CursorFX Tutorials

Animations

from Stardock Forums

Hi!

Posted something along the same lines a couple of weeks ago, and kind of just had a reply that offered more correction and up-selling than actual help, along with a link that did not answer my question; and another reply which said my post would be forwarded along to someone else, but never heard anything else about it.

My question is: are there any tutorials on how to create a cursor package which covers basic animation?  The packaging itself is not an issue, as with the CursorFX Theme Editor it is pretty self-explanatory, but simple animations (maybe just a twirl or fold?) are something I'd like to understand even if just at a starting point.  I've looked through other animations within other packages to see if I can grasp a pattern and have used other .pngs (even something called animated pngs which I'd never heard of) with various/different of these package's animation 'settings', and while I can get it to animate in some instances, the .png is always distorted.

If no tutorials exist or no one can kind of just give me a little starting point hint on how these might work, no problem - I have another theme packager, but I find I don't know how to shut down or stop CursorFX without it removing my screen pointer altogether and interfering with me trying to test these other themes, so some help or direction on how to do that would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

cursorfx
29,634 views 12 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

CTRL + Shift +C disables CursorFX.

If I recall correctly, I used a bitstrip animation for any animations I made.  I am not good at animations, so I can't really be much help.

 

I can, however, send you the small animation app I have.  PM me your email.

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Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting RedneckDude, reply 1

CTRL + Shift +C disables CursorFX.

If I recall correctly, I used a bitstrip animation for any animations I made.  I am not good at animations, so I can't really be much help.

I can, however, send you the small animation app I have.  PM me your email.

Sorry for the late reply.  Thanks!  Sending you a message now.  I downloaded a bunch of programs since my post though, and think I have successfully mastered animating them, but can't get them to animate within CursorFX.  I have RealWorld Cursor Editor, ReaConverter, APMG Assembler 2.91, a trial of VideoPad Video Editor which creates APNGS, and a couple of others I cannot recall.  I have managed to make some static packages but again, can't get them to animate.

Curtains - Customize Windows with additional styles
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Oh-God, reply 2

...but again, can't get them to animate.
What you need is to save the animation as an Animation strip (Images in a strip with Transparent background PNG , each exactly placed as they are acting as frames), Import the Png strip/image into Cfx and set No. of frames and speed IN Cfx...

Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top

EXAMPLE, (This is "One" file/image containing each image/frame after eachother in PNG format)

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Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top

Cursor theme tutorial.

https://forums.wincustomize.com/447934

 

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Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Island, reply 5

Cursor theme tutorial.

https://forums.wincustomize.com/447934

 

 

"If you want to create animations from static images, the best tool to use is AniUtil.  It will create a "strip" of images in the .PNG format that you can use in CursorFX."  quoted from linked thread.

 

Spencer, any idea where to get AniUtil?  The link doesn't work.

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Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting RedneckDude, reply 6

where to get AniUtil? 
I got a better one, I got it from AV Man:grin:  

-"Anim Strip"

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Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting neone6, reply 7


Quoting RedneckDude,
reply 6

where to get AniUtil? 

I got a better one, I got it from AV Man:grin:  

-"Anim Strip"

Well, why haven't you sent it to me?   :omg:  

 

Actually, I believe Harley gave me that as well, but I lost it when my 1 TB hdd went out.

Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top

Thanks all.  I had AniUtil (but can't find it now so I think I deleted it), and got far enough where I created a couple of different "strips".  I then tried using those strips by basically replacing an (animated) icon in an existing package, but it didn't work.   There was only a thin vertical line of animation when tested.  I then remembered seeing a package with a strip like that, opened many until I found it and replaced the 'strip' in the package with my strip ... but the same thing happened: a thin vertical line of animation.  So, basically, I am able to make an animation at least somewhat correctly I think, even though it may still be as a hit or miss, but when trying to use them in CursorFX, the shape of my cursor is not there - all there is, is a straight vertical animated line.  

EDIT:  Found AniUtil.exe

Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Island, reply 5

Cursor theme tutorial.
https://forums.wincustomize.com/447934

Thank you.  This is actually the tutorial I used to create a couple of cute themes.  I'd just like to get them to work/animate and don't understand how to even after going through it several times.

Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting RedneckDude, reply 6

Spencer, any idea where to get AniUtil?  The link doesn't work.
Pretty sure it comes as part of, or with, CursorFX.  
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting RedneckDude, reply 8

Well, why haven't you sent it to me?     
Hm. PM me ^_^