Cursor Flux 1.22.0 is now out, and this update is mostly about making the app feel steadier before opening up the next big creative surface: Shader Lab.
The release continues the reliability push from the last few updates. The goal is simple: effects should stay responsive, restore-to-system should be clear, presets should be easier to test, and Cursor Flux should be safer to recover from if a desktop look is not right for your setup.
Shader Lab is the big beyond piece. It is a work-in-progress editor for creating and tuning custom cursor trail effects inside Cursor Flux. Instead of only picking from a fixed list, the idea is to let users start from an example, adjust parameters, preview motion, and eventually package their own effect for sharing.
What the prototype focuses on:
Live cursor-trail previewing
Editable effect metadata
Editable shader-style trail code.
Syntax highlighting for JSON and HLSL
Starter examples like Neon Ribbon and Electric Storm
A future path for Workshop-friendly packages
The screenshots here show the work-in-progress Shader Lab UI. The labels, layout, and workflow may still change, but the direction is clear: Cursor Flux should become easier to customize without losing the stable built in experience.
The Discover side of Shader Lab is meant to make examples useful as learning material. A preset should not just be a final effect; it should be something you can open, study, remix, and tune. That matters because cursor effects are very sensitive to motion, scale, color, screen refresh rate, cursor size, and personal taste.
For 1.22.0 and beyond, the plan is to keep tightening the stable built-in experience while gradually exposing more creator tools. Presets, theme restore behavior, cursor sizing, preview quality, and Workshop preparation are all part of that foundation. Shader Lab sits on top of that work, so it needs to be careful rather than rushed.
The publishing flow is also being shaped around Steam Workshop. The current direction is to let creators prepare a package with effect metadata, shader code, a preview image, and supporting files, then share it when the workflow is ready.
Shader Lab is still work in progress, but it points toward where Cursor Flux can go after 1.22.0: not just a cursor effects app, but a small creative tool for building and sharing desktop motion styles.
I would love feedback on what should matter most next:
Simple sliders and color controls.
Full shader and code editing.
Better live previews.
Importing and remixing community effects.
More starter examples for electricity, smoke, fire, bubbles, glass, or other trails.
Thanks for trying Cursor Flux and for sending feedback. The next stretch is about keeping the app stable while making it more open to customization.