Mouse functions without being active? (SOLVED) (kinda)

Wallace · **Posted:** Sun Mar 24, 2013 1:33 am **(#11)**

SimonM7 wrote:

I just wanted a more "analogue" way of setting the width of the brushes. The in-app mouse wheel settings require the mouse to be the active input device on the document, which in turn requires that I move the cursor off and back onto the window where my image is. If I do that, the mouse wheel can be used for anything I map to it from within GIMP.

In order to adjust brush size on the mouse wheel with the tablet pen as the active input device, I couldn't find any other solution than using an external utility to map keystrokes to the mouse wheel.

Can you guys use your tablet pen to doodle something, lift it off of the document with the cursor visible and inside the document frame, grab the mouse and click to immediately draw? I have to move my cursor off and onto the document again to even use the mouse to draw. I dunno if that's how it's designed or if it's a problem that's exclusive to me.

I only use either my tablet or my mouse to draw, one or the other... never both at the same time. Maybe I'm not quite understanding what the issue is.
Are you saying that you start off using your tablet/pen, remove the pen's cursor for the image and then use your mouse to draw?

SimonM7 · **Joined:** Feb 09, 2013 **Posts:** 31

No, that'd just be a test to tell if the issue I'm having is affecting you guys' setups.

It's a bizarre issue, so it's hard to explain it properly.

The one you're currently using to draw on your image is the active input for the document at that time. Some settings affect only the active input, letting you for instance select a foreground colour with each device (tablet pen, mouse) and as you activate the other input, the respective foreground colour is selected.

For me (I don't know if this is the case for everyone, but I suspect so) "activating" an input device - to draw or interact with an image with that device - requires that you drag the cursor off the image, and back onto it. Scenario:

I draw something with the tablet pen. I put that down. I grab the mouse and drag the cursor off the document and back onto it - only then can I draw with the mouse. Otherwise I can click myself blue in the face, and nothing happens.

That includes any button or interaction with the mouse. Even the mousewheel. Therefore I can't use the mousewheel intuitively while working with the tablet pen. Scenario:

I draw something with the pen and need a slightly bigger or smaller brush size, and just want to tweak it a little in quick succession. I hover with the pen over my tablet - high enough to not control the cursor. I put my left hand on the mouse and scroll the wheel. Because the mouse isn't the active input device, nothing happens.

Ergo, no matter what I map to the mouse for quick access, it's useless while I work with my tablet pen. I can't use them in tandem in a meaningful way. The way I have it solved now, however, I can.

Additional MacGuyveration for interested parties only:

I just got a new mouse and I was about to throw out my old one because of a faulty right mouse button. It was either that or pretending I have a mac. However, I wanted an analogue device to map to sliders in my graphics applications, and have been eyeing some external devices for that purpose. Just as I was about to throw the mouse out I realised that the scroll wheel is somewhat analogue, and if I can just place that in a convenient spot for quick access, I can just spin the wheel with my left hand and never even let go of my pen when I work. Work it into my workflow as naturally as keyboard shortcuts and what have you.

At first I looked for software to separate the mouse devices, but I quickly realised that I never use the scroll wheel for anything on my primary mouse in GIMP either, so it would be okay to just have them both "fight for control" of the same cursor and behave the same. I tried my darnedest to get GIMP to allow immediately controlling something with the mouse wheel while using the tablet pen, to no avail, but then I had an epiphany and just used the external utility to circumvent GIMP's mouse settings entirely. Now the utility "speaks in keyboard" with GIMP, and keyboard commands work no matter what input device is active.

SO! I took my second mouse, plugged it in. Taped a piece of paper under it to keep it from moving the cursor and plopped it down to the left of my tablet and keyboard with the wheel facing me. I went into the utility and mapped , and . to scroll up and down. Headed into keyboard shortcuts in GIMP and mapped those to increasing and decreasing "value 2" which corresponds to the size of the selected tool.

PRESTO! I have an analogue wheel next to my keyboard for flicking on with my little finger to increase and decrease brush width, without putting down my pen, and barely moving my left hand from my "shortcuts position". I just need to put something rubbery under it so it stops sliding around when I poke it.

Wallace · **Posted:** Sun Mar 24, 2013 10:16 am **(#13)**

SimonM7 wrote:

No, that'd just be a test to tell if the issue I'm having is affecting you guys' setups.

It's a bizarre issue, so it's hard to explain it properly.

The one you're currently using to draw on your image is the active input for the document at that time. Some settings affect only the active input, letting you for instance select a foreground colour with each device (tablet pen, mouse) and as you activate the other input, the respective foreground colour is selected.

For me (I don't know if this is the case for everyone, but I suspect so) "activating" an input device - to draw or interact with an image with that device - requires that you drag the cursor off the image, and back onto it. Scenario:

I draw something with the tablet pen. I put that down. I grab the mouse and drag the cursor off the document and back onto it - only then can I draw with the mouse. Otherwise I can click myself blue in the face, and nothing happens.

That includes any button or interaction with the mouse. Even the mousewheel. Therefore I can't use the mousewheel intuitively while working with the tablet pen. Scenario:

I draw something with the pen and need a slightly bigger or smaller brush size, and just want to tweak it a little in quick succession. I hover with the pen over my tablet - high enough to not control the cursor. I put my left hand on the mouse and scroll the wheel. Because the mouse isn't the active input device, nothing happens.

Ergo, no matter what I map to the mouse for quick access, it's useless while I work with my tablet pen. I can't use them in tandem in a meaningful way. The way I have it solved now, however, I can.

Additional MacGuyveration for interested parties only:

I just got a new mouse and I was about to throw out my old one because of a faulty right mouse button. It was either that or pretending I have a mac. However, I wanted an analogue device to map to sliders in my graphics applications, and have been eyeing some external devices for that purpose. Just as I was about to throw the mouse out I realised that the scroll wheel is somewhat analogue, and if I can just place that in a convenient spot for quick access, I can just spin the wheel with my left hand and never even let go of my pen when I work. Work it into my workflow as naturally as keyboard shortcuts and what have you.

At first I looked for software to separate the mouse devices, but I quickly realised that I never use the scroll wheel for anything on my primary mouse in GIMP either, so it would be okay to just have them both "fight for control" of the same cursor and behave the same. I tried my darnedest to get GIMP to allow immediately controlling something with the mouse wheel while using the tablet pen, to no avail, but then I had an epiphany and just used the external utility to circumvent GIMP's mouse settings entirely. Now the utility "speaks in keyboard" with GIMP, and keyboard commands work no matter what input device is active.

SO! I took my second mouse, plugged it in. Taped a piece of paper under it to keep it from moving the cursor and plopped it down to the left of my tablet and keyboard with the wheel facing me. I went into the utility and mapped , and . to scroll up and down. Headed into keyboard shortcuts in GIMP and mapped those to increasing and decreasing "value 2" which corresponds to the size of the selected tool.

PRESTO! I have an analogue wheel next to my keyboard for flicking on with my little finger to increase and decrease brush width, without putting down my pen, and barely moving my left hand from my "shortcuts position". I just need to put something rubbery under it so it stops sliding around when I poke it.

@SimonM7

Interesting!

I opened an image in Gimp and began using my tablet/pen, with my mouse to the side. I began to draw with the pen and then went to the mouse wheel to resize the brush and nothing happened.
I had to lift the pen from the surface until it was no longer engaged. Only then could I use the wheel to resize my brush.
So your right and you've solved this issue, somewhat I think. (scratching my head)