UPDATE: Here’s the finished colored page.
– Ugh. Addam Pool helped me fix the problem that has kept me from using my Yiynova monitor for the last year. The Yiynova is a monitor you can draw on, similar to a Cintiq or tablet PC. It’s pretty great when it works, but it hasn’t been working FOREVER. Remember those black and white strips with the Pirates last year (oh god, I just realized I still need to color those)? That was when the problems started. Anyway, Addam fixed it and it was working great for about 3 days, but when I went to color this page last night I found that the cursor was offset from the pen by about an inch, and re-calibrating didn’t solve the problem. Worse, the offset wasn’t consistent. For awhile it was above the pen, then below. Now it’s on the left. Basically, it’s impossible to use right now. So I just did the flat colors using my mouse and I’m going to try to figure out the problem this weekend. If I can’t, I’m going to just reinstall the cheap wacom bamboo that I’ve been using for the last year. At least it works. Anyway, this page will be fully finished by Monday, one way or the other.
I think I’m going to have to get rid of the Yiynova and replace it with a better pad. I’d really like a Cintiq, but that’s WAY out of my budget. I mean, the Yiynova was about 1/3 of the price of a Cintiq, and I could barely afford that. And that was a year ago when I had a little money. This year has been very tight. I like the Yiynova and when it works it’s really great, but this is the forth major problem I’ve had with it, and I think I’ve maybe gotten 2 months of use out of it in the year I’ve had it. It’s really frustrating.
And this has been a shitty week anyway.
– Complain, complain, complain. Anyway, I’ll be at the West Linn Library tomorrow for their free comic book day mini con. I’ll be doing a panel at 12:30 on getting started making comics. Come by and say hi. Here’s the link.
– And since I’m complaining about being broke, here’s the link to my Patreon page.
too soon!!
Your account picture is a perfect match up for the reaction! And yes, way too soon!
“Except for chainsaws” Didn’t see THAT one coming.
Really I was thinking he would be the last person to say that.
Charles: Well thre exceptions to the rule but besides that was more dangerous to me then it was more dangerous to me then it was to you.l
You can go a go fund me type of thing for new equipment. That might work.
Maybe. I already have my Patreon, and I’d rather not be asking for money in too many places.
I don’t know about Yiynova, but the problem I’ve usually had with generic tablets (most recently the Monoprice) has been that if you hold the pen at any sort of an angle, the response is WAY off, with wobbly lines and so on. Which is to say it’s completely useless.
I suspect that the people who say that Yiynova/Monoprice/UC Logic/etc. are “just as good as Wacom” have never actually used Wacom. I’ve gotten in conversations about the problems I have with cheap tablets and point out very specific issues and their response is, “Oh, is THAT why I have trouble inking accurately? I always just thought I suck at it!”
You get what you pay for, and unfortunately that means you have to pay a lot to get something decent.
Anyway, I love my Intuos5, but I’ve also been used to the screenless tablet thing for a long, long time.
The Y inova isn’t as good as a cintiw. This is true. I’ve used both pretty extensively. But (when it is working) it is very nice. I think its a reasonable alternative.
Speaking of the pi-rat strips, remember that one strip that you used markers for? That you said would take too long to create on a regular basis, but everyone loved? Have you considered using that as a Kickstarter milestone prize? Offering to do a strip with markers for reaching certain Kickstarter milestones would cause a very large increase in how much people donate towards it. I’d donate towards it myself if I didn’t feel uncomfortable sending money over the internet.
Hmm. I’ll consider that for next time.
Your woes remind me of trying to use the Surface Pro when it first came out. I returned that thing. If I wasn’t holding it at a particular angle, it just didn’t give consistant results for me.
But I recall someone on the webcomic creator’s facebook group saying good things about a tablet PC by lenevo. I’d have to look it up to see which model it was, but it perked my attention, and I’ll be looking into one when next I have some funds.
I need to do some research for my next purchase.
Oh, that is a problem.
Not the best time for Modest’s selective memory to kick in…
I guess after your experiences with the Yinova you don’t want to purchase non-Wacom again, but if you’re still open to the idea, take a look at Hanvon-tablets, I’m quite happy with mine. Their drivers aren’t as good as Wacoms, but considering the hardware, the artmaster has pretty much the exact same specs has the intuos 4 for half the price (both have newer generations by now). May well be that stuff has changed in the meantime, but when I was looking around 3 years ago, they were the best competitor.
Thanks for the recommendation. I will investigate.
I know this is a few weeks late, but if you still have the Yiynova, have you tried opening Photoshop from the Start menu instead of the desktop? I don’t remember where I heard it anymore, but I know someone else was having trouble with their tablet having the cursor offset bizarrely when they used the desktop shortcut for PS. Going through the Start menu fixed it, as did making a new shortcut on the section of the desktop you can only “see” with the tablet.
I did try that, but it didn’t help. I’ve replaced the Yiynova now and I’m pretty happy. I liked it a lot though and I wish my crappy computer would have worked with it better.