Pen lag/deadzone on Surface pro 2017 in Zbrush

Anonymous
2018-05-29T22:59:20+00:00

I bought the Surface Pro 2017 i7 8GB model a couple of days ago primarily for Zbrush (3D sculpting software) with the use of the surface Pen. 

Everything seems to work other that this problem: When i place the pen tip on the screen there seems to be a small zone of about 3mm around the tip where nothing gets registered. When i go out of this zone the stroke gets registered and everything seems fine and is responsive. This happens with every new stroke.

The issue is only with the pen, the trackpad works fine. I did not encounter this issue in other software than Zbrush so far; Photoshop is fine. 

I downloaded the Wintab drivers, turned off 'flicks' and 'press and hold'. Windows is updated (Windows 10, version 1803)

I really hope somebody can help me since I use Zbrush professionally and I bought the Surface Pro just for this software.

Other than this I really love the device and I would hate to return it just for this small software issue.

Kind Regards, Robin

Surface | Surface Pro | Display and screen

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  1. Anonymous
    2018-07-27T13:00:55+00:00

    After a LOT of trying and digging I figured out what the problem is and the answer is... its not a problem, but a windows feature and its present on any PC, Laptop or tablet that runs it at all times, even if you`re using a mouse.

    So what is it? Well, its a snapping "feature" windows has that snaps whatever youre trying to hold and drag to the cursors original location. Once you live the "deadzone" area, whatever youre trying to drag will move to your where your cursor currently is at. I figured this out after opening Zbrush`s infos and noticing that it was in fact recognizing every touch and action I was doing with my surface pen and that not only the "lag" would happen when I was trying to sculpt, but also anywhere else on the screen, including interacting with the UI.

    If you wanna get to this conclusion yourself too, try opening your desktop on your surface and then try holding and dragging a folder around. Youll notice right away that the same thing that happens on zbrush also happens on your desktop. Your folder will stay in place even though the pointer under your tablets pen wont and then itll jump to the pointers location once it moves out of the "deadzone".

    Anyways, I figured this could shine some light on this problem since now we know its not software specific, but a windows thing. Personally i imagine thats one of the things that companies like Wacom fix when they release drivers for their own tablets, but since Zbrush is not as globaly used as software like photoshop and pixologic isn`t as big as Adobe, no driver has been done to get around it.

    Sadly I dont know how to fix it yet though, but Ill post it hear if I find out.

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-06-15T02:47:13+00:00

    We understand. I recommend you use the Feedback Hub app to report the problem as a possible bug. If this gets our software engineers' attention, they'll work on a resolution that should be available through the upcoming updates. To learn more about using the suggested app, you can go here.

    Regards.

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  3. Anonymous
    2018-06-14T10:07:56+00:00

    Thank you for the suggestion but as stated in my initial post only Zbrush has this Issue.

    I tried both SketchBook and Photoshop and both do not have this issue.

    I know Photoshop has this problem as well but this was fixed through a Windows update.

    I already have the surface app and the pressure curve seems to be fine, pressure sensitivity seems to have nothing to do with this problem (without the wintab drivers Zbrush has no pressure sensitivity at all and the problem is still there, also when navigating the menus the problem is there).

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  4. Anonymous
    2018-06-14T00:39:32+00:00

    Hi Robin,

    Thank you for performing the initial suggestion and providing an update. Have you tried to test the Surface Pen inking in a different app? You can open Sketchpad to check if your Surface Pen will behave the same way. If the same problem occurs, let's run a pressure sensitivity test to further check for software issues. You can install and run the Surface app to do this. Once you have downloaded the app from Windows Store, open it and click on the pen icon. Follow the onscreen instructions to adjust the pen sensitivity.

    Keep us updated about the outcome.

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  5. Anonymous
    2018-06-13T21:36:36+00:00

    Sorry I missed your reply but thank you very much for helping me. 

    I ran the Surface Diagnostic kit and everything seems to work correctly. 

    I also made sure all or the surface and windows drivers are up to date.

    I am quite sure this is a software issue. I remember seeing (can´t find it anymore) somebody with the exact same issue but then in Photoshop.

    This was fixed after a Windows update. 

    Multiple friends are interested in Buying a Surface Pro for Zbrush but I just can`t recommend it with this issue which is a shame.

    I can make a recording of the issue if it is still unclear, just let me know.

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