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How to create a cool 3D pointer for your Workbench

Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2017 9:11 pm
by intric8
This is a pretty superficial post purely for aesthetics, but I'd been given a compliment once for a screenshot I shared on Twitter. Not of the actual content of the screenshot, mind you, but of my pointer in Workbench!

The default pointer is fine, of course, but I wanted something with a bit of depth. Using the Workbench's "Pointer" utility in the Prefs drawer it's not very hard to do. Honestly, it's really pretty awesome that the engineers allowed this kind of editing of the OS in the first place. So why not?

Attached are close-ups of the pixels involved in case you want to try something similar (or make your own!). If you have a custom pointer you're proud of, I'd love to see it of course!

<3
IMG_0616.PNG
Up close and personal, viewed on a CRT screen

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Viewed on a CRT screen - normal view.

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The fantastic Pointer program in Prefs, where you can see all of the details of my pointer in its various forms.

Note: If you decide to try this out, do remember to "Set Point" at the end. This allows you to set where the point's tip actually clicks on things. With this new design, I put mine on the very tippy top pixel - which is actually red, but the Set Point over-writes it on-screen with a small orange square. Where that orange square is there really is a red pixel behind it.

Re: How to create a cool 3D pointer for your Workbench

Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 10:55 am
by intric8
Minor update to the final pointer - I made the arrow's stem slightly shorter. Note, too, that the "set point" is now in the white outline.

This is done.

Re: How to create a cool 3D pointer for your Workbench

Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 2:23 pm
by BatteMan
I made myself a new pointer for my 1.3, based on your pointer (for the shadow) and dansalvato pointer (for the shape of the pointer) ;)
Pointer1.3.png

Re: How to create a cool 3D pointer for your Workbench

Posted: Sat May 09, 2020 9:32 am
by walldog
This sort of content is exactly why I love this site.. I am just moving along through Amiga life not thinking about the pointer and low and behold something new! Another example was the Amidoc or the Tron on DPaint... Just great stuff and this is what makes Amiga fun.

Re: How to create a cool 3D pointer for your Workbench

Posted: Sun May 10, 2020 6:20 am
by 3D-vice
walldog wrote:
Sat May 09, 2020 9:32 am
This sort of content is exactly why I love this site..
What he said! :D

Re: How to create a cool 3D pointer for your Workbench

Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 10:59 am
by Mixel
Is there a os friendly way to make the pointer less.. lowres? On my 3.1.4 it’s 2x the screen resolution. (Or I can optionally make it tall!) it seems like there isn’t a way to have it hires-laced-like? Confusing.