Is there a perl function that can be called to start the scroll effect?

This could then be mapped to any key combination that a user would like to use 
(such as holding down sleep).

There are perl commands, but no button function associated with text control. 
For a mapping to be used, there would need to be a new function created in
Common.pm to trigger the text scrolling animation.  cc'ing triode on this for
input. Probably not hard to provide the hooks, but it may still require and edit
of the Default.map file for a user to activate it, since there really isn't room
for new button assignments.

The new display code allows update() to be called with a "scrollMode" - this 
can be set for scrolling, scroll once (one time round and stop) and no 
scrolling.  It defaults to scrolling - ie to initiate scrolling if required.  
As all of the calls to update in the rest of slimserver don't set this the 
default is always used.

So an option would be to add a user customisable default for this which would 
allow the user to set it to something other than scrolling.  

Would scrollonce mode work for you Steven?  This would mean the text scrolls 
round once and stops rather than continuous scrolling.  If you want to read it 
again you would need to change screen back and forward, but it would mean that 
the steady state is always a stationary screen.  [advantage being no new 
button defintion required]

Dean/Kdf - you can try this out on my latest patch by changing the default of 
scrollMode in Slim::Player::Player::update to be 1 rather than 0.

it seems that most modes supply a scrollmode, so the default seems to have no
practical effect.  I expect this could work, but a more global control would be
needed.  

I'm liking the ticker effect, however.

The scrollonce mode would work.
This would allow me to read the album name or sometimes the artist and the album name.
Once I have seen the name(s) there is no need to scroll again.
I like the ticker effect too, but in a darkened room I found it to be very distracting.
I set this to low priority so if it's going to take a lot of work to implement forget about it, there are more 
important tasks I'm sure. I just thought it might have been a simple call to a scroll routine.
I've set the interval to 1.5 minutes as most tracks are 3-4 minutes this will do.
It could be included in a later version perhaps.

KDF - actually I overlooked the fact that any mode with updateInterval set 
will restart scrolling..!  This is because scrollonce mode exits scrolling 
when it completes and hence if update is called again it starts all over again.

I think it will be reasonably easy to change scrollOnce to stay in the scroll 
paused state and hence avoid another scroll, but still update the rest of the 
screen.  I'll look at in the next day or so and post another patch to the dev 
list...

Please try latest patch posted to the dev list - this includes a per player 
setting for the "Scroll Mode" which can be set to "scroll once".  [and 
hopefull the scrolling internals now actually do this unless the text changes] 

possible fix committed by triode at change 3463
Steven, please try the Jun 21 build of 6.1 and confirm if this is ok for you.

Steven, please try setting the Scroll Mode (player - settings - display web 
page) to "Scroll once and stop".

Okay, DL 21/6/05 6.1 nightly.
This is working fine. I reset the pause between scrolls to 4 seconds. The display scrolls once at this time 
and does not scroll again until 4 seconds into the next track etc. Excellent.
I also noticed that if you are using the now playing screen saver and press the size button it causes a 
scroll 4 seconds later giving a force scroll function. Excellent again.

I believe this can be closed now?

I agree :)

Yes.

This bug appears to have been fixed in the latest release!

If you are still experiencing this problem, feel free to reopen the bug with your new comments and we'll have another look.

Make sure to include the version number of the software you are seeing the error with.