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
    2015-07-08T02:51:50+00:00

    Microsoft you should be ashamed of your complete lack of customer service. Over a year on this thread concerning a major hardware oversight, and not a single peep out of your community/support team? It demonstrates a blatant disregard for your customers which is inexcusable, and simply forces me to warn everyone I know to avoid this hardware.

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-06-05T12:27:44+00:00

    So if there is no functionality or customization for the pen's side buttons why does the stylus have them in the first place?

    I really find it hard to believe this is a difficult issue to resolve.

    MS has been offering customized hardware buttons for mice and keyboard remapping for ages.

    It is sad that even the slightest resources haven't been devoted on this issue.

    Perhaps it is kept for the next version, but even that is just not fair.

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-10-12T00:22:41+00:00

    Wow. Just wow...

    Talk about Microsoft just disregarding 12 pages of consumer feedback, and going in the exact opposite direction…

    MS, what are you guys thinking??

    Had I known this would be the case, I probably would have ditched my plan to buy a Surface Pro 3, and instead gone with Wacom's overpriced laptop/tablet option.

    I also agree with the post that says we artists should not have to resort to painfully complex and unreliable measures such as Event Ghost, AutoHotkey, or even Radial Menu. We are artists – not programmers. And button customization is simple, basic and expected functionality.

    This situation is absurd. And, Mr. Jones,  if this is an "anger venting message board", then it is a deserved & justified one.

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-07-10T10:00:41+00:00

    I completely agree with this comment. Microsoft you should be ashamed of yourself for not so much as addressing this huge oversight of non-programmable buttons on the highly advertised pen input of your flagship device.

    Utter failure,

    full disregard for the customers supporting your most important hardware,

    & a complete waste for those who want to use the Surface Pro 3 for art work creation.

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  5. 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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