Picframe

WiFi enhanced Pictureframe with cloud sync using a RaspberryPi nano.

I've started this project to share pictures with my grandmas. I wanted to share actual pictures of their grand and great-grandchildren.

Please feel free to build your own. Contact me for frames.

Used Parts

(amazon affiliate links)

• https://amzn.to/33aSveS - 1x FullHD display 7"
• https://amzn.to/2oDQby6 - 1x microUSB splitter cable
• https://amzn.to/2N9K4Lq - 1x microHDMI flat cable 10 cm
• https://amzn.to/36uITOb - 1x microHDMI plug 90 °
• https://de.aliexpress.com/item/33058579088.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.6cf82c86uWIagB&algo_pvid=56df71e7-d072-43b8-aa82-204e2c4a2e07&algo_expid=56df71e7-d072-43b8-aa82-204e2c4a2e07-1&btsid=ba4caa57-4bc3-47a0-b3c5-d40c616bcd54&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_1,searchweb201603_52 - 1x microHDMI Plug
• https://amzn.to/36BeGNI - 1x RaspberryPi Zero without header
• small wood screws about 7 mm - 2x

You can also order everything except the monitor on Aliexpress.

Install

1. use Etcher to burn Raspbian Buster with desktop on your SD card.
2. upload ssh file to /boot partition of your SD card
3. upload wpa file to /boot partition. Don't forget to enter your WiFi credentials first.
4. ssh to your RaspberryPi and run sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade to install latest updates.
5. Install slideshow by NautiluX

wget https://github.com/NautiluX/slide/releases/download/v0.9.0/slide_pi_stretch_0.9.0.tar.gz
tar xf slide_pi_stretch_0.9.0.tar.gz
sudo mv slide_0.9.0/slide /usr/local/bin/

6. Install additional librarys used by slideshow

sudo apt install libexif12 qt5-default lightdm

7. Install Rclone to sync your pictures.

curl https://rclone.org/install.sh | sudo bash

8. Please follow the Rclone website for your preferred cloud space and run:

rclone config

Hint: If you use Dropbox and configure you RaPi via ssh, you need to authorize picframe on the machine you're working on. Therefore download rclone on this machine, open cmd/terminal and navigate to the downloaded folder. Then follow the instructions on the RaPi.

9. Autorun slideshow and prevent display from standby

sudo nano /etc/xdg/lxsession/LXDE-pi/autostart

insert:

@xset s noblank
@xset s off
@xset -dpms
@slide -p -t 60 -o 0 -p /home/pi/picframe

slide [-t rotation_seconds] [-o background_opacity(0..255)] [-b blur_radius] -p image_folder
  	• image_folder: where to search for images (.jpg files), currently non-recursively
  	• rotation_seconds(default=30): time until next random image is chosen from the given folder
  	• background_opacity(default=150): opacity of the background filling image between 0 (black background) and 255
  	• blur_radius(default=20): blur radius of the background filling image

10. Disable screen blanking, which the Raspberry Pi normally does after 10 minutes, by editing the following file:

nano /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf

  [SeatDefaults]
  xserver-command=X -s 0 -dpms

11. Cronjob to

• switch on and off the frame
• sync cloud folder to download new pictures

crontab -e

0 22 * * * /opt/vc/bin/tvservice -o
0 7 * * * /opt/vc/bin/tvservice -p && sudo systemctl restart display-manager
*/60 * * * rclone sync remote:{NameOfYourDropboxFolder} picframe

Switch on at 7 am and switch off at 22 pm. Sync every 60 minutes.

12. To rotate the screen, depending on the build in direction of the screen, add value

display_rotate=2

in

/boot/config.txt

display_rotate = 0   Normal
display_rotate = 1   90 degrees
display_rotate = 2   180 degrees
NOTE: You can rotate both the image and touch interface 180º by entering lcd_rotate=2 instead
display_rotate = 3   270 degrees
display_rotate = 0x10000   horizontal flip
display_rotate = 0x20000   vertical flip

13. Set fix screen resolution.

sudo raspi-config

advanced config > resolution > 1920*1080, save and reboot

Pictures

See folder pictures for pictures.