Comments on: Wacom Inkling

By: Erik F

Erik F — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 00:49:00 +0000

So this is what they were developing when they could have been engineering some actual improvements into the Cintiq refresh. Yay.

By: griever

griever — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 03:29:00 +0000

yeah dude, i’m glad other people have problems with live trace too :)

By: wingo shackleford

wingo shackleford — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 23:38:00 +0000

I’m not even really too great at drawing, and have no real-world need for anything like this, but still my brain immediately went into full extreme *WANT* mode when I saw this video.

By: Jensen Peoples

Jensen Peoples — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 22:39:00 +0000

I often sketch with pens, and I’ve wanted something like this for a long time. I wish it were available right now.

Oh, and scanning is a pain in the rear. If the quality on this is reliable at all (and I think Wacom releases quality items) it will be way more convenient than scanning.

By: Grim Beefer

Grim Beefer — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 20:51:00 +0000

I don’t know about you, but my personal workflow for editing scans is REALLY tedious, once you count all of the time spent cleaning them up. To be able upload drawings without any tedium, alone, would make this device worth it. Think of the difference it makes to be able to upload photos from your camera/phone and having to clumsily scan in physical copies, including removing imperfections in the scanning process, to achieve the same result. Now imagine that you have dozens of drawings to scan, and you’ll see really quickly where the advantage lies. I have a giant pile that has been untouched for months for this exact reason. Less time interfacing with files means more time drawing…

It’s not like I don’t have my own misgivings about the device, though. It seems like the device isn’t really living up to the potential of a pen that can interface with a computer .

First off, I am curious as to how a ball point pen works with pressure sensitivity? I also wonder if it would be possible to use custom ink colors, and then lay down another layer? What’s the point of having layers if you can’t tell the difference between layer a’s marks and layer b’s? Similarly, can you refill the ink cartridges, use some cheap standard variety, or do you have to shell out for new ones through Wacom? If I have to regularly buy some overpriced proprietary hunk of plastic just to deliver the india ink onto paper, this could be a dealbreaker for me.

Thinking about it, I don’t really see why they didn’t design the head of the device to work like a technical pen, letting me choose what kind of ink to use, and of what color. If they want to sell me additional heads, for the quick swapping of colors without dilution, this would be fine with me. They could even let you program them to layers, so that swapping out heads a and b corresponds with drawing on layers a and b, and so forth. Oh well, maybe V.2?

By: catgrin

catgrin — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:47:00 +0000

The site actually mentions that it’s designed for use by both right and left-handed operators. As a lefty, that was a selling point for me. It looks (based on pen design, I didn’t see info on it) like the light receivers are near the tip of the pen and are spaced evenly around it.

By: Brainspore

Brainspore — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:42:00 +0000

Mildly related…anybody here used a Modbook?

I played around with a demo model once a few years ago. Unfortunately, as you might expect, an OS designed for desktops isn’t really much fun on a tablet. I also remember it being hot and heavy, but not in a sexy way.

By: andygates

andygates — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:23:00 +0000

SVG will feed into Inkscape (the opensource vector package) and Rotring do D1 refills. Barring bad reviews and leftytraum when it gets into people’s hands, I am *so* in.

Anyone found a pencil D1 refill?

By: ChrisLeBeouf

ChrisLeBeouf — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:20:00 +0000

I know someone who’s had a modbook for a few years now and I’m super jealous. (One of modbook’s first featured artists, actually.) But I just can’t justify the 2000 dollar purchase considering that Apple is likely to introduce pressure sensitivity for the next generation of iPads.

By: George Flocka

George Flocka — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:19:00 +0000

Here, I’ll save you guys some money.

http://www.frys.com/product/6341191?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

By: Shawn RIchardson

Shawn RIchardson — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:11:00 +0000

I’m wondering if claw handed Lefties will have a problem with the LOS issues. I suppose we could just put the receiver on the side.
Wrt vector manipulation, I’m guessing the people asking the question haven’t used Sketchbook Designer from Autodesk. It’s great.

By: jonathanbruder

jonathanbruder — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:19:00 +0000

This is a sonic pen, similar to the Tablo PC-to-tablet conversion device. I hope it’s an improvement; the Tablo has serious issues with calibration, and receives interference in noisy places.

By: Vnend

Vnend — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:03:00 +0000

So use your pencil for your quick sketches, then lay a sheet of onionskin over it or use a light table and use this to do the inks.

Yeah, it looks neat. I want, but I want to see some reviews and check one out in a store before I’ll buy.

Hmmmm, now that I think about it though, I wonder if if will be possible to hack an electrostatic stylus tip onto one of the pen inserts? This, plus iPad = portable digital sketchbook, with (sort of) pressure sensitivity…

By: Cicada Mania

Cicada Mania — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:54:00 +0000

I recently went to a Mr. Sketchy event. This would have been perfect for that.

And, I guess I could put some vellum over my old sketches and retrace them using this.

By: bengston

bengston — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:28:00 +0000

The only thing about this that will be interesting for artists and not just designers/cartoonists (who will have many real uses for it) will come in figuring out how to brake it and hack it.

By: cymk

cymk — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:19:00 +0000

Goddamn it Wacom. I want this like a crack fiend. I need this like a crack fiend.

By: elNico

elNico — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:02:00 +0000

Mildly related…anybody here used a Modbook? I’m a bit keen to get one…

http://www.axiotron.com/index.php?id=modbook

By: blueelm

blueelm — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 12:44:00 +0000

I am excited to see what this is like when people start using it!

By: Chi-Yun Lau

Chi-Yun Lau — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 12:34:00 +0000

I’m a professional artist, and I love sketching and doodling with ballpoint pens! Especially during meetings! Sign me up!

By: patelanjali

patelanjali — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 12:17:00 +0000

Will that get interference from anything? Or get obstructed easily?

By: JC

JC — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 12:14:00 +0000

For us mere mortals… can we use this to just, you know, write stuff and put on our computer? Like meetings, classes, stuff like that?

By: Paul Renault

Paul Renault — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:42:00 +0000

Forgot to add: using an app, the Livescribe pens can be used as input devices for your computer.

By: melloki76

melloki76 — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:41:00 +0000

Pens and pencils work differently. You have tried using each of those in your lifetime, haven’t you? How is it a stretch to figure out different artists like different mediums? Snooty indeed. Your little stick in the mud comment would fall under the snooty definition, I think.

By: Paul Renault

Paul Renault — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:39:00 +0000

I got a LiveScribe pen a few weeks ago. They are VERY cool!

The editors/reporters at boingboing should looks into them: a voice recorder that will record an interview while you’re taking notes and sketches. The audio will match up to the writing on the paper. Brilliant! Plus you can load up software on the pen! F-ing brilliant!

The microphone on the pen does pick up the scritch-scratch on the paper. I got a TouchMic Handsfree Lapel Microphone & Adapter – $14. (Good audio, and so cheap, I ordered two: one white, one black.)

I wish that Livescribe hadn’t decided to discontinue the SDK. Sigh. Still, at under $100 in Canada…

By: William George

William George — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 10:30:00 +0000

Shut up and take my money, WACOM!

By: Abel Undercity

Abel Undercity — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 09:32:00 +0000

Jack Kirby needed an eraser, and FSM knows I do too.

By: Randy Rhoads

Randy Rhoads — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 08:54:00 +0000

Looks like the Apen A3…

By: s427

s427 — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 08:13:00 +0000

@boingboing-08f87f31320e3e079a9e8c257d1e3e44:disqus One advantage I see is that when you use a scanner, you also scan the paper texture along with dust and other “noise” you probably don’t want to scan. Here you only record the strokes, so it’s (probably) a lot cleaner.

On the other hand, drawing with a pen is a huge disadvantage to me (I’d rather use a pencil *by far*).

By: sigdrifa

sigdrifa — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 07:12:00 +0000

*Sigh*… looks like a dream come true — if only, if only. As usual, the Linux users are ignored. When will The Industry finally start to take us serious? On the other hand, at least they support SVG, albeit not with layers, apparently.

By: gadgetphile

gadgetphile — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 06:56:00 +0000

So they shrunk the Virtual Ink Mimeo line of whiteboard recorders. Others had done that before too, but I can’t remember any of the product names.