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How to create animated cursors - part 2

Summary - possible cursor fillings
normal	transparent	low opacity	inverse color

 

PAINT TOOLS:     Paint Tools Most cursor editors only include a few basic drawing tools such as points, thin lines, thick lines, color filling, circles, squares, mirror effect and so on. A few editors include more failed drawing tools comparable with the tools in good graphic programs. In case the cursor editor tools don't come up to your demands it may could be a good solution to draw the cursor in your favourite graphic program - using professional effects and filters, for example photoshop filters - and after that import it / copy it into a new frame of your cursor project.

JIFFY - THE CURSOR TIME:     OK, now we know that animated cursors are made up of several single frames which are lined up just like an animated cartoon. In all actual cursor editors you can select the time each single frame shall be displayed during the animation. The cursor editor software developers were very creative when they thought about this special display time unit. Almost all cursor editors are using a time unit called "Jiffy". Time adjustment in AX-Cursors 1 Jiffy corresponds to 1/60 second. Most movies and cartoons display 18 pictures in a second. So you normally should select a display time of about 3 or 4 Jiffies for each frame to come up with smooth animations. In most cursor editors you can select a display time for each frame seperately. For each frame you can select a display time between 1 and 999 Jiffies, so 999 Jiffies is the maximum amount. 999 Jiffies correspond to a time of about 17 seconds. In case you would like to interrupt an animation for a time more long than 17 seconds just line up as many frames (which identical contents) as you need and select 999 Jiffies for each of them. The cursor shall change its appearence only every minute for example ? Use four frames with same contents and select 999 Jiffies for each frame.     1 Jiffy   6 Jiffies   20 Jiffies display time per frame 3 - 4 Jiffies are a good display time for a frame but sometimes you have to check out several settings to come up with best results. It always depends on the cursor style and the amount of frames in the animation sequence. Simply make your own experiences ... Many people don't like violently colored, flickering or jiggling cursors, so please always remember you sometimes can overdo things.

PREVIEW:     Preview Usually each cursor editor includes a little preview function where you can see at any time the actual status of your cursor in real time. By the way, independent of the cursor editors preview function there's a simple way to see a little cursor preview of every cursor file in windows explorer. In windows explorer just right-click the cursor file and select "Properties" in the appearing shortcut menu.

AUTHORS DATA:     You have created a new cursor and you send it to friends or publish it on the internet. So you enter cursor title and authors name Maybe you spend several hours for working the cursor. Off course you are interested in a little tribute for all the work. Well, all cursor editors have a little feature where you can enter your name and a few more data such as description, webaddress, email-address or cursor name in two text boxes and this becomes included in the file information. You cannot see this data and your name in the cursor, on your desktop or in windows explorer, but the data are stored in the cursor file and you can see the information in very cursor editor available.

SAVE CURSOR:     OK, some time all frames of the cursor sequence were painted and you have finished your new cursor project. Just save this new animated cursor as *.ani-file, a static cursor as *.cur-file. No question, off course you should save your cursor project from time to time during the entire working process, not only when you have finished it. Your computer may crash or the cursor editor may causes problems and it would be very annoying if your new cursor project get lost before completion because of that problems.

CURSOR INSTALLATION:     OK, finally you want the new cursor running on your computer desktop. How do you change your normal windows cursors to the cursor you have created ? Well, you have to install this cursor on your computer. Sounds difficult but no fear, in fact it's very easy. First: you don't install cursors by doubleclick on a cursor file in windows explorer or something else. In case you have installed a cursor editor on your computer, a doublecklick on a cursor file in windows explorer only will open the cursor editor and the cursor file is ready for working in the cursor editor. Neither does this cause the installation of the cursor nor does the cursor run on your desktop now. First you have to store the cursor file in a folder of your choice. On principle you can install a cursor out of every directory on your computer. During the installation process windows opens a little file manager and as a standard setting it opens the cursors-subdirectory in your computers windows directory. There you directly can select a new cursor. So it's recommended to save new cursors in the windows/cursors subdirectory (the exact name of the windows directory depends on windows version and user input). Off course you can save cursor files in other directories too, then you have to change the directory in the little file manager first. You have to install animated cursors / cursors in Windows before you can use them. Copy the files to your choice of folder. Choose "Start / Settings / Control Panel / Mouse" and click on the "Pointer" tab. Windows 95 e.g. uses 14 several pointer types where you can select animated cursors for: Normal Select Help Select Working in Background Busy Precision Select Text Select Handwriting Unavailable Vertical Resize Horizontal Resize Diagonal Resize 1 Diagonal Resize 2 Move Alternate Select In Windows 98 and later windows versions there's an additional cursor for Link Select (windows and active desktop). Select a pointer, for example "Normal Select" or "Busy". Double-click on it. Then choose a cursor from your choice of folder. A single click will give you a preview in the bottom left corner. The animation is a little bit slow, but in reality the animated cursors run alot faster. Finally press "Open" and click "OK" to exit and confirm the animated cursor as your cursor. You can install every new cursor the same way. You can deinstall a cursor by installing a new cursor. You can use own cursors on your webpage! More info here.

FINAL COMMENT:     I think it's a good idea to download one of the cursor editors and put it to the acid-test. Most cursor editors are shareware you can check them out for several days and make yourself familiar with the production of cursors, I think this is sufficient for a first impression. If you find fun at the production of animated cursors it's your turn to buy the software and start your career as a cursor artist.