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Stanley Waldrup
04-05-2009, 10:01 PM
I have a couple of questions for you guys running Tablets. I have been looking at a used Wacom Intuos3 9x12. Can you lay a pattern on top of these and trace it? How does it interface with Corldraw X3.
Thanks
Stanley

Chip Peterson
04-06-2009, 12:19 PM
I am just starting to use my Wacom more. The "comfort" curve seems high for me, but it sure is more accurate than a mouse!

Yes, you can lay a picture on it and trace over the top of it (resulting in the drawing in CD).

Wil Lambert
04-07-2009, 3:06 PM
You can trace it but you would be better off scanning it and tracing in the PC.

I use a tablet for everything. If you have trouble using it get rid of the mouse and use the tablet for a week or so for everything. Without a mouse you are forced to learn to function with the pen. You will thank yourself for doing it.

Dee Gallo
04-07-2009, 4:44 PM
I have been using a tablet for about a month now. Being very proficient with a mouse, I can say that for me, the pen is better in some respects and worse in others. It is no different as far as the ability to work pixel-by-pixel detail and does not seem any easier on my hand/wrist/arm.

The pros are that you can do repetitive movements very quickly, which is handy for retouching photos and adjusting bezier curves faster than a mouse can because you have the buttons at your fingertip for changing things like brush size and scrolling and you're not moving your whole arm all the time.

I use an optical mouse, so I am not restricted to the size of a mouse pad, but the pen must be used on the pad... so a larger pad is an advantage.

The cons are that the pen is very light in your hand, which for me is not good. It does not feel like a "tool" in your hand, but a thin light piece of plastic and I find that random movements are easy to make mistakes with. I might have to adjust the sensitivity down to fix that. Also, mine is a wireless Graphire which does not have buttons on the tablet, so I can't zoom with it, which is a huge pain. Maybe I can, but I didn't get a manual with this (used). If I did not have my Mac's ability to do a 2-finger scroll, I would have to use the pen's scroll button all the time, which I find unreliable and only up/down in direction. Also, I do not have a right-click option, so changing the line color is a pain too whereas with a mouse it's easy.

I'm not giving up on it yet, but I do not prefer it over the mouse at all. I also use the trackpad on my Mac a lot, so the work is 2 handed and fast no matter whether it's a pen or a mouse. Since I've got 25 years of experience with a mouse, I figure it might take a bit more time to learn to love the pen. That said, it is every bit worth the $40 I paid for it.

Back on topic, I would not recommend tracing a picture placed on the pad, because you will look at the pad and not the screen. This will result in you creating a bad drawing with WAAAAY too many nodules and lots of work to clean it up. You are better off scanning the pic and tracing with your draw program. I prefer manual tracing, but some people find autotrace acceptable.

cheers, dee

Stanley Waldrup
04-07-2009, 8:58 PM
Thanks for all the replies. I was looking for a new toy to add this year. Maybe I will be better off upgrading to X4...
Stanley