DigiKam Screensaver

Windows screensaver, from pictures loaded out from DigiKam database in Python.

As for now - this is just for Windows.

Instructions

Features

• Takes random photos from digikam4.db SQLite database (*.jpg, *.gif and *.png) with a minimum rating according settings (by default it's one star).
• Some configuration is needed.
• Database is opened in read-only mode!
• Pressing <F-12> will (obviously) turn off screen saver, but I've added a function that will open current picture in associated app.
• Pressing <F-1> will open project Github page.

Known issues

• screensaver work just for one monitor
• preview does not work: none of python screensaver examples has this feature, and to make it working I need to display screensaver in given window handler number (Windows passes it via cmdline, I'm parsing that but Tkinter AFAIK can't display or create window inside other window): see how it's done here, in C.
• because of these two problems above, I'm considering change Tkinter to other library (Arcade? Pygame?) and keep Tkinter just for configuration window
• the choice of Python for this kind of program (it's more for a demonstration - hold my beer, I'll show you something cool) is not very optimal, mainly because of the size and the way the binary generated by PyInstaller works, it's also like a red rag to a bull for antiviruses... but anyone who knows anything about PyInstaller will understand

Dev environment

This will work on Windows cmd:

git clone [email protected]:bohdanbobrowski/digikam_screensaver.git
cd digikam_screensaver
python -m venv venv
venv\Scripts\activate
pip install -e '.[dev]'

Run configuration windows first:

python digikam_screensaver/screen_saver.py /c

It should look like this:

Then, to test how does it work just type:

python digikam_screensaver/screen_saver.py /s

Preview mode can be reached by typing:

python digikam_screensaver/screen_saver.py /c

Building own *.scr

If all required stuff is installed in system, this command should make the job:

python digikam_digikam_screensaver_build.py

You'll find exe in .\dist folder - just rename it to scr and install.

Documentation and inspiration

Python:

1. https://github.com/SirGnip/arcade_screensaver_framework
2. https://github.com/gaming32/Windows-Screensaver

This might be interesting, according attaching window to given win32 handler:

3. https://github.com/quasar098/dvd-screensaver/blob/master/main.py

C:

4. https://github.com/henrypp/matrix

Win32 Screensaver API documentation:

5. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/lwef/screen-saver-library
6. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/troubleshoot/windows/win32/screen-saver-command-line

Other:

8. Interesting discussion about screensaver settings window (which didn't changed since 20 years): https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows11/comments/q0b427/the_screensaver_settings_have_looked_like_this/