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CS5 + Intuos 3 tablet + Windows 7 = strange brush problem Help!


J

JoV

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I'm a brand new member. I found this forum while searching for a solution to a problem with CS5 brushes and a Intuos 3 tablet and pen. The tablet and pen do not perform correctly using CS5. The same machine, using the same tablet and pen and the same brush, with CS3 does function correctly. I am assuming it's CS5 that's the problem. The smudge tool and the brush tool both have the same problem. It seems to set an anchor point where the pen first contacts the tablet, then no matter where you draw with the brush nothing happens until the pen is lifted, then a straight line is drawn from the anchor point to the point where the pen lifted. Problem is with CS5 x32 and x64 both. Happens every brush stroke. Mouse works fine. Reset the preference file. Upgraded drivers for the tablet. The machine is an HP, quad core processor, 8 GB ram, with an ATI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics card. The machine came loaded with Vista 64 and I upgraded to Windows 7 at the time I installed CS5.
Any help would be appreciated, I'm at my wits end!! :banghead:

Here is a similar thread that still seems to be unresolved. [thread=36230]unresolved similar problem[/thread]
 
apologies for the long wait JoV, i believe this may have something to do with the way windows 7 handles Graphic tablet driver or the graphic tablet itself, try running the tablet tools and CS5 in compatibility mode for XP, or calibrate the graphic pen.
 
I'm running CS5 Extended on Windows 7 64 bit with an Intuos 3 (Nvidia graphics card) and all is good. If you haven't yet, try updating your video drivers.
 
JoV said:
This has everyone stumped? Not one response?
Click to expand...

Yes actually.
The normal list of actions when PS is misbehaving is:
Update the tablet driver
Update the Vid driver
Uncheck Enable OpenGL
Reset preferences

You can try those things but I'm not confident they would work, I never heard of this before.
 
Thanks for the responses! I just updated the graphics card - upon further research this card does not work with OpenGL? It's an integrated card. Did not know that when I bought the machine. Could that be a problem? Driver update did nothing for the problem. How do I run tablet tools and CS5 in compatibility mode?
 
that could well be the problem right there, and running in compatability mode requires you to right click, on the program shorctcut, click properties and then the compatability tab, you should be able to find your way from there.
 
JoV said:
Thanks for the responses! I just updated the graphics card - upon further research this card does not work with OpenGL? It's an integrated card. Did not know that when I bought the machine. Could that be a problem? Driver update did nothing for the problem. How do I run tablet tools and CS5 in compatibility mode?
Click to expand...

No unchecking OpenGL shouldn't cause a problem, checking it can in certain cases.
You shouldn't have to use compatibiliy mode but you could try
See if resetting your preferences file helps, it fixes a lot of strange problems in Photoshop.
Start Photoshop and immediately hold down Ctrl+Alt+Shift (Windows)
or Command+Option+Shift (Mac OS X).

Then, click Yes to the message, "Delete the Adobe Photoshop Settings file?"

It will reset all your preference to factory defaults.
I you made a lot of changes you can just rename it and see if it helps.

Location of the Photoshop preferences file.

Photoshop Cs2
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/331/331483.html
Photoshop Cs3
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/401/kb401600.html
Photoshop Cs4
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/405/kb405012.html
Photoshop Cs5
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/828/cpsid_82893.html

 
I ran CS5 in compatibility mode for XP and had no difference in tablet/pen performance. Since the graphics card is integrated with the Motherboard does that mean I cannot install a different card?
 
JoV said:
I ran CS5 in compatibility mode for XP and had no difference in tablet/pen performance. Since the graphics card is integrated with the Motherboard does that mean I cannot install a different card?
Click to expand...

ah! something i haven't ost my touch on, hopefully. you should be able to, it depends on it's age and if the motherboard has the correct slot, if the PC decides to bleep at you when you install the new GPU, take the card out and reset the CMOS, no harm done.
 
I hate to change out the card if I don't know that will correct the problem... I don't know anything about the inside of the computer, so I would have a shop do it, maybe Geek Squad. Very frustrating!
 
you can easily install another card - and it's recommended,. Open GL is an important feature; it allows you to rotate your canvas amongst other things.

Just get another video card ($100 or less video card would be just fine), plug it into the PCI slot, then disable you onboard video in the bios. That's going to be more of a trial-and-error thing.
 
as far as the problem goes, it sounds to me that you're selecting to pen tool instead of the brush tool.

Make sure you're on the BRUSH tool, then try drawing on the tablet. There should be no anchor points appearing; they only appear when using the pen tool.

The straight line you're referring to is the 'path' that Photoshop is drawing between two anchor points.

So, when you put your pen on the tablet (and you have the pen tool selected), it puts down an anchor point. Then you draw across the tablet, lift the pen up, and it adds the second anchor point where you lifted. As a result, it automatically shows that line in between the two points which is the path. I would say you're on the wrong tool. Double-check.
 
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I am happy to report Wacom replied back to me and the problem is resolved. I was directed to delete the PS preference file and then to uninstall the tablet or any tablet device connected. Next was to restart the machine. Now install the driver and plug the tablet into the machine. Not into a hub or a USB on the front of the computer, but into a slot on the back. I followed the directions even though I didn't think it would work. I am so happy to say everything performs exactly the way it should. I had no idea that it made any difference what USB slot something was plugged into! Thanks for the help and I hope this info can help someone else in the future!
 
Hello,

I am experiencing the same problem of the brush tool drawing straight lines only. However, in my case the problem happens every now and then only. The way I fix it so I can keep working is to simply deselect everything (including the layer) and then select my layer and start painting again. The problem is very annoying.

I am almost sure that this is a bug in Photoshop because my system is so different from the Jov. I am running PS CS5 on a Dell 490 Workstation with WinXP SP3 32 bit, 4MB ram and a Quadro FX 4600 graphics card. I am using a Wacom Cintiq with my system.

By the way one of the people that replied to this thread suggested pressing Shift + Alt + Ctrl when starting Photoshop (to reset settings) but I dont get the dialog box indicated in the thread...

Best,
 
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