Tablet Use
RPMiller
Betatester Newcomer
I emailed Ralf about this, but have yet to get an answer so I'm turning to the community in the hope that some of you knowledgeable folks can help me. I've been trying to use my Wacom Intous3 tablet with CC3, but I seem to have some unanswered questions.
1) How do you set up the macros on the menu section of the tablet to actually run?
2) Can someone explain the purpose of the Real Coordinate Area with a better example than what's in the help file?
3) My tablet is a "wide screen" format instead of the typical rectangle/square. If I wanted to create a template that uses it's entire surface, do I have to do anything special with the Real Coordinate Area?
4) I'm guessing that I can drop in the images of the various buttons into the template before I print it out, but where would I find those images?
Rob Miller
1) How do you set up the macros on the menu section of the tablet to actually run?
2) Can someone explain the purpose of the Real Coordinate Area with a better example than what's in the help file?
3) My tablet is a "wide screen" format instead of the typical rectangle/square. If I wanted to create a template that uses it's entire surface, do I have to do anything special with the Real Coordinate Area?
4) I'm guessing that I can drop in the images of the various buttons into the template before I print it out, but where would I find those images?
Rob Miller
Comments
1) In the macros section of your fcw32.mac file, you can add macro references to the end of it (or anywhere else within)... Here are more instructions from the help file
A left (0) button click in the menu area will generate a macro call of the form M001 through M999. The sample tablet.fcw shows the number of several locations. The upper-left item is M001, and they increase going across. Then the next row down, and the one after, in order. Note that numbers are assigned without taking into account the real area or screen area overlays.
2) The real area is used to select areas of the map when you select a tool or symbol. The nice thing about the real area is that if you zoom in on the map, the real area maintains it's ratio so the real area is a real representation of the actual map, NOT the screen.
3) Nope. The real area is defined when you "configure" and "calibrate" your tablet. For example, I configure my tablet to have the entire area be the "real area" and forgo the menu options. I use a mouse to select any features and I use a macro controller (a Microsoft Sidewinder) for easy access to commonly used functions. I then "calibrate" my map at whatever zoom I want, to the entire surface of the tablet. The "calibrate" function can be used with any zoom level you want, and it will stay calibrated to that zoom level until you change it or load a different map. In this way you can zoom in on the map and still have the aspect ratio maintained thus being able to place lines, items etc, on the map in relation to the tablet instead of the screen.
4) I usually just fill in the text of the macro I assign it or a color (I had mine set up for color choices at one point). You can use anything to fill those.
Sheldon Erickson
2) I'm still confused so I'll have to play with that some more.
3) Hmm... Zoom area... now I'm more confused and will have to play with that some more.
4) Hopefully someone can help me with the image part then.
Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.
I'll put in a tech support request later today. Thanks for the reply.
MACRO M260
Color 41
ENDM
Is that what you wanted to know?
Also, as I pointed out, the "Real" area of the tablet (which can be configured to be the entire tablet if you wish) is used to plot points on the map by selecting them in the real area after a tool is selected (like Line or Path) or to place symbols.
The nice thing about this is that you can zoom into an area of your map, calibrate the tablet's "real" area to be the diminsions of that specific zoomed in area and then you can plot points in that specific area no matter the zoom level of the map (in or out). In this way you can work on a map area, then zoom out and see the results at the normal zoom level or whatever. The tablet is very highly customizable. I suggest simply givng it a try and exploring some of it's capabilities within CC3.
Another thing to note is that the "calibration" and "configuration" of the tablet are entirely optional to use it with CC3. If can also be used just like a mouse with in either "mouse" mode where the pointer's center is relative to it's current position on the screen, or or "pen" mode where the pointer's center is relative to the position on the tablet (where the tablet is the same relative dimensions as the screen). In either case, CC3 will treat the tablet as a mouse if it isn't "calibrated" and "configured".
However you wish to use your tablet, just make sure it is confortable for you and easy for you to use. If setting it up by "calibrating" and "configuring" it in CC3 is inconvenient or not useful to you, simply ignore that feature and move on. CC3 (like it's predecessor) is extremely customizable, which allows it to be used in many different ways for many different people. Set it up the way that makes sense for you.
Still not entirely sure about the "Real" area, but once I start playing with it some more I'm sure I'll figure it out.
I use all the buttons and customizations of my tablet in PhotoShop so I get all that. It was just the more specific things I mentioned that were confusing.
I think the part that had me the most confused is that there is a separate "mouse area" that works all the time, but the "real coordinate area" wouldn't work until a tool was started so there is a little bit of a disconnect there for me. The really sad thing is that I was a CAD draftsman for several years and used a 12" square tablet and a 16 button puck with AutoCad and MicroStation so you would think that this wouldn't be a problem for me to wrap my head around, but unfortunately something is just not clicking.