Do detailed controls for "Scrapbook" theme exist somewhow?

Question

The iPhoto'09 Scrapbook theme is one of my faves. The theme seems to consist of a collection of page-by-page layouts and transition effects, which get chosen randomly when you create the slideshow initially. You get a different set of layouts and transitions when you create each new Scrapbook-style slideshow. I've created a whole bunch and analyzed them, and I've counted about 3 or 4 variations now.
Most of the time I'm happy with the layouts and transitions that were chosen randomly. However, Since the layouts display some photos in Landscape, Portrait or Square shapes, and the sizes can be large or small, I occasionally get a bad match (eg a portrait photo is displayed in a square shape in the page layout). While you can manually adjust the cropping in such cases, I'd prefer to have more control myself over each page's layout and transitions, rather than accepting the random choices built-in to the Scrapbook style.
There are no detailed controls for the Scrapbook style. I am wondering if someone knows a hack or back-door way into controlling the page layouts & transitions for a particular slideshow in the Scrapbook theme.

Answer 1

I did some experimenting with the StyleDescription.plist, and isolated the style calls that go to each type of layout. I ended up removing 3,5,6 because I didn't like how the small pics on the right/left replaced each other or the grid type layout with the centre picture.
You remove the references to the layouts you don't like out, make the slideshow, and then put them back in for future slide shows. This will not allow you to control which layouts go to which slides (or w/e you want to call them), but it will let you determine which layout types appear in your show.
You will see in effectPresets there are numbers 0-9. Each of those numbers has a clickable arrow beside it. When you click it you'll see each number has two fields associated with it; likelhood and presetID.
"likelihood" - chance it will be used for a slide, higher the number the more often it will appear
"presetID" - reference to the slide layout
The preset ID has a number as part of the name that refers to the slide layout number, ie "Scrapbook_Effect1/Default" refers to layout 1. The list below is in reference to this number and NOT the 0-9 number.
AFAIK the number 0-9 itself (with the arrow), does not affect the actual layout, only the presetID does. When removing a layout, look at the presetID number!!! Make sure to delete the layout by clicking on the 0-9 number that has the arrow beside it, and then clicking the Delete button in the window (NOT on the keyboard).
1 = large centre picture
2 = Left Big tall (stacks) + Right 2 small
3 = Left Big wide + Right 2 small (stacks)
4 = Left 1 Small + Right Wide (stacks)
5 = Grid 4 + 1 centre
6 = Left 2 small (top one stacks) + Right Tall
7 = Top Left Mid + Bottom Right Mid
8 = Single middle Mid size (includes the last few slides)
9 = Left Big wide + Right 2 small
10 = Big right + left small stacking
A couple of notes:
1. I take NO responsibility if something screws up and your library gets corrupted. I didn't have any issues, but I'm just sayin ....
2. Back up the plist file (or entire iLifeSlideshow folder) BEFORE editing it!!!! You may need it as reference to restore if you screw up.
3. I've split it into Left (# of pics and comment) + Right (# of pics and comment, I hope this makes sense to people.
4. If you delete one of the layouts, make sure to delete the Dictionary entry where it has a number (ie 0 - 9) with the clickable triangle beside it. This will remove the 2 fields, the "liklehood" and "presetID" fields. I tried removing only the preset ID field and had some iPhoto lockups.
5. You have to save the changes to the plist before they take effect.
6. When modifying the plist make sure iPhoto is NOT RUNNING. It probably loads the plist on start (not 100% sure, just assuming), so I suggest quitting iPhoto BEFORE making a change, then save the plist, then reopen iPhoto.
7. If you are uncomfortable, or don't understand, the instructions above you probably shouldn't be trying this. Instead, ask Apple to put in a feature to have better control over the slide layouts.