How to make custom terraria cursors! Simple & Easy!

The step-by-step guide to make your very own custom cursor!

Getting Started

Hello! I have been asked quite allot on how I make my own custom cursor for vanilla terraria. Since I have been getting questioned so much, I bring you a guide!

Just like many other games, you can change the sprites and textures of various different textures. In the case for terraria, we will be changing the cursor!

This is a simple list of the tools you will need to successfully complete this task. The tools listed are all open source and free:

• Image editing software - Paint(.)Net[www.getpaint.net] - Good alternative Gimp[www.gimp.org]
  
• Png to Xnb software - png_to_xnb[github.com]

DISCLAIMER:
Although this is harmless and perfectly safe, I don't take credit for your misdoings. Please don't attempt to mod your computer/game file(s) without basic knowledge of computers and or how they operate.

Make sure you have closed your game before continuing on this guide.

Backing up the sprites

The first thing you will want to do is open your cursor sprite directory. This can be found in:
Default: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Terraria\Content\Images\UI

Find the files Cursor_0.xnb, Cursor_1.xnb and copy them to a safe location as backups.
These two files are the sprites for both the Auto selection cursor and the Manual selection cursor.

• Manual selection - Cursor_0.xnb
  
• Auto selection - Cursor_1.xnb

Making custom sprites

Now with your imaging software, paint .net for this example, make a new blank template.

The image default detentions are 14x14. You can make your cursor up to 128x128 however keep in mind the larger the image the larger it will show in game. For the sake of this tutorial, I will make a 32x32 size sprite.

Have some creativity! Make this cursor anything you want!


Saving:

Be sure after you are done to remove the pixels around your cursor. Using the select tool and the "DEL" key you can do this easy. You will need to save the image as a .png, to select 8-bit for the Bit Depth, set the Dithering Level to 8, and the Transparency Threshold to 255.

• Bit Depth: The number of bits used to indicate the color of a single pixel. For BMP or PNG file formats this setting is more commonly beneficial.
  
• Dithering Level: Makes colors that are next to each blend more smoothly when saving which keeps the colors from looking choppy; the higher is it, the more the colors blend next to each other)
  
• Transparency Threshold: Makes the image transparent; the higher it is, the more transparent it is.

Notice:
Please keep note that there are two cursors you will want to make a sprite for. You can make them both the same by simply making Cursor_0 & Cursor_1 both the same sprite. However, for those who wish to have separate sprites continue this section.

The Manual cursor is the cursor that allows you to select an individual block to mine at cursor location. Notice that this cursor is more narrow then the Automatic.

The Automatic cursor is the cursor that allows you to auto select the next block closest to your cross hairs. Notice that this cursor is more wide then the Manual.

Examples:

The manual:


The automatic:

Uploading to your directory

Now that you have created your very own cursor, you will want to use it ingame!

Todo this you will want to convert your .png to a .xnb; For this example we will be using png_to_xnb. Either simply drag the .png over the png_to_xnb.exe or manually open png_to_xnb.exe and upload the file. This program will convert your file into an .xnb.

• Input File: The location of your .png
  
• Output File: The location to save your .xnb
  
• Reach - The compiler setting used by Terraria

Now you want to go back to your game texture directory.
Default: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Terraria\Content\Images\UI

Simply rename your .xnb to Cursor_0 or Cursor_1 depending on the sprite you are making. After renaming, drag the file into the texture directory and over right if prompted.

Configuring ingame settings

Now that you have finished making and uploading your custom cursor sprite, its important to "configure" it ingame.

Its important to note that you may see a "Shadow" behind your cursor. To fix this you will want to turn your four Border Color settings all the way to the left.


Nextly, to change the color of your cursor you will simply want to adjust the cursor color settings. For the raw cursor without any added color you will want to change the first and second bars to the left and the last one to the right:

Credits

Thanks for making your way to the end of this guide! If you found anything useful, please give a like and subscribe! I make useful guides from time to time so stay open!

Special thanks to these contributers helping to make this process as smooth as possible!

@Skiff - Helped fix a common saving configuration issue. [4/28/2018]
@Dr Zoidberg - Co-helper with configuration issue fix. [4/28/2018]
@oko - Brought up a good alternative to Paint .net. [4/21/2018]

Good luck and happy modding!

[Captain Duckhead]

Thank you for this cool and simple guide, through the use of this guide I can now finally see my Terraria cursor when I am playing https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2986913352

[blingo cringlo]

it to confusing

[Samigator]

can u set this one up for download? I just want to change the colours in this sprite but im not a good painter, sprite maker or whatever

[Samigator]

epic gamer detected, good guide i didnt know this was even possible

[NikorasuKun]

Can you do a guide for armor and weapon sprites?

[﴾Λ͟rtificial﴿]

Sure np

[FataxesJR]

Thank you xXcrypticnightXx, very cool!






im sorry

[Drunken Contender]

thanks man! it worked amazingly and im really proud of you for making a good guide that isnt a joke like most of the recent ones, and now i have a cool cursor, and i made some for friends

[Vrah]

this is bad it says it is easy but it is not it is trash and super hard to do guys do not read this worthless garbage

[Clams]

100% good guide 10/10