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Work with Real-Time Cursors

Real-time cursors show you exactly where your teammates are working on the canvas. Each person gets their own color, making it easy to follow along and coordinate your efforts.

What You'll See​

Live cursors

  • Each teammate's mouse pointer appears in their unique color
  • Name badges show who each cursor belongs to
  • Smooth movement that updates as they navigate

Team presence

  • Avatar stack in the top-right corner shows who's online
  • Cursors automatically appear when teammates join
  • Clean removal when someone leaves the project

How It Works​

When you move your mouse on the canvas, your cursor position updates for teammates in real-time. The system is smart about when to share your cursor:

  • Only shows when needed: Your cursor only appears to others when there are teammates in the project
  • Smooth updates: Position updates happen smoothly without lag
  • Canvas-aware: Cursors stay accurate even when teammates zoom or pan differently

Color System​

Each team member gets assigned a consistent color:

  • Same color every session: Your cursor color stays the same across sessions
  • Unique per person: No two people share the same color
  • High contrast: Colors are chosen to be easily distinguishable

Cursor Behavior​

When cursors appear:

  • Moving your mouse anywhere on the canvas
  • Working with canvas elements
  • Navigating around the project

When cursors hide:

  • Switching to another browser tab
  • Moving away from the canvas area
  • Stepping away from your computer (after a short delay)

Following Teammates​

Want to see what a teammate is working on?

  1. Locate their cursor by looking for their color and name badge
  2. Follow their movements to understand their workflow
  3. Pan to their area if they're working outside your current view

💡 Tip: If you lose track of where a teammate is working, check the avatar stack to see who's active, then look for their colored cursor on the canvas.

Privacy and Focus​

What teammates can see:

  • Your mouse position when you're on the canvas
  • Which areas you're actively working in
  • When you join or leave the project

What stays private:

  • Your cursor position in other browser tabs
  • Work you do outside the shared project
  • Your mouse movements when you're away from the canvas

Troubleshooting​

Don't see teammate cursors?

  • Make sure they're actively moving their mouse on the canvas
  • Check if they're still in the project (look at the avatar stack)
  • Try refreshing if you suspect a connection issue

Cursor movements seem delayed?

  • This is normal—cursors update smoothly but not instantly
  • The system prioritizes accuracy over speed to avoid jittery movements

Too many cursors on screen?

  • Cursors automatically hide when teammates step away
  • Large teams might want to coordinate who's actively working in each area

What's Next​

Now that you understand real-time cursors, learn about: