Trackpad++: Alternate Trackpad Driver for BootCamp

[V-l-a-d-i-m-i-r]

@All: Trackpad++ version 3.1e is out today! What's new:
- Long anticipated option to not override the Windows mouse pointer speed setting when the mouse is connected;
- The UI of the Trackpad++ Control Module a bit cleaned from clutter (currently unused always gray options removed, layout optimized, etc.)

Just in case, the Power Plan Assistant tool was also updated today. Basically, an option to not override the Boot Camp keyboard backlight management has been added, and the UI look'n'feel refined.

 

[superkrups20056]

Is this software free, or is a donation required to receive updates? Thanks.

 

[V-l-a-d-i-m-i-r]

@superkrups20056:
I would call it free. And I would call it donationware. Yet the Trackpad++ is, probably, unlike any other software you use. Maybe for this reason sometimes the myths do appear on some forums regarding the Trackpad++ approach. Here is the summary:
- Trackpad++ can be used infinitely, freely, with all of the gestures and settings available;
- To use it in such way, you can redownload/reinstall the new build of the software weekly (it's always published each new week).
- If you want to support the development, there exists a donation option. While all of the gestures and settings are available to all people, the weekly update is not mandatory for project supporters. Sometimes there could be additional benefits of being a donator (and right now there are). But, to restate, all of the gestures and adjustments are available to all people. I cannot dig even deeper right now, because the MacRumors rules clearly deny talking about the donations, so I might already wrote too much. This thread should only contain the technical discussion of the alternate drivers, some feedback, some tips or tricks, etc.

 

[superkrups20056]

@superkrups20056:
I would call it free. And I would call it donationware. Yet the Trackpad++ is, probably, unlike any other software you use. Maybe for this reason sometimes the myths do appear on some forums regarding the Trackpad++ approach. Here is the summary:
- Trackpad++ can be used infinitely, freely, with all of the gestures and settings available;
- To use it in such way, you can redownload/reinstall the new build of the software weekly (it's always published each new week).
- If you want to support the development, there exists a donation option. While all of the gestures and settings are available to all people, the weekly update is not mandatory for project supporters. Sometimes there could be additional benefits of being a donator (and right now there are). But, to restate, all of the gestures and adjustments are available to all people. I cannot dig even deeper right now, because the MacRumors rules clearly deny talking about the donations, so I might already wrote too much. This thread should only contain the technical discussion of the alternate drivers, some feedback, some tips or tricks, etc.

Last question. The suggested amount is 15 USD; if I give less, will the weekly update still be mandatory? Also, do I need to donate separately for PowerPlanAssistant and Trackpad++? Thanks!

 

[V-l-a-d-i-m-i-r]

@superkrups20056: This thread may get closed because of this direction of discussion, I was already warned once by MacRumors moderators. Please, if possible, write me via email, and I'll respond soon.

 

[superkrups20056]

One more question, not on that topic. I installed the drivers and I got the watermark at the bottom right of my screen saying "test mode, Windows 10, 10240." I was able to install the drivers without installing power plan assistant by temporarily disabling driver signature verification via advanced startup on windows 10. Under this method, restarting windows re-enables driver verification. Why do I still get the watermark after restarting? Thanks.

EDIT: It appears that test mode is enabled because Trackpad++ is a driver not verified by windows. If I forcibly disable test mode via command prompt, will the trackpad++ driver stop working? Thanks.

 

[V-l-a-d-i-m-i-r]

@superkrups20056: It's true that the currently shipped driver is not Microsoft-cross-signed, so Windows doesn't trust it, as explained in detail during the prerequisite Power Plan Assistant install. That's how it's been working all these years. Since you chose to not follow the first installation chain requirement (where it's needed to first install the Power Plan Assistant, and then Trackpad++), you are therefore observing such behavior (the watermark). The TESTSIGNING shall be enabled, or the driver will not be functional. One of the reasons why the Power Plan Assistant is the prerequisite component is that it (asks you and then) prepares the system so that no TESTSIGNING watermark is shown. Also there exists a standalone watermark remover, I can email it to you if you wish.
Alternatively, very recently it's become possible to request the Microsoft-cross-signed trackpad driver (basically, it's the same-as-current driver, every bit is the same, just signed by an authority and with Microsoft's own cross-certificate). You can contact me via email if interested in this option. Again, I can't put all the details there (see my previous posts).

 

[superkrups20056]

Thanks, I got the watermark removed. I installed VMWare and I got the Trackpad++ dialog it told me to ignore, but now whenever I boot into Boot Camp natively I still get the popup (although trackpad++ still works perfectly).

 

[V-l-a-d-i-m-i-r]

@superkrups20056: Never reported before, thank you. I recommend to delete the folder C:\Program Files\TrackpadPlusPlus and then reinstall the Trackpad++. Does the message persist after those steps?

I do not recommend to share the Boot Camp partition for VM booting. Some incompatibilities may be there, and it might be difficult or even impossible to track and fix them. It's all about how VMware or Parallels or whatever other VM is working in this mode (i.e., when the Boot Camp partition is shared for VM boot).

So that all other forum members clearly understand the topic, let me provide the explanation: Trackpad++ driver is for Boot Camp only (for the real physical Windows installation on a Macbook). When somebody shares the Boot Camp partition for booting the virtual machine, such as Parallels or VMware, the Trackpad++ cannot work in such environment, so it throws a predefined message about incompatibility. When you close the window with this error, and you should be able to continue working with your VM environment. Normally when you return to Coot Camp the driver should continue to function without any messages. But please see one paragraph above

 

[Tiesda]

Hi Vladimir,

I am getting more and more familiar with Trackpad++ on my MacBook 12 running Windows 10. It’s become an essential part of my user experience, so thank you.

I currently set four fingers swipe up for task-view, four finger swipe left and right to switch desktops, four finger tap for Start and currently four finger swipe down to minimize all apps.

I’m looking to change four finger swipe down (or left) to minimize the active app, instead of minimize all apps.

And four finger swipe up (or right) to bring back the previous app. This would essentially replace alt-tab where you alt-tab but don't press an arrow key: alt-tab quickly switches back and forth between the last two apps.

1. Is there a setting I missed that would enable it?
2. Would you be able to add it to the next update?
3. In the meantime, can I use the ‘run application’ or some workaround to achieve my desired result?

 

[V-l-a-d-i-m-i-r]

@Tiesda: No such feature exists right now, but as a workaround there is an idea to use the compiled AutoHotkey .exe script. It can be used with existing Trackpad++ 'Run Application' functionality for the gesture of your choice. You can use it to trigger Win+Down or any other window management shortcut not currently implemented in Trackpad++.
Autohotkey is actually not difficult at all, I think it's absolutely possible to use by non-developers. One example: http://www.autohotkey.com/board/topic/65952-altf4-script

I'm not too happy about Win+Down (pressing Windows key and Down arrow) which seems to be an official keyboard shortcut for minimizing only the active window. I don't know why, but this one does not work reliably for me. Some windows need Win+Down to be pressed twice, in the manner when first the window gets 'un-maximized', and only the second time minimized. Does anybody know some other shortcut which minimizes only the focused window, and does it reliably? Sure, Win+Down works, but the fact that sometimes it might be needed to perform it twice can be irritating.

 

[Tiesda]

Thanks. I've managed to compile a basic script (WinMinimize, A) to minimize the active window then assign four-finger-swipe-left to run it. It feels pretty nice actually as a four-finger-swipe-left is followed by a slick window animation minimizing it to the bottom leftish side of the screen.

I tried to write a script to restore a previously used window (using WinRestore) but was unsuccessful. The best I could do was to restore a window with a specific title as a proof of concept (WinRestore, untitled - Notepad). It was great. Four-finger-swiping left and right felt like a sweet, smooth way to replace ALT-TAB without having to leave the trackpad surface. But of course, this proof of concept was only limited to an untitled Notepad window when it came to swiping right.

I ended up compiling a script to do ALT TAB instead. Both four-finger-swipes left or right are assigned to run this script so I got the end result I wanted. However, there isn't the nice animation that would make it cherry. I'd like to use four-finger-swipe-left to run the minimizing script, and four-finger-swipe-right to restore the previously used window.

Do you have any script suggestion?

 

[V-l-a-d-i-m-i-r]

@Tiesda: Thank you, could be really useful for many other people. I have no script suggestions, though.

@All: Seems like some people tend to ignore the Trackpad++ middle mouse button click emulation, and just quickly assign 4-finger tap (or 3-finger tap) to something different. However I wanted to emphasize that middle mouse click is one of the greatest conveniences you can get, e.g. for web usage. Some usage examples: when performed over a link, the link is opened in background; when performed over one of the tabs, the tab under the pointer is closed. When performed on a blank space on web page, the auto-scroll engine is activated (can be controlled with 1 finger, and is available in all browsers).

 

[Thunderboltedge]

no way to get this gestures also in mid 2014 macbook pro? They would be great to have

 

[V-l-a-d-i-m-i-r]

@Thunderboltedge: Thanks for the question, but... Actually your model is already supported.
Here comes the complete list of the fully Trackpad++ compatible Macbooks.
Supported models with classic Multi Touch Trackpad: Macbook Pro (Mid-2009 to Mid-2014), Macbook Air (Late-2010 to Early-2015)
Supported models with a new Force Touch Trackpad: Macbook Pro 13" (Early-2015), Macbook 12" (Early-2015), Macbook Pro 15" (Mid-2015)
Also, just in case: Windows 7-10 is supported, and Boot Camp versions 3.0-6.0 are supported.

 

[whiteonline]

@Tiesda: Thank you, could be really useful for many other people. I have no script suggestions, though.

@All: Seems like some people tend to ignore the Trackpad++ middle mouse button click emulation, and just quickly assign 4-finger tap (or 3-finger tap) to something different. However I wanted to emphasize that middle mouse click is one of the greatest conveniences you can get, e.g. for web usage. Some usage examples: when performed over a link, the link is opened in background; when performed over one of the tabs, the tab under the pointer is closed. When performed on a blank space on web page, the auto-scroll engine is activated (can be controlled with 1 finger, and is available in all browsers).

Don't forget the use of middle-mouse button on the taskbar icon to open a new window for a program that's already open!

 

[V-l-a-d-i-m-i-r]

@whiteonline: Yes, thank you, and actually one more for Windows 10 specifically: when in Task View, this closes the window under the pointer.

 

[gxjon]

Awesome work!

One thing that I found missing though, is the "flick" gesture to scroll quickly through long pages. (I think it's called inertial scrolling.) It would be nice if you could add this feature.

 

[V-l-a-d-i-m-i-r]

@gxjon: Thank you! I haven't succeeded with such mode of scroll yet. There has been some progress, but there is no reliable operation yet. I was hoping that Windows 10 would simplify coding this feature, but so far this only half-works (via so called Touch Injection API). And since this doesn't work reliably, I'm not adding this gesture yet.

 

[0000757]

I'm most likely going to donate if I decide to keep Windows on my computer, but I have a quick question.

Since Windows 10 64-bit requires BOTH Trackpad++ and Power Plan Assistant, do I have to donate to BOTH to get the not having to install weekly updates, or will one key cover both? I use Trackpad++ a lot but I use none of the features from PPA (I only install it because I have to, realistically).

 

[V-l-a-d-i-m-i-r]

@chrf097: Thank you for considering to support the development. As of today, only the initial installation chain has become mandatory. So after the Trackpad++ is up and running, the Power Plan Assistant can be kept or removed, the choice is yours.

 

[MacWithAMac]

Hey everyone,

I'm really new to Mac's and I'm running Windows 10 on Bootcamp. I just installed the Windows yesterday. I can see that bootcamp has some trackpad options, but I tried to do the Power Plan Assistant and Trackpad++ first.

A few things I've noticed:

- The notifications area on the right side of the taskbar doesn't collapse anymore. So there are tonnes of notifications on the taskbar now.
- There used to be a bootcamp link in the notification area that I could use to restart to Mac OSX and do some other things, but that's gone now.
- The Trackpad++ software kept giving me error messages whether it was working or not.
- I removed the Power Plan Assistant once the Trackpad++ was installed because I thought it might be what was interfering with my notification section, and then Trackpad++ stopped working on the next reboot.
- I've tried to uninstall the Trackpad++ and Power Plan Assistant, but my notifications area didn't go back to the way it was (collapsable).
- Now I'm trying to use the Bootcamp trackpad section but every time I restart, I have to go back into bootcamp and select all the trackpad options again. They are all unchecked when I come back in.
- I've removed Trackpad++ and the Power Plan Assistant and the "Test Mode" thing still sits in the bottom right of my desktop.
- Also, my keys on the top of my keyboard that deal with volume, screen brightness and backlighting on keys no longer work.

Basically, ever since I tried this set up for the trackpad, I've been experiencing wierd things on my macbook pro. I'm not sure if any other software could have been installed or if there is any way I can get things back to normal. Sorry for being such a noob.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Hugetrn]

I tried this a couple of months ago. It is really good once you set it. However, there are some things that made me want to not use this.

- Manual update. The program can't update itself. What's worse is that it cannot start without having installed the most recent version. It took away all the ability of using trackpad features at ease and became annoying with update popups every boot.

-Useless without power assistant. Second program is obligatory for the functioning of this program. I'm having hard time understanding why the files necessary in power assistant in order to launch trackpad++ were not copied to a "trackpad++ standalone setup"? I'm sure there's a reason but it is annoying in my opinion. Especially when it's time to update as I recall you get 2 update pop ups instead of one (one for power assistant and the other is for trackpad++).

-Updates can't be installed through the program itself. As I recall, you either have to reinstall or uninstall the whole thing to install an update which is time consuming for me.

As I said, great idea and great program. Thanks to people who spent their time to make this. If this and power assistant could install under one title, that could have worked as well but like I said it has some issues at the moment.

 

[V-l-a-d-i-m-i-r]

@MacWithAMac, @Hugetrn:
The recent pages of this thread are full of positive feedback, but the detailed feedback about the issues you experienced is essential either, and can directly help to improve the driver, its installation, etc. Thank You for reporting.

@Mr.MacWithAMac: Test Mode is well documented, including the long detailed message with link during the post-install procedure (for even deeper technical details).
Of the described issues, I can confirm the notifications thing (which is however the feature, not the defect). Basically, all of the active tray icons are displayed. Here is why: endless times I've been receiving emails with questions such as 'I start the program and nothing happens'. Since Trackpad++, and especially Power Plan's UIs are much concentrated around their tray icons, and the number of people who are so new to Windows exceeded any estimations, the decision was taken to make all the tray icons visible. People with skills can set this back in 5 seconds, while so many people who don't know what the tray is can see the icons now. Actually this was discussed a few times already on the previous pages of his thread. In one of the next versions I'll introduce the option, maybe right in the installer.

Other issues cannot be replicated, also if they happen to all people this thread would have been full of such messages. Something wrong happened with your install specifically, because keeping the Boot Camp tray icon, keeping the top row keyboard controls are always the top priority with my drivers. Otherwise who would even use them... If you still want to try the Trackpad++, I suggest to reinstall the Boot Camp driver package, and then try again.

@Hugetrn: Thank you, yes, automatic updates would be great for the future... By the way, the weekly updates are not mandatory for donators, so by supporting the development you can also get rid of any update requests.

Yes, as of today the Power Plan Assistant is still the prerequisite (which can change in the future), but now only the initial installation chain has become mandatory. So after the Trackpad++ is up and running, the Power Plan Assistant can be kept or removed, the choice is yours.

Cheers,
Vladimir

 

[0000757]

@MacWithAMac, @Hugetrn:
The recent pages of this thread are full of positive feedback, but the detailed feedback about the issues you experienced is essential either, and can directly help to improve the driver, its installation, etc. Thank You for reporting.

@Mr.MacWithAMac: Test Mode is well documented, including the long detailed message with link during the post-install procedure (for even deeper technical details).
Of the described issues, I can confirm the notifications thing (which is however the feature, not the defect). Basically, all of the active tray icons are displayed. Here is why: endless times I've been receiving emails with questions such as 'I start the program and nothing happens'. Since Trackpad++, and especially Power Plan's UIs are much concentrated around their tray icons, and the number of people who are so new to Windows exceeded any estimations, the decision was taken to make all the tray icons visible. People with skills can set this back in 5 seconds, while so many people who don't know what the tray is can see the icons now. Actually this was discussed a few times already on the previous pages of his thread. In one of the next versions I'll introduce the option, maybe right in the installer.

Other issues cannot be replicated, also if they happen to all people this thread would have been full of such messages. Something wrong happened with your install specifically, because keeping the Boot Camp tray icon, keeping the top row keyboard controls are always the top priority with my drivers. Otherwise who would even use them... If you still want to try the Trackpad++, I suggest to reinstall the Boot Camp driver package, and then try again.

@Hugetrn: Thank you, yes, automatic updates would be great for the future... By the way, the weekly updates are not mandatory for donators, so by supporting the development you can also get rid of any update requests.

Yes, as of today the Power Plan Assistant is still the prerequisite (which can change in the future), but now only the initial installation chain has become mandatory. So after the Trackpad++ is up and running, the Power Plan Assistant can be kept or removed, the choice is yours.

Cheers,
Vladimir

Might I add a suggestion?

I don't know if it is technically possible, but I'm still doing the weekly builds (still not sure how long I plan to keep windows on my laptop), but the most annoying part is having to reconfigure all of my settings. Would it be possible to have everything in a config file that stays, so when you reinstall it, your preferences stay there?