# Why I gave up on using Wacom tablets



## HawaiianEye (Mar 20, 2017)

1st off, I have used a high end, precision mouse for many years.
Yet, the use of a tablet by many pro photoshop and other computer media producers, made me want to learn to use one also.
I started with a Pen and Touch small model.
There was no way I could emulate the ease of using the wheel on a mouse to immediately resize the adjustment brush and feather feature on the fly, while alternating between normal, and the erase key (alt). Neither could I emulate the mouse wheel to move the adjustment sliders incrementally. So, I figured the Intuos Pro model would fulfill this because it had more programmable  buttons and the beguiling radial selector, which held great promise. So, after purchasing and using the Pro model for every purpose a mouse would be used for a few weeks, I still couldn't find a way to easily replace the simplicity of the mouse wheel.
For: 1.) Simply clicking on an adjustment slider, then using the mouse wheel to adjust back and forth to the desired degree.
2.) Resizing on the fly, the erase and feather/ feature when "painting" and shaping an adjustment area.
In overlay mode. In gradient brush erase overlay mode etc.
3.Resizing on the fly clone and heal brush.
All these king of actions would take at least 2 hands to produce using the Intuos Pro.
A hand on the pen, and one on the tablet, to resize. If erasing is involved, A hand on the pen, one finger to resize, and a finger on ALT or assigned alt key on tablet.
If the rocker switch on the pen were a wheel, that would help, but it's not exact, or steady precise!
Also the mouse is steady and when still, is a semi stable platform to adjust the wheel with no need to hold absolutely still. 
I understand you need to get rid of your mouse, in order to finally prefer the tablet, which I was willing to do. I also totally understand how a tablet and a mouse are different in their coverage of the screen area.
I even reassigned the screen size to a smaller piece of tablet real estate. And got used to it.
But the day came, when I honestly realized for me, these tablets are not using the programing designed specifically for a mouse wheel, that's already integral to Lightroom.


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## davidedric (Mar 20, 2017)

I simply use both: mouse in left hand, pen in right.

Dave


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## HawaiianEye (Mar 20, 2017)

Wow! Ambidextrous!


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## Gnits (Mar 20, 2017)

I replaced a Wacom with a Gaming mouse with programmable buttons.

I want to be able to keep one hand on the mouse (right) and left hand free for keyboard shortcuts.  I avoid shortcuts which require 2 hands.

I locked my mouse into a drawer for 3 months to give the Wacom every chance. I also got fed up with Wacom driver issues on Windows.


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## Ian.B (Mar 27, 2017)

davidedric said:


> I simply use both: mouse in left hand, pen in right.
> 
> Dave


makes a lot of sense for right-handed people to use the mouse in the left hand so the right hand is free for key use ---- I read that somewhere years ago but  there was NO way I could get the hang of it; especially for photo work . Tried a pen years ago with similar success


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## Johan Elzenga (Mar 27, 2017)

Ian.B said:


> makes a lot of sense for right-handed people to use the mouse in the left hand so the right hand is free for key use ---- I read that somewhere years ago but  there was NO way I could get the hang of it; especially for photo work . Tried a pen years ago with similar success



It does indeed! I'm ambidextrous, so I can basically choose which hand I want to use, at least for most things. As soon as the mouse and the numeric keyboard were introduced (i.e. as early as my first MacPlus), I decided that I would use the mouse left-handed.


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## davidedric (Mar 27, 2017)

I arrived by via a slightly different route.  I'm not really ambidextrous, I'm right handed, but when I first got a mouse, I thought I might need to take notes too (yes, on actual paper), I made myself learn to use the mouse in the left hand as being easier than learning to write with my left.

When typing, I infuriate myself by transposing letters as in "teh".  What seems odd is that 95% of the time it's by hitting a left hand key before the right.  I guess my left hand must move faster.

Dave


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## Ian.B (Mar 28, 2017)

try turning your head around dave


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## RedCladTitanium (May 27, 2017)

Gaming mouse;
- Programmable variable mouse-tracking speed for 1-click finer motion/movement when retouching (300dpi), or faster when panning/reviewing(2000dpi) or anythine else I want in 2-5 steps.
- Programmable actions (as in shortcut equivalents) for buttons (like forward and backward history steps in PS/LR)
- Assign funtions to Scroll Wheel - increase brush size, increase brush hardness
- Shift (a button) plus button action, completely assignable.
- Per application function swithcing, so in LR I have the mouse programmed one way, in PS, another...profiles for each application, auto-swithces. 

So my gaming mouse (Rocat Kone XTD) is completely customized for LR and PS, enables those profiles when I switch to either, switches back to my default when not using either.
Programmable for any application function and comes with plenty of pre-programmed settings for most popular programs to get you started, and it can script actions too, if I have actions I want to repeat.

I'll take that over a Wacom any day.  The only time I use pen is for digital painting/drawing where I want to emulate a tool and medium. That is not LR and PS for me. Pen tools for LR just feel so wrong.


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## HawaiianEye (May 27, 2017)

RedCladTitanium said:


> I'll take that over a Wacom any day.


Yes, I have Logitech G602 gaming mouse with lots of assignable buttons...But I'm left handed and it's all opposite for me.
So I use it as a super detailed Lightroom mouse along with the "Atl" for erase and space for zoom.
I'm glad others have noticed what whole feature (on the fly resizing), and ( accurate stamping, detailed adjustment brush placement )
is either clunky or next to impossible with a Wacom tablet.


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## PhilBurton (May 27, 2017)

RedCladTitanium said:


> Gaming mouse;
> - Programmable variable mouse-tracking speed for 1-click finer motion/movement when retouching (300dpi), or faster when panning/reviewing(2000dpi) or anythine else I want in 2-5 steps.
> - Programmable actions (as in shortcut equivalents) for buttons (like forward and backward history steps in PS/LR)
> - Assign funtions to Scroll Wheel - increase brush size, increase brush hardness
> ...



How did you select this mouse, considering just how many gaming mice are on the market?
How difficult was the programming for PS and LR?

Phil


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## HawaiianEye (May 27, 2017)

That isn't my post, but I chose the Logitech G602.
Any upgraded mouse, especially gaming mice, are super accurate, and pinpoint precise.
Turns out, I just use it for that, and the high quality mouse wheel.
They will have programmable buttons. There is an included popup menu that is easy to use.
It asks you what key presses you want to use, then what button on the mouse you want to assign those key presses to.
It all sounds super, but those mouse buttons are small and close together. Your fingers are cumbersome.
I used a G-13 gaming mini keyboard mainly to assign common combined key-presses like keys with shift or alt included.
But also, any thing you want, like taking away the side panels in Lr. But soon I left off using that.
Practical note though... you can change everything you can think of, but you need to memorize all the buttons!
One wrong press, and you're undoing, or changing something you didn't mean to do!
Now, since I usually only use mouse and regular keyboard, I use the keyboard's spacebar, alt key control, shift, "O" button, and  Ctrl+Z.
I use those all the time so, no memorization necessary!
Some of us are eternally searching for the super, custom hardware, that will make the difference.
Honestly, I fell into that thinking, and still do occasionally.
But a regular keyboard and a quality mouse is all I use, now that I'm fairly expert and second nature, in "my" use of Lightroom.


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## oleleclos (May 27, 2017)

I'm amazed that anyone can use a mouse with Lr or Ps. I used to use a tablet with Ps but always found it awkward because it was positionally absolute. By the time I started using Lr, the touchpad had replaced the mouse for many Mac users, and this is the perfect Lr input device in my view. It does what a tablet does, movements are relative instead of absolute, and resizing is quickly and conveniently done by pinching. I love it


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## HawaiianEye (May 27, 2017)

Here's an example of a technique I use for adding a ring of light to a small area in the iris of an eye. (Ringlight effect)
Using the adjustment brush, I plant the mouse / round brush over the eye, and with my index finger I use the mouse wheel to instantly resize the brush to fill the iris halfway between the pupil and the edge of the iris.
(Note: pressing the "O" key, I can see the area where the brush effect is), Then I "stamp" down the round brush in the perfect spot. Without resizing, I stamp the other eye. 
Then holding the "ALT" key down, (This turns the adjustment brush into an eraser) I use the mouse wheel to resize the brush one size smaller than the highlighted area of the previous brush placement, and fit it perfectly into 
the center of the brush, and stamp down an erase over each eye. This produces a perfect thin ring, I can use the exposure slider to brighten and give a ring light effect.
Using the mouse, this takes seconds to do, and since the mouse is stable and doesn't move once you anchor it over a certain part of the screen, you can do meticulous work I don't believe you can do freehand with a pen.
I just gave away one of my secret discoveries!


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## PhilBurton (May 27, 2017)

oleleclos said:


> I'm amazed that anyone can use a mouse with Lr or Ps. I used to use a tablet with Ps but always found it awkward because it was positionally absolute. By the time I started using Lr, the touchpad had replaced the mouse for many Mac users, and this is the perfect Lr input device in my view. It does what a tablet does, movements are relative instead of absolute, and resizing is quickly and conveniently done by pinching. I love it


A touchpad built into a laptop, or an external device?  If external, what do you use?

You have piqued my interest, because my regular mouse is great on ergonomics, but stinks on precision.

Phil


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## HawaiianEye (May 28, 2017)

Get a high precision mouse.


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## Gnits (May 28, 2017)

HawaiianEye said:


> Get a high precision mouse.



The best thing I ever did.  I tried using a Wacom tablet for 3 months, with my mouse locked in a drawer. 

I abandoned the Wacom because...
a. For me ... it just did not work...
b. I got fed up with Wacom driver issues and what appeared to me as sup par support.

I then purchased a gaming mouse .... which was a revelation in terms of precision and usability.


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## PhilBurton (May 28, 2017)

HawaiianEye said:


> Get a high precision mouse.



Do you use a mouse pad?  How much precision is "high?"  8200 dpi?  6400?  1000?  What price range?  $50?  $100?  $250?  more?

Considering the price of any Wacom tablet, I would be OK with spending some money for this mouse.  Especially since Windows can support multiple mice no problem.

Phil


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## happycranker (May 29, 2017)

Many years and two different Wacom's I am a happy user for both LR, PS and InDesign. Yes mouse with left hand and pen for right, is my preference and for creating or modifying masks the pen is the way to go, it just takes a bit of practices at first. After years working in Design Engineering in an office, just with a mouse, my RSI has finally gone now that I have moved on to working at home!


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## HawaiianEye (May 29, 2017)

Get a better mousepad. There are many upgrades to the normal pad. I got one with stitching to keep from delaminating.
Logitech G602 has incredible battery life. Many programmable buttons, and is very precise. There is no jaggie jumping. 
It's marketed as a top of the line Gaming mouse. Gamers NEED to have a super precise mouse in order to aim their sniper scopes in an economic fashion.
It needs to be sooth as silk and uber precise. ( I'm just guessing why...LOL!)
Look, if you want to do super precise brush work, you always need to zoom way into whatever you are detailing.
So, there's NO detail you can't get total precision over. I work with 4k monitor. 
A mouse can also be "anchored" over a certain microscopic area, in order to click down a perfectly adjustable sized adjustment brush.
Not too many hands can hold a pen that detailed.
Especially whilst noodling around with buttons on the pen.
Oh, for info on the mouse, Google it, or Amazon it, and check out reviews and price in your country.


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## happycranker (May 30, 2017)

No way would I personally go back to a mouse, after 10 years or more using Wacom pens it is the only way to work for me! Of course everyone is different that is the beauty of our work/hobby!


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## HawaiianEye (May 30, 2017)

I wish I could use that tablet! I envy those that use it with no problems!
That's why I tried them twice.


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## mountainview (Jul 7, 2017)

Friend of mine has a Magic trackpad for his Mac (as do I) off to the right, and his Wacom directly in front of him, with the keyboard between the Wacom and the monitor. Actually works pretty great. I asked him about driver issues and he said he's had none, so I wonder if the people experiencing those are using Windows...

I used a mouse since the 80s, and for 6-8 years I used a Logitech MX Master mouse. Loved that mouse in general, but it was not ideal for Photoshop. With the use of multitouch gestures and 3D Touch on Mac trackpads I tried out the Magic Trackpad and fell in love. I extend its use with the $5 BetterTouchTool menubar app/extension, which lets you configure actions and keyboard shortcuts with any number of touches and swipes.

I actually was interested to read this thread because I'm thinking of actually buying a Wacom myself, and duplicating my friend's setup....


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## HawaiianEye (Jul 8, 2017)

I am a drawer/ digital painter.  So using a stylus is natural, and if it wasn't for the clunkiness I described in my case, I would be using the tablet.
Because I can accurately "draw" with a mouse, as detailed as anyone with a pen, I do not feel handicapped.
If some detail is microscopic, what?.... I just zoom in!
Also with pinpoint accuracy I can place a round dot perfectly in someone's iris the first try,
because I can anchor the dot perfectly, immediately size the dot perfectly, then tap the mouse button.
With a stylus, the second you touch the tip to the tablet, whether it's perfect or not, you have a dot where ever the tip touched.
With a mouse, It's like being able to "Dial it in" before committing. Using only one finger.
I know others can work wonders with a tablet, so try it out!
You will love it, or you will find it doesn't fit your style.


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