Topic awaiting preservation: Help~ Graphic tablet getting all erratic on the first day! (Page 1 of 1)

Hello~ Please, help needed. >< I just bought my wacom graphic tablet pen set today. -_- And i've been using it all day now, but towards the end the pen width/line is changing without me doing anything out of the ordinary. I was sort of dashing out the lines and basically tapping the pen tip, and then once in a while instead of looking like a line a drawn by the paintbrush tool [i'm using photoshop here] it'll look a lot like a line made by the airbrush tool. x__X This is really frustrating... I'm hoping its not the pen tip getting worn out *already* and is just some really weird fluke that's not going to repeat itself.

Please do not post the same exact thing in two different threads. It doesn't generate more responses, but generally just causes confusion.

One thing to realize here.... the pen tips don't get "worn out" in the manner your describing.
If you're using a pen that's down to the nub... then it's worn out. =) And that will take you a pretty long time to do, even if you paint a lot everyday. When it does wear down.... it won't change the properties of the brush stroke like you've said it has.

You contradicted yourself slightly...
First you said that this was happening every once in a while, then you said that you hope it's a weird fluke that won't repeat itself.
Is it happening on a regular basis or not?

If it only happened one time, I really don't know what to tell you.
If it's continually happening, perhaps you should be a little more aware of where you are on the tablet's surface while you're painting until it happens again. It's a shot in the dark, and really doesn't make too much sense to me, but it could be a spot on the tablet.

That's all I can think of at the moment.

Hi crystalclear.
Make sure you have the tablet the required distance away from the monitor/speakers, or whatever. Also check to see how you have the brush shapes and the other brush settings configured. You did not mention what version of PS you are using? We'll need more information if we are to give a "crystalclear" answer


:::tao:::

I am using PS 6, and well i am contradicting myself because its only the first day i got my tablet.. So i don't really know. XP I got totally frustrated, its the second tablet i've bought, the first one was this crappy thing that couldn't trick a three yeared old into thinking it was a graphic tablet. -_-

So i hope it is some kind of fluke considering its the first damn day i've been using it. It'll be total garbage if it just starts acting up after 4 hours of use. [I'm using the wacom grapire3. ><]

This is a little off... but I am not quite hip with some of the stuff you are putting in your post, like... ><, -_-, and x__X. Could you enlighten me?

Okay... you're missing my point.
Did it happen one time?.... or a bunch of times?


And I'm with Izzay...
I'm not in tune with the <>-_-] things.

A better description of what's going on here would work wonders.
And are you sure it didn't jump to a different brush setting? (perhaps brush changes were bound to a button and triggered it)

OK crystalclear, now take a few nice deep relaxing breaths, in order to help you, you need to help us, in this case by answering the questions people ask.
I asked you before

quote:

---

Make sure you have the tablet the required distance away from the monitor/speakers, or whatever. Also check to see how you have the brush shapes and the other brush settings configured.

---

Did you do that? Have you checked to see the brush settings? I use PS7 and I think the UI is different than in PS6?

:::tao:::

Ok.. Yes it happens a bunch of times.. thats the problem. And right now it is still happening. Occasionally i'll get it [the change in line width, + tool]. Its a pretty obvious change too, because u can actually tell its the airbrush tool instead of the paintbrush. And yeah it is on the brush setting that its supposed to be on. It just changes. It doesn't seem to be just one spot on the tablet either..

The --> -_- >< x__X -are supposed to be faces... I always use them, they're expressions.. If you know how to look at them. Emoticons, you know?

Why...... argh i have a feeling its just me...

What is the required distance away from the moniter? My tablet is on a pull out desk where the keyboard is.. I don't think its that close to the moniter.


It might have jumped brush settings, but that would be just the pen or tablet doing that on its own, because it's not me pressing the buttons..


[This message has been edited by crystalclear (edited 02-01-2004).]

You should look in the manual that came with it to see what is the optimum positioning of the tablet. Or failing that go to the website for info. I have not used a wacom so I'm not too sure. I have my graphics tablet (Medion) a good 10" to 12" away from the monitor and speakers. It sounds like it keeps reverting to a certain type of tool as well.
If this is your first time using it you have to remember that it takes time getting used to using a pressure sensitive pen. Do you remember trying to get used to using a mouse for the first time? Try this:
Open up a new document in PS using just the mouse. Select the brush you want to use and review all the settings for it, spacing, brush shape, pressure, colour ect. Then switch to the graphic pen and just try slowly to draw something simple.
Check here for a bunch of related links :FAQ:

The manual doesn't say anything about the distance but according to the pictures it should be ok.

crystalclear --- Tao is referring to a situation similar to what occurred in this thread ---> http://www.ozoneasylum.com/Forum3/HTML/003831.html
You posted in that thread... did you also read it?

All the same, however.... I have a wacom, and when I paint the tablet isn't much more than 8 or 10 inches from two monitors.
Have you tried un-installing and then re-installing the software, yet?
Bad install perhaps?

Is it a usb device? How many USB devices do you have on the system and/or do you happen to have a usb hub. Perhap try disconnecting a few other USB devices and see if something conflicting. If you are on a pc You might also try running adaware or some other spyware checker. Something could be trying to access the serial bus while you are using the tablet.

mmm.. yea...
And if it is USB... were you using something on that port before you plugged in the tablet?
Again.... very unlikely, but possible I suppose --- if you weren't using the port before, it could be faulty and you wouldn't have even known.
Try the tablet on a different port.

sooo.... any resolution to this?

Michael, do you have problems with the dual monitors? try adjusting their refresh rates... and upgrading the graphic tablet drivers

Crystalclear, do you have a wireless keyboard? put it at a greater distance from the tablet.
Do you have only one pointing device on the tablet?
Do you have a ball-less mouse plugged at the same time as the tablet? if yes, turn it upside down, so it won't record any movement.

pierre

[This message has been edited by sPECtre (edited 02-03-2004).]

No, I have no problems with dual monitors.

Sorry, I did misread your post... here is a post at RobGalbraight's forums of a similar problem, and its cure: http://tinyurl.com/yvm6o

pierre