g. if two groups have been selected then picture cycling will show each picture in each group in the order shown.

Random.

The next backdrop is chosen randomly from the selected groups.

Random cyclic.

The next picture is chosen randomly, but only if that picture hasn't been displayed recently. This is the default option.  Note : You need at least five pictures enabled in total, for the random cycling effect to work.

Picture Timer

The picture timer sets the interval at which an auto-cycle of the backdrop occurs. As default the backdrop changes at three minute intervals. To change the interval time click either click on the plus and minus buttons or click in the text boxes and type the required interval in.

See also : Hot-keys tab.


Properties Window - Image

The image options allow you to specify how Windrop displays the pictures, and enter user defined filter values.

General Options

Use high quality for conversion.

Enabling this will convert all non BMP pictures using the best quality conversion possible. It is recommended that you leave this enabled, the speed gained in disabling it is negligible.

Fast JPEG previewing.

Enables or disables ultra-fast JPEG decompression when previewing the picture in the Main Configuration Window and the Open Picture(s) Window. When enabled a small loss in quality may be noticed in the preview image, but this doesn't effect the quality when it is set as the wallpaper.

Apply Re-sampling filter when stretching images

Enabling this will apply a special smoothing filter to the picture when it stretches it. This will reduce the 'blockiness' of the picture, but will result in a longer time to display it.

Filter Options - Advanced Users Only

The custom filter window will allow you to individually specify the mathematical matrix of the sharpen and soften filters.

Defining a custom filter

The filter processes an image by examining each pixel. It alters each pixel's colour based on its current colour and the colours of surrounding pixels.

Each pixel's RGB colour is multiplied by the coefficient in the centre of the matrix, and any pixels within the matrix are multiplied by the corresponding coefficients.

The sum of the products becomes the target pixel's new RGB value. This value is stored elsewhere so that it does not affect the remaining pixels.

Example Filters :-

Embossing Filter

-1	0	1
-1	1	1
-1	0	1

Edge Finder

-1	0	1
-1	1	1
-1	0	1

It is probably better to just experiment with different values until you reach the desired result.


Properties Window - Screen Saver

The Windrop screen saver allows your pictures to be cycled in a slide show fashion. The screen saver can be activated in many ways :-

•	From the Windrop Player Menu, by selecting 'Activate Screen Saver'

•	Clicking the preview button on the screen saver properties.

•	From the display properties window in the Control Panel of Windows 95/98

•	When the windows screen saver time-out occurs.

Windrop Screen Saver Properties - General Options

Only use pictures from enabled groups

Enabling this will force the screen saver to cycle pictures from enabled groups only.

Deactivate screen saver on mouse movement.

By default a windows screen saver is deactivated by mouse movement. Enabling this option will disable mouse movement detection - useful when the screen saver is used in shop displays.

Screen saver password

To set a screen saver password, select the check box. Then enter a password in the text box, as you type your password will be hidden by the '*' character. By enabling the password option the screen saver cannot be deactivated until a valid password is entered.

Animation Effects

The animation effects window allows you to select the way in which the pictures are 'animated' when a picture change occurs with the screen saver. Selecting random will randomly vary the effect used between picture changes.

Stretch Effect

This effect will stretch the image into view.  If random is enabled then enabling stretch will randomly choose the stretch effect as well.

Animation Speed

This determines how fast the picture slides or stretches into view.

To preview an animation effect, press the preview button - which activates the screen saver.

Screen Saver Timer

The timer sets the interval at which an auto-cycle of the backdrop occurs in the screen saver. To change the interval, click either click on the plus and minus buttons or click in the text boxes and type the required interval in.

Note: This timer is separate from the normal 'auto-cycle' timer.


Properties Window - Hot-Keys

A useful feature which Windrop provides is the ability to set actions to certain keys or key combinations. The hot-keys window allows four functions to be assigned to a hot-key. To set a hot-key click into the desired text box and press the combination of keys, e.g. CTRL F12. It is advisable to use key combinations such as this as otherwise accidental activation of a function may happen.  A description of the functions is below :-

Forward Picture Cycle

This hot-key function forces an immediate change of the backdrop to the next one in the sequence, governed by the cycling method explained in Settings.

Reverse Picture Cycle

This cycles back to the previous backdrop, useful if you accidentally forward cycle past a wanted backdrop. Note : You need at least three pictures for reverse cycling to work.

Favourites Picture Cycle

This cycles through your chosen favourites only.

Suspend Picture Timer

This toggles the 'Suspend' feature of Windrop, which disables / enables the 'auto-cycling' timer. When Windrop is suspended the icon on the system tray will be 'greyed out'.


Toolbar

The main configuration window contains a toolbar for quick access to Windrop functions.

From left to right each button has the following function assigned to it :

Add Group

Displays the add group  window.

Remove Group

Removes the selected group from the list.

Rename Group

Allows you to rename the selected group

Add picture

Displays the add pictures  dialog window.

Remove picture

Remove the selected picture(s) from the group.

Rename picture

Allows you to rename the selected picture.

Move picture

Displays the move picture dialog window, which allows you to move the picture to another group

Centre Picture

Sets the display property of the selected picture(s) so that they are centred when displayed as a backdrop.

Tile Picture

Sets the display property of the selected picture(s) so that they are tiled when displayed as a backdrop.

Stretch Picture

Sets the display property of the selected picture(s) so that they are stretched to full screen  when displayed as a backdrop.

Maintain Aspect Ratio Stretch

Sets the display property of the selected picture(s) so that they are stretched to full screen but without distorting the picture. If 'Resample Filter' is enabled in the Image Properties window then a special filter will also be applied to remove 'blockiness'.

Sharpen Image

This will apply a filter to the selected picture(s) so that the detail of the image will be enhanced.

Soften Image

This will apply a filter to the selected picture(s) so that any speculation or granularity of the image will be removed.

Grey-Scale

This will convert the image to a grey-scale (black & white) image.

Toggle Favourite

This sets / unsets the selected picture(s) from being favourites.

Display Favourites List

Displays the favourites dialog window.

Properties Window

Displays the Windrop properties window.


Favourites Window

By selecting the favourites list button on the toolbar  the following window will be displayed :-

This window allows you to quickly see all the selected favourites in one window. By clicking on a picture name in the list, the main configuration window  will update to that picture, ie the group and appropriate picture will be selected. The window can be used at the same time as the main configuration window, and will update as new favourites are added or removed.

To quickly remove a favourite, select the name and press the remove button.


Move Picture Window

By selecting the move picture button on the toolbar  or from the menu bar then the following window will be displayed :-

To more the selected picture(s) to a different group, select the required group by left clicking on its name and the click the move button.


TroubleShooting

Windrop has been severely tested on many different platforms, but due to the wide variety of system configurations errors in Windrop may occur. Listed below are common errors which may occur :

Desktop Icons flicker but the wallpaper doesn't change.

This is usually caused when using Windows 98. It occurs when the Active Desktop is set to ' View as Web-Page'. To solve the problem make sure that the 'Fast Update' option in the Properties Window is disabled. Note : You must reboot the computer if you change the 'View as Web Page' option in Windows 98.

Display glitches/corruption occurs when the backdrop changes

Set the 'Fast Update' option in the Properties Window, to disabled.

Cannot access Windrop player menu.

If the player stops responding, press CTRL-ALT-DELETE and select Windrop player, then press End-Task. Re-load the player from the start-menu.

If any other problem occurs please don't hesitate to contact MAPSoft.


Registering Windrop

To register windrop it only costs $20 (13 pounds Sterling). Registering Windrop will give you far greater flexibility and will entitle you to the following features :-

•	Unlimited use, time-out lock removed

•	Capacity for up-to 16000 pictures

•	Image enhancement - Sharpen, Soften, Gray scale.

•	Create user defined image enhancement filters.

•	Extra screen saver animation effects.

•	Extra cycling option.

•	Participate in special offers available to registered users only.

•	Comprehensive technical support.

There are many ways in which you can purchase Windrop :

•	Order online with credit / debit card.

•	Fax an order form to 770-497-9234.

•	Call 1-888-REG-IT-80 (international orders 770-497-9126), Product ID 5916

•	Mail the order form with a check in US Dollars to : RegSoft.com, 6595-G Roswell Road, Suite 732, Atlanta, GA 30328

Purchasing Online.

MAPSoft accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express credit/debit cards for purchases. To purchase windrop online, make sure you are connected to the internet and have your card details ready. You will be asked for a User Name , Company Name and email address. Once registered you will receive the Serial Number via email. When ready, click on the link below :-

www.MAPSoft.MAPCT.com/titles/windrop.htm


Contact Information

For further information about Windrop, and other MAPSoft products, you can contact us at :

Map Soft web site  	: www.MAPSoft.MAPCT.com

Windrop section	: www.MAPSoft.MAPCT.com/titles/windrop.htm

Email	: Windrop@MAPSoft.MAPCT.com