Digital picture frames are among the most popular Raspberry Pi projects. In this How-To we show you how you can do this comfortably and without much programming effort with the free iOS and Android App of the Frankfurt startup FRAMEN.
The project
Suitable for: Beginners with basic knowledge
Time required: approx. 1 hour plus individual tinkering time for the picture frame
Budget: about € 60 (plus a monitor in the desired size as a picture frame)
What you need:
1x Raspberry Pi3 B+ Set (incl. power supply, case)
1x at least 16 GB microSD card
1x picture frame (do-it-yourself)
What you also need:
1x PC/Laptop that can be connected to the Raspberry Pi 1x FRAMEN Photo App for iOS and Android (free)
Preparation: App & picture frame
The FRAMEN App makes the management and playback of pictures very easy and also gives you a remote control for the photo frame at hand. This video shows you how to install the app on the Raspberry Pi:
The manual was developed by the blog TheDigitalPictureFrame.com in collaboration with FRAMEN.
Install the operating system
As with all Raspberry Pi projects, we start by installing an operating system.
Go to www.raspberrypi.org/downloads/ and click first on “Raspbian Buster with desktop” and then on “Download ZIP.
After downloading, unpack the image contained in the archive and write it to a MicroSD card using a tool such as Etcher.
In order for the Raspberry Pi to have immediate access to the WLAN, we have to make the settings before the first boot.
Open a console and type:
<code>cd /Volumes/boot && touch ssh && nano wpa_supplicant.conf</code>
When the editor opens, insert the code below and adjust the SSID and password accordingly.
<code>
ctrl_interface=DIR=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev update_config=1
country=DE network={
ssid=”your-WLAN-stationname” psk=”your-WLAN-password” key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
}
</code>
Then remove the microSD card from your PC/laptop, insert it into the Raspberry Pi and connect the power supply.
The first time booting and important basic settings
After the Raspi has started, you have to make some basic settings on the operating system. Find the IP for “raspberrypi” in your router and connect to your PC/laptop via the console. The initial password is “raspberry” as usual.
If you cannot find the Raspberry Pi in your WLAN, the password or SSID is probably entered incorrectly.
First enter the following commands in the console:
<code>sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y</code>
Wait until the system update is complete. Then start the system configuration with
<code>sudo raspi-config</code>
and make the following changes:
Under 1: Change User Password – enter your new password
Under 2: Network Options – N1: Hostname: Select a name for your Raspberry Pi on the network. By default, “RaspberryPi” is entered. This can be left or changed.
Under 3: Boot Options – Desktop/CLI: Select B4 Desktop Autologin
Below 3: Boot Options: Wait for Network at Boot: Yes
Under 4: Localisation Options: Choose I2 and your
Go back, select “Finish” and restart. You should have connected the screen to the Raspberry Pi by now at the latest.
Setting up the autostart of FRAMEN.TV
Now we come to the settings that ensure that when the Raspberry Pi is started up
- automatically opens a browser window in full screen mode,
- TV is called and
- annoying mouse pointers or annoying system hints can be hidden.
Stay in the console and type:
<code>
sudo apt install unclutter
sudo rm /etc/xdg/autostart/piwiz.desktop
</code>
Now we create the start file.
<code>sudo nano /home/pi/start_script.sh</code>
Copy the following code into the editor:
<code> #!/bin/bash
export DISPLAY=:0 unclutter -idle 0.5 -root </ i>.
sed -i ‘s/”exited_cleanly”:false/”exited_cleanly”:true/’
/home/pi/.config/chromium/Default/Preferences
sed -i ‘s/”exit_type”: “Crashed”/”exit_type”: “Normal”/’
/home/pi/.config/chromium/Default/Preferences
chromium-browser –noerrdialogs –disable-infobars –kiosk &
sleep 8
xset s reset
xset s 0
xset -dpms
</code>
Save and close the editor.
Then type:
<code>sudo nano /etc/xdg/lxsession/LXDE-pi/autostart</code>
In the editor, adjust the content as follows:
<code>
@lxpanel –profile LXDE-pi @pcmanfm –desktop –profile LXDE-pi bash start_script.sh
</code>
Finally, restart. The first time you start, a QR code is displayed. For the next step you need the Handy App.
Set up FRAMEN Photo App and connect to Pi picture frame
The FRAMEN App makes the management and playback of pictures very easy and provides a remote control for your photo frame. Above all, you no longer have to set up different software packages in Linux, but can get started within 30 minutes.
The FRAMEN Photo App is available for iOS and Android and is free as a basic package, which will be perfectly sufficient for most.
In the FRAMEN Photo App, go to the fourth icon in the bottom row (the screen with the plus sign) and scan the QR code from the screen.
After connecting, go to the Home icon in the app, tap an existing playlist and tap the paper flyer icon in the middle. Now the pictures should appear on your picture frame.
You can now upload your own pictures either via the mobile phone’s camera roll or via the app.framen.io Internet address.
The free version allows you to upload 20 images at a time and up to 2GB in total. This corresponds to about 1000 images. Videos are currently not supported. The pictures can have any aspect ratio. Later, you can choose how they are displayed, depending on the orientation of the monitor.
Three picture frames can be selected without incurring any costs. On each one, a different playlist can be set. Alternatively, all three picture frames can be played synchronously.
The pictures are stored on German AWS servers and are of course only accessible to you. There you can also delete them at any time. The logic is comparable with that of Dropbox. There looks also no stranger purely, except one approves this explicitly. The Rapsberry Pi picture frame can not only be controlled with the mobile phone app, but also directly from the PC with the FRAMEN web portal at app.framen.io In addition, several picture frames and devices can be controlled simultaneously, e.g. in different rooms / offices.
Conclusion
It doesn’t matter if you just want to get a taste of the application field of digital picture frames, want to show several picture frames of family photos in the house or even want to implement a digital signage solution for a company, with FRAMEN Photo and a Raspberry Pi this is very easy to set up.
The startup FRAMEN also offers the “FRAMEN Player” – a digital picture frame in 21″, which can also be controlled with the app. Existing TVs can also be retrofitted with the “FRAMEN TV” stick. The FRAMEN Player is available in black or white.
Images: FRAMEN
