creating an animated cursor for CursorFX

Hello,

From what I know, AniUtil.exe no longer available and for AnimStrip.exe, you can refer here: https://forums.wincustomize.com /500368/ (reply#18). And, no specific help page on it, just post your question here in the forum and the community will try to help you if they can.

Thanks
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Thank you for the reply. The link given to download AnimStrip is no good. AniTuner looks like it may do the job: Create animated cursor for Windows 11/10 with AniTuner (thewindowsclub.com). There is also RealWorld Cursor Editor, which seems somewhat more rinky-dink: RealWorld Cursor Editor - make animated cursors (rw-designer.com). It is an odd oversight that Stardock does not have a tool for cursor creation.

The reason behind that is simple.

Stardock doesn't want the user to create new mouse cursor anymore.

first of all, in previous version, they used the .CurXpTheme format cursor wich was a .zip file renamed .CurXpTheme. You could extract file from them, modify them and create your own theme based on the work of someone else. This created copyright issue they deemed to fix.

Stardock created the .CursorFx file format wich is propriatary (own by them) and they do not want to give up "how" to make a .CursorFx file. Meaning, nobody can export to that file format except them. Wich in turn might kill the business.

Then, their own "editor" only allow to import PNG file wich is an Image format.

PNG file CANNOT be animated. However, it exist a format called aPNG wich *IS* the animated form of an animated PNG (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APNG) (there exist only a *few* editor able to create APNG files

But the Stardock editor for the cursor doesn't allow to import APNG, furthermore, it doesn't seem to support it.

Meaning... they don't want us to create .CursorFx file and they don't allow us to even create animation for the cursor we want to create

and their Editor is very limited (or broken) Try to open an existing Cursor Theme, remove a cursor inside of it, save it and put it in place, reboot and you'll see that the visual change you made is not taken into consideration beside the "remark" you can update.

Just my 2 cents but in order to make the business of customization grow up, they should make the CursorFx format open source.

YES the work need to be copyright and respect and due diligence should be given to thoses creating original ART. Nevertheless, because of the current business model, content creator are very limited in what they can do.

Same goes for WindowsBlinds. in order to edit or create a theme, you need to use SkinStudio.  A program nowhere to be found and all link extinct.  when you try to download it, it bring you back to the download page of WindowsBlinds

and every forum that talk about this got erased.

so...  go ahead...  erase me.

Skin Studio is available to all licenses holders of WindowBlinds or users having an active Object Desktop subscription in their Stardock account

Paul Scroggins
Associate Technical Support Analyst

hi, 

I'm a registered user of WindowBlinds,

when I go to my product, I see a link to SkinStudio, that's true, when I click on it, I'm brought to the page to buy WindowBlinds.

so, again, NO, not available.

Yes I'm using my registered user account.

link doesn't work

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. Please raise support ticket using the link below, use the product not receive option. Include all information details. Remember to record down the ticket number for future reference if needed. Do not raise multiple ticket, that will make your ticket back to the end of the line. Send once and wait. Ticket will be answer by the order they send in.

https://stardock.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/4/group/13

Thanks
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Also available via the Stardock Help Center (The Support button on our site)

https://support.stardock.com/space/SHC/1326284823/Where+can+I+get+SkinStudio+to+edit+skins%3A

Paul Scroggins
Associate Technical Support Analyst
 

It's located it the CursorFX folder here: C:\Program Files (x86)\Stardock\CursorFX

Firstly, yes, to the person a few post up, Windowblinds editor was super tricky to find. I think the issue is that the language they use on their site, makes it sound like they are linking you to it but only sends you in a loop. I eventually found it through Object Desktop. The wording on ther site is very misleading.

 That said, the CursorFX thing is such a travesty. I enjoy editing skins for MYSELF. I' good with photoshop and Illustrator, but not with programs like these, if they don't have easy editing. I miss being able to use an existing theme as a base and build from it...for personal use only.

Can anyone give me detailed guide on how to create my own cursor theme pack for myself.

kindly help.

Thank you.

There is an online guide here (you can also download as a PDF). It's rather old, but still relevant for learning the Theme Editor.

CursorFX Guide

This will get you started.

Please can you explain to me as how to make the png images and how to export them as i am finding it difficult, because the version in the tutorial has different features than the new one.

i want to know how to convert animated cursor file .ani to png files and then make the cursors so that i can use it for self and please tell me the size of the png images.

Also it is not mentioned in the guide and i have purchased the software.

 Please give me a detail guide of which icons to put where, because this is the first time i am creating a cusror file and i would like to share or upload it after getting permission, if it is allright.

i downloaded the anituner lets hope it works and please forgive me if i am writing here as a spam message because i really need to learn to make cursors.

Hello,

Designing an animated cursor in CursorFX does require some basic graphics design skills. You’ll need to be comfortable working with a graphics application such as Photoshop or GIMP to create and edit the images that make up the cursor frames. Once we know how familiar you are with those tools, we can better guide you on the CursorFX side of things.

Do note, however, that we can’t provide step‑by‑step training on how to use those graphics programs themselves, that’s similar to buying Microsoft Word and asking others how to write a novel with it. The design software is the foundation, and CursorFX is the tool that brings your designs to life as animated cursors.

Thank you,

Basj,

Stardock Community  Assistant.

Accepted  Basj.

One thing i would like to say if learning something is a crime then asking it is also a crime but thank you for ypur answer and i will try to do it myself.

Please understand that creating the actual images for the cursor is not something that can be taught in this forum, however, helping with the CursorFX app and the CursorFX Theme Editor is something we can provide.

I appreciate your willingness to learn and give it a try yourself, that’s the best way to build up the skills needed. As mentioned, while we can’t teach the graphics software here, we’re happy to help with any questions you have about CursorFX itself or the Theme Editor once you’ve got your images ready. Don’t hesitate to ask if you run into something specific on that side.

Thank you,

Basj,

Stardock Community  Assistant