Home > Tutorials > Create a static cursor from a Web image

The Web is a great place to find images. In this tutorial we'll see different methods to retreive a web image and load it in CursorWorkshop. Once the image is loaded, you can easily create a static cursor from it (see Create a static cursor from an image)

Downloading the image in CursorWorkshop using its URL

1. Launch your web browser and open the page containing the image. For example, open this page: "http://www.axialis.com/cursorworkshop/web-images.html".

2. Copy the full URL of the image in the Clipboard. For example, use image bw-handwriting.gif. This procedure differs from one browser to another:

• Microsoft Internet Explorer®
Right-click on the image, choose "Properties". A window opens. Right-click on the "Address (URL)", choose "Select All" then press Ctrl+C. Close the window.

• Mozilla Firefox®
Right-click on the image, choose "Copy Image Location".

• Google Chrome®
Right-click on the image, choose "Copy Image URL".

3. Back in CursorWorkshop: In the Recently Used zone (in the main toolbar), paste the image URL, hit Enter.

or

Choose File/Download or press Ctrl+D. Paste the image URL and click OK.

4. The image is downloaded (a progress window is displayed for a few seconds):

5. The image is opened in a document window.

Images that are downloaded from Internet by CursorWorkshop are stored in a temporary folder and deleted when you quit the application. If you want to permanently keep the files, you must save them in a different location or add them to the Librarian using a "Save As" command.

6. If your image is opaque, you can create transparency areas. For example, in the page "web-images.html", the file "bw-hand.gif" is opaque on a white background. Using the following tutorial, you can easily transform the white background to transparency: Add Transparency to an Opaque Image.

7. Now you can create your cursor from this image. Follow this tutorial from Step 3: Create a static cursor from an image

Opening the image in CursorWorkshop using Drag & Drop

1. Type the URL of the page containing the image in "Recently Used". For example, open this page: "http://www.axialis.com/cursorworkshop/web-images.html".

or

Open an Internet Browser window in CursorWorkshop: File/New/Internet Browser or press Ctrl+B. Navigate on Internet until the page is displayed.

2. When the page is displayed, using a mouse drag & drop, "grab the image" () and drop it on the "Recently Used" bar (in the CursorWorkshop main toolbar ):

3. The image is opened in a document window.

Images that are opened that way are located in the "Temporary Internet Files" folder. Files in this folder can be deleted by Internet Explorer® at any time. If you want to permanently keep the files, you must save them in a different location or add them to the Librarian using a "Save As" command.

4. If your image is opaque, you can create transparent areas. For example, in the page "web-images.html", the file "bw-hand.gif" is opaque on a white background. Using the following tutorial, you can easily transform the white background to transparency: Add Transparency to an Opaque Image.

5. Now you can create your cursor from this image. Follow this tutorial from Step 3: Create a static cursor from an image

Opening a web image using the Clipboard

1. Launch your web browser and open the page containing the image. For example, open this page: "http://www.axialis.com/cursorworkshop/web-images.html".

2. Right-click on the image you want to open. For example, right-click on bw-handwriting.gif. Choose "Copy".

3. Back in CursorWorkshop: Choose "Edit/Paste as a New Image" or press Ctrl+Shift+V.

4. The image is opened in a new document window.

When you use the clipboard to retreive an image the transparency is lost. As a result, the image is opaque.

5. Using the following tutorial, you can easily transform the white background to transparency: Add Transparency to an Opaque Image.

6. Now you can create your cursor from this image. Follow this tutorial from Step 3: Create a static cursor from an image

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Related Topics

• Make your own cursors

• Make your own icons

Article written by Axialis Software Team on Oct 30, 2008.

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