Good Graphics Tablets/Digitizers out there?
polycounter lvl 7
Hey everyone!
For the past 1-2 years I've had severe issues (Nightmares) with my Intuos 4. My partner also has an Intuos 4 and both of them cause loads of issues, like ink splatter, sudden lack of pen pressure, resetting user settings etc. Overall, it feels entirely different from when we bought them years back.
Each time I need to reinstall/uninstall drivers and setting up my user preferences (I'm left handed) Takes about an hour. For every Windows update or similar, It tends to completely stop working or be really wacky.
TL;DR, What is your preferred graphic tablets out there for PC? And what would your recommendation be?
I prefer a table-top Tablet, so one without a screen. As sexy as a Cintiq might be, my neck and shoulder isn't comfortable working on a screen.
Any alternative or recommendations are appreciated! As long as it supports, left Handed, Photoshop, Zbrush and other visual software, and is affordable as I recently went back to working freelance.
Kind regards!
Bering
For the past 1-2 years I've had severe issues (Nightmares) with my Intuos 4. My partner also has an Intuos 4 and both of them cause loads of issues, like ink splatter, sudden lack of pen pressure, resetting user settings etc. Overall, it feels entirely different from when we bought them years back.
Each time I need to reinstall/uninstall drivers and setting up my user preferences (I'm left handed) Takes about an hour. For every Windows update or similar, It tends to completely stop working or be really wacky.
TL;DR, What is your preferred graphic tablets out there for PC? And what would your recommendation be?
I prefer a table-top Tablet, so one without a screen. As sexy as a Cintiq might be, my neck and shoulder isn't comfortable working on a screen.
Any alternative or recommendations are appreciated! As long as it supports, left Handed, Photoshop, Zbrush and other visual software, and is affordable as I recently went back to working freelance.
Kind regards!
Bering
Replies
I have disabled Windows Ink and also removed the Windows10 feature for drawing. But I still have a lot of issues. Sometimes (at random) It says the Wacom isn't plugged in, or a tablet can't be detected, despite it's visible in Hardware Settings. I've tried swapping ports, and changing to a different cable, with same problems. The only solution at most times is uninstalling and reinstalling the driver. But that also means I have to set up all my specific preferences, hotkeys and so on for each software, which takes a while.
Issues with the Intuos 4 just seem to get worse every month. It doesn't matter if it is mine or my partners, or what cable I use, when I need it for work, half the time it just refuse to work, or I need to restart my computer.
Not only that, Since the recent Win10 Update, every time I unplug the cable to it while my computer is on, the computer freeze and Bluescreen. So if I want to change the port or unplug it, I need to have my computer turned off to do it, in order not to lose any work. I probably reinstall and reconfigure my Wacom about 2-3 times a month. Which are a lot of hours wasted on something, that should ideally be working. Especially looking at the brand price of Wacom, compared to other, cheaper brands.
It's frustrating and not very user friendly for the year 2017.
I've never tried cheaper brands. I have heard from people they are good, but whether it will fit me well is another question. Most industry professionals are using Cintiq or Intuos Pro, but I can't afford an Inutos Pro at the moment. The question is also, if the Intuos Pro, will over time get as many bugs and issues as Intuos 4. Especially as all the bugs are driver and software related issues. That makes me very hesitant to empty my savings to get an Intuos Pro, if I can get a cheaper version, working just as well for equal length of time.
I'm torn. Plenty prefer Wacom, but man. This month alone I've spent 4 hours re configuring, uninstalling, restarting and fixing drivers. Not to mention the amount of time I've wasted due to blue screen, as I unplug the cable while my PC is on.
Prior to the release of Intuos Pro, I had no problems with my Intuos, but as they share drivers now, all recent drivers have each their own problems, and any exclusive Intuos4 Driver I can find, doesn't work for Windows10.
- If this model proves out to be problematic, then don't use an Intuos4. An Intuos3 Wide will cost you around $100 used on Ebay and will last forever.
- Don't update the OS of your work machine unless you absolutely have to (for instance in case of a widely talked about security breach). Disable automatic updates - your work is more important than obscure fixes that might not even be relevant to your machine and software.
- You can export and import your tablet settings using the Wacom Tablet Preferences File Utility. As a matter of fact if you ever get a "No compatible tablet found on this system" error, running this utility and exporting/re-importing the settings will force the driver into a clean reboot without any need for a machine restart.
for the record i have used intuos 1 - 5 (am using what they call 'pro' nowadays) and never encountered the issues you are having. the intuos 4 was fine really. the surface just wore really quickly and the shiny parts of the case always looked tatty with fingerprints smeared all over.
i am really agressive about removing any trace of windows native pen support and i hardly ever update for the reason pior mentions. i am also not running windows 10.
my guess would be that either you did not completely disable every aspect of W10 pen tablet support or that bits of it get re-enabled behind your back when windows updates itself.
Windows 10 has definitely added another layer of pain, when it comes to driver. All windows pen utilities have been removed. I did like the intuos4 when it was out, but again since the release of Pro it seems to have gone downhill and unlike you, sadly I can't get the newest equipment when new stuff rolls out. (I wish I could though!)
I had no issues with Intuos Pro, when touch was turned off. I'm not super keen on the interface and how you manually have to update it and such, but as long as it works and it's not a returning matter I'm okay with it.
Some people are suggesting Ugee and Huion? Does anyone have experience with these brands?
a year later still love it, most fiddly thing tends to be the drivers, but once you got the wacom drivers off which was the hardest thing to do, get the latest ugee ones and disable all the windows crap, you are pretty good to go.
I was brainwashed back in art school that working small promoted timid anemic practices. Like concentrating on localizing details instead of working out overall landmarks/values that would better suggest a strong composition.
( where anemic small scale promoted tunnel vision motivating localizing detail ).
Which I am pretty sure can be managed on small tablet scales if as much is a priority...
On the other hand...
I do find small form factors do reinforce a dependency on one's wrist instead of a whole range of scale appropriate gestural motions leveraging the elbow, shoulder and waist/hips.
So, at my age ( past my prime )
There is nothing I can do about that horrible ingrained gnawing sense of guilt.
And I can feel the ghosts of my most cherished mentors and father figures standing behind my back silently judging me for my sins. Disgracing them. Sinner!
So last X-mas when Microsoft released their Surface Studio with it's:
28" pen enabled pressure sensitive PixelSense Display @ 4.5K for a 1 to 1 ( to real life ) True scale. ( which tickles my fancy even if I do not print )...
I got really excited. Thinking that as much was the start of larger pen enabled displays!
( for those so afflicted for those with a preference for scale ).
But X-mas is around the corner again...
And my hope for Microsoft coming to their senses and simply releasing a stand alone display line of PixelSense enables monitors is now dashed.
Nor have I found any news of a new iteration of the AIO Studio? Which would had hopefully allowed for upgradeable GPU. ( which would had provided Cuda, OpenCL options for other professionals, thus strengthening the technologies market positioning/perception. And of course allowed us a path to Pascal or a Volta upgrade instead of the gtx 980 solution that seems just a bit underpowered to handle that resolution 4.5k and 10 bit color fidelity. For our needs. )
Which is a shame and perplexing considering every Surface since the Samsung display in the Surface Tables had that PixelSense technology under the hood! There should had been a stand alone display line for years already?
If there was a controller mod that could handle the Display...
I would have paid for the $2,999.00 base model and hacked a custom solution already ( Like old i-macs to recover their screens for re use )
I suspect that solution might happen soon as apparently I am far from the only person with that same desire lurking in the same markets.
It might be hackneyed or a entitled frustration? But isn't it obvious that the stand alone display would had obviously best served all markets? ( I imagine the price would had still been over a K and still had been successful in consideration of Wacom's offerings )
What I am trying to get at is that the most comfortable on-screen solution is not necessarily a big-ass Cintiq-like device. It took me years (or actually, more like close to a decade) to understand that. Using a much smaller screen tablet to draw on (like the 12WX for instance) while monitoring the full picture blown up on a regular monitor above or next to it is way more practical and less tiring than constantly having to zoom in and out on the Cintiq itself (big or small). I hope this makes sense !
The difference is pretty striking here :
https://www.animationsource.org/sites_content/raiponce/img_site/6057/tumblr_lqcfnvpha21qkdj60.png
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5245e798e4b0bae68e57debf/549c0173e4b029881ef700d5/54ca90e9e4b0760ae19957d1/1458972623865/?format=1500w
A on a screen tablet, a character has to be blown up in order for the pen tracking to be accurate enough for smooth drawing. Meaning that even on a big once, merely half of a human figure can be shown at all times, which in turn affects the good perception of the piece. Whereas with good old pencil and paper, a full character can fit and be drawn with the same amount of detail, and without having to get one's face too close to the working surface.
The good news is that a 12WX goes for around $300 used, as opposed to $2500 for the big models
what's the status of that surface studio tablet/pc combo anyway? i have not heard about it in many months. has it delivered on the promises from the announcement?
I'm too tight to buy one with my own money so I got a monoprice 22 instead and I'm very happy with it.