Skip to content

Input Trail#

Input Trail is a local visual overlay that draws a short, fading line on your screen where you draw with a stylus or drag with the mouse. The host's screen can take a moment to show your stroke, while the trail shows it right away; as a result, drawing and dragging feel more direct on high-latency connections. Jump Desktop draws the trail on your computer only and does not send the trail to the host.

For example:

  • An illustrator sketches with a pen tablet in a drawing app on a studio workstation, over hotel Wi-Fi.
  • A photo retoucher paints masks with the mouse on an office computer from home.

Applies to#

  • Jump Desktop on Windows and macOS. Not available in Jump Desktop for iPhone, iPad, or Android.
  • All plans.
  • Off by default. The setting applies to all your sessions in that app.

Turn on Input Trail#

  1. In the main window, choose File > Settings (Ctrl+,).
  2. Click Input Trail.
  3. Check Show trail for stylus, Show trail for mouse, or both.
  1. With the Jump Desktop main window in front, press Cmd+, (comma) to open settings.
  2. Click Input Trail.
  3. In Show Trail For Inputs, check Stylus, Mouse, or both.

Changes apply to open sessions right away.

Options#

The remaining options become available after you turn on a trail.

Option What it does Default
Trail Color (Windows), Color (macOS) Color of the trail. Black
Thickness Width of the trail, from Thin to Thick. Near Thin
Fade Time Auto (Auto (matches network latency) on macOS) sets the trail length based on the connection's latency, and hides the trail when latency is low. Manual sets a fixed length, from Short to Long. Windows: Auto. macOS: Manual
Pressure Effect Degree to which stylus pressure changes the trail's thickness, from None to High. Near None

If no trail appears while Fade Time is set to Auto, the connection is fast enough for the host's screen to keep up. To always show the trail, choose Manual.

When the trail appears#

  • Stylus: while the pen touches the tablet or screen.
  • Mouse: while you drag with the left mouse button held down. Moving the pointer without a button held down draws no trail.
  • The trail also appears for a pen tablet redirected over USB.

Check that it worked#

In a session, draw with the stylus or drag with the mouse. A line in the trail color follows the stroke and fades out.