Major Microsoft Surface Pro 2 Flaw with Pen Tracking

[randomscandinavian]

I've read instructions various times but they aren't too clear to me. Apparently, it can work with the Wacom drivers if you first delete three registry strings and then run the 273 point calibration command. These seem to be the best instructions but they don't start with the beginning of the process and there is also a syntax error involving an extra space:
[HOW TO] PROPERLY calibrate your PEN and fix those stupid corners (273 test points) - Page 4 - xda-developers

If I understand it correctly, the best method may be to do this calibration with the pen perpendicularly. And then afterwards you can do the 4 point Wacom driver calibration using your normal hand resting position. Sounds odd to do a second calibration but I guess the first one is more of a hardware programming that won't even reset unless you redo it in the registry later.

But I don't know... different recipes vary on the registry part. And many people refer to calibrating 4 points when you don't have the Wacom drivers installed. But that would be 16 points then and not 4, right? I worry when I face stuff like this. Sounds potentially harmful. Then again I simply cannot use the pen the way it is now.

 

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I don't know... for me all I did was (again no Wacom drivers), is open the command prompt as true Administrator.
Then execute the command:

tabcal devicekind=pen lincal novalidate XGridPts=10,60,110,160,260,360,460,560,660,810,960,1110,1260,1360,1460,1560,1660,1760,1810,1860,1910 YGridPts=10,60,110,160,250,400,540,680,830,920,970,1020,1070

That is all.
I hold my pen exactly as I would when normally using the table to wright at each area of the screen. I know I hold my pen differently on the right bottom edge of the screen, then the rest of the screen, so I calibrated considering that.

 

[randomscandinavian]

OK, thanks! That sounds like the easiest way I guess. But as I understand it, that calibration cannot be undone in the Control Panel unless you rename a registrey string afterwards. Might be useful to be able to reset it in case of a future update/change of some kind.

Also, it would be cool do have the preasure sensitivity feature in desktop programs, that comes with the Wacom drivers. The Wacom drivers will be updated soon as well probably so excluding them altogether may not be the best way to go.

Something to think about. Will ponder this for another few hours at least before I do anything.

 

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I don't dare to hit the reset button to know if the calibration sticks or not

 

[randomscandinavian]

OK I did the many pointed calibration. It went quickly and didn't seem like 273 points at all. This is a lot better. Still questionable for hitting those tiny Photoshop new mask and layer icons but now at least I'm back to where I was to begin with more or less. My guess is that this is the factory setting which gets replaced by the Wacom drivers. Since there is a hidden calibration like this I'm sure this is what it is set up with.

The question remains how many times I will go through this using various angles and offsets and such and also if a second Control Panel calibration will improve on this further like some say. I guess I will have to try and see. As of now the pointer is always close to the pen tip but sometimes to the left, right below or whatever. It doesn't seem to follow a pattern except that it is the most accurate about 2cm in from each corner. Like the Golden Mean, except a bit further out if that makes any sense.

Interesting stuff!

 

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Great!
Yea, the calibration needs to be exact, the difference that you see for each area indicates that it was not exact. Unless you have a special custom machine, you wont' get it exact, as we are only human. But what you can try, if you have lots of time is try try and try again, until you have it close enough, or to a level that when you actually do your work, you won't notice.

 

[randomscandinavian]

Well, of course it couldn't be that easy. Like I read earlier, the calibration cannot be reset afterwards.

This also means that the 273 point procedure cannot be repeated and improved upon either, since it says that you need to reset it first.

So the fix is apparently to rename the registry string LinearityData to UserLinearityData. But that string already exists! So now what? Delete one of them and rename the other?

 

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I guess so. Make a registry backup before doing anything.
To do this, right-click on the key (folder), and select Exports. Like this you can undo your next change, in the case things go wrong.
Be sure to restart your computer at the changes to do, to be sure Windows reloads them, and acts correctly on them.

 

[randomscandinavian]

There... I got lost in the registry once since there are other strings with the same name LinearityData. But now it is redone and I think I will leave it like this. It is fairly bad towards the bottom and right side of the screen but I don't think that can be improved upon much. So be it. For most of the screen it is nearly spot on.

 

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Excellent. Yea, it's due to the wacom limitation, but like I said. you don't normally draw or write on corners, so it's not too bad per se. The important part is the rest of the screen.

 

[randomscandinavian]

Yes. It's a bit troublesome with programs that have a lot of controls down at the bottom, or down along the very right side like Lightroom. But so be it. Perhaps it is possible to go through the calibration again and offset the two last rows a great deal. I'm not tempted to go through this all again right now tho.

Have also been struggling with handwriting recognition which simply doesn't work with my poor handwriting. But that is a different subject.

 

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Have also been struggling with handwriting recognition which simply doesn't work with my poor handwriting. But that is a different subject.

It works ok with me. Not perfect. But I guess it forces us to write better.

 

[randomscandinavian]

I wonder if the writing style needs to be recalibrated now as well. I can write typical test phrases like "This is a test". But sentences with longer more complex words are impossible.

 

[randomscandinavian]

Also this pen calibration is ignored when the keyboard is attached so I guess we cannot have both a laptop and a tablet at the same time. Seems like touch input is also a bit off when the keyboard is attached. Hard to hit those tiny desktop application menu items.

Seems like this was covered in a thread or post I read before but I cannot find it now. I forget what I have read and commented upon in all of these forums after a few weeks of doing something else. Anyway, this remains a useless device to me. A complete waste of money.

 

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I don't think so.. It's just because you are holding the pen differently.

 

[randomscandinavian]

No, the calibration instantly goes way off when the keyboard is attached, like it was before the multiple point calibration. I can hold the tablet and pen exactly the same way and clip the type 2 keyboard on.

 

[MBytes]

I don't have this issue. Or not noticing it.
I wonder if this will help: I have developed a tweak tool for the Surface Pro 2
Surface Tweak Tool for Surface Pro 2 - Release!
It's still in the works, as you can notice with its Beta tag
You may want to try the calibration options there, and see if it will keep the calibration is being kept keyboard or no keyboard.

 

[randomscandinavian]

Very interesting!

 

[hopmedic]

I have only tinkered with the pen a bit so far, but have been disappointed with the calibration. I've tried recalibrating several times, to no avail. I'll try this tweak tool later when I'm at home. Thanks!

 

[randomscandinavian]

After some more tests I can now confirm that on my unit at least the 273 point calibration needs to be done with the Type 2 keyboard attached, if you have such a keyboard. When calibrating without the keyboard the finished calibration is instantly offset some 5 to 8mm when the keyboard clicks on. When calibrating with the keyboard however, the result is good both with and without the keyboard attached (although sometimes attaching the keyboard disables the pen altogether so you need to remove and reattach it until it works).

As for recalibration with the many points option once there is already 273 point calibration data, you need to reset calibration in the control panel first. if this option is greyed out you must do a standard 16 point calibration and then reset that data before running the command line for the 273 point calibration.

BTW I'm not sure if it really is 273 points. I just use that number as it came with the instructions.