When Microsoft® released Vista Ultimate®, one of the features the company announced was the animated wallpaper feature. By using this feature, you can use the DreamMaker® software to run the wallpapers. You can run these papers without using all your CPU’s capacity, which has been an issue with other attempts to use this type of technology. On Vista®, the animated wallpaper will run without taxing the computer, which allows you to run the paper and not interfere with other work you’re trying to do. Animated wallpapers are meant to be nothing more than fun, but there are plenty of things you can do with them.
Downloading Animated Wallpaper
Some people enjoy making these wallpapers and make them available to the general public for free. Many of these wallpaper gurus are aspiring filmmakers looking to have a little fun or create a portfolio. The easiest way to find them is to search for “animated wallpaper” and whatever topic you’re looking to find.
The most commonly downloaded wallpapers are serene scenes. Waterfalls, gentle streams, and gently falling snow are among the most sought-after scenes. Other scenes you’ll find are waving flags and moving geometric shapes, among others. When you get these free downloads, you will be saving a file on your desktop. Then, you will use your control panel to choose the file and have it run on your computer. The process is the same as using a static background, so it’s pretty simple. Just be sure you are downloading from a reputable site.
Paying For Animated Wallpaper
Despite the hordes of people offering animated wallpapers for Windows Vista® for free, some people sell their wallpapers instead. These wallpapers are designed by professionals who create more intricate works than what you get for free. If you’re thinking of paying for a download, make sure you can see a sample of this designer’s work before you purchase. Check out the samples to see if you’re interested in the style of design this person has. Someone who won’t show samples may not have the quality you’d want to pay for.
Making Your Own Animated Wallpaper
Should you have more time available, you can make your own animated wallpaper for Windows Vista® to put onto your computer. There are a few keys to keep in mind. First make sure your video moves slowly. Have you ever watched a home movie when the person seems to swing the camera around wildly? He probably wasn’t really moving fast, but it can feel that way when you’re watching video. You’ll need to move really slowly when recording your video.
Animated wallpaper uses a video loop. That means the wallpaper shows a video feed repeatedly. To make sure you don’t include too much, you should stick to only 20 seconds or so. You don’t want the video to become a distraction, just something you can watch quickly.
You can use free software to edit your video. DreamMaker® and DeskScapes® are two free software packages you can download to help with your animated wallpaper for Windows Vista®. These programs are easy for beginners to use and make a fun, customized animated wallpaper.
Using Other Programs For Animated Wallpaper
Although DreamMaker® and DeskScapes® are Microsoft® products, other software programs are available for making your own animated wallpapers. One of those programs is DesktopPaints.com. This program is a simple download with some built in default programs you can build on. This program guides you through creating your own wallpaper using the basic scenes the software has available. The basic programs are common themes, such as underwater and waterfalls.
This software program also will allow you to create a slideshow as your animated wallpaper. By creating a slideshow, you can make a show of the pictures of your children or scanned images of your most recent artwork. Using these images, you can put together a cute, customized slideshow that you will enjoy while you’re toiling away at work.
Giving Your Animated Wallpaper To Others
While you certainly will enjoy animated wallpaper with your children’s pictures, their grandparents probably would like it, too. You can give your animated wallpaper to others to use as well. All you will need to do is copy the file where you made your wallpaper for the other person to use. If you’re using Vista®, then the other person will need to have Vista® as well to make it work. Simply put your wallpaper on a disk or zip it and email it. Making customized wallpapers is a great, fun gift to give someone.
You also can use animated wallpapers to give to other employees in your department or to use company wide. You can take shots at company gatherings, or take a few shots of the offices and turn them into a slideshow. Doing this will help show your company spirit and also will help create team spirit at your office.
Troubleshooting Problems With Animated Wallpapers
Despite the fun of these wallpapers, they can on occasion cause computer problems. If you run into any issues with making your animated wallpapers for Vista® or with how they run on your computer, find a good tech forum. These forums have people who understand computers very well, and you likely will be able to get an answer from someone there about the problem you’re having. A common problem is that the way animated wallpaper is set up, it taxes the CPU, and there are simple steps to fix the problem. Others may be able to offer help on making your video look better, which will be a great help if you’re planning to give your wallpaper to others to use.
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