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+---- Thread: New Surface Pro and Detecting Pen/Pressure Sensitivity (/Thread-New-Surface-Pro-and-Detecting-Pen-Pressure-Sensitivity)
New Surface Pro and Detecting Pen/Pressure Sensitivity - aheroindisguise - 07-07-2017
So I know there are many posts about using tablets and getting gimp to detect the tablet as an input device, but I'm guessing that my problem is new enough that it hasn't quite been posted about yet, or it's too scarce for me to find.
I have the new Surface Pro, i7, 1TB, windows 10, and the new Surface Pro Pen, model 1776. I am using Gimp version 2.8.22. I am not super familiar with Gimp, or with any paint program. I have dabbled with it before for very simple projects, but I struggled big time, so there is a good chance that I'm just being a newb, but I see that this issue comes up a lot on other platforms.
My pressure sensitivity works fine on Windows Ink. In gimp, by default, the pen draws exactly the same quality as the mouse does. no pressure sensitivity. I have played with the dynamic brush settings. I've copied a brush and tweaked the curves and checked different boxes. I got the velocity sensitivity to appear, although not in any sense that was useful for me. Anyway, playing with the dynamic brush settings has no affect on pressure sensitivity. I found the Edit > preferences and input devices menus. Neither the pen nor the tablet appear as a device. Just core pointer. There doesn't appear to be any interface for me to detect a new device, and resetting the devices has no effect. The Available Input Devices are DirectX Direct input, Mouse Wheel, Mouse Buttons, and Keyboard. I tried searching for drivers for the tablet or pen, but I didn't have any luck. Any advice is welcome. Thanks
RE: New Surface Pro and Detecting Pen/Pressure Sensitivity - rich2005 - 07-08-2017
No replies, Maybe a MS SurfacePro user will eventually read the post, & come up with solutions.
These days I use linux and dabble with Windows and the problem must stem from the origins of Gimp, originally unix now developed in linux. Linux has long supported Wacom tablets, code is even embedded in the core (the kernel) for this. Any other tablet and you risk functionality.
Gimp comming from linux is ported over to Windows, unlike other native Windows graphic applications. Even a Wacom can have problems, anything else is taking a risk that it will not work as expected. With a SurfacePro, Win10, and a SurfacePen you are firmly in the hands of Microsoft. It is not in their interest to develop support for free applications such as Gimp, no money in it.
From your description, it works as a mouse. There are reports that Wacom drivers, if they install, add functionallity to the Surface pro. Mainly for their buddies at Adobe
See this old report: http://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-missing-wacom-drivers-coming-to-surface-pro-soon/
You could follow that up, see if there is a wacom driver and hope that it connects with Gimp.
edit: something like this? https://www.windowscentral.com/photoshop-surface-pro-experience
RE: New Surface Pro and Detecting Pen/Pressure Sensitivity - aheroindisguise - 07-08-2017
Interestingly enough, I tried running the Intel Driver Utility, and it found no drivers needing an update. It was worth a shot though, thank you for the research. In the meantime, I'm going to play with the free version of sketchbook. That seems to be a program that takes advantage of the surface features. I would like to be a part of the gimp community, however, so I will keep checking in to see if any solutions pop up. Thanks again.