Graphics tablet: an indispensable tool?

[DocBambs]

I am still using a mouse.

I purchased a NISIS tablet from Morgan a couple of weeks ago but have been unable to get it working so, for now, I am stuck with the mouse.

DocBambs

[The Doc]

I have a Trust A4 tablet but only use it infrequently. Mainly I am happy using the mouse when making vector graphic pics.

[terrykb]

I have a Genius MousePen 8x6 Pen Tablet. Its realy good for doing outline shapes for fancy crops etc. However, the Boffin Boys & Girls at Xara - bless them for all the wonders they have done - have not found a way to get the driver to work with pressure sensitivity :-( When they do I'm sure I will use my tablet even more. BTW does anyone else have this tablet and have you managed to get the presure sensitivity to work? I'm using Xara Pro.

[Millertime]

Just picked up a Wacom Graphire 4 4X6 been playing around with it . Pretty cool , looks like it will come in handy for different tasks. Was thinking uf getting a larger size but space on desk became a issue. Now that I got the 4x5 I think the size is just fine .

[Intbel]

I have a Genius MousePen 8x6 Pen Tablet. Its realy good for doing outline shapes for fancy crops etc. However, the Boffin Boys & Girls at Xara - bless them for all the wonders they have done - have not found a way to get the driver to work with pressure sensitivity :-( When they do I'm sure I will use my tablet even more. BTW does anyone else have this tablet and have you managed to get the presure sensitivity to work? I'm using Xara Pro.

Have you seen this?

[sallybode]

Recently got a larger tablet, primarily because I wasn't using my small Wacom tablet because the space was so limited.

I got an Aiptek because the active area is about 6 x 8 inches but the actual footprint is larger: more like 13 x 13 inches. So I've moved my keyboard from my pullout and have the table in the drawer as I find it more comfortable to work on. The pen takes a single battery: AAA and also for the mouse. The mouse works on the tablet but not anywhere else like all tablet mice, but as the tablet is the size of a mouse pad and every area of the screen is mapped to the tablet, more useable than the Wacom combination. Never used that mouse at all.

It has 512 levels of sensitivity and it works on all the non-italic brushes for pressure sensitivity. Wow. Lot of fun. It has F key pads from F1 to F16 across the top which you can assign to launch programs or whatever you desire, or even copy and paste or use them as I prefer which is as F keys.
Xara Xtreme has a utility which allows you to create your own keyboard shortcuts if you don't like theirs, so you could remap your tools to the tablet if you would like. Ah but then I'd have to remember all those. May just do a couple a day so as not to get confusing. Or leave well enough alone. Selecting tools on the Xara interface is so natural a thing to do as I am used to it. If it ain't broke why fix it?

The tablet has great pressure sensitivity in most of what I've tried except for Corel PhotoPaint, it works, but no pressure sensitivity and Photoshop CS. Now one may think this is the fault of the tablet, I think there are some ways that certain programs avoid using standard settings for their own and those being aimed at Wacom in both cases. Both Adobe and Corel have good support in Adobe Photoshop Elements and for Corel PaintShopPro as well as the newly acquired Ulead PhotoImpact. So it isn't that they don't know how to make it compatible.

For searching for a better driver found a download from vtablet.com which may prove useful to many which is an interface which works with many tablets as a substitute driver for the one from the manufacturers. But Aiptek wasn't listed when I did the download and as I've stayed home with a migraine headache, wasn't up to my usual inquisitive self to see if any others might work.

For those who haven't found a driver to work with their tablet, it might be worthwhile checking it out. Many are listed, just not mine. BTW, have to download it to get the names of which ones it supports. The sad news is that if the download works the shareware is temporary. And so if you want to keep it, be expecting to pay $60.00 American or $40.00 to upgrade if you already own it. So there mostly goes the savings if you were avoiding biting that expensive bullet called "Wacom".

To get a Wacom the size of this one would have cost be three times the price. It works very well in Xara so I am happy. As far as Photoshop, I am good with mousing too, the tablet works just not with pressure sensitivity. However I often use PhotoImpact instead as I like the results I get and it works with that one.

BTW, you may need the Camtasia Player to be able to watch the .avi file Raymond posted as the video will not play in other players mostly. You can download that here:
http://www.techsmith.com/download/ac...ult.asp#player

[terrykb]

Hi,
Thanks for the info about the avi movie file but that was one of the first things I watched when i first got my tablet. It made me even more frustrated to know what I was missing!!

I haven't had a chance to check out Sally's driver sourse but it sounds a bit of a pricey option :-(

Maybe I will explore getting a Aiptec tablet in my region (Malaysia)

Thanks to all who contribute to give even more value to Xara's wonderful product. I bought it when it was first launched in the UK and have never had a graphical dull moment since :-) Now with Xtreme Pro I feel I really have true graphic power at my fingertips - would be nice to have pressure power at my pen tip too!

[Judi A]

I use my Wacom Intuos for everything and have for about 10 years. I can't imagine using a clumsy mouse. I agree with the statement that it feels like drawing with a block of wood.

[sallybode]

The driver which is supplied by Aiptek works great in Xara, no complaints at all. I like to use to reverse the order of right and left click so it is more mouse-like and the software lets me configure it like that. It maps your entire monitor to the tablet so you can reach everywhere easily. And it looks sleek.

Since I play rather exclusively in Xara which is what I bought it to use it with, I am happy. Also happy with the fact that it didn't cost me nearly so much. Pressure sensitivity in Xara is great, laughed out loud when I used it in delight. I was truly blown away.

512 levels of sensitivity may be enough for the vector program.

[Hwy101]

I'm a natural southpaw, so I find that I have the pen in my left hand and the mouse in my right. I suppose that I first picked up a mouse, 25+ years ago and never looked back, but when I started using a tablet, the pen could only be used with the left. All detail work is definitely done with the pen.
It (two-handedness) does have some workflow advantages, I've found.

You, like me, are a Left-Hander in a Right-Handed World... BUT, I am sure that you know the old saw: We are the Ones in Our Right-Minds ;-^)