alternative to mouse in AE-wacom but which one?

[Walter Soyka]

Get a decent-sized Intuos. AE has a lot of tiny controls, and I think having the physical resolution on the surface is important.

I use a medium Intuos4 with a 30″ display. I can use it very comfortably, but sometimes I do think having a large would be worthwhile.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events

[Joseph W. bourke]

Having used the Wacom serial models for years in my broadcast job, although mostly for Photoshop and Illustrator, when I started my own business, this was one of my must haves.

The sticker shock of the Wacom (it’s worth it, but I’m a cheapskate) made my first foray to the MonoPrice tablet. They have a selection of tablets, very cheap, but I found the pen was clunky feeling (little better than drawing with a mouse, which is like drawing with a potato!), and the resolution just wasn’t there.

I managed to find (on Craigslist) a USB Wacom Intuos 3 which was very lightly used, and works perfectly with Photoshop, AE, Artrage, 3D Studio, and other software in which a tablet is a necessity. I find the resolution just fine – it’s the PTZ-431W model – and its’ fairly small footprint lets me work with it in my lap comfortably. I had a few issues with drivers and CS4, but with CS5 on my laptop, I find that it works perfectly plug and play. No driver install – it just works.

Joe Bourke
Owner/Creative Director
Bourke Media
http://www.bourkemedia.com

[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

I would choose Wacom as well despite the price tag. I have tried other brands but really nothing compares. A larger size is ideal but I have used smaller tablets as well with great results.

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist

[Stefan Hinze]

hey,

i have the BamBoo (Wacom) on a 27″ (2560×1440), together with the mighty-mouse and a shuttleProV2.

the BamBoo is the coice for me, becouse you could use it with your finders too! with is cool for running up and down the layers oder down the timeline!

greetz

[Jim Bachalo]

Is the Bamboo large enough to be really useful?

Local is the new global

[Stefan Hinze]

imho –> yes!
shure it depends on how you work – i have my mouse set to travel the whole screen by a swipe in the wrist.

using the tablet is different, up-left is up-left on the tablet, down-right is down-right… your arm will move more, but i think thats a good thing.

working precise ist not a problem!
zoom in if needet.
time will make you faster.
find your way, it´s a process to get use to a tablet.

i work all day on the computer, there is not one time i regret getting the tablet.
it will have a positiv effekt in your arm, by the more-up-position of the wrisk.

GO FOR IT!

[Walter Soyka]

I disagree with Stefan, but it may be a matter of personal taste. I started with a Graphire (Wacom’s predecesor to the Bamboo line) before moving up to the medium Intuos. I thought the difference in feel was huge, and I wouldn’t go back.

Besides the size, the Intuos line has some other benefits over the Bamboo line, including pen angle, greater pressure sensitivity, and programmable buttons and dial. Pen angle won’t matter much unless you’re doing fine art, but the additional pressure sensitivity is nice in Photoshop. Programmable buttons is big plus for tablet-as-mouse-replacement, and you can set up the buttons (with little OLED panels) on a per-app basis.

If you’re on the go a lot, consider the Intuos Wireless. I have a couple of those here. They’re about the same size as the medium, and they can connect via USB, but they can also unplug and connect via Bluetooth.

Using a tablet will take a little getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, it’s hard to go back to a regular mouse. I use my Wacom in conjunction with a trackball, and I no longer keep a regular mouse on my desk at all.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events

[Ben G unguren]

If you’re going to use a tablet a lot, then go with Intuos. If you’re going to be, say, 75% mouse and 25% tablet like I do (mostly brush work in AE, then painting mattes in Photoshop, e.g.), then the Bamboo works pretty well.

Walter is dead on: there are more things that Intuos will respond to, particularly the tilt of the pen, which comes in handy for more advanced stuff. Bamboo still gives pressure response, so you can alter the size of a brush while working in AE and PS. But if you want a tablet for everything (going virtually mouseless) then the larger the better, I say….

Ben Unguren
Motion Graphics & Editing
http://www.mostlydocumentary.com

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[Todd Kopriva]

I love the Intuos and dislike the Bamboo.

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Todd Kopriva, Adobe Systems Incorporated
Technical Support for professional video software
After Effects Help & Support
Premiere Pro Help & Support
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