Blankslate

Universal HID tablet configuration toolkit

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Quick start guide to install and run Blankslate

Getting Started

Get up and running with Blankslate quickly. Choose your platform and start reading tablet data!

Prerequisites

Choose your runtime:

Platform Requirements
Node.js Node.js 18+, npm
Python Python 3.8+, pip
Web Chrome, Edge, or Brave browser

Installation

Node.js

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/bengfarrell/blankslate.git
cd blankslate

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Run the event viewer
npm run events -- -c public/configs/xp-pen-deco640.json --live

Or install globally:

npm install -g blankslate

# Then use the CLI commands
tablet-events -c config.json --live

Python

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/bengfarrell/blankslate.git
cd blankslate/python

# Create virtual environment
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

# Install the package
pip install -e ".[dev,websocket]"

# Run the event viewer
tablet-events -c ../public/configs/xp-pen-deco640.json --live

Web Application

# Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/bengfarrell/blankslate.git
cd blankslate
npm install

# Start the dev server
npm run dev

Open http://localhost:3000 in Chrome, Edge, or Brave.

Quick Test (Mock Mode)

Test without a physical tablet using mock mode:

Node.js:

npm run events -- -c public/configs/xp-pen-deco640.json --mock --live

Python:

tablet-events -c ../public/configs/xp-pen-deco640.json --mock --live

Mock mode generates realistic tablet data (circles, lines, pressure sweeps) so you can test the tools without hardware.

Connecting a Real Tablet

1. Find Your Tablet

Node.js:

# List HID devices with digitizer usage page
node -e "const HID = require('node-hid'); console.log(HID.devices().filter(d => d.usagePage === 13))"

Python:

python -c "import hid; print([d for d in hid.enumerate() if d['usage_page'] == 13])"

Look for devices with usage_page: 13 (Digitizer).

2. Generate a Configuration

If your tablet isn't in public/configs/, generate one:

Node.js:

npm run config

Python:

tablet-config-generator

The interactive walkthrough guides you through:

  1. Connecting your device
  2. Drawing horizontal/vertical lines
  3. Applying pressure
  4. Tilting the stylus
  5. Pressing tablet buttons
  6. Entering device metadata

3. View Tablet Events

# Node.js
npm run events -- -c your-config.json --live

# Python
tablet-events -c your-config.json --live

Common Commands

Node.js

Command Description
npm run dev Start web dev server
npm run config Generate tablet config
npm run events -- -c config.json --live View live events
npm run websocket -- -c config.json Start WebSocket server

Python

Command Description
tablet-config-generator Generate tablet config
tablet-events -c config.json --live View live events
tablet-websocket -c config.json Start WebSocket server

Troubleshooting

"Device not found"

  • Ensure the tablet is connected via USB
  • Check that no other application has exclusive access to the device
  • On macOS, grant terminal/IDE permission to access USB devices

"Open failed" error

The tablet driver or another application may be holding the device:

  1. Quit the manufacturer's tablet application (XP-Pen, Wacom, etc.)
  2. Try again

WebHID not working

  • Use Chrome, Edge, or Brave (Firefox/Safari don't support WebHID)
  • The page must be served over HTTPS or localhost
  • Click "Connect" and select your tablet in the browser dialog

Next Steps