Getting Started

Q. How do I add Lazy Nezumi Pro to my art software?

To enable Lazy Nezumi Pro's features in your art app, you need to attach it to its canvas windows. To do this, select the File/Attach to Window menu, and then drag and drop the LN icon into your art app's canvas area. If successful, you should see a flashing rectangle around the window. Lazy Nezumi Pro will now process your pen and mouse input when you draw in this window!

To save time, you can instantly attach the window under your mouse cursor by using the Attach to Window keyboard shortcut (the default is Ctrl+F2, but you can change it via the Settings/Edit Shortcuts menu).

If your window isn't being detected, try the keyboard shortcut instead, or try restarting Lazy Nezumi Pro with the "Run as administrator" option.

For Photoshop users, Lazy Nezumi Pro installs a special Photoshop plugin file. This plugin will be directly loaded by Photoshop and will attach to your canvas windows automatically, so you won't need to attach them yourself. Please read the Photoshop Setup Guide for more info.

Q. Must I attach to every canvas window I open in my art software?

For most apps, yes.

Some apps only have one window, so you will only need to attach it once. For these apps, be sure to turn LNP off when you are not interacting with the canvas area.

For Photoshop and Affinity apps, all canvas windows are automatically attached once the plugin is loaded.

Q. Which preset should I use?

The stock presets are organized into three categories:

Smoothing: These will stabilize your lines. Try subtle and massive for fast and slower dynamic lines. For slow detail work, try pulled string.
Rulers: These are for technical drawing. They will help you draw perfect straight or curved radial lines, ellipses, and perspective lines!
Misc: These are used to show off what you can do with the scripting engine. Open up the Scripting section of the preset details, and browse through the other available modes.

Depending on your particular style and what you are working on, you will want to open up the preset details (click on the little > button), and adjust the sliders to your preference.

Don't be afraid to experiment! Everyone draws at different speeds, and mice and tablets sometimes have different input rates, so the default settings might not be perfect for you.

Q. Is there more documentation somewhere?

The complete documentation can be found here: LazyNezumiProDoc.pdf

部分的な日本語翻訳 (unofficial/partial Japanese translation)： LazyNezumiProDoc_jp.pdf

Some tutorials are also available online:

Please check the Troubleshooting section below if you have an issue.

Compatibility

Q. What are the minimum PC hardware requirements?

The minimum hardware specs are: 25MB disk space, 1GHz CPU, 1GB RAM.

Lazy Nezumi Pro has been tested to run on the following versions of Windows:

Windows XP (no longer supported since 23.02.15)
Windows Vista (no longer supported since 23.02.15)
Windows 7
Windows 8/8.1
Windows 10
Windows 11

Q. Which software is supported?

Lazy Nezumi Pro has been tested to run with most versions of Photoshop with plugin support. It also works with many other art apps using the Attach to Window method. This includes (but is not limited to) Manga/Clip Studio, Affinity Photo and Designer, Flash, Animate, Illustrator, Aseprite, Leonardo, MS Paint, Krita, Gimp, MediBang, FireAlpaca, TwistedBrush, ZBrush, 3D-Coat, Sculptris, Paint Tool SAI, MyPaint, Paint.NET, Open Canvas, ArtRage, Sketchbook, Inkscape, Mari, Sketchup, Toon Boom, TVPaint, Substance Painter, Pencil2D, Xournal++, Rebelle, Storyboarder, etc... It also works with pen-enabled web apps in the Edge browser, such as magmastudio.io and aggie.io.

Please note that some features may not be completely functional in certain apps, depending on how they handle input.

It's impossible for us to test all versions of all drawing apps out there, so if you find one that isn't working correctly with Lazy Nezumi Pro, please let us know, and we'll do our best to support it!

Please note that UWP/RT/Metro apps that are sold on the Microsoft Store are not supported, since they use sandboxing and do not allow 3rd party software customization. This includes Sketchable, Fresh Paint, OneNote, etc...

Q. Is Krita supported?

Yes, via the Attach to Window method like with all non-Photoshop apps. Make sure you set Krita to use Wintab in its tablet settings. If you're using LNP version 20.10.29 or later, Windows Ink is also supported.

Q. Is Wacom's Mouse Mode supported?

Yes. It is recommend that you use Pen Mode for better precision, but if you do want to use Mouse Mode, then enable the "Tablet Mouse Mode" option in the Lazy Nezumi Pro settings, as described in this image. Please note that if you're using Photoshop, you will also have to disable "Fix Jitter Bug" via Settings/Edit Photoshop Options.

Q. Is there a Mac version?

No. Please read this for more information.

Troubleshooting

If you're running into any trouble with Lazy Nezumi Pro, the first thing you should do is check that you're up to date. The latest version is 23.05.09.1850. The Help/About Lazy Nezumi Pro menu of the app will show you which version you are running.

Also, be sure to download the installer from here and not anywhere else! Sadly there are shady websites distributing fake versions. Not only do they not work, but some are infected with malware. If you previously installed one of these fake versions, be sure to uninstall it and delete any leftover files from the installation folder, before installing the official version. Leftover files may prevent the official version from working correctly.

If after reading through the rest of this page, your issue isn't resolved, please contact us. We try to fix bugs quickly, but we need users to actually report them!

Q. Why does it randomly stop working in Photoshop?

Photoshop doesn't always tell its plugins which tool is currently being used. Check the bottom right section of LNP's main window. If you see "toolName (OFF)" there, it means it thinks you're using that tool, and it's set to be bypassed for it. If that's not the tool you're actually using, change tools a couple of times so that it can sync up again.

Q. Why do I get shooting lines when I lift my mouse or pen in Photoshop?

This is a Wintab bug in version 21.1 of Photoshop 2020. If you experience this, you have two options: downgrade to a previous Photoshop version, or have Photoshop use Windows Ink by deleting the PSUserConfig.txt file from its preferences folder. Please report this issue to Adobe here.

Q. Why do I get an error when I try attaching to a window?

If you receive a code -2, error 2 message (in newer versions, the message should be more detailed), this is usually a sign that your anti-virus has blocked Lazy Nezumi Pro from loading its plugin into your application, and has deleted LNP's plugin injector program (inject.exe or inject64.exe). If this happens, you will need to reinstall Lazy Nezumi Pro, and add its files to your anti-virus white-list. We recommend avoiding Bitdefender and HitmanPro especially, as they are known to interfere with lots of programs, and have extremely bad false-positive malware detection rates.

Windows Defender has also been known to block the plugin injector program. If this happens, you can configure it to exclude LNP's installation folder.

If you are launching your art application via Steam, this may block Lazy Nezumi Pro from initializing correctly, so make sure you launch it via its exe file directly instead.

If you receive an error saying that you shouldn't be trying to attach to the LNP window itself, even though your cursor was not over its window, try first placing your cursor over your art app's canvas window using your mouse or trackpad, instead of your pen.

If the error message reports a loader exit code of 0xC0000135, you may need to install the latest Visual C++ redist packages, which you can download here.

Q. Lazy Nezumi attaches to my art software but doesn't process my input when I draw. What should I do?

If you've just upgraded your Photoshop version, try changing the tool a couple times, and make sure it's not bypassed in Lazy Nezumi Pro's Photoshop Options settings.

For GDK based apps such as Inkscape and Gimp, be sure to enable your tablet in their settings, and draw some lines with your pen before attaching Lazy Nezumi Pro.

Otherwise, please check Section 5 in the documentation to see if your issue is described. If not, contact us and we'll try to add support for your software.

Q. When I draw using my pen with Lazy Nezumi enabled, why are my strokes offset from where I'm actually drawing them?

If one of your monitors has a high DPI setting, your application's window might be getting scaled, which can cause offset problems. You can prevent this by right clicking your application's executable file, selecting properties, and checking the Disable display scaling on high DPI settings option in the compatibility tab.

You can also try enabling either Pen Offset Fix or Tablet Mouse Mode in the Lazy Nezumi Pro Tablet Option settings.

You can also try clearing your Wacom settings by using their Preference File Utility, or reinstalling their latest driver. Important: unplug your tablet before you uninstall, reboot, and install the new driver. Also important, do not let Windows Update install one of their generic drivers!

Q. Why are my rulers shifting when I pan/zoom/rotate the canvas in Photoshop?

If you're using a version of LNP of at least 18.03.08, the rulers should sync with Photoshop canvas windows when you pan and zoom, which means you shouldn't have to worry about resetting their centers all the time. If you're using older versions of Photoshop such as CS5 or CS6 with a high-DPI screen in Win10, you may run into an issue where the centers don't track correctly. In this case, try unchecking the Canvas tracking: use DPI option via Settings/Edit Photoshop Options, which was added in version 19.10.22.

In any case, you should avoid rotating your canvas while using the rulers. Since canvas orientation isn't sent to the plugin, this will cause the rulers to not be aligned with your scene anymore.

Q. Why do my rulers shift when I zoom in other apps?

Automatic canvas zoom tracking is only supported in Photoshop. Please read this for more info.

Q. Why aren't the ruler handles appearing when I press ctrl?

Make sure you have Settings/Ruler Param Shortcuts enabled.

Q. Why can't I sometimes grab the ruler handles?

This can happen after moving your art app to a monitor with a different DPI setting.

If you encounter this issue, turn Direct2D off and on again via Settings/Edit Overlay Settings. This will re-create the overlay window.

Q. Why aren't my lines sticking to the rulers?

When using the rulers, be sure to disable any stabilizer or line smoothing feature in your art program, as it can interfere.

Also make sure you have the Accuracy parameter set to 1.

Q. Where did the center of my ruler go?

When using the ruler presets that have movable center markers (Ellipse, Radial Lines, Perspective), it is possible for the center to sometimes go off-screen.

To get it back, you can use the Move Center keyboard shortcut (configurable via the Ruler Shortcuts tab of Settings/Edit Shortcuts), or the Set or Reset Ruler Center Pos shortcuts (in the General Shortcuts tab of Settings/Edit Shortcuts).

Q. Why do I sometimes get missing lines?

Depending on your hardware and software, this can sometimes happen. Please contact us if it happens a lot.

One thing that can help (especially for Surface Pro/Book users): go to your control panel's Pen and Touch settings, and disable the Press and hold - right click option. You should also disable flicks.

Another thing that can interfere is the Windows ripple feedback effect. You can disable this by going to the task manager and ending the wisptis.exe process. To permanently disable it, you can use these registry settings.

Q. Why are my lines cut short when using my XP-Pen tablet?

We recommend avoiding XP-Pen tablets, as their drivers are notoriously buggy. This is only one of many common problems with them. If you experience this, unplug the tablet and try installing the latest available driver.

Q. Why are my lines cut short on my Surface Pro/Book?

For some inexplicable reason, Microsoft is not pre-installing Wintab drivers on Surface Pro/Book machines. This causes all sorts of problems with older apps, including no pressure, cut lines, or no lines at all when using the pen.

To fix most of these issues, simply install the Wintab drivers. The Surface Book drivers can be found here, and the Surface Pro drivers can be found here.

You should also install the Surface Pro Wintab drivers on the Samsung Galaxy Book, the Asus Zenbook Pro Duo, or any other non-Wacom screen tablet to resolve the same issues.

Q. Why am I getting an error in Photoshop after uninstalling Lazy Nezumi Pro?

This can happen if you uninstalled while Photoshop was still running.

You can fix this by reinstalling Lazy Nezumi Pro, and then uninstalling it again, but this time making sure Photoshop is closed first. If that doesn't work, you can simply manually remove the MouseHookPro.8li and MouseHookPro64.8li files from your Photoshop plugins folder.

Q. Why am I getting a Plugin Mismatch Error?

You probably have an old version of the Photoshop plugin installed somewhere.

Delete all MouseHookPro*.8li files from your plugin folders, then reinstall Lazy Nezumi Pro.

Q. Why am I getting lag?

On some machines, the transparent overlay window where Lazy Nezumi Pro draws its guide lines can cause some lag, especially when other applications are doing screen capture in the background. If you are experiencing this, try enabling the Direct2D option via the Settings/Edit Overlay Settings menu. This should help in most situations, but with some video cards you'll want to keep it off. If that doesn't help, you can also just turn off the overlay completely.

Q. Why has my cursor disappeared?

It's possible that you pressed the old default keyboard shortcut to toggle cursor visibility by accident.

You can configure cursor visibility via the Settings/App Cursor/Show menu. You should also configure your shortcuts via the Settings/Edit Shortcuts menu and make sure that you unset any App Cursor shortcuts you don't want.

Q. Why am I not seeing the string guide line or cursor?

Make sure overlays are enabled via Settings/Edit Overlay Settings.

The Line and/or Cursor boxes should also be checked in your preset's Position Smoothing section.

Q. How do I restore the stock presets to their default settings?

During installation of Lazy Nezumi Pro, the stock presets are installed to the installation folder (usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Lazy Nezumi Pro\presets).

On the first run of the program, they are also copied to your user data folder (you can open this folder via the Presets/Open Presets Folder menu). The presets are then always loaded from and saved to your user data folder.

Please note that the installer will not overwrite the presets in your user data folder. So if you want to restore the stock presets to their default settings, simply copy the preset xml files from your installation folder to your user data folder, restart Lazy Nezumi Pro, or use the Presets/Reload Presets menu to reload them.

Q. Is there a way to temporarily disable Lazy Nezumi while I am pressing a key in my art software?

Yes. Turn on the "Disable on Key Down" option in the settings.

If you are using the Photoshop plugin, the space and control keys auto-bypass LNP for convenience.

Q. Why does Photoshop sometimes freeze after drawing a line?

This can happen if you're using Photoshop CC on Win8/10. If you lift your pen out of tablet proximity before Lazy Nezumi Pro has finished your line, Photoshop will then get stuck waiting for more tablet input. To unfreeze, simply move your pen back to the tablet and let it finish the line.

To prevent this from happening, either don't pull your pen away from the tablet so quickly at the end, or decrease the position smoothing amount so that the line finishes faster.

You can also have Photoshop switch back to using Wintab, where this problem doesn't happen. To do so, please see this question.

Update: this issue has been fixed in version 16.06.30!

Q. Why do I sometimes get wobbly/jittery/aliased lines in Photoshop?

This is an old Photoshop bug. When it happens, you can usually fix it by alt-tabbing to another window, then alt-tabbing back to Photoshop.

Starting with update 16.06.03, Lazy Nezumi Pro has an experimental fix for Photoshop versions starting with CS5: try the Fix Jitter Bug checkbox in Settings/Edit Photoshop Options (requires restarting Photoshop and LN). Please note that this can interfere if you are using a Wacom mouse.

Q. Why does my pen move the canvas instead of drawing?

This is not an issue caused by Lazy Nezumi Pro, but a problem introduced by a Win10 update that changed the Windows Ink API behavior.

To fix it, either make your application use Wintab (see this for Photoshop), or download and run this registry fix.