Cursor modes

Cursor modes are a type of game mechanic in Terraria. Auto Select and Smart Cursor are the two cursor modes implemented to make using tools and placing objects more convenient.

Auto Select
Auto Select will automatically select an item to use, depending on where the cursor is pointed. The item does not need to be in the hot bar. By default, Auto Select is activated by pressing Shift on PC, R3 on PS3/PS4, or pressing down the right thumbstick on Xbox 360.

A Flare Gun without Flares won't be selected. Nor will other light sources such as candles. If more than one item is equally appropriate it will normally select the first one in your inventory. And if the preferred item is unavailable it will usually fall back to something else.

Smart Cursor
Smart Cursor selects a target based on the active item. By default, it is toggled on and off by pressing Ctrl. There is also an option in General Settings to make it last only while the key is held down. Smart Cursor mode is indicated by a slightly wider cursor, and the tile targeted is shown with a yellow box. On the Mobile version, Smart Cursor can be used with the right joystick.

Using Smart Cursor with a multi-function tool, like Drax or a Hamaxe, may have unexpected results. These tools will behave as an axe by default, meaning they always target a tree if one is in range.

Smart Cursor for PC (Terraria 1.3 and later)
Please note that a fresh installation of Terraria 1.3 or later may start with the Smart Cursor disabled for placing common blocks. This setting applies to foreground blocks that you would use during building construction, such as dirt, wood, and stone. The Smart Cursor will continue to behave as per the 1.2 standard for platforms and walls.

If you wish to see the Smart Cursor for common blocks, you will need to edit config.json - one of the client configuration files. Please note that all edits must be performed while you're out-of-game, as Terraria reads the configuration file on start, then overwrites on exit.

NOTE: You may want to back up your config.json file before editing. To do so, save a copy as ```config.old``` in the same location. This will allow you to restore your original file later if required.

1) Open your File Manager, and browse to where your Terraria Player and World files are located. (This is often \My Games\Terraria in Windows, ~/My Games/Terraria in Linux.)

2) Right click config.json and choose Open With...

3) Select Notepad (or your favorite text editor).

4) Use the 'Find' option in your text editor and search for this:

"UseSmartCursorForCommonBlocks": false, 5) Edit the line so it now reads:

"UseSmartCursorForCommonBlocks": true, 6) Save your config.json file.

7) Launch Terraria.