Cycling Flow

This page will explain how Wallpaper Cycler chooses wallpapers and layouts when it cycles the wallpaper. When Wallpaper Cycler cycles to the next wallpaper, the following work flow is used. The first step is to choose the next wallpaper and the second step is to choose the layout. Layout categories can also be disabled and this has consequences for the cycling work flow.

Choose Wallpaper

The first thing that is done is to check the cycling settings of the user which can be configured in "File > Document Settings > Wallpaper Cycling". Cycling can either be sequential or random.

1. Sequential cycling: pick the wallpaper that follows the current wallpaper.
2. Random cycling: pick a new random wallpaper as follows:
   1. First try to get a random wallpaper and skip the current category where the current category is the category of the wallpaper currently on the desktop.
   2. If step a failed, try to get a random wallpaper but don't skip the current category.
   3. If step b failed, reset all random flags and try to get a random wallpaper skipping the current category.
   4. If step c failed, try to get a random wallpaper but don't skip the current category.
   5. If step d failed there is something wrong. Show an error message to the user.

In all the above steps in choosing a wallpaper, Wallpaper Cycler keeps the Smart Orientation settings into account. If Smart Orientation is enabled and your monitor is in landscape format, Wallpaper Cycler will only choose wallpapers that match the tags configured for the Smart Orientation Landscape mode. When your monitor is in portrait format, Wallpaper Cycler will only choose wallpapers that match tags configured for the Smart Orientation Portrait mode. Smart Orientation is not available in the Lite version.

Choose Layout

Once Wallpaper Cycler has chosen a wallpaper it has to choose a layout to use for rendering this wallpaper. The following steps are used for chosing a layout.

1. Check if layouts have been specified for the wallpaper.
2. If there are layouts or layout categories linked to the wallpaper, choose a random layout from all these layouts.
3. If no layouts have been specified for this wallpaper or the linked layout categories are all empty, check if there are layouts with the same tag as a tag on this wallpaper. If such layouts are found, choose a random layout from those.
4. If no layouts have been specified for this wallpaper and no layouts have the same tag as this wallpaper, check if layouts have been specified for the category and parent categories (recursively).
   1. Check if layouts have been specified for this category.
   2. If there are layouts or layout categories linked to the category, choose a random layout from all these layouts.
   3. If no layouts have been specified for this category or the linked layout categories are all empty, check if there are layouts with the same tag as a tag on this category. If such layouts are found, choose a random layout from those.
   4. If still no layout found, check the parent category of this category and repeat step a until we reach the root of the category tree.
5. If no layouts have been specified for either the wallpaper or the categories (recursively) then use the global Wallpaper Cycler List settings to get a layout. This can be configured in the "File > Document Settings > Layout Cycling".
   1. Fixed layout: use a fixed layout. If the layout is not valid, choose the next sequential layout.
   2. Sequential layout: choose the next sequential layout.
   3. Random layout: choose a random layout from all available and enabled layouts.
   4. Do not use layouts: do not use any layouts.

Disable Layout Categories

You can disable certain layout categories. This means that Wallpaper Cycler will not use the layouts inside these disabled categories when it is choosing a layout with one of the general layout cycling options as described above, BUT a wallpaper and/or wallpaper category can still reference a layout in a disabled category. This allows you to do something like the following:

• Suppose you have a few wallpaper categories, one of which is a "Flowers" wallpaper category.
• Suppose further that you have created a layout category called "Flower layouts".
• You can now disable the layout category called "Flower Layouts" and assign that layout category called "Flower Layouts" to the wallpaper category called "Flowers" (see category window).
• Set the general layout cycling option to "Choose layout sequentially".
• Result: When Wallpaper Cycler cycles the wallpaper and the next chosen wallpaper is a flower from the "Flowers" category, Wallpaper Cycler will choose a random layout from the "Flower Layouts" layout category. If Wallpaper Cycler cycles to a wallpaper not in the "Flowers" category, a new layout is sequentially chosen, but not a layout from the "Flower Layouts" category because that category is disabled.