Moho Forum

Is anyone using AS 10 on a Surface Pro 3? In a simple test I found drawing just as good or better than with a mouse. Also with the new N-trig wintab drivers I can now do line widths using pen pressure. Though a mouse is far fm useless. In my preliminary test the worst part was the tiny icons. I really hope they add a choice of icon sizes in a future update.

I don't have a Surface Pro 3, but I have the 2, and hated using ASP with it. As you said the icons are too small. Way, way too small.In fact, my Surface Pro sits on a shelf all but forgotten.

What about performance? does it lag with complex scenes?

Working on testing animations:
Small animations run flawless without a glitch. Is there an animation file that I can load and test a large animation?

You can find some complex scenes in the library>scenes

the "CK The Quick and the Dead" is kind of complex (i guess)

but the "CK Crustacea" is very complex.

The only .anme files I see are, Carnivorous, Monster, Pirate, Rabbit, and Robot. Is there a place to DL the ones you suggesrted?
Thanks

Where can i buy it. Actually I want to use it for offline work my Lenovo core i7 is messed up atm!!!

I bought my Surface pro 3 from Best Buy online. They shipped it to my home for free in just three days. You can get the i5 in the store, but for now the i7 must be bought on-line from Best Buy. We have a Microsoft store at the Mall where you can just get an i7 too. I also think Staples can get you one.

I have tested the MS Surface Pro 3 out with a medium animation and it runs smooth as glass. I am really liking the Surface Pro 3 i7 a a lot. it is amazing with my Manga studio. I have also just ran Guild Wars 2 video game with it quite successfully.

Just wondering but how do you deal with modifier keys on the SP3? Are there physical buttons like the Expresskeys on the Wacom Companion, or is it on-screen?

I'm still using my trusty HP tm2 with the Wacom pen and touch. On this device, I use a utility called Modlock for onscreen modifer keys and a utility called Gmote to use pen gestures for program commands. This worked well for years but some recently updated programs, like Storyboard Pro 4.1, are not recognizing the gestures anymore.

In the next year I'll be looking to replace the tm2 but I haven't decided if I should get the SP3 or just go all out and get the Wacom Companion. My other main concern is the graphics chipset in the SP3 and Wacom Companion because I also do a lot of 3D work on the tm2.

Thoughts?

G

I am doing my design sitting on the sofa with the n-Trig pen. But for serious animation I am using a wireless keyboard and mouse. I looked at the wacom but choose the Surface Pro 3 i7 because it had newer technology than the wacom, and runs more software. I could actually play Guild Wars 2 on my Surface pro 3.

Guyon wrote:I am doing my design sitting on the sofa with the n-Trig pen. But for serious animation I am using a wireless keyboard and mouse. I looked at the wacom but choose the Surface Pro 3 i7 because it had newer technology than the wacom, and runs more software.

Yeah, sounds like me and my old tm2 these days. When I started having trouble with newer programs recognizing my Gmote gestures (I think it's because either more programs are becoming true 64-bit or because they're being optimized for Win 8,) I started using a separate Bluetooth mini-keyboard and mouse with the tm2. This works well enough but it's awkward when I'm out, like at a restaurant or coffee shop with limited space to work on. Really miss using gestures in these few programs--it was much more efficient.

I'm also concerned about Wacom vs. Ntrig technology. The Wacom Cintiq Companion has 2048 levels of pressure vs. the Surface Pro 3's 256 levels using Ntrig--that's a huge difference. Even the Wacom Penabled tech inside my HP tm2 has 512 levels (although I had to track down a third-party stylus to take full advantage of it,) which I find just adequate for most design and drawing situations. (I'm comparing this experience to working with a regular desktop with and Intuos or Cintiq 13WX, which has 2048 levels like the Companion.)

Based on what I read earlier this year, the beta version of the SP3 had a lag issue when working in Photoshop. Did they fix this for the release version? To be fair, I understand the Companion also has a lag but it's apparently less than the SP3 in early pre-release comparisons. (BTW, my tm2 does not have this lag but this may be because of the ATI graphics chip.)

By 'newer technology', what do you mean exactly? Are you referring to the graphics chip? Aren't they both using Intel? For power consumption, I read that the SP3 is more efficient than the Companion. But then again, I also read the the cost for battery replacement in the SP3 is pretty crazy. (I don't know what it is for the Companion.) I wish Wacom or Microsoft had gone with with nvidia or ati, with gpu acceleration, but I guess the extra heat might have been an issue. (My tm2 has an older ATI Radeon--works great but sadly no gpu.)

I just found a comparison article between SP3 and Companion. Sounds like the lack of keys on the SP3 is a bit of a hindrance compared to the standard Expresskeys on a Wacom bezel. As mentioned earlier, my tm2 doesn't have keys when in tablet mode either, so I make do using the software alternatives mentioned earlier. That said, I do prefer using the Expresskeys on my Intuos when I'm at a desktop. Anyway, still reading this article so maybe I'm getting ahead of myself.

For reference, the type of work I do with my tm2 can be found on my website http://www.littlegreendog.com. I do a lot of 3D animation and vfx work on this tiny machine, plus comics and, more recently, 2D animated shorts using Anime Studio Pro. This tablet is getting pretty old though and I rely on it daily, so I'm hoping to find a suitable replacement before it finally 'expires'.

Considering how much newer the tech is in the SP3 or Companion, either one should be better than my old tm2, but I just don't know yet.

Anyway, will continue to sit on the fence for a while longer. Thanks in advance for any info.

G.

"I'm also concerned about Wacom vs. Ntrig technology. The Wacom Cintiq Companion has 2048 levels of pressure vs. the Surface Pro 3's 256 levels using Ntrig--that's a huge difference. "
On the front end you might think that is a huge difference, but it is not. How this works is 2048 levels of pressure only starts to become apparent if you brush size is larger than 256. So a wacon at a bush size of 50 has no advantage over a n-trig at a brush size of 50.

Based on what I read earlier this year, the beta version of the SP3 had a lag issue when working in Photoshop.
They may have fixed that, because the tracking is really good on my i7. and have no issues at all. Manga studio runs very. The icons on Manga studio are very readable. I have read that Adobe will be catching up with the rest of the world and fix their gui soon. I have not tired Photosohp yet on the SP3, but there is no lag when I am using it with Manga Studio. I do have both Manga Studio and Photoshop 6 on my desk top, but I never use Photoshop for drawing because I feel Manga Studio is so much better for drawing. On the flip side the Wasom does not draw exactly where the pen is placed, the SP3 does. Final though a lot of the reviews are out of date. None of them are using the new SP3 i7 updates.

'newer technology'
I had read that the wacom was behind in technology since it was a year old. Pardon me if I am wrong on that issue.

" Sounds like the lack of keys on the SP3 "
You are correct that the SP3 only has the side "home" key vs the many keys in the Wacom. I really don't use the extra keys on my wacom PTZ-930 so I am fine not having them on my SP3. Your mileage may vary. One note might be when I flip the SP3 to portrait as I draw I am still fine. Though the Wacom keys are in a funny place when flipped.

Final thoughts:
For the sheer drawing experience I feel that the Wacom might win out? Do I wish I got a Wacom? No way I also researched the heck of of them and I picked the surface Pro 3. Why? I love the drawing experience, But after that I feel that the SP3 it is a much better laptop. So far it runs everything I have though at it even video games. Guild Wars 2 is quite playable! I never see the Wacom running video games so I worried about Wacom's sheer processing power. In the end if you just want a drawing tablet both have advantages and disadvantages. But if you want to do more than draw it is SP3 all the way.

Good luck in your selection, and please let me know what you picked.

Thanks for the feedback--your information is very helpful. I'm still on that fence but feeling better informed now.

G.

Actually your should be on the fence, both are great devices. It took me a year to decide.


Best of luck

Actually I'm looking at another lenovo or Dell XPS Laptop after looking into surface pro 3 only need it for offline work TY Haha!!!

Oh and I don't draw in Anime studio I use Flash or Toonboom for my work and ASP only on demand