Return to CursorFX Product Page

1. Welcome to CursorFX
    Features of CursorFX
    System Requirements
    Upgrading
    Importing Cursor Packages
    Updates
    Additional Cursor Themes
    Documentation
2. Introduction to CursorFX
    CursorFX Menu: My Cursors
    Cursor Themes
    MyCursors Quick Reference
3. Effects
    Adding effect to mouse event
4. Trails
5. More Cursors
6. Settings
    Appearance Tab
    Shadow Tab: Dynamic Mode
       Dynamic Quick Reference
    Shadow Tab: Static Mode
       Static Quick Reference
    Options Tab
    Blur Transparency (Vista Only)
       Options Quick Reference
7. About
8. Theme Editor
    CursorFX File Formats
    Overview
    File Menu Quick Reference
    Theme Quick Reference
    Animation Scripts
    Looping
Appendix A:
    Language Translation
    Languages Already Translated
    Submitting a Translated File

Settings

6

Clicking on the menu selection, you will be presented with a number of ways you can further customize your cursor theme.  There are tabs (Appearance, Shadow, Options) where you can make changes.  There is a preview box above the tabs with a sample of your normal cursor.  The color, size, etc. will change as you make changes.  The example below shows the CursorFX Default theme.

Appearance Tab

Options on the Appearance tab include: Hue (or tint, from blue, red, yellow, green), Brightness, Contrast, Opacity (transparent/non-transparent) and Size.  Each feature has a slider that you use to change the cursor to the desired setting.  You simply click on the slider   icon and while holding down the mouse button, drag (move) the mouse left or right and release.  The changes will be displayed as you change the position of the slider.  Some cursor themes may react to changes better than others. 

By default, something that is totally opaque is solid in color (non-transparent, you can't see through it).  So if you move the slider to the far right, the cursor will be completely opaque.  If you move the slider to the far left, it will become transparent (least opaque).  It won't be totally transparent, otherwise your cursor would disappear!  It would still be there, but you wouldn't see it.

The button on the far right, if clicked will return the slider settings to their default values for all three tabs.  Default values are where the sliders were located when CursorFX was first installed.  If you made changes to your cursor and clicked , then clicking and then , the changes you made to your cursors will revert back to the default for that theme.

As an example, move the sliders icon to match the locations (as close as possible) to the positions shown below.

Now your preview screen should look similar to the following, with the cursor larger, more opaque (transparent), etc..

Click on the button for the changes to take effect.  Your cursor should look similar to the following example.  Notice how the cursor is transparent and you can see the word "Contrast" through the point of the cursor.  Also, you can see the pinkish line pass through the cursor as well.

Now click on the button and then the button to return the cursor to normal.

 

Shadow Tab: Dynamic Mode (default)

Next, click on the tab and you will see the default settings.  Note how is set to Dynamic by default.  As you move the slider icon, you will see the changes affect your cursor, not the one in the preview box.  This allows you to see more precisely the changes your making.  You will still have to click the button for the changes to take permanent effect on your cursor.

Dynamic Shadow

Dynamic mode (Dynamic Shadow) also means that the cursor shadow will change its position, based on the setting of the Light Height and Cursor Height. The shadow will change its position as you move the cursor around the screen, in response to a stationary light source above (or in front of your monitor).

Think of it this way, you’re in a room with only one bright light bulb on the ceiling. As you move around it, your shadow moves in different directions, depending on your position to the light (source).  As you move closer, your shadow falls below you.  As you move further away, your shadow likewise moves further away from you.

In the case of Dynamic Shadow, the cursor is the same as you in that room.  The height of the light source (light bulb), is controlled by you changing the Light Height setting.  Changing the Cursor Height, in effect would change the distance of the floor (your standing on in the room) in relation to the ceiling (where the light bulb is).  So, the greater the height, the taller the room and further away the light is and the further your shadow is from you.  The lower the cursor height and the lower the ceiling is to you (the cursor) and closer the shadow is.  As you change all of the settings on this tab, you will find some settings are more noticeable than others.

Dynamic Quick Reference

Action	What it does
	Sliding the icon to the left sharpens (more detailed) the shadow, while the  right blurs the shadow.
	Sliding the icon to the left lightens the shadow, to the right darkens it.
	Unchecked, (default) displays the shadow. Checked, it will remove the shadow.
	Displays which mode your currently in, Dynamic (by default).  The other mode is Static (changes displayed in preview box).
	Click on to stop using dynamic mode and change to static mode.
	Moving the left to right, moves the shadow from left of the cursor to right of it, along the X-axis.
	Moving the left to right, moves the shadow from below the cursor to above it (Y-axis).
	Moving the left to right, changes the height of the light source over the cursor.  This causes the resulting shadow to move far away (moving slider to the left) or closer (moving to the right) as your cursor moves around the screen, reacting to the position of a real light source.  The higher the light, the more static the shadow will appear.
	Moving the left to right, changes the virtual distance the cursor is from the desktop.  The lower (or closer) the cursor is to the desktop (by moving to the left), will cause the shadow to come closer to the cursor.  Likewise, moving the to the right, moves the cursor higher above the desktop, making the shadow appear further away.  It's possible to move the shadow off the screen while changing these settings, if you want it close just move the slider back to the left.
	Clicking returns all (sliders) on all tabs (Appearance, Shadow, Options) to the default positions.  You must click the button to make changes to your cursor/shadow permanent. (The default positions are where they were when CursorFX was first installed.)
	Clicking the button makes your changes permanent.

Shadow Tab: Static Mode

If you don't like using the Dynamic mode, simply click on and as you make changes, the shadow in the preview box will reflect the changes not your actual cursor.  When you change to Static mode, your options will change.

Now as you make changes to the sliders, you will see the cursor in the preview box change.

 

Static Quick Reference

Action	What it does
	Sliding the icon to the left sharpens (more detailed) the shadow, while the right blurs the shadow.
	Sliding the icon to the left lightens the shadow, to the right darkens it.
	If checked, it will remove the shadow.  Uncheck box, to display the shadow.
	Displays which mode (Static) you are currently in.  The other mode is Dynamic (changes displayed on your cursor not in preview box).
	Click on to stop using static mode and switch to dynamic mode.
	Moving the left to right, moves the shadow from left of the cursor to right of it (X-axis).
	Moving the left to right, moves the shadow from below the cursor to above it (Y-axis).
	Clicking returns all (sliders) on all tabs (Appearance, Shadow, Options) to the default positions.  You must click the button to make changes to your cursor/shadow permanent.  (The default positions are where they were when CursorFX was first installed.)
	Clicking the button makes your changes permanent.

Options Tab

The Options tab includes additional features such as: movement smoothness, mirror, and hot key.

Windows Vista Only

Another feature is Blur Transparency, which when checked allows you to see your desktop wallpaper (blurred), behind the CursorFX preview areas.  This way you can see what the cursor will look like over your wallpaper.  This feature is not visible in Windows XP.

Clicking on the button will open a dialog box that allows you to change the hot key combination that disables/enables CursorFX.  A hot key is a unique combination of keys, when pressed at the same time will perform a task.  In this case, if you ever want to turn your cursor theme off without opening CursorFX, the shortcut way is to use this hot key.  Pressing the hot key again, will re-enable your cursor theme.

 

The default hot key combination requires you to press these keys (at the same time):  <Ctrl> and <Shift> and the letter <C>.  The <Ctrl> maybe labeled <Control> on your keyboard.  If you have other applications that use <Ctrl> & <Shift> & <C>, you can change the combination on this screen or you can turn it off (None). 

Options Quick Reference

Action	What it does
	Moving the slider icon to far left makes the cursor/shadow very responsive.  While moving it to the far right makes it very smooth (slowing it down). Far left: lacks smoothness, fast, very responsive, no momentum. Far right: very smooth, slow, less responsive, adds momentum after sudden stops (cursor keeps moving, slows to a stop).
	Unchecked (default), the cursor/shadow will point up, towards the top, left-corner of your monitor.  Checked, the cursor/shadow will point to the top, right-corner of your monitor.  Left-handed people may prefer this.
	(Windows Vista only) Blur Transparency allows you to see your desktop wallpaper (blurred), behind these CursorFX areas: Current theme, Current trail, and Settings preview.  This way you can see what the cursor will look like over your wallpaper. Unchecked (default), no blurring enabled.  You get the normal white background. Checked, Blue Transparency is enabled.
	Clicking this button allows you to change or remove the hot key combination that enables/disables your cursor theme in CursorFX.
	Clicking returns all (sliders) on all tabs (Appearance, Shadow, Options) to the default positions.  You must click the button to make changes to your cursor/shadow permanent.  (The default positions are where they were when CursorFX was first installed.)
	Clicking the button makes your changes permanent.