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Hey Paul, yeah I get that.. sometimes you just need a PC screen. To be honest I wish I had a PC screen that big. but then I would be hard pressed to also come up with a way to incorporate my xbox into the system. I use this screen with both my pc AND xbox.
To throw in my own $0.02 worth, let me recommend adding a Loupedeck CT to your setup. I use a 24" Cintiq Pro with a Loupedeck CT next to it, and do most of my 2D and 3D work with a stylus in one hand and the other hand on the Loupedeck.
Basically the Loupedeck lets you program all those hotkeys (with all the shift/ctrl/alt modifiers) and map them to a set of buttons or dials configurable for each app. Once you get it configured the way you want it, it's much easier to use apps like DAZ Studio, Blender, Photoshop, etc. Having an actual dial or knob to turn is more intuitive than manipulating a slider with a mouse pointer (or arrow keys), and means I rarely have to resort to the actual keyboard or mouse. It's been great for my productivity.
Also make use of the tablet's software to configure the buttons on your stylus in useful ways. If your stylus has 2 or 3 buttons, you can set one of them to Undo/Redo for quick corrections. I like to set one button to Pan, so I can drag the stylus to maneuver the canvas, while my other hand turns a Zoom dial on the Loupedeck. It feels natural (or maybe I just got used to it, but it was a quick process).
I'll also second the earlier comments about the 3D mice. I tried a 3D Connexion Space Navigator and found the learning curve was very steep. Trying to manipulate objects in three dimensions with a single control (in a single hand) was frustrating and non-intuitive for me. The Loupedeck CT was a better fit for my two-handed style.
If you do decide you want/need a keyboard, consider getting a second one (you can connect multiple USB keyboards to a computer) that's smaller and thinner, and clamp it along the top edge of your tablet so you don't have to turn away every time you need to type something. I used to get sore from twisting around to use my keyboard all the time--it's the kind of repetitive strain injury that builds over months, so take a minute to consider the ergonomics of your layout 🙂
Anyhow, I think I've run to $0.05 by now, so I'll leave it at that 🙂
Cheers,
QueensKnightI personal use the XP-Pen Artist 22R Pro but only for postwork in Photoshop and only hook it up when doing postwork as it's 1080p whereas my triple monitors are 1440p. I should have gotten the 24. However, XP-Pen IS a great drawing tablet and I am happy with it. The 22e is $499, I only got the R as I caught it on sale on Amazon for $10 more than the E.
@Queensknight
Nice to see someone using one with DS and with a working solution that is beneficial.
I will be having the Cintiq Pro touch 24" as a conbined birthday / Xmas gift from my wife.
Would be interested to know whaat you have set up as your options for DS.
Would ike to use Cintiq as man work area [wiyh maybe some essential tabs just to one side, and my usual monitor for conteent tabs etc.Thought about keyboard, and considering fitting under desk pull-out shelf for a wireless one.
Save some money--get the non-touch model. The touch features are very nice (pinch to zoom, and rotate canvas particularly), but in my experience the tablet is way too sensitive to accidental touches, and I ended up turning the touch features off for the sake of my sanity (and because my loud cursing was disturbing others nearby). With the money you save, you can afford a Loupedeck CT 🙂
There's no reason you couldn't use the tablet (ok, "pen display" as Wacom calls it) as your primary workspace for DS. Just bear in mind that mine is a two-handed work style, with the stylus in my right hand and my left hand for the Loupedeck. I don't try to use the stylus as my ONLY tool, as that would be pretty limiting. You can use the stylus to manipulate sliders, for instance, but when it comes to setting a parameter to a specific value you're either back to the keyboard or you're haggling over pixel resolution with the nib of a pen to get the value where you want it. That's why I prefer physical dials (on the Loupedeck) that I can adjust as finely as I like.
As far as my layout is concerned, I'm used to the more traditional style of other 3D editors, keeping separate (detached) windows open for different camera views, a render view, and of course the viewport as my workspace. This is spread across 3x identical 27" displays, in addition to the Cintiq Pro 24, so technically 4 displays, all at 4k resolution, and regularly color-calibrated so I can be reasonably confident that what I'm rendering should look the same on all of the screens--something that becomes very important in multi-display setups, when you're using an image on one display to give you feedback about your work on another display.
To your point about moving the tabs from DS to other displays to make your workspace larger, I do that for tabs that are relevant to specific windows, so for instance on the display that I have the render window, I'll also locate the tabs for Simulation and Rendering, which I don't need anywhere else. That way they stay together on the display that they relate to. The Content Library tab also deserves its own space, mostly because it's easier to use when it's wide enough to show full product names and file hierarchies without needing to side-scroll. Overall, though, I don't feel cramped for space on a 24" tablet display, even with the default tab docking layout.
@Queensknight
similar thoughts on layouts.
Need to do some research now on Loupedeck CT... 🙂I can never go back to my old single 1080p monitor. Having the viewport by itself in the middle monitor is sheer heaven. Mostly use tabs in the left monitor rarely used ones in the right monitor is a godsend.
@Oldwolf
Given that the Cintiq is 24" and will allow the main work area to be quite big I think I will be fine with a 2 screen set-up.
My main monitor at the moment is a little bigger than the Cintiq, so will be nice to have "above' the Cintiq towards the rear of the desk space.
If the set-up proves a benefit I might upgrade that to a slightly larger 4K, and let my wife have my current one.Well with my planned PC build next year in which I will upgrade from this relic, I intend to take my XP-Pen Pro 22R and sit it on my second desk and get a mounting pole to mount my old 1080p above it and both on a stand up riser connected to my current system then a router connecting the two. That's going to be my "postworking station." Not an option for everybody but I feel the need to spread my wings, that and I will have a spare computer after getting my new system and I can't stand the thought of tossing out my old 1080p which is gathering dust LOL.
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