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 and WebP 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 "Slideshow" in the main interface

Starts slideshow in random order for maximum variety and surprises. If a slideshow is already running, it takes you back to it with the current selection.

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:

• Fade toggle - Turn cross-fade transitions on/off (macOS: wand icon, Windows: ON/OFF emoji)
• 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

Power Management

Screen Saver and Sleep Prevention

Rando automatically keeps your screen awake while viewing slideshows:

• During slideshow: Screen saver and system sleep are prevented
• When paused: Normal power management resumes (screen can sleep)
• After stopping: Automatic return to normal power settings

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 Image Support (GIF and WebP)

Slideshow fully supports animated GIFs and WebP images:

• Full animation playback during slideshow for both GIF and WebP formats
• Works in all scaling modes (fit, fill, actual size)
• Maintains animation while zooming
• Smooth transitions between animated images
• All controls work while animations play

Animated images are automatically detected and rendered with their animations. Look for the "GIF" or "WebP" badge on thumbnails to identify animated images.

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)
• Enable Cross-Fade Transitions: Smooth blend between photos (default: off)
• 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
  • Always Show Image Info: Keep filename visible even when controls auto-hide (nested under Show Image Info)
• 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

$4.99/month, $49.99/year (save ~17%), or $109 lifetime (best value)

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

Multi-Display Slideshows (macOS)

Run independent slideshows on multiple displays simultaneously - perfect for digital picture frames, presentations, or ambient photo walls across your workspace.

Starting Multiple Slideshows

From the slideshow overlay:

1. Start first slideshow on your main display
2. Click the "New" button in the control bar to create an additional slideshow
3. When viewing a folder or tag subset, you'll see options:
   • Same Folder / Same Tag - New slideshow with current images
   • All Selected - New slideshow with your original main selection

From the menu bar:

1. Slideshow menu → Start Slideshow on Monitor → Select specific display
2. (This menu only appears when multiple displays are connected)

Each slideshow runs independently with its own timing and controls.

Controlling Multiple Slideshows

Scope Toggle (in control bar):

When multiple slideshows are running, a Scope selector appears in the control bar with three modes:

• Independent (1 icon): Independent mode - each slideshow controlled separately, with its own timing
• Linked (circular arrows icon): Linked mode - all slideshows advance together, but show different images
• Mirror (overlapping rectangles icon): Mirror mode - all slideshows display the exact same image

The active mode is highlighted, and the mode name appears below the toggle buttons. Click any icon to switch modes.

Independent mode:

• Keyboard shortcuts and menu commands affect only the focused slideshow window
• Click a slideshow window to focus it before using controls
• Each slideshow advances at its own pace

Linked mode:

• All slideshows respond to Play/Pause and navigation commands together
• Each slideshow shows different images (useful for variety across displays)
• Sort order and image scaling stay independent per display (great for different screen orientations)
• Duplicate image avoidance prevents the same image showing on multiple screens
• Subfolder slideshows have independent play/pause (drilling into a folder on one display doesn't affect other displays)
• All keyboard shortcuts and menu commands affect all slideshows

Mirror mode (Same Image):

• All slideshows display the exact same image with identical settings
• When you navigate in any slideshow, all others update to show the same image
• New slideshows automatically sync to match the current image
• All keyboard shortcuts and menu commands respect Mirror mode
• Great for mirrored display setups or presentations

ESC Key Behavior

Configure how ESC works with multiple slideshows:

Slideshow Preferences → Multiple Slideshows → ESC Key Behavior:

• Stop Current Slideshow - Only stops the focused window
• Stop All Slideshows - Stops every running slideshow (default)
• Exit Fullscreen First - First ESC exits fullscreen, second ESC stops slideshow

Duplicate Image Avoidance

By default, different slideshows avoid showing the same image at the same time:

• Prevents visual confusion when viewing multiple displays
• Each slideshow automatically skips to the next available image
• Toggle on/off in Slideshow Preferences → Multiple Slideshows → Avoid duplicate images

Slideshow Limit Setting

Control how many slideshows can run simultaneously:

Slideshow Preferences → Multiple Slideshows → Limit slideshows to display count

• Enabled (default): Maximum slideshows equals the number of connected displays
• Disabled: Allows multiple windowed slideshows on the same screen

Display Disconnect Handling

When a display is unplugged while running slideshows:

• Slideshows on the disconnected display automatically close
• Prevents orphaned windows from stacking on remaining screens
• No action needed - Rando handles this automatically

Multi-Display Tips

• Different folders: Start each slideshow from different folders for variety
• Different timing: Set different slide durations on each display
• Different orientations: Use Linked mode to keep sort/scaling independent per screen
• Presentation mode: Use one display for presenting, another for previewing
• Ambient display: Set long durations (30-60s) for background ambiance

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 Delete (Move to Trash)

Cull unwanted photos directly during slideshow without switching to Finder:

Using Keyboard:

• Press Delete or Backspace during slideshow
• A confirmation dialog appears
• Image is moved to Trash (not permanently deleted)
• Slideshow advances to the next image automatically

Using Context Menu:

• Right-click the current image
• Select "Move to Trash"
• Confirm in the dialog

Return to Selection

When you drill down into a specific folder's slideshow (using "Start Slideshow of This Folder"), you can easily return to your original selection:

From the control bar:

• Look for the "Return" button (↩ icon) that appears when viewing a folder subselection
• Click it to instantly return to your original selection

From the context menu:

• Right-click anywhere on the slideshow image
• Select "Return to Selection"

This preserves your pause state and starts fresh from the beginning of your original selection - no need to stop and restart the entire slideshow!

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