New Alphablended Os X Cursor Set In Xp Format!

By Binary
in Tips, Tweaks & Customization

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Explicative

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I'm running WinXP Pro (non-SP1), not using any sorts of transparency programs like WindowsFX or anything, and I have a Radeon 8500 Retail with the latest (6218) drivers (so scratch that Nvidia theory). This is the only set of cursors I've tried where this happens; it occurs both when cursor shadows are enabled and when they are disabled in the mouse control applet.

Edit: BTW, I'm not using CursorXP or anything either, just loading the cursors through XP's default interface.

Edited by Explicative
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Explicative

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OK, I found a workaround. Go to display properties (right-click desktop, properties), then go to the Settings tab and click on the Advanced button. Under the Troubleshoot tab you should see a Hardware Acceleration slider, it's probably all the way to the right (full). Slide it back one notch to the left, this disables bitmap and cursor acceleration in hardware.

For me the problem has totally disappeared, although window drawing (e.g., maximizing and minimizing windows) is slightly slower, maybe by a second or so though, nothing major. Still, you'd think ATI and Nvidia (I'm assuming it's their fault) would have gotten a pretty good handle on the 2D stuff by now. Oh well, maybe it varies according to driver revisions, I'll keep this in mind next time I update.

Grand Master

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  Explicative said:
OK, I found a workaround. Go to display properties (right-click desktop, properties), then go to the Settings tab and click on the Advanced button. Under the Troubleshoot tab you should see a Hardware Acceleration slider, it's probably all the way to the right (full). Slide it back one notch to the left, this disables bitmap and cursor acceleration in hardware.

For me the problem has totally disappeared, although window drawing (e.g., maximizing and minimizing windows) is slightly slower, maybe by a second or so though, nothing major. Still, you'd think ATI and Nvidia (I'm assuming it's their fault) would have gotten a pretty good handle on the 2D stuff by now. Oh well, maybe it varies according to driver revisions, I'll keep this in mind next time I update.

Yeah that works , thanks. Haven't noticed any slowdowns yet :)

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Binary

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  anibalin said:
i also, wanted to add, that the cursors looks the same whether or not the 'shadow' option is turned on or off, there aint shadows.

hope it helps...just sharing.

hope u get it binary {:o)

warm regards.

aniba!

there are shadows, they're just subtle. The shadow checkbox wont do any good because they are alphablended, so the shadows wont apply to an alphablended cursor. Which is why I added their own shadows ;)

And it's great you guys found a workaround.

Chris

Grand Master

Toxikk Veteran

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  Binary said:
Are any of you running ANY extra programs that would affect XP's alphablending? i.e. y'z shadow, windowfx, or any transparency programs? It also might be a graphics driver issue. Are you guys having issues by any chance using nvidia gfx cards?

Chris

i dont use any of that poop. i just rebooted and it worked fine after that.

Community Regular

Explicative

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I guess it's just a bug in XP (I assume this happens with all alpha-blended cursors, not sure though since these are the only ones I've tried), or else it's a problem with certain sets of video drivers, because I don't understand why it apparently doesn't happen for some people. From what I understand, alpha-blended cursors are 32-bit, 24-bit color channel and 8-bit alpha channel, and windows is supposed to display the composite channel. However, with these cursors when you drag a file it stops outputting the composite channel and instead displays just the color channel (hence the black outlines). I think what might be happening is that it uses the 8-bits of alpha to make the dragged icon transparent, which somehow messes up the cursor rendering when done in hardware.

I don't know if there is any way to correct it, but since usually you only drag stuff with the default cursor, I converted it to 24-bit and added a bit of shadow underneath. Looks pretty close to the original (to me), if Binary wants I'll email it to him and he can distribute it.

BTW, I converted it because I noticed that when you disable cursor acceleration in windows you tend to get flickering in transitions. I prefer to use the 24-bit cursor and have acceleration on.

Edited by Explicative
  • 7 months later...
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Long

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I noticed a problem, using the cursors, its REALLY REALLY slow in Firebird 0.6.1. Anyone else getting this? In Internet Explorer, its smooth as.

I believe Firebird has a problem with alpha transparent cursors cause when I use the WinXP default ones its fine.

Edited by Long
Grand Master

memNOC

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SO THESE ARE YOURS BINARY!!!!!! :woot:

for the past few months ive been using your colorful rainbow busy cursor, and some month or so ago, i had to format and lost it.. since then, ive been looking all over dART and deskmod, and no sign of the coolest XP busy cursor EVER..

im only using that one, tho.. for my other cursors im using this theme i found on dART a long time ago.. it has the standard clock pre-OSX busy ani's, which ive replaced with yours.. here's what they look like, if someone's interested i might upload them, since i cant find the damn thing on dART again..

i like them over Binary's (which are incredible as well) only because they're smaller and shorter.. much nicer, IMO, although not quite faithful to the OSX version, im sure..

heres the preview

post-67-1060141845.jpg

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