Slideshow Mode

Experience your photos in an immersive, full-screen slideshow with gaming-style controls and extensive customization.

What is Slideshow Mode?

Slideshow Mode transforms Rando into a full-screen photo viewing experience with:

• Immersive full-screen display
• Auto-advance with customizable timing
• Gaming-style overlay controls
• Comprehensive keyboard shortcuts
• Zoom and pan capabilities
• Animated GIF support

Starting a Slideshow

Quick Start

1. Select images from your folders
2. Click "Start Slideshow" button (or press S)
3. Slideshow begins in full-screen mode
4. Navigate using keyboard or mouse controls

Starting from Context Menu

Right-click any thumbnail → "Start Slideshow"

Starts slideshow from the selected image in sequential order (great for browsing from a specific photo).

Starting from Main Button

Click "Start Slideshow" in the main interface

Starts slideshow in random order for maximum variety and surprises.

Slideshow Controls

Overlay Control Bar

When in slideshow, move your mouse to reveal the semi-transparent control bar at the bottom:

Navigation:

• ◀ Previous - Go to previous image
• ▶ Next / ⏸ Pause - Advance or pause auto-play
• ? Help - Show keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet

Zoom Controls:

• + Zoom In - Enlarge image
• - Zoom Out - Shrink image
• ⟲ Reset - Return to original size

Settings:

• Duration +/- - Adjust slide timing (1-60 seconds)
• Progress counter - Shows "5 of 25"
• Image filename - Displays current photo name

Keyboard Navigation

Master slideshow with these shortcuts:

Mouse and Trackpad Controls

Click Navigation

Click the left 45% of screen - Previous image

Click the right 45% of screen - Next image

(10% dead zone in center for controls)

Zoom Gestures

Trackpad:

• Pinch to zoom - Two-finger pinch gesture
• Two-finger scroll to pan - When zoomed in
• Option + Scroll - Alternative zoom method

Magic Mouse:

• Option + Scroll - Zoom in/out
• Scroll - Pan when zoomed (if zoomed in)

Any Mouse:

• Click and drag - Pan around zoomed image
• Use UI zoom buttons - Always work reliably

Image Scaling Modes

Choose how images fill your screen:

Fit to Screen (Default)

• Entire image visible
• Maintains aspect ratio
• Black bars on sides or top/bottom
• Best for viewing full photos

Fill Screen

• No black bars
• Fills entire screen
• May crop edges
• Best for presentations and wallpaper-style viewing

Actual Size

• 1:1 pixel ratio
• No scaling
• May be smaller or larger than screen
• Best for inspecting image quality

Change in Slideshow Preferences → Display Settings → Image Scaling

Auto-Advance Settings

Control how slideshow automatically progresses:

Slide Duration

1-60 seconds - Time each image displays before advancing

• Quick review: 2-3 seconds
• Casual viewing: 5-10 seconds
• Contemplative: 15-30 seconds
• Background ambiance: 60 seconds

Auto-Advance Toggle

Enable/Disable automatic progression

• On: Slideshow advances automatically
• Off: Manual navigation only (great for presentations)

Loop Slideshow

Enable/Disable looping when reaching the end

• On: Returns to first image and continues
• Off: Stops at last image

Zoom and Pan

Slideshow includes advanced zoom capabilities for detailed photo inspection.

Zooming In and Out

Methods:

1. UI Controls: Click +/- buttons in control bar
2. Keyboard: Press ⌘+ to zoom in, ⌘- to zoom out
3. Trackpad: Pinch gesture (if enabled)
4. Mouse/Trackpad: Hold Option and scroll (if enabled)

Zoom Range: 25% to 500% of original size

Panning When Zoomed

When zoomed beyond 100%:

• Click and drag to pan
• Two-finger scroll on trackpad
• Scroll wheel on mouse
• Natural scrolling option available

Zoom Settings

Slideshow Preferences → Display Settings:

• Enable Pinch to Zoom - Toggle trackpad pinch gesture
• Prevent Zoom Out Past 1:1 - Can't zoom smaller than original
• Enable Option+Scroll to Zoom - Mouse/trackpad scroll zoom
• Scroll Zoom Sensitivity - Adjust zoom speed (0.005-0.02)
• Natural Scrolling for Pan - Reverse pan direction

Animated GIF Support

Slideshow fully supports animated GIFs:

• Full animation playback during slideshow
• Works in all scaling modes (fit, fill, actual size)
• Maintains animation while zooming
• Smooth transitions between animated images
• All controls work while GIF plays

GIFs are automatically detected and rendered with their animations.

Image Sort Orders

Control the order images appear in slideshow:

Random Order (Default)

• Stable shuffle: Same random order for navigation consistency
• Surprises every time: Different shuffle each slideshow
• Navigate freely: Previous/next work as expected

Sequential Order

• File path alphabetical
• Predictable order
• Easy to find specific photos

By Creation Date

• Oldest to newest
• Timeline viewing
• Great for reminiscing chronologically

By Modified Date

• Last modified date
• See recent edits first
• Useful for workflow reviews

Change order:

• Slideshow menu → Image Sort Sequence
• Quick toggle R key (Random ↔ Sequential)

Slideshow Preferences

Customize every aspect of slideshow behavior.

Accessing Preferences

Three ways:

1. Menu bar: Slideshow → Slideshow Preferences
2. Keyboard: ⌘, then click Slideshow tab
3. Control bar: Click settings icon during slideshow

Timing Settings

• Default Slide Duration: 1-60 seconds (default: 5)
• Transition Duration: 0.1-2.0 seconds (default: 0.5)
• Control Auto-hide Delay: 1-10 seconds (default: 3)
• Auto-advance: On/Off toggle
• Loop Slideshow: On/Off toggle
• Always Start Full-Screen: On/Off toggle

Display Settings

• Background Color: Black / Dark Gray
• Control Size: Small / Medium / Large
• Control Opacity: 10-100% transparency (default: 40%)
• Image Scaling: Fit / Fill / Actual Size
• Image Source: Selected Only / Entire Folder
• Show Image Info: Display filename overlay
• File Display Format: Filename / Full Path / Folder+Filename
• Show Progress Indicator: Image counter (e.g., "5 of 25")

Zoom & Pan Settings

• Enable Pinch to Zoom: Trackpad pinch gesture
• Prevent Zoom Out Past 1:1: Minimum zoom limit
• Natural Scrolling for Pan: Reverse pan direction
• Enable Option+Scroll to Zoom: Mouse scroll zoom
• Scroll Zoom Sensitivity: Adjust zoom speed

Advanced Options

• Preload Images: Number of images to cache (1-10, default: 3)
• Memory Management: Automatic cleanup settings

Keyboard Shortcuts Customization

All slideshow shortcuts are customizable.

Customizing Shortcuts

1. Open Slideshow Preferences
2. Scroll to Keyboard Shortcuts section
3. Click the shortcut you want to change
4. Press your desired key combination
5. Save automatically

Conflict Detection

If your chosen shortcut conflicts with another action:

• Warning appears: Shows conflicting action
• Resolve conflict: Change one or both shortcuts
• System shortcuts: Some reserved by macOS

Reset to Defaults

Click "Reset to Defaults" to restore original key bindings.

Interactive Help Modal

Never forget a shortcut with the built-in help screen.

Accessing Help

During slideshow, press / or ?

A modal window appears showing:

• All available shortcuts organized by category
• Current key bindings (including customizations)
• Link to preferences for modifying shortcuts
• Clean, easy-to-read layout

Auto-Pause

• Slideshow pauses when help modal opens
• Auto-resumes when you close the modal
• Browse shortcuts without missing images

Free User Limits

Free users can experience slideshow with a 25-image view limit per app session.

How the Limit Works

• 25 image views per app launch
• Resets when you close and reopen Rando
• Counter increments on each next/previous navigation
• Pausing doesn't count - only advancing does

When Limit is Reached

After 25 views, a beautiful upgrade modal appears:

• Value proposition: Shows benefits of unlimited slideshows
• Feature highlights: Pro features list
• 7-day free trial: No credit card required
• "Maybe Later" returns to main view

Pro Subscription

$2.99/month or $29.99/year (save nearly 20%)

Unlocks:

• Unlimited slideshow
• Advanced tagging system
• Multi-folder mixing
• Tag-based slideshows
• Animated GIF support
• Export/import tags

Slideshow Workflows

Quick Casual Viewing

1. Select folder
2. Click "Start Slideshow"
3. Let it auto-play (5-10 second timing)
4. Lean back and enjoy

Photo Review Session

1. Select folder or tag
2. Start slideshow
3. Disable auto-advance (manual control)
4. Navigate with arrow keys
5. Tag favorites as you go
6. Zoom to inspect quality

Presentation Mode

1. Configure slideshow preferences:
   • Longer slide duration (15-30 seconds)
   • Fill screen mode
   • Hide image info
   • Black background
2. Start slideshow
3. Use arrow keys to control pace
4. Full-screen immersive experience

Background Ambiance

1. Select diverse photo collection
2. Set long duration (30-60 seconds)
3. Enable loop
4. Start slideshow
5. Let it run in background

Troubleshooting Slideshow

Slideshow Won't Start

Possible causes:

• No images loaded
• Free user limit reached
• System resources low

Solutions:

• Select a folder with images
• Restart app to reset free limit
• Close other applications

Images Loading Slowly

Possible causes:

• Network drive with slow connection
• Very large image files
• Preload count too low

Solutions:

• Increase preload count in preferences
• Copy photos to local drive
• Use smaller image files

Zoom Not Working

Possible causes:

• Zoom gestures disabled in preferences
• Zoom limit reached (1:1 minimum if enabled)
• Image is at maximum zoom (500%)

Solutions:

• Enable zoom gestures in preferences
• Check current zoom level
• Reset zoom with ⌘0

Auto-Hide Too Fast

Solution: Adjust Control Auto-hide Delay in preferences (1-10 seconds).

Keyboard Shortcuts Don't Work

Possible causes:

• Another app captured the shortcut
• Conflict with system shortcuts
• Slideshow not in focus

Solutions:

• Customize shortcuts to avoid conflicts
• Click slideshow window to focus
• Check for other apps using same shortcuts

Advanced Tips

Tag-Based Slideshows (Pro)

Create themed slideshows:

1. Tag photos by theme (e.g., "Vacations", "Family", "Favorites")
2. Tags menu → "Start Tag Slideshow" → Choose tag
3. Slideshow shows only photos with that tag
4. Mix multiple tags for variety

Context Menu Slideshow

Right-click any image → "Start Slideshow of This Folder"

Scans and starts slideshow of that image's containing folder - great for exploring directory structure.

Quick Duration Adjustments

Instead of opening preferences:

• Press + to increase by 1 second
• Press - to decrease by 1 second
• Real-time adjustment during playback

Optimal Preload Settings

Preload Images setting determines cache size:

• 1-2 images: Fast startup, possible lag between images
• 3-5 images (default): Good balance
• 6-10 images: Smoothest transitions, more memory

Recommendation: Start with 3, increase if you see loading delays.

Next Steps

• Try Navigation to master browsing controls
• Learn Tagging for themed slideshows (Pro)
• Explore Keyboard Shortcuts reference
• Read Tips & Best Practices for optimal workflows