Strange problem with Wacom tablet
by Sherman Pendley · in Constructor · 12/04/2008 (10:12 pm) · 9 replies
When I use my Wacom tablet with Constructor, I get really strange behavior in the perspective view. It's *almost* correct, if I move the stylus in slow, tiny increments - less than 1/4" at a time. But moving the mouse further results in rotation or movement increments that steadily increase, until it reaches a point where it appears to be essentially random.
Also, after doing this in the perspective view, the entire interface then becomes extremely sluggish - sometimes to the point of locking up entirely.
Both rotating and moving are effected. Zooming is not. I've tried my tablet with both the mouse and the pen stylus, on two different computers - one G4 Mac and one Intel Mac - with identical results. Also, on both computers, my Logitech trackball works perfectly. I've updated to the 1.0.4 beta for Mac, with no difference.
Anyone else using a Wacom, and having the same problem?
Also, after doing this in the perspective view, the entire interface then becomes extremely sluggish - sometimes to the point of locking up entirely.
Both rotating and moving are effected. Zooming is not. I've tried my tablet with both the mouse and the pen stylus, on two different computers - one G4 Mac and one Intel Mac - with identical results. Also, on both computers, my Logitech trackball works perfectly. I've updated to the 1.0.4 beta for Mac, with no difference.
Anyone else using a Wacom, and having the same problem?
#2
12/04/2008 (11:40 pm)
I figured it was something along those lines, from the way the error seems to accumulate. Thanks for verifying it - I'll go see if Wacom has somewhere to file a bug report. 
#3
12/05/2008 (12:24 am)
Hehe, I think the closest I ever came to throwing my tablet pen across the room in frustration was when I tried to use my Wacom in constructor. I just make sure there's enough room on my desk to slide the tablet away when I want to work in constructor... 
#4
yep Wacom Tablets are for details; for making things in Constructor a hammer and chistle will suffice...
12/05/2008 (2:09 am)
Good advice there...yep Wacom Tablets are for details; for making things in Constructor a hammer and chistle will suffice...
#5
12/05/2008 (8:24 am)
@Peter: Agreed about the pen, but the Wacom model I'm using also has a mouse-shaped "pen." For most uses, it feels and acts just like a real mouse.
#6
12/05/2008 (8:25 am)
@Brian: The Wacom makes a handy mousepad for my trackball, so I don't even have to move it away. :-) 
#7
12/05/2008 (8:33 am)
The problem is that the wacom tablet reports the mouse position in absolute coordinates by default. I believe you can set the mouse to use "Mouse Mode" with relative coordinates (using the configuration utility), but then you have to do the standard "pick up and move" when you reach the edge of the tablet. But that *should* make the wacom mouse work in constructor.
#8
It sort of works in games made with TGE. At the start of a mission, the character's "look at" point goes off into some random direction, until I move the mouse "pen." But after that, the game plays normally. From that, I suspect that TGE only tries to reset the cursor position at the beginning of the mission.
12/05/2008 (8:48 am)
@Jaimi: The mouse-shaped "pen" defaults to "Mouse Mode" - although I tried it with both, thinking that the problem might be related to how the driver translates the coordinates to relative movement. Yes, I do have to do the "pick up and move" dance with it, but that's kind of the point - it's supposed to be a mouse, not a pen. :-)It sort of works in games made with TGE. At the start of a mission, the character's "look at" point goes off into some random direction, until I move the mouse "pen." But after that, the game plays normally. From that, I suspect that TGE only tries to reset the cursor position at the beginning of the mission.
#9
12/05/2008 (10:00 am)
Ah, sorry - mine defaulted to pen mode (but then, I run in windows). I do have the same problems with wacom that you do, but I limit my use of the pad to when I'm using Photoshop. I prefer my logitech G5 for precision mouse work. I suspect that wacoms emulation of mouse mode can't handle the absolute position being reset. Sorry for the misinformation! 
Associate Jaimi McEntire
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