Hey,
I'm going to major in graphics design next year, and so i've been looking at design hardware. Anyone here have experience with Wacom tablets, or anything similar? Maybe you could give me some advice on what size, make/model to buy, or any other insight regarding tablets.
--josh
Comments
I know people that use Wacom in audio editing applications for selection regions and other stuff and that interests me. Plus I want to dabble with the latest version of Painter. Frankly I've heard little negative comments about Wacom tablets. Users seem genuinely happy with them.
It does take some getting used to if you've never used one before.. but you'll never want to go back!!!
whats the learning curve?
Tablets are as intuitive as a pencil, so if you are a trained artist, you use the same skills and muscle control.
In the games industry, I'd say about 90% of all artists use tablets to some extent. Most use them exclusively.
The Wacom tablets are fast, precise and well built. The drivers have improved and are pretty stable now.
I use tablets for 2d and most 3d apps. However, by default, Maya relies on middle button clicking, so it is not very practical with a tablet.
One thing to note - your tablet has to map to your screen-space. So a 4x3 tablet does not work well to two 16x9 monitors side by side. Better to have one large monitor.
C.
If you plan to get one to actually work with rather than just occasional use, I would advise you to go for something from the Intuos 3 range rather than the cheaper models. They are more precise and offer greater 'feel' in use. The tablet size depends on what you're used to, your screen size and what you need it for. I would suggest that the A5 is a good place to start. The A5 format has a very natural response, even when used with a large format display, however if you require very fine detail, the A4 is better.
Hey,
I'm going to major in graphics design next year, and so i've been looking at design hardware. Anyone here have experience with Wacom tablets, or anything similar? Maybe you could give me some advice on what size, make/model to buy, or any other insight regarding tablets.
--josh
Ask around in your department.