Drag gestures with touchpad?

[schweinhundert]

I have a Type cover 2. I spoke with MS tech support yesterday about a page on their website saying that the touchpad on the Touch and Type covers allows for click and drag with the touchpad. Their webpage says you can do it, just tap with one finger, then slide another finger. Well, that doesn't work, and the phone tech told me it didn't work on his unit either.

I click and drag kind of a lot. The trackpad "button" isn't that easy to find and click, and it's not that reliable either. The reason I got the Type Cover is because I need the sensory feedback of a button, which the touchpad lacks. Is there any way to restore this click-and-drag gesture functionality? A program or reg hack that allows for custom gestures? I verified that the Settings item doesn't allow you to change anything outside of switching scrolling direction and swiping left to right. Those aren't many options.

 

[hypokondriak]

I have a Type cover 2. I spoke with MS tech support yesterday about a page on their website saying that the touchpad on the Touch and Type covers allows for click and drag with the touchpad. Their webpage says you can do it, just tap with one finger, then slide another finger. Well, that doesn't work, and the phone tech told me it didn't work on his unit either.

I click and drag kind of a lot. The trackpad "button" isn't that easy to find and click, and it's not that reliable either. The reason I got the Type Cover is because I need the sensory feedback of a button, which the touchpad lacks. Is there any way to restore this click-and-drag gesture functionality? A program or reg hack that allows for custom gestures? I verified that the Settings item doesn't allow you to change anything outside of switching scrolling direction and swiping left to right. Those aren't many options.

It works, but i find you need to click not tap. If you push with decent pressure in lower left you will feel flex down. Next drag with other finger. I use this a lot with my Type 2.

Sent from the SurfaceForums.net app for Windows 8

 

[schweinhundert]

Thanks, works pretty well. The problem is I tend to use it while in bed and pushing it hard causes it to flex and move around. There's no way they're adding this feature back in?

 

[hypokondriak]

Thanks, works pretty well. The problem is I tend to use it while in bed and pushing it hard causes it to flex and move around. There's no way they're adding this feature back in?

Yeah I agree when I'm in bed this is a tough move. What I've found that works pretty well is place your thumb under the entire keyboard and then press with your index finger. Almost as if you are pinching the Type 2 keyboard. As stiff as they made the Type 2 keyboard this move still is not perfect.

What has taken me a little getting used to, and I think you are dealing with the same, is the inconsistency between the key press movement and then a trackpad button that is very static. On top of material differences it is just not totally cohesive. However, I'm willing to accept this because two finger scrolling now works where it did not on the Type 1.

Sent from the SurfaceForums.net app for Windows 8

 

[rp_guy]

I think this is what you are referring to:

Microsoft Surface Touchpad: A built-in mouse | Surface touchpad settings

Touchpad gestures available on all Typing Covers
Action Touchpad gesture
Move the on-screen pointer Drag your finger on the touchpad
Left click Tap one finger anywhere on the touchpad
-or-
Press the left touchpad button

Right click Tap two fingers anywhere on the touchpad
-or-
Press the right touchpad button

Left-click and drag Hold the left touchpad button down and then slide a finger in any direction
-or-
Tap, then tap and slide one finger in any direction

Scroll Slide two fingers horizontally or vertically

Show the command bar in an app Tap two fingers anywhere on the touchpad

Additional Touchpad gestures on Touch Cover 2 and Type Cover 2
Action Touchpad gesture
Open the charms Swipe in from the right edge of the touchpad.

See your open apps Swipe in from the left edge of the touchpad.

Zoom in or out Move two or more fingers together (pinching motion) or apart (stretching motion) on the touchpad.


I am finding that there is no tap+tap and drag for selection as well, and have to go with holding down the left-click button and dragging with my other hand.

Is anyone able to reproduce the type/touch 2 specific gestures? ie. charms and open apps? i am able to zoom in certain programs

 

[schweinhundert]

I think this is what you are referring to:

Microsoft Surface Touchpad: A built-in mouse | Surface touchpad settings

...

Is anyone able to reproduce the type/touch 2 specific gestures? ie. charms and open apps? i am able to zoom in certain programs

Yes, that's the article, and the phone support representative acknowledged what we both observed, which is that the drag gesture has been removed. He did not know why this article wasn't updated, or why the gesture was removed. With the Type 2 cover I can replicate all other gestures (swipe left and right to get open app list or settings panel, pinch to zoom, scroll w/ 2 fingers) but not drag. I've been doing what hypokondriak suggested and pushing firmly on the left-click "button" or pinching the touchpad from the bottom, but it still feels fiddly. I had an old-as-heck iBook more than 5 years ago that handled this fine, so I'm not really sure why MS wouldn't have the option.

 

[rp_guy]

Yes, that's the article, and the phone support representative acknowledged what we both observed, which is that the drag gesture has been removed. He did not know why this article wasn't updated, or why the gesture was removed. With the Type 2 cover I can replicate all other gestures (swipe left and right to get open app list or settings panel, pinch to zoom, scroll w/ 2 fingers) but not drag. I've been doing what hypokondriak suggested and pushing firmly on the left-click "button" or pinching the touchpad from the bottom, but it still feels fiddly. I had an old-as-heck iBook more than 5 years ago that handled this fine, so I'm not really sure why MS wouldn't have the option.

i'm able to do them now as well, just wasn't swiping fast enough. i'm assuming the touchpad is using the same technology as the touch cover, which is why it's fairly inaccurate and doesn't use physical buttons

 

[Bandito]

I, too, have been persuing this issue with Microsoft and here is what I learned yesterday after spending a few hours in chat and phone support troubleshooting and then reading through various forums (fora??) and whatnot.

In the Windows store there is a Trackpad Settings app that has a Tap Gestures on/off option that appears to be the one to enable the tap+tap-and-drag option for the touch pad. Not too long after the app was originally released, one of the Microsoft updates for the Surface Pro caused the Trackpad Settings app to not be able to detect that the Type/Touch Cover was connected. After some time, an update to the app was released that corrected the issue (this all occurred back in April of this year). However, the Trackpad Settings app is again not recognizing that the Type/Touch Cover is connected. Through various sessions with Microsoft, I was told that the Trackpad Settings app was no longer necessary as its functionality had been incorporated into the Windows 8.1 update under 'Mouse and touchpad' in the Settings - PC and devices section. However, when looking at these settings, the Tap Gestures are not there. I was also told that the Microsoft team is aware of the broken Trackpad Settings app and that it currently wasn't working with the Type/Touch Cover 2's, but that they were working on a fix. So, I guess you can take your pick as to what has really happened.

I asked them to leave my ticket open so that I could be notified when a fix becomes available, but I'll probably check in with them once a week or so just to keep some pressure on them.

I would encourage all of you to contact support about this issue as the more they hear about it, the more likely they are to resolve it. It's not like we're after anything special. This is basic trackpad 101 functionality that they advertise is available, but that doesn't function for most of us.

 

[Bandito]

When I checked today, there was an update for the Trackpad Settings app; however, when I installed it, it made no difference. It still thinks that there is no Type/Touch Cover 2 installed.

Anyone else have a different experience?

 

[rp_guy]

When I checked today, there was an update for the Trackpad Settings app; however, when I installed it, it made no difference. It still thinks that there is no Type/Touch Cover 2 installed.

Anyone else have a different experience?

i think that may be a windows 8 app, not a windows 8.1 app. simply because its functionality is built into the settings area now. it also doesn't work for me (type cover 2)