> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/microsoft/powertoys/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Mouse Pointer Crosshairs

> Add customizable crosshairs overlay to your mouse pointer for improved precision

## Overview

Mouse Pointer Crosshairs displays customizable crosshair lines centered on your cursor, making it easier to align elements precisely. It also includes an accessibility-focused "Gliding Cursor" feature for hands-free cursor positioning.

<Note>
  This utility is especially useful for design work, pixel-perfect alignment, accessibility needs, and presentations where precise cursor placement is important.
</Note>

## How to Activate

### Crosshairs Toggle

Press the activation shortcut to show or hide crosshairs:

* **Default shortcut:** <kbd>Win</kbd> + <kbd>Alt</kbd> + <kbd>P</kbd>

### Gliding Cursor

Use the gliding cursor feature for hands-free cursor movement:

* **Default shortcut:** <kbd>Win</kbd> + <kbd>Alt</kbd> + <kbd>.</kbd> (period)

<Steps>
  <Step title="Start Horizontal Glide">
    Press <kbd>Win</kbd> + <kbd>Alt</kbd> + <kbd>.</kbd> to begin fast horizontal scanning
  </Step>

  <Step title="Slow Horizontal">
    Press the shortcut again to slow down horizontal movement
  </Step>

  <Step title="Switch to Vertical">
    Press the shortcut a third time to switch to fast vertical scanning
  </Step>

  <Step title="Slow Vertical">
    Press the shortcut again to slow down vertical movement
  </Step>

  <Step title="Complete">
    Press the shortcut one final time to place the cursor and perform a click
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Press <kbd>Esc</kbd> during gliding to cancel the operation without clicking.
</Tip>

## Configuration Options

### Activation Settings

<ParamField path="activation_shortcut" type="hotkey" default="Win + Alt + P">
  Keyboard shortcut to toggle crosshairs on and off
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="gliding_cursor_activation_shortcut" type="hotkey" default="Win + Alt + .">
  Keyboard shortcut to activate the gliding cursor state machine
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="auto_activate" type="boolean" default="false">
  Automatically enable crosshairs when PowerToys starts
</ParamField>

### Appearance Settings

<ParamField path="crosshairs_color" type="color" default="#FF0000">
  Color of the crosshair lines (RGB format)
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="crosshairs_border_color" type="color" default="#FFFFFF">
  Color of the border outline around crosshair lines (RGB format)
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="crosshairs_opacity" type="number" default="75">
  Opacity percentage of the crosshairs (0-100)
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="crosshairs_radius" type="number" default="20">
  Size of the center gap/radius in pixels (creates a circle in the middle)
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="crosshairs_thickness" type="number" default="5">
  Thickness of the crosshair lines in pixels
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="crosshairs_border_size" type="number" default="1">
  Thickness of the border outline in pixels
</ParamField>

### Crosshairs Behavior

<ParamField path="crosshairs_auto_hide" type="boolean" default="false">
  Automatically hide crosshairs when the mouse stops moving
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="crosshairs_is_fixed_length_enabled" type="boolean" default="false">
  Use fixed-length crosshairs instead of extending to screen edges
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="crosshairs_fixed_length" type="number" default="100">
  Length of crosshair lines in pixels (when fixed length is enabled)
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="crosshairs_orientation" type="enum" default="Both">
  Display orientation of crosshairs:

  * **Both (0):** Horizontal and vertical lines
  * **Horizontal (1):** Only horizontal line
  * **Vertical (2):** Only vertical line
</ParamField>

### Gliding Cursor Speed Settings

<ParamField path="gliding_travel_speed" type="number" default="30">
  Fast speed for initial scanning phase (pixels per 200ms interval). Range: 5-60
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="gliding_delay_speed" type="number" default="5">
  Slow speed for precise positioning phase (pixels per 200ms interval). Range: 5-60
</ParamField>

<Warning>
  The gliding cursor forces crosshairs to "Both" orientation during operation, regardless of your normal setting. Your preferred orientation is restored when gliding completes or is cancelled.
</Warning>

## Use Cases

### Design and Layout Work

Align UI elements, graphics, or design components with pixel-perfect precision.

```
Scenario: Aligning two buttons in a design mockup
Action: Enable crosshairs with Win + Alt + P
Result: Horizontal and vertical lines help align elements visually
```

### Accessibility

The gliding cursor feature provides hands-free cursor positioning for users with motor impairments or those who prefer keyboard-only navigation.

<Tip>
  Adjust gliding speeds based on your needs: higher travel speed for quickly covering large distances, lower delay speed for fine positioning.
</Tip>

### Presentations

Use crosshairs to draw attention to specific screen areas or to help audiences track cursor movement on large displays.

### Screen Measurement

Quickly measure distances or verify alignment across screen elements during development or testing.

### Photo Editing

Precisely position selections, guides, or editing tools when working with images.

## Keyboard Shortcuts Summary

| Action            | Shortcut                                                      |
| ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Toggle Crosshairs | <kbd>Win</kbd> + <kbd>Alt</kbd> + <kbd>P</kbd> (customizable) |
| Gliding Cursor    | <kbd>Win</kbd> + <kbd>Alt</kbd> + <kbd>.</kbd> (customizable) |
| Cancel Gliding    | <kbd>Esc</kbd>                                                |

## Gliding Cursor State Machine

The gliding cursor operates in a 5-state sequence:

1. **State 0 (Idle):** Press shortcut to start → moves to State 1
2. **State 1 (Fast Horizontal):** Cursor moves quickly across screen horizontally → press shortcut → State 2
3. **State 2 (Slow Horizontal):** Cursor moves slowly for precise horizontal positioning → press shortcut → State 3
4. **State 3 (Fast Vertical):** Cursor moves quickly down the screen vertically → press shortcut → State 4
5. **State 4 (Slow Vertical):** Cursor moves slowly for precise vertical positioning → press shortcut → completes with click

<Note>
  At any point during gliding, press <kbd>Esc</kbd> to cancel and return to idle without clicking.
</Note>

## Technical Details

### Rendering Architecture

* Crosshairs are rendered as an overlay using Windows composition APIs
* Updates are tied to mouse movement events
* Hardware-accelerated for smooth performance
* Works across multiple monitors with DPI awareness

### Gliding Cursor Implementation

* Timer-based movement: 10ms tick interval
* Speed units: pixels per 200ms base window
* Fractional accumulation for smooth sub-pixel movement
* Low-level keyboard hook for Escape key detection
* External control mode prevents normal mouse tracking during gliding

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Crosshairs not visible">
    * Check opacity setting (must be > 0)
    * Verify crosshairs color contrasts with background
    * Ensure thickness is set to a visible value (try 5 or higher)
    * Disable auto-hide if enabled
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Crosshairs appear on wrong monitor">
    * Crosshairs follow the cursor position automatically
    * Check that mouse is on the expected monitor
    * Verify display arrangement in Windows settings
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Gliding cursor moves too fast/slow">
    * Adjust `gliding_travel_speed` (5-60) for initial scanning speed
    * Adjust `gliding_delay_speed` (5-60) for precise positioning speed
    * Default values: 30 for travel, 5 for delay
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Cannot cancel gliding with Escape">
    * Ensure no other application is capturing Escape key
    * Check for conflicting keyboard hooks
    * Try completing the gliding sequence or restarting PowerToys
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Source Code Reference

The Mouse Pointer Crosshairs implementation can be found at:

* Module interface: `src/modules/MouseUtils/MousePointerCrosshairs/dllmain.cpp`
* Crosshairs implementation: `src/modules/MouseUtils/MousePointerCrosshairs/InclusiveCrosshairs.cpp`
* Default crosshairs hotkey: Line 895 in dllmain.cpp (Win + Alt + P)
* Default gliding hotkey: Line 903 in dllmain.cpp (Win + Alt + .)
* Gliding state machine: Lines 459-537 in dllmain.cpp