Intuos2

[nisus]

Hi all,

 

I have tested an intuos2 today and as I am really impressed by it's performance - like I expected - I'm certainly going to buy one.

I still got a few doubts about a two things (size and pen) so I thought maybe some of you can help me out. Any help or tips based on experience are appreciated and most welcome.

 

Pens: Although the basic pen is fine for most applications, I wonder if a stroke pen isn't much better for simulating artistic feeling.

So is it worth to have this additional (stroke) pen or not (money is no issue)? I also read somewhere that the tablet can remember different settings for each pen, so that switching between two pens is like switching between a marker and a crayon. Is this true?

Aonther thought that can be important for my choice is this: Can the basic pen use the 'tilt pen'-option in ps? Or do you need a special pen like the stroke pen?

 

Size: I've tested an A4-oversize. Used in full tablet-mode, hand-travelling distance can be really big for many application. So for regular use - instead of a mouse - I think an A5 will do.

But what about sketching in ps? For sketching it is better - often not easier - to draw with long strokes on big sizes. Say I want to sketch at a very high resolution in ps, can I still draw enough detail when using an A5? Or is an A4-oversize recommended?

 

So does anyone got some tips on pens or sizes?

 

tnx

 

nisus

[plastic]

>>Pens: Although the basic pen is fine for most applications, I wonder if a stroke pen isn't much better for simulating artistic feeling.

 

the standard grip pen works perfectly for me...

as far as i know the pens are all the same, specification & quality wise, its just the form that differs. except the airbrush, it also has a wheel.

 

>>I also read somewhere that the tablet can remember different settings for each pen, so that switching between two pens is like switching between a marker and a crayon.

 

yes...works perfectly. you can assign individual settings to each pen. pen/tablet settings, though. but i don't think you can configure photoshop to auto-change brush type with each pen...

 

>>Aonther thought that can be important for my choice is this: Can the basic pen use the 'tilt pen'-option in ps?

 

everything is supported with the standard pen. photoshop supports tilting since version 7. (previous versions only support pressure sensitivity!)

painter has better wacom support, in general.

 

>>Size: I've tested an A4-oversize. Used in full tablet-mode, hand-travelling distance can be really big for many application. So for regular use - instead of a mouse - I think an A5 will do.

 

well, i have the intuos2 A4 (31x24cm) and i think this size is perfect, because it has the same ratio as my monitors (19" CRT / 17" LCD), and is only slightly smaller.

i find it hard to paint at different scale than the target medium.

like, with the A5 board, if you draw a 5x5cm box its about 10x10cm on the screen.

with the A4 board its about the same size.

i definitly recommend A4.

A4 oversize (15x15") is pretty worthless IMHO, unless you want to use a different scale ratio on y than on x (complete madness, unless you have a quadratic monitor, and i doubt you have

remember, that - unlike the mouse - a tablet is a representation of the monitor, with absolute distances. its hard enough to get used to sketching without looking at your hand, its even harder when the tablet isn't the same size as the screen.

 

for mouse replacement...i think you want to keep your mouse. i don't know anyone who uses the tablet exclusively. you can use mouse & tablet at the same time, i'd advice that you jump to the tablet for sketching & keep the mouse for everything else.

you can use the tablet in mouse mode of course (relative distances & acceleration) but then it is - like a mouse - unuseable for scetching.

 

[ July 15, 2002, 11:45 AM: Message edited by: Marc Lorenz ]

[nisus]

Hi Mark,

 

Tnx for your quick reply. It's been most useful for solving my doubts on size: I think you got a good point about using the same scale for palet and monitor and even a better on on the different scale references using the A4-oversize. I'll certainly stick to the A4 now

 

About the pens: In a standard pen, the tip only moves 0.1mm in and out, whereas with a stroke pen it moves about 1.3mm. I think the latter got a better feeling of a sketch-pen in contrast to a more byro-feeling... Anyone got any experience with the stroke pen? (I couldn't test it, because hardly anyones asks for it so it was not in stock)

 

rgds

 

nisus

[nisus]

Hi Mark,

 

Just a small remark on the oversize: it is usefull if you set a size the same aspect ratio as your monitor and use the rest of the space for shotrtcuts. (But who wants to look at the palet for shortcuts when you're focused on the screen?

 

rgds

 

nisus

[nisus]

Hi Mark,

 

Be sure to check out the TOOL ID and the STROKE PEN in the demo section

 

here is a link to the demos of intuos2:

http://www.wacom-europe.com/uk/use-it/demos/index.asp

 

Hi all,

 

talking about intuos2, you might want to check these out.

 

here is an article on the use of intuos2 and ps7:

http://www.wacom-europe.com/uk/use-it/tips-techniques/ps7/index.asp

 

here are some techniques with intuos2 using ps7:

http://www.wacom-europe.com/uk/use-it/tips-techniques/ps7/airbrush.asp

 

rgds

 

nisus

[plastic]

cool, thanks...

[nisus]

Hi all,

 

I received my Intuos2 A4 early this week, and already I think it rocks! Here are some early thoughts on it:

 

- wonderful ultra-fast drawing/selecting, with no pain in the shoulder after a hard days night

I hardly use a mouse anymore... really, after only a few days... amazing! (I haven't tried it on max yet...)

- very good setup: easy to do, very configurable, extremely fluid

- very artistic: you can sketch right onto your renderings - adding a lot of people only takes a few minutes - while maintaining a great artistic look. (It's rather hard the old way: printing a render, skething on paper, scan the drawing, scale the image, retouch the composite,...)

- pricing is about half of what I thought it would be

 

A suprising attribute: Pen ID

The most wonderful thing is that the tablet knows what tool you're using. You can setup independable tablet size en pen options (tilt, pressure, buttons, etc.) for each tool and... you can even combine tools! Since I have a standard pen, a 4D-mouse and an optional stroke pen lots of possibilties come into mind.

For example: A stroke pen does not have any buttons, but by adding 6 shortcuts to my 4-button-1-wheel-mouse I have a very fluid workflow drawing with my right hand and undoing, redoing, changing brush etc. with my left using the 4D mouse or the keyboard.

Another great thing is that tablet size is now different for each pen. For rough drawings, I use a small tablet-size (graph pen) so I don't have to move my hand too much drawing very long lines. For details I use a wider tablet size (stroke pen), so moving my hand a lot only adds a small line. Great thing is that you don't have to reset your tablet size as the intuos remembers the tool settings!

Best of all: you can setup your tools for each program independently, which means that every button can contain one of your most favourite shortcut in whatever application your running.

 

To summerize: Next to the expected artistic touch the intuos2 also adds a lot of ease and fun to my daily workflow

 

rgds

 

nisus