Wacom Graph Tablet and Photoimpact 10 - Ink blots!?

iamgregor · Post by **iamgregor** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 3:03 pm

I have PI10 (just got recently), and a graphics tablet. It seemed to work fine for a while, but I have this really annoying problem. For some reason, every time I touch the pen down to start drawing a line, it draws a full sized circle (like an inkblot from a leaky pen).

Then, as long as I maintain some pressure, it will respond normally and draw a line the size and transparency I would expect for the pressure that I use. But if I lift the pen for even a second and put it back down, inkblot. What the heck is that!? How do I make it stop.

Before anyone asks, I have PI7 on my machine and it works perfectly, no problems at all with the graph tablet. So it's not the tablet, or the driver, it's got to be something with PI10 (IMO)

Post by **Ron P.** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 5:08 pm

What type of pen/tablet are you using? It shouldn't matter that much, but some work better with certain software than others. I use a Wacom Intuos 3.

I don't have PI10, however checked in PI-11, and there are 2 settings in the Preferences dialoge (press F6 on your keyboard to access the preferences dialog), for using a Pen/tablet. Stroke smoothness and Pressure sensitivity. Each of these have Good, Better, Best option settings. Try changing the settings on for the Pressure sensitivity.

There's also settings in the Tool Settings-Brush. They are for Pressure options, such as Size, Transparency or Both. To the far right is a Step setting. I think it defaults to 1. You might try bumping this up a few notches. It may help from getting this type of response.

It seems that the program may be reading the pressure sensitivity wrong on your pen/tablet. You may also have a Tablet Utility application that came with your device. You can adjust some settings in there to help.

Bear in mind that it is recommended to occasionally reset/or adjust the brush tracking on your device. This is even after working on it for awhile, and especially if you are just starting to work with it for the day. The amount of pressure we apply can change frequently. Also the response from one program to the next will vary.

iamgregor · Post by **iamgregor** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 8:14 pm

The thing is that it works perfectly with PI 7. I've tried adjusting the transparency/size options and the step, but it's no good. It also doesn't matter how long I've used it and I've had the same problem for weeks so clearly rebooting won't help. I've even uninstalled PI10 and reinstalled it to no avail. I tried talking to tech support, but they're telling me that it's an unsupported product so I can go **** myself. Very nice of them really...

Post by **Ron P.** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 10:30 pm

That's why we're here (not to tell you, you can..)

but because Corel Tech support leaves a lot to be desired. They are correct, that PI10 is not supported by them, unless you're willing to pay a nice premium..

So far I haven't seen this behavior with any of the PI versions I currently have. I know that if you press the switch on the side of the pen, is the same as a mouse click, and will produce a dot on the page. Does this give a similar result as your "ink splots"?

iamgregor · Post by **iamgregor** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 1:55 pm

Not sure. I pretty much ignore that button so I have no idea what it would do. I know I'm not hitting it by accident at least

Post by **Ron P.** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 5:27 pm

In the Tool (brush) settings look at the Options settings. What is yours set at?

I can replicate this with some degree of difficulty, ie; trying hard to get the results you're experiencing.

Using a round shaped brush, default size of 20, with the options set from say 1-5 will produce a dot on the page when you touch the pen to the tablet, in such a manner that the tablet interprets this as a "tap". If you have the pressure settings for Size, the greater the pressure the larger the dot. So simply by touching the pen to the tablet. and applying a little more pressure without dragging the pen, results in what looks like a splotch, or larger dot.

I can however touch the pen to the tablet, and drag the pen (stroke), and not have this dot or ink-splotch.

So I think this is a combination of the program and the sensitivity of the tablet. It would seem that the sensitivity needs to be adjusted a little more firm. This can be done in the Wacom Utility.

iamgregor · Post by **iamgregor** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 8:46 pm

Thanks for going through the effort!

I've tried adjusting the settings to no effect, but I'll give it another try when I get home and see what happens.

iamgregor · Post by **iamgregor** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 1:06 pm

Ok, I tried adjusting every single thing possible (size, transparency, step, etc), and nothing made any difference at all. When I touch the pen down at the very insant the pressure is enough to register, it puts down a full sized circle (whatever size I've chosen) before acting normally and having size/transparency based on my pen pressure. It's highly annoying.

Post by **Ron P.** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 1:20 pm

With PI-11, 12 and X3 I don't get that problem, not without really trying to. It may be something specifically with version 10. I don't know as I don't have that version.

Wacom tablets are considered some of the best made, and most programs can utilize them efficiently.

Thinking "out of the box" for solutions here...

Since it does not do this in your version of PI-7, and you installed PI10, which does give you this ink-splotch problem, try re-installing PI-7. There may be some driver that could correct this in PI-10. Ulead was known for it's shared resources.

However, I hope that if you do try the above it does not backfire, and now produce the problem in PI-7...

Since you apparently have the install CD for PI-10, try doing a Repair install. Is your version of PI-10 an "SE" version? If not, have you downloaded and installed any and all relevant patches?

http://www.ulead.com/tech/pi/pi_ftp_pi10.htm

I just located another setting to check for, which I had forgot about..
In the Preferences dialog (press F6 on your keyboard), go to the Tools settings. In the Tools settings, about midway down, there are 2 options for adjusting the Pressure sensitivity and Stroke Smoothness. The drop-down menu allows for settings of Fair, Good, and Best. Change these to Best.

After changing those, I can not get mine to behave close to the way your's is. However again this is with versions 11 and up. I think that 10 may have the same settings though..

iamgregor · Post by **iamgregor** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 1:19 pm

Good thinking! I found that setting once and lost it so I'll try it again. I've already tried the repair install though and I'm not using an SE version. It's the real deal. Aggrivating, but I have an alternate solution I'm working on that I think will get the job done if this doesn't.

iamgregor · Post by **iamgregor** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 4:05 pm

I tried those setting and they seemed to help a little. Actually when I logged in the first time today, it didn't happen at all. After I hit CTRL+ALT+DELETE to adjust a system setting (set PI to high priority), it started happening again, but only randomly.

So very annoying. Sigh