Configuring Cursor Settings

Cursor settings control cursor behavior for the virtual machines that you run in Workstation Pro.

To configure cursor settings, select Edit > Preferences > Input.

Table 1. Cursor Settings

Setting	Description
Automatically grab and ungrab the mouse	Virtual machines release the cursor when you point outside of the virtual machine window. When this setting is selected, you can use the host system without first pressing a key combination. You might need to deselect this setting if you play computer games that pan or scroll when you move the pointer to the edge of the screen. VMware Tools must be installed in the virtual machine to use this feature.
Hide cursor on ungrab	The cursor does not appear in the virtual machine display after input is transferred back to the host system. If you have multiple virtual machines open at the same time, selecting this setting helps you track the active cursor. VMware Tools must be installed in the virtual machine to use this feature.
Optimize mouse for games	Select mouse behavior for computer games. In some computer games, you move the pointer to the edge of the screen to pan the scene or scroll. By optimizing the virtual mouse for games, you can achieve this effect in a virtual machine. Automatic Workstation Pro determines when to optimize mouse motion. This is the default setting. Always Mouse motion is always optimized for games. Never Mouse motion is never optimized. When you play computer games in a virtual machine, the optimized mouse is usually not released from the virtual machine. Some applications, such as AutoCAD, are incorrectly identified as games. Select this setting if you use AutoCAD and find that the mouse cannot pass freely from the virtual machine to the host system or if pointer speed is different when you use AutoCAD.