Pen and stylus input#
Pen and stylus input is a Jump Desktop capability for sending pen or stylus input to the host (the computer you connect to). From Windows and Mac, Jump Desktop sends pressure, tilt, and rotation, so pressure-sensitive brushes and pen tools on the host respond as they would to a local pen. On iPhone, iPad, and Android, a pen or finger acts as mouse input for drawing and dragging.
For example:
- A photo retoucher uses a pen tablet on a Mac to paint masks in an editor running on a Windows workstation at the office.
- An illustrator sketches with a pen display on a Windows laptop in a drawing app on a Mac host.
- A designer marks up drawings on a host with Apple Pencil on an iPad.
Applies to#
- Pressure, tilt, and rotation: Jump Desktop on Windows and macOS, Fluid connections to Windows and Mac hosts, Jump Desktop for Teams Enterprise plan.
- Apple Pencil: Jump Desktop on iPad. Apple Pencil acts as a mouse, without pressure or tilt.
- Pen gesture profile: Jump Desktop on iPhone, iPad, and Android Beta.
Use a pen tablet or stylus from Windows or Mac#
Stylus input with pressure, tilt, and rotation requires Jump Desktop for Windows or Mac, a Fluid connection to a Windows or Mac host, and the Jump Desktop for Teams Enterprise plan. Without the plan, Remote > Stylus is unavailable and your stylus acts as a mouse.
- Connect to the host.
- Confirm that Remote > Stylus is checked. It is on by default.
To send stylus input as mouse input instead, clear Remote > Stylus.
- Connect to the host.
- Confirm that Remote > Stylus is checked. It is on by default.
To send stylus input as mouse input instead, clear Remote > Stylus. To change the setting before you connect, right-click the computer, choose Edit..., click Keyboard & Mouse, and set Stylus.
To display your strokes locally before the host's screen updates, turn on Input Trail.
Stylus or USB redirection#
As an alternative to Stylus, you can redirect a drawing tablet over USB. Both options require the Jump Desktop for Teams Enterprise plan.
| Choose | When |
|---|---|
| Stylus | You want pressure, tilt, and rotation with no additional configuration. It is on by default. |
| USB redirection | You want the host's own tablet driver, such as the Wacom driver, and apps on the host to detect the physical tablet as if it were plugged into the host. It requires USB redirection turned on for the host and Jump Desktop Connect 10.15.23 or later. On Windows, first disable or uninstall your computer's own tablet driver. |
While a pen tablet is redirected over USB, Jump Desktop does not also send its pen input through Stylus.
Team administrators#
On the Jump Desktop for Teams Enterprise plan, the Connect Configurations > Fluid Settings > Allow Stylus Remoting setting in the Teams dashboard controls stylus input for team computers. It is on by default. To send stylus input as mouse input, turn it off. See Connect Configurations.
Use Apple Pencil on iPad#
Apple Pencil acts as a mouse, without pressure or tilt. Pressure support is coming soon.
In the Standard, Locked Screen, Pen, and Trackpad gesture profiles:
- Draw or drag: touch the screen with the Pencil and move it. The left mouse button remains pressed until you lift the Pencil.
- Right-click or right-drag: touch and hold with the Pencil.
- Show or hide the keyboard: double-tap the Pencil. This does not work when the Pencil's double-tap action is set to Ignore in iPadOS settings.
Settings in Settings > Mouse & Gestures:
| Setting | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Predictive Pencil Tap | On | Makes double-tapping with an Apple Pencil easier. |
| Smart Touch Gestures | Off | Sends Apple Pencil and mouse input as touches when the host supports touch input. |
Draw with a finger or basic stylus (iPad, iPhone, and Android)#
The Pen gesture profile holds the left mouse button down while you drag one finger or a finger-like stylus, so the drag draws on the host. To choose it, tap the Settings button in the session toolbar, then Gesture Profile > Pen. See Controls and gestures.
Check that it worked#
- Windows and Mac: in a drawing app on the host, stroke width or opacity changes with pen pressure.
- iPad: drawing with Apple Pencil leaves a line in a drawing app on the host.
- Pen profile: dragging one finger draws instead of moving the pointer.