RealWorld Cursor Editor 2009.1

RealWorld Cursor Editor 2009.1 is a free program that allows you to create and edit static and animated Windows cursors. A drag-and-drop based interface allows users to easily reorder, duplicate, or append frames to animated cursors. Images in cursors can be modified by drawing tools such as Lines, Curves, Polygons, Rectangles, or Ellipses.

Application contains several predefined filters covering color corrections, sharpening, softening, motion blur, and other effects.

Major Functions:

• Creates beautiful cursors, with smooth egdes and stunning animations.
• Allows you to share your creations with the whole world.
• Is simple to use with extensive tooltips, video tutorials and online help.
• Automatically optimizes your animated cursors with repeating frames.
• Is freeware - although donations are welcome!

Major Features:

1. Supported scenarios
   • Creating cursor from image
   • • This is a standard function of every cursor maker. RealWorld Cursor Editor offers two ways to convert images to static or animated cursors. Prepared image can be converted using a wizard accessible from the main application screen. If an image needs to be modified before conversion, it can be opened in a built-in raster image editor. A "Remove empty borders" operation is extremely useful when preparing images for conversion.
   • Modifying cursor image and hot spot
   • • Image in a static or animated cursor can be modified using drawing tools (Pencil, Line, Curve, Rectangle, Ellipse, Polygon, Flood fill, Text, Projected Shadow and more) or by filters. Smooth image masks can be used. The raster editor can run filters (Sharpen, Soften, Bevel, Motion Blur, Drop Shadow, Brightness, Contrast, Gamma, Transparency, Rotate, and custom filters) on the entire image or on selected area.
     • Cursor hot spot can be changed by clicking on a pixel in raster editor Or by dragging a preview image. In case of animated cursor, hot spot can be changed on mupltile frames at once by entering new coordinates.
   • Modifying animation
   • • Frames in animated cursors can be moved or copied using mouse or clipboard in an intuitive manner. Appending one animation to another is a matter of few seconds. The animated cursor editor allows running filters on all selected frames at once.
     • Setting frame duration is as easy as clicking on a frame, typing a number, and pressing Enter. Alternatively, duration of multiple frames can be changed at once using the Frame Duration panel.
   • Creating cursors from 3D models
2. Cursor maker features
   • Outstanding compatibility
   • • RealWorld Cursor Editor implements and actively uses the custom frame sequence feature of the Microsoft .ani format. This feature enables to optimize animations with repeating frames and enables to efficiently create very long animations with variations. Imagine a butterfly flying between different flowers - by reusing the frames, you can create a very long non-repeating animation.
     • Aside from the extensive .ani feature support, the editor can also read and fix files with incorrect headers produced by some animated cursor makers.
   • Drag and drop frenzy
   • • Result of a drag and drop operation depends on what is dragged and where it is droped it in the application window:
     • Drop supported files (images or cursors) on application caption - files are opened.
     • Drop image file(s) on a raster image editor window - image is pasted as new selection.
     • Drop cursor file on list of cursor images - dropped cursor is blended with current one.
     • Drop supported files on an animated cusor frame list - new frames are appended to the animated cursor (images are resized if neccessary).
     • Drag and drop frames in the animated cusor frame list - frames are moved or copied if CTRL key is down.
   • Modern installer
   • • The program was designed to be installed by a simple copy command, there are no registry entries or system files required to run. The result is an application that can be installed without administrator permissions. A fully portable distribution (.zip) working on wide range of systems (Windows 2000 and newer) is available.

Enhancements:

• New features
• • Layer support - create reaster images with layers or cursors with layers.
  • Arbitrary selections - select regions and apply effects to them.
  • Languages - application can be translated to any language.
  • Smart file type handling - .cur, .ani and, .rcu file types are used as needed.
  • Redesigned wizards - faster to use due to modeless configuration windows.
  • Animatioin preview window - animation preview window capable of adjusting cursor hot spot.
  • Portable version - works on Win2000, WinXP, Vista, Win7.
  • Extensibility (SDK available) - people can create plug-ins.
• Known problems
• • An attempt to open 63 windows simultaneously hangs the application.

Requirements:

• Windows 2000, XP, Vista, or 7
• Pentium or compatible; 256MB memory
• Mouse, truecolor display, 20MB HDD