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Screen Saver
#62004 07/02/22 01:32 AM
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I used to be able to customize my screen saver by just dragging the picture I wanted into the screen saver window. Now with Catalina I can't do that. I looked online but still couldn't find how to do it. Does anyone know how?


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Re: Screen Saver
plantsower #62005 07/02/22 01:55 AM
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Clarification, please, Rita: screensaver or desktop?


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Re: Screen Saver
artie505 #62006 07/02/22 01:57 AM
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Screen saver. It's a video of jelly fish. Thought it would be neat to see when the screensaver pops up. I tried putting it on the desktop too, but it just springs back to where I keep it.


Originally Posted by artie505
Clarification, please, Rita: screensaver or desktop?


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Re: Screen Saver
plantsower #62007 07/02/22 05:00 AM
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Originally Posted by plantsower
Screen saver. It's a video of jelly fish. Thought it would be neat to see when the screensaver pops up. I tried putting it on the desktop too, but it just springs back to where I keep it.


Originally Posted by artie505
Clarification, please, Rita: screensaver or desktop?
Is it an actual screensaver or an ordinary video?

As far as I can tell, a screensaver must be in either a .saver or .qtz file format.

I don't think a .mp4 or other "regular" format video can be a screensaver.

If it's properly formatted, try dragging it to ~/Library/Screen Savers.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Screen Saver
artie505 #62008 07/02/22 05:08 AM
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I was reading where people did use videos in that way, but I think it was .mov or mp4 or something like that. Oh, well, it's not that important. Thanks, Artie.


But,
Originally Posted by artie505
Originally Posted by plantsower
Screen saver. It's a video of jelly fish. Thought it would be neat to see when the screensaver pops up. I tried putting it on the desktop too, but it just springs back to where I keep it.


Originally Posted by artie505
Clarification, please, Rita: screensaver or desktop?
As far as I can tell, a screensaver must be in either a .saver or .qtz file format for it to be manually installable.

I don't think a .mp4 or other "regular" format video can be a screensaver.


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Re: Screen Saver
plantsower #62009 07/02/22 05:23 AM
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The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Screen Saver
artie505 #62010 07/02/22 04:34 PM
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A search on the App Store for video screensaver turned up at least 40 or more moving screensavers, some of which can use your video at prices ranging from free through a few dollars to in app purchases. A quick run through found these possibilities:


NOTE: I have not personally tested any of these. My personal screensaver of choice is the Open Source Aerial because of the gorgeous Apple images it uses, including multiple jellyfish scenes, and its ability to span those images across two monitors.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

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Re: Screen Saver
joemikeb #62011 07/02/22 05:25 PM
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Thanks, Joe. When I get a chance I will definitely look into the jelly fish scenes!


Originally Posted by joemikeb
A search on the App Store for video screensaver turned up at least 40 or more moving screensavers, some of which can use your video at prices ranging from free through a few dollars to in app purchases. A quick run through found these possibilities:


NOTE: I have not personally tested any of these. My personal screensaver of choice is the Open Source Aerial because of the gorgeous Apple images it uses, including multiple jellyfish scenes, and its ability to span those images across two monitors.


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Re: Screen Saver
artie505 #62012 07/02/22 05:25 PM
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Hi Artie: Busy today, but I will look at your links when I can. Thanks.




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Re: Screen Saver
plantsower #62013 07/03/22 10:48 PM
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I suspect the images of jellyfish are from the AppleTV screensaver. You can see them all here. Scroll down to Alaskan Jellies to see most of the jellyfish, but there are others in other ocean collections in the set. It is not a desktop, but all of these and more are available as part of the Aerial Screensaver which is a free Open-Source version of the AppleTV screensaver for Macs with even more images. As fascinating as the jellyfish are, many of the other images are stunningly three-dimensional and beautiful. The ones from China and Hawaii forests are breathtaking on a 4G monitor.

I don't know how to use them as a desktop -- yet --, but I am certain it is doable. The images download as JSON packages and I have no idea what the actual file format is.

Last edited by joemikeb; 07/03/22 10:56 PM.

If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

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Re: Screen Saver
joemikeb #62014 07/03/22 10:53 PM
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I don't know how to use them as a desktop, but I am certain it is doable. The images download as JSON packages and I have no idea what the actual file type is. [/quote]

So, thank you? LOL!


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Re: Screen Saver
plantsower #62015 07/03/22 10:57 PM
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Try the screensaver, it is free and I think you will like it.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Screen Saver
joemikeb #62016 07/04/22 01:02 AM
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Originally Posted by joemikeb
I don't know how to use them as a desktop -- yet --, but I am certain it is doable. The images download as JSON packages and I have no idea what the actual file format is.
Unless I'm misunderstanding your intent, you can take a command-option-3 screenshot of a running screensaver and turn it into a desktop by dropping the .png into ~/Pictures.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Screen Saver
joemikeb #62017 07/04/22 01:16 AM
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I went to the free site and I am assuming I download it and then pick the pictures I want? I've never seen anything like this.


Originally Posted by joemikeb
Try the screensaver, it is free and I think you will like it.


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Re: Screen Saver
artie505 #62018 07/04/22 08:46 AM
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Originally Posted by artie505
Originally Posted by joemikeb
I don't know how to use them as a desktop -- yet --, but I am certain it is doable. The images download as JSON packages and I have no idea what the actual file format is.
Unless I'm misunderstanding your intent, you can take a command-option-3 screenshot of a running screensaver and turn it into a desktop by dropping the .png into ~/Pictures.
Sorry! I meant command-shift-3 screenshot


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Screen Saver
plantsower #62019 07/04/22 05:22 PM
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Originally Posted by plantsower
I went to the free site and I am assuming I download it and then pick the pictures I want? I've never seen anything like this.
There is a panoply of options. You download the sets of images you like, there are both Apple and non-Apple images available. Not only can you choose which sets to download, you can activate or deactivate sets as desired. I have two monitors and you can have different images on each monitor or a single image spread across both monitors. (I had never been interested in going to Catalina island until I saw Avalon spread across both monitors in beautiful color and 3D.) Images adapt to the time of day and show night images at night and day images during the day. I prefer this as a screensaver because the images would be too distracting as a desktop.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Screen Saver
joemikeb #62021 07/04/22 11:26 PM
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Well, as usual, I'm having a problem with the screensaver app. Is says it's installed but when I clicked "launch" nothing happened. Also, my Finder side bar has now disappeared. I checked my settings and it shows that I want to see my sidebar but now I can't. frown


Originally Posted by joemikeb
Originally Posted by plantsower
I went to the free site and I am assuming I download it and then pick the pictures I want? I've never seen anything like this.
There is a panoply of options. You download the sets of images you like, there are both Apple and non-Apple images available. Not only can you choose which sets to download, you can activate or deactivate sets as desired. I have two monitors and you can have different images on each monitor or a single image spread across both monitors. (I had never been interested in going to Catalina island until I saw Avalon spread across both monitors in beautiful color and 3D.) Images adapt to the time of day and show night images at night and day images during the day. I prefer this as a screensaver because the images would be too distracting as a desktop.


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Re: Screen Saver
joemikeb #62022 07/05/22 12:01 AM
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I finally got it opened and picked a picture but can't figure out how to get it onto my screen. As you know, I get easily confused. And, I'm still concerned that I lost my side bar. I used that often in Finder.

Originally Posted by joemikeb
Try the screensaver, it is free and I think you will like it.


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Re: Screen Saver
plantsower #62023 07/05/22 12:20 AM
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OK, finally got my sidebar back by clicking on show toolbar. I'm done for now. Too much thinking for now. Thanks for the app recommendation though.


Originally Posted by plantsower
I finally got it opened and picked a picture but can't figure out how to get it onto my screen. As you know, I get easily confused. And, I'm still concerned that I lost my side bar. I used that often in Finder.

Originally Posted by joemikeb
Try the screensaver, it is free and I think you will like it.


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