The GIFs (of your choosing) will be playing inside an auto-start kiosk of Chromium. This project doesn't rely on Internet connectivity, and instead launches all of the clips locally. This gives you the ability to curate, without relying on streams, and also more flexibility in using the device.
Some WiFi networks aren't always obliging for an unmonitored Linux machine to idly hang out 24/7.
Get the GIF folder from Github
The GIF folder has three types of files in it:
- GIFs
- A .js reference file
- the HTML file that will handle the slideshow
I found it easiest to work on this folder on my PC, and then transfer it once done to the RasPi with a USB stick. It needs to eventually sit in the Desktop folder for the autolaunch code to work in the RasPi.
GIFs
The GIFs can be any size you want, as the code in the HTML will do some resizing to fit the display. I don't recommend file sizes larger than 2 MB, unless the file is very efficiently compiled.
Framerates will have a magnified effect here. Not all GIFs are created equally. You'll have to just try them out to see what works.
The HTML file is manually encoded to launch the files by name, so each file will need to be named sequentially to match the HTML.
1.gif, 2.gif, 3.gif, 4.gif...101.gif
There isn't an array launching them, so you don't need to worry about digit counts.
.JS File
This is the easiest step. Just download it here, and put it into the folder. It's a reference file for the HTML, so it doesn't need to ping a website.
HTML of Wonder
The whole project hinges on this file. It was artfully crafted by Ryan Sumner for this project, and I'm posting it here with his permission.
The file itself has been set to include 3 .gif files, set to an approximation of 280 px wide to accomodate most .gif files, and on a timer of 9.5 seconds before transition. In my experimentation, that covered almost all .GIF files I wanted to include.
Make your edits as you so desire, following the established layout, and resave as a .html file.
Once you've got the file how you want it, save it to the folder containing the GIFs and the .JS file.
Test the file project by right clicking on the HTML file, and opening it with your browser of choice. You should see your GIFs, in small size.
Pi Migration
Move your entire "GIF" Folder to a USB stick, and boot up your Raspberry Pi. If you aren't automatically booting to X, in terminal, type:
startx
Insert the USB stick into your Raspberry Pi, and drag the GIF folder to your desktop.
Click into the folder, and similarly right click on the .HTML file to open it within Chromium. If this test works, it's time to install the display.
