Graphic drawing tablet

bob-designer · 23 Jan 2013, 00:58

Is anyone using a graphic drawing tablet with Sketchup? Check out the tablets at
http://www.monoprice.com, under computer accessories, desktop accesseries. I am looking at the $49.00 model.

Thanks for your help, Bob

Trogluddite · 23 Jan 2013, 11:05

Hi Bob,
Take care to check the specifications well - especially the capabilities of the driver software to assign the pen controls as you would like them, and in particular, how it will emulate the middle mouse button and scroll wheel controls. If it cannot do those things well, it may frustrate your workflow, as you can end up having to switch tools to navigate and zoom.
I tried SU with my (very old now) Wacom tablet, but gave up very quickly because navigation just wasn't ergonomic enough. More modern tablets may well be better in this respect, but I wouldn't have too high expectations of a model in that price range.

pilou · 23 Jan 2013, 11:59

Maybe some touch palette permit to zoom b 2 fingers
can be useful while you use the pen graphic whith the other hand

(some tablets give some free bundle Program like artRage 3, photo element, Adobe Photoshop Elements 10, Corel Painter SketchPad,Autodesk Sketchbook Express 2010)

sonder · 26 Jan 2013, 16:28

I've used the Wacom Intuous 3 for years. Absolutely love it. I just bought the new Intuous 5 touch and love it even more. They work really well with SU.

Bob James · 26 Jan 2013, 16:42

I bought a Wacom Intuous and tried for several weeks to incorporate it into my workflow, but could not. My work is engineering-oriented.
@Sonder: In what way or for what tasks do you use yours?

olishea · 26 Jan 2013, 16:48

same here bob. I just couldn't improve speed from a mouse and keyboard unfortunately. I have a wacom bamboo and it hasn't seen light of day for 2 years. Would be good if you did LOTS of photoshop.

Bob James · 27 Jan 2013, 02:51

@unknownuser said:

Would be good if you did LOTS of photoshop.

Yes, I certainly agree with that, but I'm quite sure that my skills in PhotoShop will never reach a level where the tablet would help. I've watched some video demos showing a "master" using a tablet and PS and it was amazing.
Still, I'd like to be wrong about a tablet being useful for other SU tasks.

olishea · 27 Jan 2013, 11:37

I think tablet PC is the way forward. Being able to draw on the actual surface where your image is displayed, just like pen and paper.

Graphics tablet isn't intuitive for me....you are looking at a screen but drawing somewhere else. Kinda like rubbing your belly while patting your head.

I found this device below simply quite amazing. It tracks every single movement your pen takes (you can even save layers while you are drawing). This would be an architect's best friend!

WACOM Inkling. This would be great for boofredlay, I love his sketch book images.

Video from gadget show (look 3 minutes into the video)

http://gadgetshow.channel5.com/gadget-show/videos/gadget-test/episode-8-london-sketching-apps

Tobobo · 27 Jan 2013, 12:21

@unknownuser said:

I've used the Wacom Intuous 3 for years. Absolutely love it. I just bought the new Intuous 5 touch and love it even more. They work really well with SU.

I to have an Intuous 3 and I find it very easy to use. I have set the lower button as 'middle click' and the second button as right click. I combine the tablet with my keyboard, it has sped up my modelling no end. I find it helps with trying to lock onto the right snap point. I also find the precision of the table better than a mouse.

notareal · 27 Jan 2013, 13:30

What about Yiynova tablet monitors or digitizer displays, anyone tried or seen one in use? http://www.yiynova.com/En/products.php?fid=1
Yiynova DP10HD sounds interesting http://www.amazon.com/Yiynova-DP10HD-Digitizer-Display-Windows/dp/B008EYA9EG/

Bob James · 27 Jan 2013, 17:08

@unknownuser said:

Graphics tablet isn't intuitive for me....you are looking at a screen but drawing somewhere else. Kinda like rubbing your belly while patting your head.

How true.

@notareal
The link to http://www.yiynova.com does not work.

mitcorb · 27 Jan 2013, 18:07

The link worked for me. Maybe you have a blocker on?

notareal · 27 Jan 2013, 20:10

@bob james said:

@unknownuser said:

Graphics tablet isn't intuitive for me....you are looking at a screen but drawing somewhere else. Kinda like rubbing your belly while patting your head.

How true.

@notareal
The link to http://www.yiynova.com does not work.

Maybe this will work better http://avyy.org/ or http://www.amazon.com/b?me=A12GIJLV896YB3&ie=UTF8&qid=1359317398

jingkun · 3 May 2019, 02:10

I use a pressure senstivity stylus in work and at home with SketchUp on a XP-Pen Artist 12 ( https://www.xp-pen.com/product/64.html ) Pen Display Tablet , I only got them last month but has been pretty easy to get the hang of.

The trick is using the pen on the tablet and then also using kb and touch pad with my right hand for tricky and complex situations. However the pen has two buttons built in and also 6 on screen buttons you can program per application. So it’s pretty easy to add in features such as delete, undo and other tools. I also have programmed gestures on the tablet (two finger swipe left for undo etc).

witcher1345 · 22 May 2022, 22:59

@sonder said:

I've used the Wacom Intuous 3 for years. Absolutely love it. I just bought the new Intuous 5 touch and love it even more. They work really well with SU.

I agree with you, Wacom graphics tablets are simply superb. I myself am a user of one and am very pleased. And when drawing illustrations, I use the service https://create.vista.com/colors/palettes/easter-color-palette/ to find the right color palettes, there are a huge number of them and are often useful. Enjoy.