Experience w/ Wacom Cintiq Interactive Screen???

[sues]

Does anyone have experience using VW12 with a Wacom Cintiq Interactive Screen? That's their flat panel display that you can write directly onto with their wireless pen. Does it work well w/ VW? Does it save you time versus using a mouse or a Wacom Intuos tablet and a regular monitor?

We're considering trying one for use in our architectural practice and would love any feedback you have. We've only seen them used in a video and never in person so we're a little leary of it till we hear more.

Sue

MacOS 10.4.8; PowerPC G5 Dual 2.3ghz w/ 4GB ram

[marek.dk]

hi sue,

I think it is nice and futuristic to work on a cintiq, but I haven?t found the right software combination yet. For pure vectorworks drafting it is quicker with a mouse.

For sketching I switch between photoshop and vectorworks. with the application AFLOAT it is possible to make the window you work in transparent (http://millenomi.altervista.org/Afloat/). then the cintiq is working like intelligent drafting paper. But there is the problem that when you zoom in/out in one app the other one does not follow.

I found the freehand tool in vectorworks irritating, so I don?t use it.

best regards marek

[marek.dk]

sorry, the transparency app AFLOAT does not work on vectorworks. I use WINDOWSHADE (http://www.unsanity.com/haxies/wsx).

that is working well. costs 10 bugs.

[sues]

Thanks for the info Marek. I have three follow up questions if you don't mind answering:

Does the Cintiq have a fairly quick response to what you draw or is there a lag time between the pen input movement and the screen image?

Do you use the Cintiq to draw in Photoshop? Do you like it for that?

Is the screen look as sharp and bright as a typical flat panel display to you? They say the screen has a textured finish and I didn't know if that affects the sharpness of the image.

Thanks again,

Sue

MacOS 10.4.8; PowerPC G5 Dual 2.3ghz w/ 4GB ram

[marek.dk]

Yes, photoshop is perfect for drawing. the brush tool is pressure sensitive, s? it?s working like a soft pencil. just that your hand is not getting dirty.

I experience the response as fairly quick. but of course if you move the pen very fast, there is a little delay in the screen image.

The screen looks at least as sharp and bright as our other flat panel displays.

All in all it?s a little step to future. I imagine a desktop in function as big a drafting table, where the keybord is an integrated part of the interactive display. And software optimized to switch between vectors and pixels drawings.

Good luck