Inspiring

Question

Brush pressure not working after Adobe CC deleted my V25

Forum|Forum|3 years ago
March 1, 2023
3 replies
1189 views

I had multiple versions of Illustrator installed, v25 and the current one. This was because pressure sensitivity for brushes was not available with the newer versions of Illustrator. During my last update from v26 to v27, Adobe CC deleted my older version. Now I am unable to download/re-install v25 and, even though the brush pressure sensitivity is not greyed out, it simply won' work.

Devices being used: 2022 iMac and Gaomon PD 2022

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Bobby Henderson

Community Expert

Does the Mac OS have something equivalent to Windows Ink Workspace? The reason why I ask is because I have a Wacom Intuos Pro graphics tablet, but don't have any pressure sensitive functions enabled. In order for the tablet to have any pressure sensitive capabilities Windows Ink must be enabled in the graphics tablet's properties. But Windows Ink is an absolutely rage-inducing piece of garbage-ware.

Windows Ink Workspace has a pop-up on-screen hand-writing entry box that can't ever be disabled, no matter what OS settings I apply. The only way to get rid of it is by disabling Windows Ink in the graphics tablet properties, which kills all pressure sensitive functions. With Windows Ink enabled if I click the pen into a text field, such as the text entry box in this forum, that hand-writing box jumps in the way. Windows Ink must think my computer is a phone or something. It completely ignores the fact my computer has an outstanding physical keyboard (with Cherry MX switches no less). I can type extremely much faster with a keyboard than I can hand write text. When I'm using Adobe Illustrator I often press Ctrl+Spacebar when I want to zoom in/out via the animated scrubby zoom. When I press the pen tip down and drag to zoom in or out some stupid circular icon related to Windows Ink pops up. Basically I have no animated zoom when Windows Ink is enabled. Other shortcuts and functions get overridden too. The situation is so bad that if this Wacom tablet I use was to break I would not replace it. I would just go back to using a mouse.

I have an iPad Pro. The iPad OS has a setting where an on-screen hand-writing text entry box can appear when you click into a text entry field with the Apple Pencil. The setting is very easy to turn on and off. And it does not affect the pressure sensitive capabilties of the Apple Pencil. I don't use that hand-writing text feature in my iPad because the on-screen keyboard works much faster; and I can attach a physical keyboard too. Developers at Microsoft and Wacom really need to talk to each other some time about this problem. This flagrantly stupid situation with Windows Ink has persisted for years. I would strongly advise anyone considering buying a Wacom graphics tablet to not do so if they're using a Windows-based PC. I'm guessing the Mac platform has a far less aggravating setup to support graphics tablets.

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SMcreative3644190Author

Inspiring

Hi Bobby,

This is all great contextual information.

In short, Macs dont have a paralell to Ink, but there are system preferences that need to be set up. After installing the appropriate driver, in System Preferences you have to enable the apps (Tablet driver and Illustrator) in the Accessibility panel. Also, there's an Automation panel there and, as far as I know, Wacom tablets need to be enabled there too.

All this is for not though if the software is incompatible...

Thanks for the post.

Now I'll cross off "get a windows machine" from my possible solutions list.

B

Bobby Henderson

Community Expert

I didn't know if the MacOS had its own pen functions that graphics tablets were required to use or not in order to have any pressure sensitive capabilities. You might want to double check the tablet's properties for features that have to be turned on or off. The same would apply in MacOS system settings. There might be something in there related to pen/input devices.

On Windows it appears to be mandatory for Windows Ink to be enabled for a graphics tablet to have any pressure sensitive functions. I've seen hacks for Photoshop that let the graphics tablet use the old WinTab drivers; you get pressure sensitivty without having Windows Ink enabled. Unfortunately the trick is hit or miss in Photoshop and doesn't seem to work in any other applications (such as Illustrator).

I think Windows Ink is infecting Windows OS installations as a means to help Microsoft sell its Surface computers. By the way, the pen (or stylus) devices for those Surface products aren't all that great. At least they're not as good as the pens from Wacom. For whatever benefits a Microsoft Surface device might offer those are completely offset by all the bad things Windows Ink does in general to any PC with a graphics tablet connected. That handwriting text entry pop up is aggravating enough. That circular icon that pops up on screen whenever you press the pen tip and drag will make even the most chill person lose their cool. Lots of user interface elements require the user to click/select and drag, like the animated zoom function or moving a slider to change an opacity setting. That circular icon jumps up the instant you try dragging the pen tip. Windows does not make it easy at all to disable any of those infuriating Windows Ink features. You end up just having to disable Windows Ink in the graphics tablet's properties, which costs you any pressure sensitive functions. I'm not kidding when I say some software engineers ought to be fired over this nonsense. Or if it's sales executives dreaming up this garbage and insisting it infect the OS they ought to be fired. Windows Ink just only sucks.

Kevin Stohlmeyer

Community Expert

Hi @SMcreative3644190

First you can contact Adobe support for a direct download link to v25.

Go to https://helpx.adobe.com/support.html, log in with your Adobe ID and click the chat bubble bottom right.

Type "AGENT" to get a person who can supply you with the link.

Next, go to your CC Desktop app and turn off automatic updates. Next time you choose to update to a new version, uncheck the "remove old versions".

Finally, have you reached out to Gaomon support to see if they have plans for updates?

Since its not showing the application in your System Prefs, it sounds like either an install issue or an incompatibility with the Mac OS.

service@gaomon.net

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SMcreative3644190Author

Inspiring

Thank you Kevin,

I had auto update unchecked and remove older versions had been unchecked, yet with auto update off, those advanced settings were unavailable. Manually updating did not offer me the option to keep or remove the older version, I assumed it would be set to how I left it and achieved 2 versions in the first place.

I will contact Gaomon when and if I have issues with any other software. I am not, and I've had this illustrator issue with v26, so I'm fairly certain the issue is with Illustrator.

Your suggestion about using the chat bubble was great.

Thanks again,

Shaun

Kevin Stohlmeyer

Community Expert

Hi Shaun,

I would normally agree that the issue is with Illustrator, but do your other software require pressure sensitivity?

Am I correct the pen tool works in AI, but doesn't register pressure correct?

The root issue could be the drivers since you can't set anything due to them not registering in the Mac Sys Preferences.Without that control on the OS side the pen becomes a single input device.

Hopefully Goamon responds to your query with some updates.

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SMcreative3644190Author

Inspiring

Also:

1. I'm using the most up-to-date tablet driver.

2. Neither Illustrator or Gaomon Tablet Driver is showing up in System Preferences/privacy/automation.

3. GaomonTabletDriver app was showing up in System Preferences/Accessibility before the update, now it is not even available to add.

4. Gaomon Tablet works with every other application.

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