Transitioning from tablet via usb to motion tablet pc

[TadakoXIII]

Hello, i'm Tadako. And i'm new here. :D


So I've been using my Intuos Wacom Tablet (PTZ-630) to make art for a few years, but now I'm going to upgrade to a Motion Tablet LE1600 very soon. And I have a question for those with more of more knowledge~ :D

While I was drawing new art with my current tablet, I realized how keyboard shortcuts have become second nature to me. My right hand sure does all of the artwork but my left hand remains stationary on set keys of the keyboard, clicking away at whatever shortcut tool was needed to make the drawing process faster and easier. (i.e. for Photoshop: E = eraser, X = secondary color switch, R = smudge/blur/sharpen tool, G = paint bucket/gradient tool, B = Brush, L = Lasso, O = Dodge/Burn tool, CTRL+U = Hue/Saturation Adjustments, keys 1 to 0 = color opacity adjustment -- etc. etc. etc.!!) It's the most dependable muscle memory for making digital art! ...But then i took a step back and realized that a convenience such as this won't be around once I start using the Tablet PC. Now I'll have to actually poke at the buttons on the screen to get to the tools I want! ...Hmm, I wonder what are the other differences I'll need to adapt and get use to once I move on to the LE1600!!

And so I ask, who here has already made the transition from a regular Tablet to a Tablet PC? What are the pros and cons of upgrading to the better(?) machine? What was it like getting used to the new(?) look and feel of a it? What was there to like, love, hate and/or dislike? What was worth it and what was not? What solutions did you find and didn't find when dealing with inconveniences? And what should newbies (like me) know before getting started?


Share your story here! Maybe YOU can shed some light on what new struggles and conveniences(?) lie ahead! And maybe some of us could learn from it. :]

(Thanks in advance. :'D)

[TedRx]

Ok ... this can be tricky but there is hope!

On the tablet itself you have a couple of key you can program, but I highly recomend you look on the web for a programable keyboard, the type that gamers use often to supplement thier own full keyboards.

These are not FULL SIZE programable keyboards but rather compact device that resemble an add-on number pad in size. You can get them in differnet sizes and key quanties. And they are fully programable and with the shift button you can have almost twice as many functions as keys. A buddy of mine got one to use in medical billing and customized it so thay he could bill 2 to 3 times faster than normal and when he showed how it worked it was brilliant.

Were I a high end user and needed bunches of functions, I would consider that Essential (tablet pc or regular). And the beauty is that they are easily transportable if you use a brief case or bag setup to carry your tablet around. It would be to big though if you use a sleave carry case or portfolio case like mine.

That said, with SBP 2010 as my primary art program I dont deal with functions much and my heart goes out to those who do ... lol.

UPDATE: I found a great site to start looking at http://www.piengineering.com/xkeys.php .
I especially found the X-Keys Stick an option that seems to be something that could fit in limited space like a sleave or portfolio case setup. X-Keys are the brand my buddy uses for billing and he loves it. There are lots of otions to look at thier site to give you an idea, but dont hesitate to surf thier competitors to find something just like what you want.

[TadakoXIII]

WHOA. Those look mad legit!! I'm not familiar with these x-key thingies... but itlooks like something I should definitely look into. :)

Aren't there keyboards that you can hook up to the Tablet PC's though? (Along with a flex dock?)

Thanks for this btw. XD

[TedRx]

Not sure about the flex dock (although the M1200-M1400 had one) on the LE's, but ANY usb keyboard can plug it to a tablet pc ... but for some they desire is compactness so thats when the x-keys would come in handy.

But I have seen people create a homemade stations by using a plate holder device to hold the tablet pc in the orientation of a normal monitor screen.

I think though what you would want would be a way to draw relatively flat while still having access to key functions. I would recommend starting off with a cheap regular usb keyboard at you wrok area and then learn what you do and dont like about that and then move from there.

Keep us posted and post art work when you can.

IF ANYONE OF YOU READING HAVE BEFORE, OR CURRENTLY DO USE x-kEYS OR SIMLIAR PRODUCT, PLEASE POST YOUR OPINIONS and EXPERINCES!!!


Thanks