The Twenty-Four Hour Movie displays options that let you control your desktop image sequence. These options are explained in detail below:

  • Change the desktop picture depending on the time: 
    Checking this box enables The Twenty-Four Hour Movie and allows you access to the settings listed below. Unchecking it disables the program and lets you control your desktop from the Desktop & Screen Saver preference pane like normal.
  • Use the image sequence in the folder: 
    You can drag a folder into this area or use the “Choose” button to select one. The images in this folder will be displayed in alphabetical order. The number of images in this folder will determine how frequently a new desktop image is displayed.
  • Play the image sequence over: 
    The length of time you choose here determines how frequently your desktop image changes. Your desktop image will change at a rate such that the whole sequence lasts the length of time you choose, then restarts. For instance, if you have 24 images and choose a sequence length of one day, your desktop will change once every hour.

For more advanced users, The Twenty-Four Hour Movie gives you the ability to configure how your image is displayed on the desktop:

  • Scaling: 
    This drop-down menu determines how the image is enlarged to fit your screen. Its options are as follows:
    • Keep original size: 
      If this option is chosen, your image will not be scaled, and will appear centered in your screen at its original size. If your image is smaller than your screen size, it will be surrounded by a border. If it is larger, the edges will not be shown.
    • Proportional: 
      If this option is chosen, your image will be scaled to fill your screen. Its original aspect ratio will be maintained; it will not be stretched or shrunk horizontally without being stretched or shrunk a corresponding amount vertically, and vice-versa. If your image is larger than your screen size, it will be shrunk until all parts of the image can be seen. If your image is smaller than the screen size, it will be enlarged until one of the axes fills your screen.
    • Each axis independently: 
      If this option is chosen, your will fill the entire screen. No border will ever be shown. Your image will be stretched or shrunk to fill the screen, and may look distorted if it is very narrow or very tall.
  • Fit the entire image within the desktop: 
    Check this box if you would always like to see the entire image in your desktop, even if it is larger than your screen. If you uncheck this box and your desktop image is larger than your screen, parts of it will not be visible.
  • Background color: 
    If your image is smaller than your screen or a different shape, the background will be filled with this color.
  • Apply desktop to: 
    You can choose whether to put the desktop on every screen you have connected to your computer, or only the main screen (the one with the menu bar). If you choose “Main screen only”, the other screens will display the image chosen in System Preferences.

Note that if you change these settings, it will not be reflected immediately. You will see the new settings the next time your desktop image changes.

To learn about
Go to

A step-by-step tutorial on how to use this program

Setting your desktop to an image sequence