Making cursor more visible

Scrivener Scrivener for Windows
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1

Is there a way of making the cursor more visible? For some reason I find it a lot harder to find than I do in say Word. It seems to be virtually identical in size and flashing to Word, but a little thinner.

Thanks in advance

2

You can change the cursor to a block, if that helps.

F12/Options > Editor > Enable Use block insertion point and adjust the width to your preference.

Best,
Jim

3

I recently bought a new Dell 15-inch Win10 Pro x64. I wanted the mouse pointer and cursor a bit more visible in all of my software. I didn’t want to reset the screen to 150%. The default is 125%.

I went to Settings / Ease of Access / Cursor and Pointer. There is also an Additional mouse settings selection a bit down the page. And another as well on the next.

Check it out and experiment. You may be pleasantly surprised.

4

Thanks both, will experiment tomorrow.

5

“Block insertion point” at 2 pixels has I think done the trick, thanks. I was looking for “cursor”, silly me. I haven’t used it in anger yet but if that isn’t enough I’ll try the windows settings option - true that it’s not the only program I sometimes have trouble with.

6

Hi you all, happy March.

What are your recommendations to make the cursor better visible? I am using already the largest possible size in Scrivener 3 for Windows.

What do you recommend to make the cursor more visible in Scrivener 3?

Sometimes I lose track of my cursor completely and only find it again by moving the mouse like crazy and then clicking somewhere in the text and then having to go hunting to find a tiny, thin, blinking line, the cursor.

For those who do not have eagle vision, how can I make Scrivener cursor easier on my eyes?

I’m thankful for all tips.

7

Hi
Hmmm
 Given the fact that you can turn the cursor into a cube (no less), I doubt that’s the case.
image

See that setting:

image
image675×730 28.8 KB

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8

Within windows, go to the accessibility settings and change the ‘text cursor’ settings. Because the solution is outside of scrivener, it works on all your apps. For some apps it is a game changer.

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9

You may even add the little colored bubbles (I don’t know the actual name for it) above and below the cursor. (In windows’ settings, that is, this time.)

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10

Yep, that’s exactly what I was directing him to. They are called ‘text cursor indicators’. They can be made to be very ‘in your face’ if that’s the look you want.

Off topic, there are also similar mouse pointer accessibility options - I have my mouse a bright green colour.

With these options configured, it’s very hard for these things to fade into the background.

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11

Thanks for that, Vincent. The cursor is now big and blinking but orange!!! Yikes. Can I get it to blink in another color?

12

Thanks, this is a great tip but it didn’t change anything in Scrivener for me.

13

Thanks, Stingy, I made the change and can see those funny text cursor indicator while I type this message. However, they are not in Scrivener.

However, I changed the cursor size successfully but it is an ugly orange. I want another color. Is that possible?

14

Hello Winnie, sorry I don’t think you can change the cursor colour (or I don’t know how it’s done, put it that way).

It’s weird that you have the cursor indicators happening in windows but not in scrivener. It’s a windows thing not a scrivener thing so all I can suggest is that you try it again after rebooting. Please note I’m using win 11.

I tried mucking about with the size of the cursor in scrivener menus, making it a big block, which is I think replicating what you have done, and it still worked. So I’m at a loss why it’s not working your end.

For me it works in scrivener no worries, screenshot below:

image

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15

Hi Stingy,

I am still using Windows 10. Maybe it will change after I update to 11.

I am getting the big block, which is great. It just the color that puts me off. Looks like a orange lego brick, haha.

I made a screenshot of my Scrivener 3 screen. The orange thing blinks and feels disruptive. Maybe I should make it smaller, now that the cursor indicators are working? But it will be still in this ugly orange.

1

16

I just did the test in Word. There, and in every other application, the cursor flashes black and inconspicuously but not in Scrivener 3.

17

You are using a theme, right? That’s likely why.
@AntoniDol

18

Hi Vincent,

Yes, I do. I noticed that when I change the color of my editor, the cursor indicator changes color. I guess, I have to find another color to get rid of the orange blinking.

Thanks for you help.

19

I was going to say that. But you beat me to it.
QPlainTextEdit only supports /* qproperty-cursorWidth: 10; */
The color is optimized for contrast, so Black on White, Orange on Blue


20

Hello Winnie,
The screenshot you provided shows that the cursor balloon things are visible - just. They very closely match your background, so it’s working for you in win10 - but it may not be visible with the mk1 eyeball on your screen? Just change the colour of the ‘balloons’ to something with greater contrast to the background - I assume that’s possible in win10? In terms of what I was suggesting it’s working for you.