diff --git a/interface/src/Hand.cpp b/interface/src/Hand.cpp
index f7076aae64..4c6e293fc8 100644
--- a/interface/src/Hand.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Hand.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ Hand::Hand(glm::vec3 initcolor)
     scale.x = 0.07;
     scale.y = scale.x * 5.0;
     scale.z = scale.y * 1.0;
+    renderPointer = true;
 }
 
 void Hand::reset()
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ void Hand::reset()
 
 void Hand::render()
 {
+    const float POINTER_LENGTH = 10.0;
     glPushMatrix();
     glTranslatef(position.x, position.y, position.z);
     glRotatef(yaw, 0, 1, 0);
@@ -50,6 +52,15 @@ void Hand::render()
     glScalef(scale.x, scale.y, scale.z);
     //glutSolidSphere(1.5, 20, 20);
     glutSolidCube(1.0);
+    if (renderPointer) {
+        glBegin(GL_TRIANGLES);
+        glColor3f(1,0,0);
+        glNormal3f(0,-1,0);
+        glVertex3f(-0.4,0,0);
+        glVertex3f(0.4,0,0);
+        glVertex3f(0,0,-POINTER_LENGTH);
+        glEnd();
+    }
     glPopMatrix();
 }
 
diff --git a/interface/src/Hand.h b/interface/src/Hand.h
index aa64bc1620..7019cdea22 100644
--- a/interface/src/Hand.h
+++ b/interface/src/Hand.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ public:
     void setTarget(glm::vec3 t) { target = t; };
     void processTransmitterData(char * packetData, int numBytes);
     float getTransmitterHz() { return transmitterHz; };
+    void setRenderPointer(bool p) { renderPointer = p; };
 private:
     glm::vec3 position, target, velocity, color, scale;
     float pitch, yaw, roll, pitchRate, yawRate, rollRate;
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ private:
     timeval transmitterTimer;
     float transmitterHz;
     int transmitterPackets;
+    bool renderPointer;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/interface/src/main.cpp b/interface/src/main.cpp
index e189b5c715..099a26ee33 100644
--- a/interface/src/main.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/main.cpp
@@ -98,10 +98,10 @@ ParticleSystem balls(0,
                      false,                     //  Wrap?
                      0.02,                      //  Noise
                      0.3,                       //  Size scale 
-                     0.0                        //  Gravity 
+                     0.0                        //  Gravity
                      );
 
-Cloud cloud(0,                             //  Particles
+Cloud cloud(20000,                             //  Particles
             box,                           //  Bounding Box
             false                          //  Wrap
             );
@@ -540,8 +540,9 @@ void display(void)
     glEnable (GL_DEPTH_TEST);
     glEnable(GL_LIGHTING);
     glEnable(GL_LINE_SMOOTH);
-    glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT | GL_DEPTH_BUFFER_BIT);
+    //glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT | GL_DEPTH_BUFFER_BIT);
     glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW);
+    
     glPushMatrix();
         glLoadIdentity();
     
@@ -569,6 +570,7 @@ void display(void)
         glColor3f(1,0,0);
         glutSolidSphere(0.25, 15, 15);
     
+        
         //  Draw cloud of dots
         glDisable( GL_POINT_SPRITE_ARB );
         glDisable( GL_TEXTURE_2D );
@@ -614,7 +616,8 @@ void display(void)
             
         //glm::vec3 test(0.5, 0.5, 0.5); 
         //render_vector(&test);
-
+         
+        
     glPopMatrix();
 
     //  Render 2D overlay:  I/O level bar graphs and text  
@@ -683,6 +686,7 @@ void display(void)
     
     glPopMatrix();
     
+
     glutSwapBuffers();
     framecount++;
 }