RSI from 3d modeling / Wacom tablet advice
polycounter lvl 9
Hi, I've been doing 3d modeling for a while now in my spare time and I have a real problem with RSI. The nature of 3d modeling using Maya and Zbrush and painting textures in Photoshop naturally means I'm clicking away constantly and over time it aggravates my tendons. I've been doing some RSI stretches, I do Yoga about twice a wk and I force myself to take regular breaks every 30 mins or so for about 5 mins all of which helps keep it at bay, but I notice after a hard slog at modeling for several hours I have noticeable discomfort the next day.
Wondering if any of you guys struggle with this as well? I am a bit of a worry wart admittedly and I'd like to work as a 3D artist one day but if I was successful in landing a gig I'd want to be sure I can cope with long hours of 3D artistry without damaging my body and having to give up on my dream job.
Looking online I was noticing some people talking about Wacom tablets that really help, I might consider investing in one if it will help, god knows it would help immensely from an artistic perspective. But what about modeling hard surfaces in Maya, and just using the general Maya UI with a tablet how do you guys find it? Can I do everything that I do with a mouse on a PC with a tablet as well?
I haven't really used a stylus pen before so I just wonder if it would be cumbersome to use using the viewport cam in Maya.
Wondering if any of you guys struggle with this as well? I am a bit of a worry wart admittedly and I'd like to work as a 3D artist one day but if I was successful in landing a gig I'd want to be sure I can cope with long hours of 3D artistry without damaging my body and having to give up on my dream job.
Looking online I was noticing some people talking about Wacom tablets that really help, I might consider investing in one if it will help, god knows it would help immensely from an artistic perspective. But what about modeling hard surfaces in Maya, and just using the general Maya UI with a tablet how do you guys find it? Can I do everything that I do with a mouse on a PC with a tablet as well?
I haven't really used a stylus pen before so I just wonder if it would be cumbersome to use using the viewport cam in Maya.
Replies
I did buy a magic mouse for testing out this feature. To get the full functionality I had to use a 3rd party software called "BetterTouchTool" that is exclusive to Mac's (no windows support).
Overall, I recall the tap force pressure to activate a click was a bit too much for my finger (you have to make a strong tap to activate). I was hoping the pressure requirement would be similar to a mobile phone, but it required too much force for my already damaged finger.
There was a mouse mod write-up from a developer online that I wish was a real product to purchase (that looks like the perfect solution for me). The mouse how-to is fully documented but I simply do not have the time to build it right now.
Direct link to the capacitive mice mod for those curious: https://hackaday.io/project/181300-capacitive-touch-button-computer-mouse-hack
This is fairly normal, so most people you'll be working with working professionally will completely understand.
The wear and tear on the body is accumulative and normal. I've found that so far I've been able to make adjustments to how I work (ergonomics) to maintain 90% of my usual speed while minimizing the discomfort.
At minimum (in my opinion) your workstation should all be ergonomically appropriate.
As for your wacom tablet question. I know of a few artists who work with a tablet in Maya doing hard surface modeling. I personally like having a tablet, mice, and cintiq to switch to for RSI.
I don't know anyone who has been modeling professionally for 10+ years who hasn't had to find more ergonomic solutions to manage their RSI. I say this repeatedly because RSI will likely be a ongoing moving target that will need to be managed.