Drawing/Pencil Input devices for PCs

[Crazed Rabbit]

Hey y'all.

I'm wondering if there are any input devices that can be used like a pencil for drawing in PC programs. Like if a mouse was in the shape of a pencil.

Thanks!

Crazed Rabbit

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Yes, but it requires a special screen/os/device. Wacom tablet or tablet pc.

[LeftEyeNine]

As long as you're not looking to use it as a professional means of drawing or are having high expectations, you'll be able to find affordable ones. But, for example, what Sasaki mentioned, Wacom tablets are intended for graphics designers and they will cost you more. However I also heard that, UC-Logic are decent ones with affordable prices.

[Duke John]

I bought one of the cheapest versions of the Wacom Tablet (I believe Graphire 3, A6 format) and it serves me good enough. If you need more precision you can of course buy a bigger tablet but I simply zoomed in. I never regretted buying it and used it almost constantly, even playing M:TW with it. And it greatly reduced the pain in my shoulder after drawing for hours.

I guess this would the next generation of my pen and it should suit you fine if you are not a professional: http://www.wacom-shop.net/cgi-bin/wacom.storefront/EN/Product/CTE&2D440&2FS&2DCL

[Tamur]

Or you can drool over these... (http://www.wacom-europe.com/int/products/cintiq/index.asp?lang=en) Someday when I win the lottery.

Unless you're doing some heavy-duty graphics work for months or years, even the smallest tablet will do just fine. They may seem too small when compared to the larger ones, but on the large tablets the amount of space I actually use to work is quite small. They're nice, no question about that, but not necessary.

[KukriKhan]

Trying a "poor-man's Tablet" (a laptop's touchpad) is certainly clumsy. I just tried it again with PSPro, with yuck results.

[Crazed Rabbit]

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys. I'll have to look more into the tablets.

CR

[sapi]

Very interesting - but very, very expensive (for the LCD ones, at least :grin2:)

[Makanyane]

Excuse the thread necromancy but was wondering if CR or anyone else had any further recommendations for current consumer end tablet (DJ's link seems dead)

Looking for something that's practical to use instead of mouse for general purpose stuff if pos. as I'm getting achy fingers, but mainly for use with PhotoShop for work on TW textures etc....

[Crazed Rabbit]

Well, last Christmas I got this:
http://www.wacom.com/intuos/6x8.cfm

and I'm basically pleased as punch with it. No problems and it works well. One problem, since I'm right handed, is drawing on the far right of the tablet area, which sometimes activates the zoom/scroll bar in the upper right corner. That could probably be disabled, but it hasn't been that big of a pain.

I can use just the pen when working around in photoshop elements and it works nicely. But using a mouse for web surfing and similar applications is still a bit quicker.

CR