diff --git a/entity.lua b/entity.lua
index 918a9d5..5bbbc2f 100644
--- a/entity.lua
+++ b/entity.lua
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@ minetest.register_entity("pick_and_place:display", {
 		physical = false,
         static_save = false,
 		collisionbox = {0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0},
-		visual = "upright_sprite",
-		visual_size = {x=10, y=10},
+		visual = "cube",
+		visual_size = {x=1, y=1, z=1},
 		glow = 10
 	},
 	on_step = function(self)
diff --git a/init.lua b/init.lua
index c567b08..fbfc619 100644
--- a/init.lua
+++ b/init.lua
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ pick_and_place = {}
 
 local MP = minetest.get_modpath("pick_and_place")
 dofile(MP .. "/common.lua")
+dofile(MP .. "/pointed.lua")
 dofile(MP .. "/serialize.lua")
 dofile(MP .. "/entity.lua")
 dofile(MP .. "/node.lua")
diff --git a/pointed.lua b/pointed.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..272b40c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pointed.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+
+--- returns the pointed position
+function pick_and_place.get_pointed_position(player, distance)
+    distance = distance or 10
+    local ppos = player:get_pos()
+    local eye_height = player:get_properties().eye_height
+    ppos = vector.add(ppos, {x=0, y=eye_height, z=0})
+    local look_dir = player:get_look_dir()
+
+    local pos = vector.add(ppos, vector.multiply(look_dir, distance))
+    return vector.round(pos)
+end
diff --git a/preview.lua b/preview.lua
index 017470c..762efb1 100644
--- a/preview.lua
+++ b/preview.lua
@@ -2,16 +2,8 @@
 -- playername => key
 local active_preview = {}
 
-local function add_preview_entity(texture, key, visual_size, pos, rotation)
-	local ent = pick_and_place.add_entity(pos, key)
-	ent:set_properties({
-		visual_size = visual_size,
-		textures = {texture}
-	})
-	ent:set_rotation(rotation)
-end
-
 function pick_and_place.show_preview(playername, texture, color, pos1, pos2)
+	pos2 = pos2 or pos1
 	texture = texture .. "^[colorize:" .. color
 
 	local key =
@@ -27,51 +19,22 @@ function pick_and_place.show_preview(playername, texture, color, pos1, pos2)
 	pick_and_place.clear_preview(playername)
 	active_preview[playername] = key
 
-	local size = vector.subtract(pos2, pos1)
-	local half_size = vector.divide(size, 2) -- 8 .. n
-
-	-- z-
-	add_preview_entity(texture, key,
-		{x=size.x, y=size.y},
-		vector.add(pos1, {x=half_size.x-0.5, y=half_size.y-0.5, z=-0.5}),
-		{x=0, y=0, z=0}
-	)
-
-	-- z+
-	add_preview_entity(texture, key,
-		{x=size.x, y=size.y},
-		vector.add(pos1, {x=half_size.x-0.5, y=half_size.y-0.5, z=size.z-0.5}),
-		{x=0, y=0, z=0}
-	)
-
-	-- x-
-	add_preview_entity(texture, key,
-		{x=size.z, y=size.y},
-		vector.add(pos1, {x=-0.5, y=half_size.y-0.5, z=half_size.z-0.5}),
-		{x=0, y=math.pi/2, z=0}
-	)
-
-	-- x+
-	add_preview_entity(texture, key,
-		{x=size.z, y=size.y},
-		vector.add(pos1, {x=size.x-0.5, y=half_size.y-0.5, z=half_size.z-0.5}),
-		{x=0, y=math.pi/2, z=0}
-	)
-
-	-- y-
-	add_preview_entity(texture, key,
-		{x=size.x, y=size.z},
-		vector.add(pos1, {x=half_size.x-0.5, y=-0.5, z=half_size.z-0.5}),
-		{x=math.pi/2, y=0, z=0}
-	)
-
-	-- y+
-	add_preview_entity(texture, key,
-		{x=size.x, y=size.z},
-		vector.add(pos1, {x=half_size.x-0.5, y=size.y-0.5, z=half_size.z-0.5}),
-		{x=math.pi/2, y=0, z=0}
-	)
+	local visual_size = vector.add(vector.subtract(pos2, pos1), 1)
+	local offset = vector.divide(vector.subtract(pos2, pos1), 2)
+	local origin = vector.subtract(pos1, offset)
 
+	local ent = pick_and_place.add_entity(origin, key)
+	ent:set_properties({
+		visual_size = visual_size,
+		textures = {
+			texture,
+			texture,
+			texture,
+			texture,
+			texture,
+			texture
+		}
+	})
 end
 
 function pick_and_place.clear_preview(playername)
diff --git a/textures/pick_and_place_plus.png b/textures/pick_and_place_plus.png
index 9e93c60..1e7b5a2 100644
Binary files a/textures/pick_and_place_plus.png and b/textures/pick_and_place_plus.png differ
diff --git a/tool.lua b/tool.lua
index c19ac92..1366f8c 100644
--- a/tool.lua
+++ b/tool.lua
@@ -7,13 +7,16 @@ minetest.register_tool("pick_and_place:placer", {
     on_use = function(itemstack, player)
         print("on_use: " .. itemstack:get_name() .. ", " .. player:get_player_name())
     end,
-    on_focus = function(itemstack, player)
-        print("on_focus: " .. itemstack:get_name() .. ", " .. player:get_player_name())
+    on_secondary_use = function(itemstack, player)
+        print("on_secondary_use: " .. itemstack:get_name() .. ", " .. player:get_player_name())
     end,
-    on_step = function(itemstack, player)
-        print("on_step: " .. itemstack:get_name() .. ", " .. player:get_player_name())
+    on_step = function(_, player)
+        local playername = player:get_player_name()
+        local pointed_pos = pick_and_place.get_pointed_position(player)
+        pick_and_place.show_preview(playername, "pick_and_place_plus.png", "#00ff00", pointed_pos, vector.add(pointed_pos, {x=1, y=2, z=3}))
     end,
-    on_blur = function(itemstack, player)
-        print("on_blur: " .. itemstack:get_name() .. ", " .. player:get_player_name())
+    on_deselect = function(_, player)
+        local playername = player:get_player_name()
+        pick_and_place.clear_preview(playername)
     end
 })