Illustrator Zoom Tool

[Cheyenne Hana]

I started my project with the scrubby zoom tool and then all of the sudden it changed to the marquee tool. I have my GPU and Animated Zoom box checked, but for some reason it still does the marquee zoom. It's really slowing down my workflow so I am wondering if I have something selected in the background that's preventing me from using the scrubby version.

[Monika Gause · Accepted solution]

Can you please tell us your hardware configuration?

When was the last time you rebooted the computer? Does that help when you do?

Does that happen in a specific file? Or does it also happen in newly created simple file?

[Simmer1 · Accepted solution]

Hey,

Also check your shortcuts have not been over written. Edit> Keyboard Shortcuts

[Cheyenne Hana]

Okay so I exited out of the program and rebooted my computer and now the animated zoom works! I dont know why it did that but maybe it was just a one off? Any way, thank you so much and I will make sure to do this next time if it starts acting funky.

[Bobby Henderson]

Another annoying hazard: if a Wacom graphics tablet is attached to a Windows-based computer and Windows Ink is enabled the Windows Ink workspace functions will disable the animated zoom function in Illustrator. If I press the Ctrl+Spacebar shortcut and left-click and drag using the Pen some silly circular icon will appear on the screen. Even the marquee zoom function won't work correctly. It is extremely annoying. I have to leave Windows Ink disabled 100% of the time and live with a Wacom tablet having zero pressure sensitve capabilities. I literally have to use an iPad and Apple Pencil as an alternative. Windows Ink needs to go away. It's terrible.

[Anubhav Majumder]

Hello @Bobby Henderson,

Sorry to hear about this experience. Would you mind manually deleting and reinstalling the Wacom drivers (https://support.wacom.com/hc/en-us/articles/1500006264541-How-do-I-uninstall-manually-and-re-install...) and checking if it helps?

Looking forward to your response.

Thanks,

Anubhav

[Bobby Henderson]

I have uninstalled and reinstalled Wacom tablet drivers to no avail. I've been putting up with this stupid problem for years. Every time Wacom releases a new driver update it has no effect on what Windows Ink does to the graphic tablet's functions. It is absolutely infuriating. I have searched through Windows' OS settings for Windows Ink looking for ways to disable its various, 100% distracting functions while somehow managing to preserve pressure sensitive functions in the tablet. Nothing works. Windows Ink basically thinks my computer is a smart phone. Windows Ink completely ignores the physical keyboard connected to the system regardless of what settings I tell the computer to apply. Windows Ink is one of the most idiotic implementations of software I've ever seen.

Wacom needs to develop graphics tablet drivers that do not involve Windows Ink workspace at all. Until then I would advise anyone to avoid buying a Wacom graphic tablet if they intend to connect it to a Windows-based computer system. The tablet will probably work great connected to a Mac. Connected to a PC? Not so good.

[Anubhav Majumder]

Hello @Bobby Henderson,

Thanks for sharing this information. I agree that driver updates should not break the functionality/features of a device. Some users have reported that rolling back to a previous version of the Wacom driver 6.4.0-11 helped resolve the problem.

Would you mind trying that and sharing your observations?

Looking forward to your response.

Thanks,

Anubhav

[Bobby Henderson]

I tried rolling back and it didn't make any difference. The problem is Windows Ink. It blatantly interferes with the Wacom pen's normal functions within graphics applications and in other more mainstream applications as well. As always, I get fed up and just go into the Wacom tablet properties dialog box, select the "mapping" tab and un-check the "Use Windows Ink" option. That makes the pen's basic functions behave normally, but at the cost of taking away all pressure sensitive functions.

I can go into Windows Ink settings and disable just about all the options I can find yet the bad behaviors still often sneak through. If I press the pen tip down to drag any user interface slider (like axis sliders for variable fonts) this animated circle will jump in the way and prevent me from moving the slider. The same thing can happen when I try to use animated zoom with the pen. Normally I'll press Ctrl+Spacebar and then I can drag the pen tip to move the zoom level in or out. With Windows Ink enabled in the tablet properties that circle icon jumps in the way. Sometimes I can get the circle icon to stop appearing, but other problems persist. For instance, if Windows Ink is enabled I cannot move or re-size a Google Chrome browser window. The cursor just disappears.

The handwriting text entry window is another aggravating problem. That pop up window tries as hard as it can to jump in my way any time I use the pen to click into a text entry field. It could be the address bar in a web browser or even a piece of point text I'm trying to edit in Illustrator. In the end I just give up and disable Windows Ink in the Wacom tablet properties.

I put up with these problems on my old Dell XPS 15 notebook. The same problems are still there with my newer Alienware X17.