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Known Participant
March 8, 2018
Question

Tempted to Wacom

  • March 8, 2018
  • 2 replies
  • 1741 views

Sorry I posted this earlier today but forgot to click the 'question' button:

I am thinking of getting a Wacom tablet but have some big reservations, I'm hoping there are tablet users out there who can help me with their experience and workflow.

Biggest question is about using keyboard shortcuts when there's a tablet between you and your keyboard.  I use LOTS of shortcuts very intuitively having done so for over a decade: z s x c v w j ; ' [  ] I can think of offhand, plus all the control/option/command/shift variants.  Does this cause anyone grief? I mean the tablet has some programmable buttons...

Scrolling within an image: Say you zoom in (using the scroll wheel?) and want to 'pan' around, do you just hit 'h' and drag with the pen?  Or do you use the pen to drag scrollbars?  Normally I use the tiny track ball on my Mighty Mouse (or whatever Apple called it...) though that only works in two directions anymore, hence the shopping...

That's what I can think of just now.  Thank you for your patience.  Three hundred bucks is a chunk I'd rather not waste.

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2 replies

Semaphoric
Community Expert
Community Expert
March 9, 2018

I have my tablet between the monitor and the keyboard. The keyboard is on an Ergotron keyboard try, https://www.ergotron.com/en-us/products/product-details/97-582#/, which holds a full-size keyboard, with room for a Logitech Trackball to the right. The tablet is on the desktop in front of the monitor.

I mostly only use the tablet for painting, where i need the touch sensitivity. For general pointing and clicking, I've always preferred the trackball. When I want to use the tablet, it's pretty easy to reach forward with my right hand, while keeping the left hand on the keyboard for the modifier keys.

The keyboard tray was  rather pricey, but is extremely well-made, unlike the cheap ones I've tried.

Known Participant
March 9, 2018

That is  a serious looking keyboard holder!  I gotta study their products...

I have thought about the trackball idea but didn't dig very deep into it.  That sounds like a real possibility in conjunction with a touch pad.  I don't do very much 'painting' at all.  I mostly erase away things like window mullions, so it's usually a pretty hard edge I need. 

Thanks for the ideas!

Trevor.Dennis
Community Expert
Community Expert
March 8, 2018

Some people work with the tablet to the right of the keyboard, and at an angle, but that does not suit me.  So my solution is to place the keyboard on wedges, and push the keyboard back or forward according to use

It pains me to put up such ugly photographs, but even I am not so obsessive as to set up the photograph properly

In my case, my G910 keyboard has loops at the bottom which I have used to locate over dowel type protuberance to keep the keyboard from moving on the wooden wedges.  You can see I also tried using that anti-slip rubber matting to keep things steady.   I have been working this way for many years now, and I find it a comfortable way to use the tablet and keyboard together. 

The only tablet control I use is the Express Wheel which I use for brush size and rotate canvas.  I have set up the Tablet properties so the centre button effectively toggles between those settings.  Otherwise I use the keyboard for shortcuts.  I have the nine (x 3) G keys set for various single touch controls like toggle Lazy Nezumi on/off, switch between workspaces, trigger actions etc.

I find the G-keys such a time saver that I would dearly love to get hold of a Logitech G13, but they have been discontinued.   JJMack

has one, and I am green with envy, but I can't find them in stock anywhere.

[Edit]  By virtue of JJ's animated GIF above, we even have some good ideas of how to use all those options.  These functions can be application specific btw, and I love using my G910 with Sketch Up.  Being able to match the cursor key colour to the different axis is worth the cost of the keyboard all by itself

JJMack
Community Expert
Community Expert
March 8, 2018

Still see them on Amazon its where I ordered mine.  Razer also makes keypagd like them.  The G13 uses the sane software your  logitech gaming mouse uses....

JJMack
Known Participant
March 9, 2018

That's one wild looking apparatus!  Kinda frightening.......