It is also faster than using a mouse. Very addictive.

I don't know if Vegas even supports a digital pen, (never installed one on any system I had Vegas) but graphic programs like Photoshop and Corel Draw do support such pens and for fine detail work on still images you can't beat a graphic tablet and pen. Most are pressure sensentive, so you can make fine varations easily like with a real pen/pencil and more accurately make more natural adjustments, draw masks, change hues, etc... Generally better for drawing or painting in graphic programs than dragging a mouse or trackball around. Like with a lot of things it takes awhile to get the right feel for it. Till you do it can be clumsy and awkward, but worth practicing.

Works in Vegas, Gary Kleiner needs to chime in on this one. He edits with one.
Jimmy

Thanks everyone. I think I'm going to pick one up this weekend. It seems I'm almost always going into photoshop to cut up pictures for Vegas, so it's worth it for me just for Photoshop. But it might be nice in Vegas too, especially for the masking tool.

I have one and have used it in Vegas, though in Vegas as opposed to Photoshop it does loose some of the advanced features that BB mentioned like pressure sensitivity. In Vegas I do prefer it for some things like masking.

Basicly its an easier to manage mouse in most stuff outside of graphics programs, but for those programs I find it to be indespensiable. In Vegas more often than not I still use a mouse ( actually a trackball ) as I still prefer to have the extra buttons and scroll wheel.

- Ray

www.undergroundplanet.com

I couldn't work without my Wacom. My tablet usage is split about 50/50 with the mouse. I simply could not fathom working in photoshop without a pen and tablet.
BTW, my pen works perfectly in Vegas, alongside the mouse and the ShuttlePro2. (no conflicts on WinXPpro)

Here:

* Medion A4 tablet size £30.00 with Pen - Great for my PsP work. Pressure and colour change and tran and a humi=ungous amount of PsP drawing options using the Pen . .. unthinkable with just the mouse . . . oh no! No, horrid! - Started to use Pen in ACID now .. . kewl!!!

* MS Mouse Optical - Great for rodent driven needs

* Shuttle Pro - Fab for scrubbing and close quarter attack - frame by frame twsiting is more my stykle than the JKL keys - but it has been known!

* M-Audio Midi - Just thought I'd throw this one in as I don't get issues with the other USB thingies.

All being used at the same time . . .

Word of Warning! - Just noticed the Pen having a "fit" . . reason? I had the cable for my mobile charger just ever so slightly near the tablet! HAH!

Hmmm.. like the idea of a track ball though . . hmm......

Grazie

I do a fair amount of graphic work and own a Wacom Intuos 2. While I can go on and on about it's benefits in Photoshop it's not really helpfull for Vegas.

For one you don't "draw" a mask in Vegas- it's a bezier curve ...which isn't "drawn". Also it'll slow you down in the interface because now to move your cursor across the screen your going to have to move your arm about a foot across your desktop rather than the inches it would be with a mouse.

You must have a large tablet.

WIth a 6x8 tablet (or even less with a 4x5), you don't move your arm "by a foot" across your desktop.

It's certainly a matter of taste, but I liked working with a tablet because I could go directly to where I wanted to go, I didn't have to slide the mouse until I got there. It just felt more visual.

For those who really like tablets, there is always Wacom's new 21" combined LCD monitor & 5000dpi tablet...

:O)

It's the 12" Intuos 2 tablet. I suppose it's personal preference- but the tablet will NOT benefit bezier masking.

I certainly agree with that.

Anybody who does roto work and paint on video (in Combustion etc.) also quickly appreciates using a tablet.

I don't get anybody that still suffers needlessly using a mouse. Once you try a trackball, you'll never go near a mouse again. For those still in the dark, unlike a mouse, a trackball doesn't move around your desk where you need to spend endless time chasing it and repositioning it, and you never ever have to lift it up off the desk either. Far more civilized to use a trackball, where only the ball moves, either using the tips of your fingers, thumb and finger or even the middle parts of your finger or palm of your hand. Your choice. Try that with a mouse. Its also far more sensentive to minor movements and gives much more precise control. Takes about five minutes to get used to. Also far simpler to clean, just pop out the ball, get rid of the gunk and you're all set.

I used to work for a post house in LA, using a Quantel Domino machine. These baby's had 20+ inches of tablet and more RAM than you could ever utilize. Real time painting and f/x on the tablet was a dream. This was in the days when a terrabyte was a lot of storage.
I'd bring one home If I could afford the million and change for a single unit.
warren

Damn! Me too. I use the Kensington Expert mouse on everything, and replace the lightweight plastic ball that comes with it, with a real billiard ball. The added weight provides a tremendous amount of control, it's good for the prevention of CTS, and it looks cool. My faves are the 8-ball and 3-balls.

But, check out Gary Kleiner's first DVDs on Vegas, you'll see some great use of the tablets in there. Ben Nielson, one of our guys, uses the Wacom religiously in video editing as well.

If anyone is in the market for a graphic tablet look around in the larger computer stores or on the web and you'll often find them bundled with various graphic software that may come in handy. For example I've seen Adobe's Elements and Procreate's Painter bundled with Wacom tablets as well as other decent software.

... plus offers and discounts they offer on their site whien you have one of these tablets... just need to type your serial#...

The points I always make about using tblet are:

1) Way faster to edit with than using a mouse or trackball.

2) Using MULTIPLE input devices helps avoid repetitive strain injuries.

Gary