N-Trig closing Wintab compatibility gap

EXCLUSIVE

If you've read any of this blog's Surface Pro 3 coverage, you'll know that my greatest concern about the new tablet's pen technology has not been a lack of pressure levels or high initial activation force. My biggest fear, borne out by testing of about 40 graphics applications, has been the limited compatibility of N-Trig's Wintab driver.

As we quickly discovered when we first tested the driver on N-Trig equipped convertibles from Sony and Acer earlier this year, the manufacturer's Wintab software seemed to only support Photoshop. And the more recent version touted by Microsoft during its Reddit AMA session yielded similarly disappointing results. 

Following the publication of my Surface Pro 3 "What Runs, What Doesn't" feature detailing this woeful state of affairs, N-Trig engineers enlisted my aid in better understanding the issues confronting them. Within 24 hours of our initial contact, I was given exclusive access to a new driver test build.

Unlike my initial tests, which required downloading and installing each application, it was very easy to test this new driver with the 100 GB of applications already stored on my Surface Pro 3's SSD.

The results were so dramatically positive, I wanted to publish them immediately. However, N-Trig requested that I temper my enthusiasm while they conducted a bit more internal testing.

Indeed, isolated issues remain to be sorted out, but I can now report that the vast majority of Wintab software that I've tested now recognizes pen pressure on the Surface Pro 3. Additionally, I tested the new drivers on the Sony Flip 15A and Acer Aspire R7-572 and both have yielded similarly positive results.

Pen pressure tests in Mischief. Initial activation force is too high, making light strokes very difficult to register.

ZBrush? Check. Painter? Krita? Check. Check. Mischief? SAI? MyPaint? Check. Check. Check.

Notable exceptions include the ever problematic Autodesk Mudbox, which still doesn't recognize the pen and Adobe Illustrator, CorelDraw and CorelPhoto-Paint which all exhibit intermittent pen issues.

The N-Trig developers tell me that they're noticing other more subtle issues in some software which they're attempting to address before the Surface Pro 3 is released June 20.

I've also learned that Adobe's Photoshop CC update, which eliminates the need for Wintab, is scheduled to be released on June 18. Corel's Wintab-less versions should be available in July.

Once the Wintab driver is released publicly, I'll update the What Runs feature. In the meantime, if compatibility with your favorite Wintab application has been holding you back from ordering a new Surface Pro 3, that should soon be one less obstacle.

Demo machines began arriving in Microsoft Stores and Best Buy outlets throughout the U.S. this weekend and I still recommend that you try the pen out for yourself.

I'm convinced that the drawing experience will be acceptable to most of you, but the most demanding among you may still want to wait until Microsoft publishes its pen control panel shortly after launch. 

Though much improved, issues remain. In this capture from Krita, the stroke fails to draw twice. The same issue is present in Adobe Illustrator and CorelDraw.

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Improved Mudbox ArtDock...and one for Softimage too!

Alex Cheparev, the designer of the icons in the SurfaceProArtist ArtDock, is a big Mudbox user and he sent me his improved toolbar for that software back when Autodesk released the 2015 version.

I took that opportunity to begin to create a more compact layout for the docks, starting with the program picker and Mudbox and I even had a go at creating a new dock for Softimage.

Unfortunately, that was when we both discovered that the program's paintbrush was not behaving properly with the Surface Pro's display drivers.

So I shelved the project until a fix for Mudbox was released, never expecting the resolution to take many months.  As I wrote yesterday, a new Intel HD update corrects the issue.

I also promised yesterday to release this new ArtDock today, but I realize now that it's in pretty rough shape.

Photoshop, Sketchbook Pro, Maya and ZBrush are unchanged and should work as before. The 3DS Max and Sculptris docks are placeholders (most of the keystrokes are not mapped correctly).

The Softimage dock is very much an alpha version. I went a little nuts putting down all my favorite keyboard shortcuts, but I think it's working well.

Alex's new Mudbox dock works great  In addition to adding multiple columns of icons, I moved the starting position of the new docks to locations where they were less likely to interfere with important menu items.

Download the SurfaceProArtist ArtDock 2.5 beta here. 

To use the ArtDock, you'll first need to download Autohotkey from http://ahkscript.org/download/1.1/AutoHotkey111403_Install.exe. When the installation is done, make sure to run the Autohotkey script. Unzip the SurfaceProArtist ArtDock and copy the Artdock folder to your C:\ directory. Double-click the ArtDock shortcut to run (you can copy this to your desktop or taskbar).

I'm not sure how much time I will have to invest in getting the other ArtDocks fixed in the near term, so if you have time to make them work, please let me know so we can share your efforts with the rest of the SurfaceProArtist community.

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Lenovo Thinkpad 10 with Wacom due out soon

Last night's announcement from HP reminded me that I had never posted this news from Lenovo, which was released in mid-May. Like every penabled device, the fact that the Tablet 10 is penabled is entirely absent from the release below. It seems only Samsung is placing its pen front and center in promotions of Note devices. The Thinkpad 10 is not yet available for sale, but you can find out more from the Lenovo website here:  http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/tablets/thinkpad/thinkpad-10 

PRESS RELEASE

ThinkPad 10: The Best Business Tablet gets Better  

Pioneering for a superior user experience, ThinkPad 10 is optimized for business professionals seeking the ultimate in flexibility and connectivity. Constructed from premium aluminium with Gorilla glass to protect its ten inch full HD vivid display, the ThinkPad 10 tablet delivers a premium mobile experience with enhanced productivity capability in a purposeful lightweight design. Users can be creative with four flexible modes – Tablet, Stand, Laptop and Desktop. When connected to the optional ThinkPad Tablet Dock or USB3.0 docking station, users can add an external display, mouse, and either the Compact Bluetooth keyboard or directly attach the ThinkPad 10 Ultrabook full sized keyboard, making the transition from a highly mobile tablet to a resourceful office environment seamless. The Quickshot Cover makes photo taking a breeze. Whether for personal or business use, a quick flip of the cover protecting the eight megapixel camera launches the app automatically, ready for that dramatic landscape or the insurance assessment.
 
“Customers want a versatile device that adapts to their way of life and offers uncompromised productivity whether in the office or on the move,” said Luis Hernandez, vice president and general manager, ThinkPad, Lenovo. “Our new ThinkPad 10 tablet marries business optimized features with a unique multimode design to offer an exceptional computing experience that allows users to work, play and create in virtually any environment. ThinkPad 10 is engineered for quality you can touch and measure and is designed to adapt to be what you need, when you need it.”

Boasting an unmatched range of business features and accessories, the ThinkPad 10 comes with a digitizer pen for pinpoint accuracy and natural writing input, Windows 8.1 including 64-bit support, up to 4GB of memory and up to 128GB of storage.Wireless options including 3G/4G LTE1 ensure access to data virtually anywhere and up to ten hours of battery life provides productivity throughout the day. IT managers will also appreciate VPN access control, application deployment management and can prevent users from installing prohibited apps. In addition, Lenovo Services offer a complete suite of packages, including sealed battery warranties, accidental damage protection and laser etching and tagging.

Pricing and Availability
The ThinkPad 10 starts at $599 and will be available starting in June on www.lenovo.com and at selected retailers. 

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HP announces laptop-tablet hybrid with Wacom pen

PRESS RELEASE

PALO ALTO, Calif. — HP today announced several new PCs in industry-leading form factors, including a detachable two-in-one notebook PC for business users, and a new series of HP Elite devices.

The HP Pro x2 612 functions as both a full high-powered notebook and a sleek business tablet that offers maximum flexibility while also providing the security needed to keep business data protected.

Today’s workforce is faced with an unprecedented blend of work and personal lives, requiring technology that is mobile, thoughtfully designed, connected and secure. HP understands this and facilitates a work/life blend with innovative new devices that offer flexibility and value in providing customers with a one-of-a-kind business PC experience.

“While the use of technology in business has allowed a blurring of the line that separates work and life, many businesses require updated technology that delivers a secure and satisfying experience to its employees,” said Enrique Lores, senior vice president and general manager, Commercial PCs, HP. “HP continues to innovate secure business devices that allow employees to be productive and stylish wherever work—or life—takes them.”

HP Pro x2 612: The power of a notebook with the convenience of a detachable

The sleek HP Pro x2 612 is HP’s first commercial detachable PC, built from the ground up exclusively for enterprise users. The sleek design features a 12.5-inch diagonal display, as well the performance business users demand with Intel® Core™ i3/i5 processors including a vPro option. To stay secure on the go, the tablet includes HP BIOS, HP Client Security, HP Sure Start, Smart Card Reader, HP TPM and an optional fingerprint reader.

The HP Pro x2 612 offers multiple purchase options that provide solutions for full notebook replacement or travel needs.

Customers can choose the sleek, secure standalone tablet—the HP Pro Tablet 612. The tablet can be attached to the full-size HP Pro x2 612 Power Keyboard with embedded battery, and features VGA, RJ-45, DisplayPort, two USB 3.0 ports and side docking connector for optional HP UltraSlim dock. Customers can enjoy the freedom provided by dual batteries—one in the tablet and one in the power keyboard—that provide eight hours and 15 minutes of battery life for the tablet and up to 14 hours and 15 minutes of battery life with tablet and keyboard combined.

Or, users can choose the soft, ultra mobile backlit keyboard, with USB 3.0 port, combo audio jack and a power connector. Productivity is further bolstered with an optional battery-free Wacom pen with built-in holder, allowing users to write and draw vivid, dynamic graphic content precisely with 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity and palm rejection technology.

HP 2013 UltraSlim Docking Station Quickly and easily expand your display, network, and device connectivity to customize an always-ready workspace.

Regardless of the chosen configuration, the HP Pro x2 612 is packed with business-ready features to keep users connected and productive wherever work takes them. A large full high-definition (FHD) screen, Qualcomm Gobi 4G LTE modem, and dual high-definition (HD) webcams make sharing and editing content easy.

Pricing and availability

The HP Pro x2 612 and HP Pro Tablet 612 are expected to be available in September.

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Surface Pro 3: One week later...

I’m late to the Surface Pro 3 review party and it seems every other tech journalist or blogger has already written thousands of words on the subject.

But with the exception of Penny Arcade’s Gabe (Mike Krahulik), none of the early reviews have focused on what we all really want to know: the suitability of the device for painting, drawing and sculpting.

The second magnet which angles the type cover significantly improves the typing experience on the Surface Pro 3. Unfortunately, it also makes it difficult to swipe from the bottom of the screen or access icons in the taskbar.

So I’ll dispense with the basics: 

• The screen is bigger, but not so big to be less portable.
• The 3:2 aspect ratio feels much less cramped in landscape mode and more natural to hold in portrait mode.
• The display resolution of 2160x1440 is crisp and beautiful.
• The SP3 is about 30% thinner than the previous Surface Pros.
• While not the lightest tablet for its size, the SP3 no longer feels like a brick.
• The device runs silently most of the time, but 3d applications can force the fans into overdrive.
• Heat is not unbearable, but seems to be concentrated in the upper right corner (in landscape mode). You won’t feel the heat at all if you’re just browsing or doing simple office tasks.
• The pen really is impressively accurate and handwriting on the screen is as good an experience as it’s ever been.
• Battery life is very good. I’ve been able to go the entire day on a single charge. As I write this, I’ve been going for over three hours and am at 60%.
• The redesigned power adapter is much easier to attach. No more fiddling with the finicky magnet!
• The pen is a significant upgrade over the original Surface Pro stylus. 
• The touchpad on the new type cover is larger and significantly improved.
• The new magnet at the top of the type cover, which angles the keyboard slightly for typing, is a huge improvement (I’m typing this post on the SP3 right now).
• While the type cover is angled, it lines up with the very bottom of the display and makes it impossible to swipe up from the bottom and difficult to unhide the taskbar or select taskbar icons.
• The Windows home button has been moved and is now on the center right of the screen (in landscape mode). Some users have complained that it’s too easy to hit it accidentally.
• The variable kickstand is genius. 
• The speakers are louder.
• The wifi is upgraded.
• Overall performance seems to be on-par with the similarly spec’d Surface Pro 2. My test unit has 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage.
• Because I’ve been using a pre-production machine, there have been a handful of quirks (like disabled wifi after waking) that Microsoft is promising to fix by ship date.

So bottom line, the Surface Pro 3 is a huge improvement over its predecessors and addresses nearly all the issues anyone has had with prior incarnations. 

The variable kickstand is one of the most welcome changes to the Surface Pro 3 design, especially the lowest angle which is ideal for drawing: no more need for a separate stand.

That’s all well and good you say, but what’s it like for drawing?

When pen pressure is available, drawing with the Surface Pro 3 is a pleasure. Initial activation force is a little higher than I’d prefer so it can be difficult to make very light marks. Sometimes light strokes will skip. In software where you can edit your pen pressure curve (as in Manga Studio/Clip Studio Paint), you can adjust for this and get much better results.

These tests demonstrate the pressure range I was able to achieve in Clip Studio Paint 1.3.1 with a 200px Frenden brush on a 10"x10" image at 300 dpi. I adjusted the slope of the pen pressure curve to have a much slower acceleration. The default linear curve requires too much initial force, which makes it nearly impossible for me to register light marks.

The pen pressure settings in Clip Studio Paint.

Microsoft is promising to deliver a control panel applet shortly after launch that will enable pressure curve and tip sensitivity settings. I’ve asked them to consider adding visual meters to the tip adjustments so that it’s easier to see the amount of force being applied. Button configuration will also be possible and they are considering adding a marking or radial menu similar to Wacom’s.

Although the pen nib is much preferred over the hard tip on the current Surface Pro pen, it is still a bit too hard for my taste. It feels a little too slippery on the glass. Microsoft has heard our concerns and will be offering tip replacements including softer options. Unfortunately, there is no precise date when these will be available.

The N-Trig digitizer on the Surface Pro 3 is compatible with a variety of pens already on the market. I’ve only tested the Sony Active Pen, but other manufacturers like Motion already offer a compatible pen with replacement tips.

As touted by Microsoft, the digitizer is free of the edge inaccuracies that have plagued many of the Wacom devices I've tested. Calibration was perfect out of the box and when I tried to run the calibration tool, I threw it off slightly so I simply reverted back to the default settings.

Palm rejection is a little bit hit and miss at the moment, although Microsoft is taking steps to improve it. It’s not an issue in software like Manga Studio and Sketchable that give you the option to disable touch drawing without disabling gestures (brilliant!), but it can be an issue in other software.

The operating system will disable touch when the pen tip comes within a certain distance of the screen. But if you tilt your pen, it’s possible that your hand will leave stray marks in software like Fresh Paint.

To correct for this, Microsoft will be adding a second level of palm detection that will use the digitizer’s image sensor to evaluate the shape of the object coming into contact with the screen. The assumption being that you’re unlikely to want to draw with your palm (ham-fisted shading?) vs. a fingertip.

A major knock against prior N-Trig incarnations is what some call vectoring: random stray lines that shoot off in the middle of a drawing. This doesn’t occur often, but I have experienced it. Microsoft believes it has a solution which will be implemented in a Day One firmware update.

One of the areas where I’ve noticed that performance doesn’t seem to be quite up to prior generations’ is when I’m attempting to pan, zoom and rotate with my fingers while drawing. I’ve discovered that this is due to the pen position. If I hold the tip too close to the screen while I’m touching, the gesture is disabled. This feels like a brief stutter, but being more aware of the pen placement will correct this.

At least in Manga Studio the pinch to zoom gesture is sometimes confused with the rotation gesture. 

A by-product of the active capacitive technology used by N-Trig is hover lag. This is the delay between the on-screen cursor position and the pen tip. If you move your pen very quickly over the display, the cursor will lag behind like a shadow. 

In the Penny Arcade review, Krahulik described this as a performance issue, but I believe it’s more of an optical illusion. You can be confident that the pen will tap wherever your tip is located; there’s no need to wait that extra millisecond for the cursor to catch up. If you find the visual lag very disturbing, you can try reducing the pointer to a one-pixel dot. 

Parallax, the separation between the tip and the actual drawing surface, is greatly reduced compared to the original Surface Pro models. This is because the N-Trig technology requires only one digitizer layer. In Wacom systems, there is a capacitive (touch) layer and an active (pen) layer.

The real stumbling block for artists considering the Surface Pro 3 is N-Trig’s spotty Wintab compatibility. This issue isn’t unique to the SP3, it also plagues other devices like the Sony Flip 15A and Acer Aspire R7-572. Simply put, it looks like this driver was only tested with Photoshop CC, where it works flawlessly.

Every other wintab program I’ve tried (see What Runs, What Doesn’t) simply doesn’t see the tablet service. 

Like many Wintab programs, ZBrush 4R6 runs and is very responsive; however, pen pressure is absent.

ZBrush displays an error message that the service is not running upon launch. However, the program will proceed to launch and will work except pen pressure is not recognized. Mudbox doesn’t recognize the pen or touch, although it can be controlled with the touchpad or a mouse. Most other programs work as expected except that brushes draw at 100% pressure.

(The pen pressure works in 3D-Coat,, the ZBrush and Mudbox competitor,  but that program’s OpenGL version has display issues. The DirectX version runs okay. I haven’t had time to confirm whether other OpenGL applications have similar problems.)

All of this is (hopefully) a temporary situation. Adobe’s next Photoshop, due out in June, will no longer require Wintab. Corel is reportedly working on a Microsoft API version of Painter. Microsoft and N-Trig are scrambling to improve compatibility with other programs before the SP3 ship date. And third party developers such as Pixologic and Autodesk will obviously be pressured by users to make their products work. (Whether they do anything about it remains to be seen, although failing to respond may represent an opportunity for swift moving competitors.)

It’s unfortunate that the change in digitizer tech has resulted in so much uncertainty in the creative user base which had whole-heartedly embraced the Surface Pro. If you rely on any of the programs that don’t work at present, the best option may be to sit on the sidelines until the dust settles. And there will certainly be great discounts to be had on remaining inventories of the SP1 and 2.

If you’re an art hobbyist or a professional who works primarily in Photoshop or Manga Studio, the Surface Pro 3 may be the creative tablet of your dreams. But the N-Trig experience is just different enough that I recommend you try it for yourself before you buy. 

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Sizing up the Surface Pro 3 pen

Since the Surface Pro 3  that I and all other tech reviewers received last week is a pre-production unit, there are a lot of minor tweaks and software fixes  that Microsoft intends to publish before the devices begin shipping June 20.

That being the case, anything you read between now and then about compatibility and performance is likely to change.

One thing that won't is the new Surface Pro 3 pen. Thus far, reviewers have talked about the pen in isolation, but I thought it would be helpful to show it in comparison to some of the more popular Wacom-compatible options.

As Microsoft proudly proclaims, the new pen is definitely not a stylus. It has a nice metallic finish, two prominent buttons, a clip and a clickable end that automatically launches OneNote.

The new pen is the same length as the current Surface Pro stylus, but it is slightly wider and the required AAAA battery adds nice weight. The Wacom Bamboo Feel Stylus - Carbon is much longer with its cap on. The Bamboo's weight tends to tip toward the cap, whereas the weight of the new Surface pen feels nicely balanced.  

The dimensions of the new Surface Pro 3 pen are very similar to the Sony Active Pen (minus click end). The two pens are interchangeable, but neither offers replacement nibs. In response to this issue, Microsoft is considering marketing replacement nibs of different textures. I'll have more information on this as it becomes available. 

If you read the excellent Reddit AMA post by Microsoft's head of the Applied Sciences Group Steven Bathiche that I published yesterday, you'll know that the new Surface Pen takes a very different approach to capturing pen information. The active capacitive technology transfers more the responsibility to the pen and affords a thinner digitizer in the Surface Pro. Besides the AAAA battery, there are two small cells located in the cap to power the pen's remote control function.

Marketing presentation from N-Trig. The main takeaway is that this tech works with the capacitive or touch layer and doesn't require an additional pen digitizer layer.

The new type cover ships with a pen loop that attaches to the left side of the keyboard. It's snug, but secures the pen well.

The loop itself is merely a sticker that adheres to the back of the type cover. Microsoft sells these separate if you'd like to add one to your existing Surface Pro. 

The type cover has a groove near the connector edge that is a nice alternative to the pen loop.

Just clip your pen along the side and it will be snug and secure.

I've enlisted the aid of the amazing Ray Frenden to develop a brush that will allow us to better evaluate the performance of the pen and the N-Trig digitizer vs. the existing models. I'll have that up as soon as possible.

UPDATED: Wacom Feel IT driver brings radial menu to Surface Pro, Tablet PC

UPDATE 5/28/14: Some users (myself included) have experienced issues with the official driver. It will periodically turn itself off, disabling the pen. The fix has been to either turn the pen service back on or restart the Surface Pro. Wacom engineering has corrected the issue and the new version is now available for download here:  http://www.wacomeng.com/component/get.php?dlid=1507741624 

The next driver update is expected at the end of June and will feature multi-point calibration and the ability to right click by tapping in the middle of the radial menu. Can't wait!

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ORIGINAL POST

Wacom has just released its new Enhanced Tablet PC driver (also known as Feel IT) for penabled devices like the Surface Pro. The company last updated the driver (version 7.1.2-9) in October. That version had some calibration issues for existing hardware and was incompatible with the Asus Vivotab Note 8 released earlier this year.

The new driver, labeled 7.2.0-4 fixes the AVTN8 issue, and offers some significant additions: a new combined control panel for pen and touch sensors, a single level Radial Menu, an option in the control panel to remove the ripple effect for the pen and a couple of other enhanced features and stability improvements.

The Radial Menu is especially noteworthy as it can be customized with often-used commands and reduce the need for a keyboard with many graphics applications.

Unfortunately, calibration is still limited to four points, but in my tests on a Surface Pro, AVTN8 and Thinkpad Yoga, the calibration seems much more accurate and spots that were previously not accessible by pen (especially along the bottom of the screen where it was difficult to access the hidden taskbar) can now be reached easily.

This is especially good news for AVTN8 users who could not use their pens with software that required Wintab support because the old version inverted x, y values.

The driver's Control Panel item has been relabeled as Wacom Pen. It consists of two tabs, Pen and Radial Menu.

On the Pen tab, you can now configure a second pen button if you have it. There are new Tip Options: Click Sound, Hard Press to Double-Click, Hover Click and Show Ripple Effect. You can also oppen the system's Pen and Touch Control Panel directly from this tab. 

Besides keystroke combinations, Open/Run, Settings and Switch Application may be useful to tablet pc artists.

I'll show you mine if you show me yours. The radial menu is a new toy for me. Here's my first attempt at customization. Are these the same keystrokes you would map to your pen button? Did I miss something?

I'm excited to play with the new Radial Menu, a feature I've always envied Cintiq users. There are eight slots available, currently populated with six music functions (play/pause, previous track and next track, volume up, volume down and mute) and web browser and email launchers. I'm sure all of you will find much better uses for those eight buttons!

UPDATE 2 (4/22/14): Several of you have already pointed out that assigning the radial menu to a single pen button means you will be giving up a right click button. For the OS and most applications, this is easily remedied by tapping and holding the pen or finger to the item, which will call up the desired context menu. Although this method works with the pen on the Windows 8 Start screen, tapping and holding the stylus doesn't work with Modern apps. For those, you'll have to use your finger. If you'd like to map the right click onto your radial menu, you can use the keyboard shortcut {{Shift} {F10}} to call up the context menu on the currently selected item. Unfortunately, in my brief tests this doesn't seem to work reliably.

UPDATE (4/21/14): The driver is now available for download from the US link. According to the readme, "If you are upgrading from a previous Wacom driver version, uninstall that driver first for best results. Restart the system prior to installing the new driver."

Visit http://us.wacom.com/en/feeldriver/ in the U.S. and http://www.wacom.eu/index4.asp?pid=9281 in Europe.

Technobuffalo: Hands-on with the Surface Pro 3 pen

Revision 3's Technobuffalo has put together an excellent introductory video to the new Surface Pro 3 pen. Host Jon Rettinger focuses primarily on OneNote, but there are a couple of shots in the video that zoom in to demonstrate the accuracy of the pen tip. Well worth five minutes of your time.

Surface Pen Hands-On  

Surface Pro 3 Unboxing: http://bit.ly/1tMjMwI The Surface Pro 3 is Microsoft's new all-arounder, a device designed for both work and play. This is the company's most recent attempt at reinventing the laptop/tablet hybrid, and the company's message is crystal clear: it's going straight after Apple's MacBook Air.

SurfaceProArtist on Surfacegeeks podcast

I'm no on-camera talent and my video setup and connection were really weak, but the conversation with the Surfacegeeks guys was fun and we got to cover a lot of territory.

Surface Pro 3 for Artists on Surface Geeks 68