just when you think this is the perfect bang for the buck tablet, you read about the ripple effect when the pen touches the screen… what in the world were these folks at Microsoft thinking? Its a freakin tablet where there will be plenty of pen to screen contact. Why go with such a screen? ><
Anyways… thanks for the feedback. What would be my alternatives to the Surface Pro 3 with similar specs and price range?
returned my SurfacePro3 last weekend. Decided Its too glitchy for my use 
searching for a good tablet for use with Zbrush…Now I know one of my requirement is going to be " must have" wacom pen
->wacom companion (processor is not the latest and greatest, its also on the heavy side)
->Too bad the New Samsung Galaxy pro12.2 is Android only!
-> ModbookPro is another option, but its Pricy.
also ModbookPro X is kickstarter now
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/modbook/modbook-pro-x-154-retina-quad-core-mac-os-x-tablet
Wishing with the new Intel low power processors we might get back on track with 15inch tablets…Wait and see for me !
for other tablets see here.
http://forum.tabletpcreview.com/what-tablet-pc-should-i-buy/63477-tablet-wacom-digitizer-intensive-3d-graphics-work.html
I just ordered one, the i7 256 gig model. hopefully the glitches aren’t deal breakers for me. The 2 year insurance with Best Buy was 319. What glitches did you have?
THe companion has a week screen as well, scratches easily and you have to pay 75 bucks to send it in.
My pen would stop connection in the middle of zbrush sessions.
here are a few listings for the glitches
http://www.wpcentral.com/surface-pro-3-start-button-pen-lag-fixes-incoming-improve-user-experience
http://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/28rixs/surface_pro_3_stylus_angletilt_glitch/
http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/24/heres-what-our-readers-are-saying-about-the-surface-pro-3/
http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/129097-surface-pro-3-day-one-update-will-fix-battery-charging-glitch
behrooz,
maybe this would help with the ripple effect?
http://surfaceproartist.com/blog/2014/4/17/wacom-updates-feel-drivers
I am also looking into getting a surface pro 3 for zbrush-ing
Let me know how it goes
I have it now. Have zbrush installed, for some reason my serial wouldn’t work, but eventually it did after 6 times of trying. For some reason in zbrush when I use clay tubes, it hardly deforms the surface! Also in the fresh paint program it draw really faint and I don’t know how to consistently get the control bar to come down. IS there some sort of adjustment to make zbrush work like it does in window 7? I don’t know 8 too well so.
I installed the latest n-trig wintab 64 bit version. It didn’t ask to calibrate or change curves.
Womball :I remember I had to repeat and get updates 3 or 4 times to refresh and get all the system update files…then after that all zbrush was working fine. Also Answer desk are there to support you, you can get live person to talk to here
http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us/support/contact-us/
Make sure you have all the updates here:
http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us/support/install-update-activate/pro-3-update-history
40two:
Ripples are a physical artifacts due to a thin design of surface pro 3, Wacom and ipad usesa thicker design and add an extra glass so adds to the thickness. I don’t think those feel drivers work with N-Trig Pen, most likely its good for surface Pro 2 used with wacom pen. I will check again to verify
Here is the surface pro I am wishing for 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jafms4w-Sso
I got the sensitivity in zbrush but not in fresh paint. Had to use a much large brush size than I’m used to. The surface rippling isn’t too bad for me. You could get a glass screen protector which would probably eliminate the rippling, although not sure how it effects the drawing sensitivity.
I’m still waiting for my keyboard though so everything was done with touch screen so far. I need a better layout for zbrush. The default is tiny! The actual work area is pretty decent.
Wacom Enhanced Tablet PC driver or Feel it may work with the Surface Pro3 ,
Womball: you may want to verify this while waiting for the keyboard
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3gG8TlUVyU
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Enhanced+Tablet+PC+driver+demo
also if you have iOS (ipad) you may want to install keypad pro app turns your ipad into remote keyboard(install zbrush short cuts are under exchange)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDUdEudgaok
http://keypadplus.dopplerthepom.com
Hi, I am using zbrush with pro2, and very happy with it. I most likely upgrade to pro3 in a short time. Because screen is slightly larger. Pen is sensitive enough and fast to draw. I didn’t came across with a problem yet and I didn’t see much difference than a tablet either. The big plus with surface for me mobility. I can’t effort cintique and I want to see where I am drawing. I am classically trained artist it feels disconnected to draw on a tablet and look the screen.
I would highly suggest to get a screen saver with surfacepro, it makes drawing experience event better.
Hope this helps
d.
I don’t think wacom drives will work because its N-trig digitizer. Basically the problem is that you have press really hard to get a decent mark in zbrush or fresh paint. Sketchbook doesn’t require as much pushing of the pen.
I just got the tiny wedge keyboard. Windows 8.1 Fails to connect or pair with it. I have tried through control panel add device, and through pc and devices bluetooth pairing options. How did you set up your keyboard?
Update* Got the keyboard to work. I had to install about an hours worth of windows update which were not available at first. That resolved the keyboard not pairing. When it paired I had to input numbers and that worked. When you have the keyboard covered with the included cover it sometimes will turn on and will drain batteries. I also think the battery life of the surface will suffer while on bluetooth. It seems to drain faster that way.
For the sensitivity that requires pushing hard on the screen to get decent line weight, that’s going to be resolved in the next month with a microsoft pressure curve software update. In zbrush there is a setting for tablet pressure that should help, and you can also manually adjust the brush embedding values to raise the stroke up more.
I don’t know about the Pro 2 or Pro 3 - I’m still kicking it old school with the Surface Pro 1 and find it fantastic. I find it hard to use the type cover connected as it gets in the way of drawing/sculpting so currently use my Mac keyboard which I can move to one side - but I have a Razor Orbweaver gaming keypad on order which I’m going to remap my hotkeys to.
I am however considering upgrading to the Pro 3 when my cash flow allows - the increased screen real estate is really tempting
I opted getting the Lenovo Thinkpad S1 Yoga (with wacom digitizer /core i7) from the Microsoft store
http://www.mobiletechreview.com/notebooks/Lenovo-ThinkPad-Yoga.htm
if you are shopping for this model make sure to get the version with Active digitizer …
“In stores, you’ll find models that are touch only. Be mindful of the model number so you get the version you desire. The Wacom digitizer and pen add $100 to $230 to the configuration, depending on how you spec your laptop.”
Model: 20CD-S02C00
Cheers!
I have now upgraded my Surface Pro 1 to a Surface Pro 3 and…
IT’S AWESOME!
I love the size of the screen, it’s ratio and it’s quality, the thinness and weight of the unit. The kickstand is brilliantly engineered, one of my favourite features of the Pro 3. I was worried about the Ntrig pen but I can honestly say the worry was misplaced: it is soooo much more accurate and I don’t notice the reduced pressure levels - I actually feel like I have more control of the pressure with the new pen in Zbrush. I didn’t realized that the first button acts as an ALT when in Zbrush so I can Zadd and Zsub just using the pen. Cool. The pen itself is much better quality than the original Surface pen and has a nice weight to it.
Unlike with the first Surface Pro’s screen ratio, it is now entirely possible to sculpt in portrait, I just need to complete a portrait UI I can use. I use a Razor Orbweaver gaming keypad for my keyboard shortcuts and this works brilliantly with Zbrush and other design/art packages.
Well done Microsoft, the Pro 3 is a brilliant piece of tech.
Hey guys, I already own a Surface Pro 1, but I think I’ll buy a Surface Pro 3 for xmas.
I have some questions for you 
Currently I can’t decide which processor to choose. The main use I have in mind for this tablet is zbrush of course.
So my main questions is:
Thanks!
I previously had a Surface Pro 1 and upgraded to an i5 SP3 4gb. It is more than powerful enough for Zbrush. The i7 does run a bit warmer so given the choice I would get an i5 with 8 GB memory if you can for higher res sculpts - although my 4gb is ample for my needs.
thanks guys, wanted to get a surface pro for ZBrush and this thread provides a lot of great insights regarding it.
May I know is it possible to use the new ZBrush right click navigation on surface pro? basically having one of the pen button set to right click and have CTRL, ALT, SHIFT & SPACEBAR on screen buttons. I prefer to use only the Tablet and Pen without additional keyboard.
It seems like full pressure sensitivity is supported for ZBrush as of now is that correct?
Thanks!
Right button navigation works fine. For pen only input for Zbrush check out RadialMenu here:
http://forum.tabletpcreview.com/threads/radialmenu-toolbar-0-4-1-295.64232/
You can basically set up a toolbar and a Wacom like radial menu with custom shortcuts as in my example below. The radial menu shows at your cursor position and you can set it to auto close once you have pressed whichever button in the menu. The toolbar can be hidden, dragged to a different position and you have an option to set it to auto hide whenever the stylus comes close to it. The opacity of the menu can be altered and if you wish you can design your own icons for the buttons instead of using text labels.
I have also set up a custom brush and material palette in Zbrush which I can call up from my custom toolbar. It makes working in Zbrush with just the pen a lot of fun.
The developer behind RadialMenu is active at the link above and regularly posts updates, including suggestions fro the community.
Finally yes, pressure sensitivity is fully supported.
Thanks for the great inputs Gary!
Finally bought the Surface Pro 3 and ZBrush runs great. However the pressure sensitivity only works if I install the 32bit of the WinTab driver, prob have to switch to 64bit driver when ZBrush becomes 64bit. The radial menu is indeed a great piece of software and it works on all other programs as well.
Finally an ideal solution of mobile sculpting for me, cintiq companion is too builky to carry around and quite a bit more expensive, and dont think there is going to be a great iOS, android or zbrush mobile sculpting app anytime soon.
Ah yes, forgot about the Wintab driver. Have fun with your Surface Pro 3 
