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I don't use a Wacom Tablet but a Wacom Cintiq "Pen Display".

(Search the Forum for Cintiq or Wacom and you should find a lot of information)

 

I wouldn't recommend pen input "being better" at all.

The most efficient input, and VW UI more relying on that than most other Apps,

is still Keyboard and Mouse.

The largest issue may be that VW isn't prepared for not having a "Scroll Wheel".

 

 

Edited by zoomer
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I have been using Wacom tablets for 20 years, currently intuos.  I agree w/ zoomer that mouse offers more control, though I never use scroll wheel.  Personally I cannot use mouse for long, also I find pen tablet more fluid when it comes to controlling cursor, also, I use "touch" to scroll and zoom which I also find more fluid and natural.  Having said that I think its all quite personal, it works for me but it may not for you, I guess you should try buying one and use it for at least a month or so.

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Yes, Touch would be nice.

If it would only react to my fingers only.

I have Touch off as I tend to lay on my screen with both arms 🙂

 

With Touch I would have to work with artist gloves and cover my

arms. But if there would be a Touch Display that would work with

kind of reduced gloves and coils in the finger tips only,

I would like that.

Imagine you could assign different short cuts to each finger for

every App ....

Edited by zoomer
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I have been using the Wacom tablet and pen for well over 5 years because of tendonitis.  It has solved my tendonitis problem and has been just as fast and efficient (possibly faster) as a mouse - save for the scroll-to-zoom function, which is handled by a rectangular touch zone on the pad.  Because the pen executes a click by touching the pad, it is possible for location to drift during that operation, so take care not to move your stylus location when clicking.

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^ Yes,

I would not recommend Touch/Tablet/Pen for people just curious and looking for some

something more effective or better than current Mouse.

At least for thing like Office or CAD work. I think it is not and has some drawbacks.

 

I would recommend it for people that have pain, problems or are unhappy with Mouse usage.

Like Tendonitis. Or pain in Neck and Back or just missing some haptic.

 

 

I am not sure if I would use a standard Wacom Tablet only in CAD.

I was fascinated by Touch (iPad) or now Pen Display, that you manipulate the objects directly,

without the disconnection between Hand and Screen.

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14 hours ago, P Retondo said:

save for the scroll-to-zoom function, which is handled by a rectangular touch zone on the pad.

 

BTW

The lack of a scroll wheel for zoom and scrolling is no problem at all in any standard App.

It is just a problem in my CAD view Navigation with Bricscad and especially Vectorworks,

because of their unfortunate key combinations.

There is also no problem in C4D or even better Blender and Modo,

which use left click + keys to pan, rotate AND zoom.

 

Also second Pen button is normally set "Scroll" by dragging and works fine for View zoom

or panning lists.

It is just that it does not work in VW as you need middle click for panning

(could be SPACEBAR alternatively)

but worse, middle click + CTRL needed to rotate, which prevents this.

 

 

Also there is a lot of space for improvements current Wacom Pens,

optimized for drawing only, when using for CAD.

The new 3D (!?) Pen is notb the answer I would like to see and only compatible with

latest Cintiq Pros anyway.

It could have a less wobbling pen nib without angle and force recognition for proper

precise CAD clicking. Or a mouse like device on screen like their previous digitizer

mouses.

Edited by zoomer
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  • 3 weeks later...

I have colleagues with graphics and hand drawing backgrounds who use tablets very successfully with Vectorworks. About ten years ago when I started to develop wrist problems I tried a cheap Wacom and more recently a Wacom Cintiq touchscreen tablet an animator friend gave me but I couldn't use either as my main input device. I do use the Cintiq very occasionally when redrawing non-vector freehand drawings I'm given but inevitably end up fine tuning that work with the mouse and Reshape tool. I would take the time to learn the tablet better if I had more freehand applications but for me it's a step backwards in workflow I can't justify. The Cintiq does make a nice little second monitor though....

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I know that no one really notices, but I use a Wacom tablet for creating all of my Macintosh movies. If you've seen any of the movies on my website, you tube, or course movies, all the ones from my Macintosh created using my Wacom tablet.

 

I like using a lot. I have it set so that the Wacom tablet matches the screen that has Vectorworks on it. It's very easy to use, is very natural to hold the pen, and I don't get any tiredness from my hand or wrist.

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9 hours ago, Jonathan Pickup said:

…I have it set so that the Wacom tablet matches the screen that has Vectorworks on it. It's very easy to use, is very natural to hold the pen, and I don't get any tiredness from my hand or wrist.

Jonathon; any chance you could elaborate on how you use the Wacom with VWX?

 

TiA

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I use a Wacom bamboo with touch. Using two fingers on the tablet allows me to zoom in and out. I have the pen buttons set to click and right click and I can tap with the pen to click. To draw a wall, tap the tablet to start, move the pen and double tap to complete the wall. If I am making a movie, I will move the cursor to choose a tool. If I am not, I will use my left hand for hot keys. 

 

I use two screens. I have set up mapping so that the tablet only relates the smaller Vectorworks screen. 

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I think a tablet does lessen the risk of physical problems a mouse can cause. Have no illusions though that a decades long mouse user will not struggle to make the switch. I've only tried to when my wrist was critically sore. Unfortunately that's been during very busy times when I couldn't afford to accommodate the learning curve. The tablet might be a better long term solution but switching between ergo gaming mice and trackballs with hair-trigger fast setups has worked too

 

Question for successful tablet users. How many of you learned the tablet with Vectorworks as your primary drawing software?

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I learned Minicad then VW using the tablet only

I also used sketchup for awhile, but now 100% VW

the tablet does not take long to adapt to because you do not look at the tablet for cursor movement just like a mouse

I have no experience with Cintiq line and I like using the computer screen for cursor control

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  • 3 months later...

Using a mouse for CAD caused me severe RSI many years ago, so for the past fifteen years I have used a Wacom tablet with VW.  Your wrist does not need to rotate to use a stylus and this solves the problem completely. I also make sure that everyone in our office uses a tablet (I don't want to get sued for avoidable workplace injury). It takes some people two or three weeks to switch over, but they seem to be much faster once they have got over the initial unfamiliarity.

 

There is no need for a large tablet - that just re-introduces unnecessary movement - a medium or small tablet will do. I program the stylus button for cmd-click and use the "scroll wheel" on the Wacom tablet for zooming. I keep a mouse connected in addition for any difficulties (selecting subsidiary tools from the tools palette where I have forgotten the shortcut is one) and use it maybe three four times a day.

  • Like 1
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  • 1 month later...

I am needing to change the way I operate VW as the Magic Mouse is causing me severe pain in my fingers. It seems there are two routes to go down with either a Wacom tablet which seems to operate like a track pad with pen or the Wacom Cintiq which is a full graphics tablet. The information I have been getting is to go with the larger Cintiq, which to me suggests more hand movement.

 

I am keen to know what model in the Wacom range you are using?

 

 

 

 

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I have been using small intuos Touch (very useful for scrolling and zooming), and various versions of Wacom tablet before Intuos.  Small works fine for me, and yes its just the right size relative to the natural movement of hand, similar to small sketching writing.

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10 hours ago, Ron Partington said:

I am needing to change the way I operate VW as the Magic Mouse is causing me severe pain in my fingers. It seems there are two routes to go down with either a Wacom tablet which seems to operate like a track pad with pen or the Wacom Cintiq which is a full graphics tablet. The information I have been getting is to go with the larger Cintiq, which to me suggests more hand movement.

 

I am keen to know what model in the Wacom range you are using?

 

 

 

 

Ron, whilst I do like the way the Magic Mouse looks and whilst it's great for web surfing etc, it's not suitable for CAD so I completely understand why you are struggling, the MM 2 is better as it's a bit lighter.

 

I looked into Wacom tablets but decided to stick with a mouse for Vectorworks as I find it accurate and convenient to work with. For some years now I've been using the Logitech M500 corded mouse, it's light and ergonomically shaped and I use it for long periods without any problem. The buttons are fully programmable so you can set up all sorts of short cuts, it's also cheap and reliable. https://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/corded-mouse-m500

 

 

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Probably 25 years with a wacom tablet now.  Must be about the 4th or 5th one.  Here's what I've learned:

 

1.  If a pencil feels natural, a wacom will too.

2.  More control than a mouse, especially on anything involving a curve.

3.  Less motion.  You can jump instantly from one side of the screen to the other. Try that with a mouse or track ball.  Easy to go from tool pallets at one location and your point of drawing at another.  It is faster for me.

4.  Smaller tablets are the best because there is less motion to navigate.  I've used the small one for big screens and two screens.

5.  They are pressure sensitive, so for some applications they have added functionality over a mouse.

6.  Worth their weight in gold when using a laptop in the field to do field measurements.  You need a horizontal surface, about the right height, with wheels, and a small truck to carry it.....(hint:  tall av cart).

7.  I suggest to all my competitors that they not use one.

8.  May be counterintuitive, but you never look at the tablet.  It just connects your brain to the cursor.

 

Donald

  • Like 3
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