The meta.properties File
(example meta.properties file) (list of meta.properties variables)
Meta.properties files are used by both JAlbum and BluPlusPlus. JAlbum generates a meta.properties file whenever a user enters either a folder title or a folder comment via the JAlbum main window. BluPlusPlus does not generate a meta.properties file, but there are BPP-specific properties that can be added to a pre-existing meta.properties file or entered into a new meta.properties file. A meta.properties file allows one to provide the following in one convenient location:
- individual comments to accompany any or all slide images
- a header and/or footer to appear on all image slide pages within a given folder
- audio (usually voice annotations or music) to accompany slide images or index pages
- a thumbnail image to replace the generic movie icon
- a custom title for a folder
- custom titles for individual slide images
- a custom icon for a folder to replace the generic folder icon provided by BPP
- a custom background index pages and for slide pages (to serve as ‘wallpaper’)
Note that the first four items can also be accomplished by other methods.
The format of a meta.properties file
A meta.properties file is a text file that consists of lines of text that end with a carriage return. The format of each line is ‘keyword=value’. Each keyword is described below (spaces before or after the ‘=’ are not permitted):
folderTitle=a title for current folder
folderHeader=a header information for current folder
folderFooter=a footer information for current folder
folderIcon=name of icon file to be used
folderVoice=name of audio file to be played when the index page for
this folder is opened
indexBackgroundImage=name of background image file to serve as ‘wallpaper’ for
index pages of the current folder
slideBackgroundImage=name of background image file to serve as ‘wallpaper’ for
slide pages of the current folder
Please see below for
extended explanation of how to correctly provide a path for files
title.imagefilename1.extension=slide title 1 <--this
means put ‘title.’ in front of the name of the image file
description.imagefilename1.extension=some slide descriptions 1 <--put ‘description.’ in
front of the name of the image file
voice.imagefilename1.extension=name of voice file<--put ‘voice.’ in
front of the name of the image file
title.imagefilename2.extension=slide title 2
description.imagefilename2extension=some slide descriptions 2
voice.imagefilename2.extension=name of voice file
title.imagefilename3.extension=slide title 3
description.imagefilename3.extension=some slide descriptions 3
voice.imagefilename3.extension=name of voice file
etc.
‘extension’ is a three-letter file extension, typically ‘jpg’ for image files.
All of the individual items are optional and may be omitted.
Specifying a path to a desired file
In order for BPP to see the specified icon/image and voice files, the correct path to the file must be specified. If the specified file is in the same folder as the meta.properties file, nothing unusual needs to be done; just give the name of the file. If the file is NOT in the same folder as the meta.properties file, a relative path from the meta.properties file folder must be provided (see example).
Placement of a meta.properties file
A meta.properties file operates at the folder level. That is, the meta.properties file must be placed in the folder of images for which one wishes to provide information.
Inheritability of meta.properties
The values set by a meta.properties file at a given level for the variables indexBackgroundImage and slideBackgroundImage are inherited by subalbums of that level unless explicitly changed by another meta.properties file.