Surface Pro 3 Pen Button Customization

Anonymous
2014-06-21T18:20:54+00:00

I am a previous owner of a Surface Pro 2, and loved the capability it provided of customizing the button commands per program through the Wacom drivers. As a new owner of the surface Pro 3, I a very disappointed to discover that the same functionality is not available in the N-trig driver options. As an artist, the primary use of my surface is for drawing inside of programs like Adobe Photoshop. Not being able to customize the button functions on the new pen is detrimental to my efficiency as a digital artist. Without the ease of having quick access to specific commands through the pen buttons, I am forced to either dig through the menus and submenus of the program to execute a simple command, or connect a keyboard to use hotkeys. One of the greatest features of the surface is the ability to draw inside of photoshop as if it were a paper notebook, freeing me from my desktop work space and removing the requirement of the mouse and keyboard. Without the customization of these pen buttons, I lose that freedom.

I spoke to a Microsoft support tech this morning who informed me that "hopefully" in the next month or two, this feature will be added to the pen drivers. While this is a new product, and I understand that some features are still in development, this feature is crucial in the workflow of any artist using this device. I already own a desktop computer and a laptop; so again, the primary function of the Surface Pro 3 for me is drawing inside of programs like Photoshop without the need for a mouse and keyboard. 

I don't know if any Microsoft representatives read these discussions, but if there is a way I could be included in any sort of pre-release developmental versions of drivers that introduce this capability, I would love to be a part of it and am happy to provide feedback from an artist's perspective. 

Thanks for reading.

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-10-05T06:47:44+00:00

    Microsoft have had months to work on this and nothing. They should take there 'Pro' customers seriously.

    This is a real issue. Don't they want to sell more product?

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-10-06T04:49:35+00:00

    For what it's worth, I've already returned my Surface Pro 3. A one-and-a-half-button pointing device just doesn't cut it.

    I replaced my SP3 with a Samsung of similar specs, but with a 'Penabled' Wacom digitiser instead of the SP3's N-Trig digitiser. I added another compatible pen (from a Fujitsu Lifebook) and now I have pressure control, right-click, middle-click, a pressure-sensitive eraser, and a snappier overall experience.

    The Samsung is nowhere near as pretty as the SP3, but it has all the functionality the SP3 desperately needs.

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-10-08T03:09:30+00:00

    Customization may be on its way.  Per the information on the Oct 6 system hardware update:

    The Surface Pro 3 system update that went out on Oct. 6 contained a Surface Pen Driver that enables additional upcoming configuration options for Surface Pro

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  4. Anonymous
    2014-10-08T03:12:39+00:00

    For what it's worth, I've already returned my Surface Pro 3. A one-and-a-half-button pointing device just doesn't cut it.

    I replaced my SP3 with a Samsung of similar specs, but with a 'Penabled' Wacom digitiser instead of the SP3's N-Trig digitiser. I added another compatible pen (from a Fujitsu Lifebook) and now I have pressure control, right-click, middle-click, a pressure-sensitive eraser, and a snappier overall experience.

    The Samsung is nowhere near as pretty as the SP3, but it has all the functionality the SP3 desperately needs.

    You may have been just a little too quick on that.  I was just told that the Surface Pro 3 system update that came out last night contained a Surface Pen driver to enable additional upcoming configuration options.

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  5. Anonymous
    2014-10-11T12:36:17+00:00

    Hello all,

    for what its worth here is what N-trig support answered to an email I sent concerning the pens side buttons functionality:

    Does N-trig offer customization of the side pen buttons so they can be mapped to various commands or keys, different for each application, like Wacom does?

    For example, in Photoshop, the lower side button set to pan, top side button to right click,  and another combination for Illustrator, Painter, 3dsmax etc?

    If not yet, when is this expected to be  implemented, and is there any workaround through other utilities like autohotkey etc?

    Actually it’s not N-trig’s call.

    We will provide pen API to ODM/OEM like Dell, Acre or SONY, it’s up to them if developing such application.

     Regards,

    N-trig E-support..

    To be honest I was hugely let down by their attitude and approach to this subject.

    For me it is in their interest to take control of proper implementation of their technology and user experience, and not leave it up to third party developers.

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