Mac 101: Finder Slideshows

Did you know that you could create a full-screen interactive slideshow just by selecting items in Finder? Finder's built-in slideshows are one of OS X's most fabulous but also most overlooked features. All you have to do is select a bunch of images, control-click (or right-click) your selection and choose Slideshow from the pop-up contextual menu. OS X clears your screen (or screens if you're running on more than one monitor) and begin its presentation.

You have full control over how the slides play back. For example, you can pause, rewind or skip forward by using the interactive controller at the bottom of the slideshow screen. As in QuickTime's full-screen mode, this controller disappears after a few moments and can be brought back by jiggling your mouse. From left to right, the controls let you go back (left arrow), pause (pause/play indicators), go forward (right arrow), switch to an index sheet presentation (four rectangles), toggle between full-screen and actual size presentation (square with arrows pointing out or in), import images into iPhoto (photo with camera) and leave the slideshow (circle with embedded "x").

The index screen presentation allows you to skip between images. Just click the image you want to jump to. The display of your slides scale depending on the number of pictures in your slideshow. If you have just a few pictures, the images are large. If you have, say, 90-odd slides, the images shrink quite a bit. Moving your mouse to any slide causes the file name to appear for that image.

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Did you know that you could create a full-screen interactive slideshow just by selecting items in Finder? Finder's built-in slideshows are...

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I found that it will display in alphabetical order if you view it from column mode only. Otherwise, from detail or thumbnail mode, it won't do it alphabetically.

May 06 2007 at 4:56 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

ecobore

yeah, been there, done that. Only problem is that if the files are big or the folder holds a lot of images, it can take an AGE watching the little pizza for the slide show to start... Ummm.. Pizza!

April 22 2007 at 9:11 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

tfj

There should be some way of a tagging feature in this. Let's say, using it as a quick-look before deciding what to delete. You have to remember or write down the file names you want to toss away, exit the slideshow, select the files from your mind or paper clip and then you can drop in the trash.

With a button for tagging files with a finder label, or even a trash can, in the interactive controller had made this operation much easier.

April 20 2007 at 8:20 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

olle

I agree with previous comments that it's completely useless I can get it to show images in alphabetical order order.
1000 of karma-points up for grabs to whoever solves this with a nifty Tarminal-hack!
-olle

April 20 2007 at 5:22 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Micha10589

Like Micah I don't use it because photos are never in alpahbetical order. Having them in alphabetical order in column view before doesn't help. So for me it's useless if I want to see pictures from travels quickly. I always use Graphic Converter which also allows to see short movies during the slideshow.

April 20 2007 at 3:15 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Allister

Another limitation of the Finder slideshows is 99 images. :-( Also, if you want to view a folder full of images (as will most likely be the case) you have to open the folder and select all the images.

For this reason, I prefer Xee. I have it docked in the Finder toolbar and I just drag the folder over it. It's very configurable and I find it great for reviewing folders of images which I don't want in iPhoto.

April 19 2007 at 9:46 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Erica Sadun

Hope this helps:

osascript -e 'tell application "QuickTime Player" to present front movie scale screen'

April 19 2007 at 4:56 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Pepe

Man, this one is really good. I never knew... I guess I'm not alone, as fellow old-fart Michael #1 confesses ;-)

April 19 2007 at 4:55 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

tush

Erica,

"As in QuickTime's full-screen mode"

Shouldn't you say "QuickTime Pro's full-screen mode"?

Full-screen is not something you get with the basic version

April 19 2007 at 4:43 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

tush

Erica,

"As in QuickTime's full-screen mode"

Shouldn't you say "QuickTime Pro's full-screen mode"?

Fulltime is not something you get with the basic version

April 19 2007 at 4:43 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply