Pen Pressure Sensitivity Not Working

When using ZBrush or ZBrushCore via Remote Desktop or on certain mobile devices (such as a Surface tablet), you may lose pressure sensitivity.  The ZBrush 2020.1.3 or ZBrushCore 2020.1.3 update fixed this issue and that fix has been carried through to subsequent versions.  However, beyond simply installing the update there are specific steps that must be followed.

Step 1 (Only applies to Legacy Licenses)

First, please update to 2020.1.3 or above.  You can do this by two methods:

1. If you have ZBrush 2020 or ZBrushCore 2020 (any point number) you can browse to its folder on your computer and run the ZUpgrader utility.  This will locate the update and walk you through the installation steps.
   • If you have ZBrush 2021 you already have the necessary features and can continue to Step 2.
2. Alternatively, you can uninstall your current version then download a new copy of the installer from My Licenses.  This will always give you the most up to date version of your software.

Step 2

After you have version 2020.1.3 installed, the following steps must be used to enable pressure sensitivity in the desired environment:

Usage with Wacom Device

• It is recommended to Disable 'Windows Ink' in 'Wacom Tablet Properties'

Usage with Surface Pen

• It is recommended to Enable 'Show cursor' in 'Pen & Windows Ink' settings

Remote Desktop Usage with Wacom Device

• Client Machine:
  • Enable 'Windows Ink' in Wacom Tablet Properties
• Server Machine:
  • Disable 'Show Cursor' in 'Pen & Windows Ink' settings

Remote Desktop Usage with Surface Pen

• Client Machine:
  • Enable 'Show Cursor' in 'Pen & Windows Ink' settings
• Server Machine:
  • Disable 'Show Cursor' in 'Pen & Windows Ink' settings

ZBrush 2021.1 and above have an additional feature to help:

Preferences >> Tablet >> Tablet Driver API to determine how ZBrush works with Windows Ink, affecting performance when using a tablet on Windows.  If you experience lag issues when interacting with models, trying one of these other settings should resolve them. 

There are 3 options:

•     WinTab (default mode): Will not handle Windows Ink. This will operate like it did in ZBrush 2019.
•     Stylus: Handles Windows Ink the same way it did in 2020.1.4.
•     WM_Event: Handles Windows Ink the same way it did in 2021.0.

One of these three modes should resolve any issues with pressure sensitivity.

Thanks!