Question 1

Artify vs other automatic wallpaper apps for Mac

Accepted Answer

Artify stands out for its curated 18th century art focus and open-source nature, while other apps might offer broader styles but often lack transparency or come with costs. It's ideal for art enthusiasts but less versatile for general use.

Question 2

How to set up Artify for development on my Mac

Accepted Answer

Clone the repository, run 'pod install' to handle dependencies, start the Artify Core backend server as per its README, and open the workspace in Xcode. This multi-step process requires familiarity with Swift and backend setup.

Question 3

Where does Artify get its wallpaper images from

Accepted Answer

All art is hand-picked from WikiArt using a custom Ruby script called 'Spider Man', which scrapes data with Nokogiri and Watir. This ensures legal sourcing but relies on third-party website availability.

Question 4

Can I use Artify on Windows or Linux

Accepted Answer

No, Artify is built specifically for macOS using native Swift and frameworks, with a minimum requirement of macOS 10.11. There is no version for other operating systems, limiting its user base.

Question 5

Is the Artify backend open source and self-hostable

Accepted Answer

Yes, Artify Core is available on GitHub under an open-source license, written in Go. Users can self-host it, but this adds complexity compared to cloud-based solutions.

Question 6

How does Artify make wallpapers fit different screen sizes

Accepted Answer

It uses a Gaussian algorithm that calculates a 'golden size' based on your screen resolution, draws the image with shadows, and applies scaling for optimal display, as detailed in the README's algorithm section.

Artify

What is Artify?

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