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MillimeterIntegrate Review — Wacom Cintiq 18sx
Jul 1, 2003 12:00 PM, By Tom Patrick McAuliffe
Interactive LCD display is a veritable digital canvas.
The folks at Wacom have been around a long time making digital tablets that artists use to interact with their computers. More recently, video and audio editors and 3D animators have embraced pen-tablet technology as a more sensitive and intimate alternative to the mouse.
“Where have you been all my life?” is what I felt upon first experiencing the Wacom Cintiq 18sx. Released last year, the 18.1in. interactive LCD display tablet allows you to paint directly on the Cintiq screen or on the optional CintiqPartner tablet with the included pressure-sensitive pen. With an SXGA screen resolution (1280×1024) and 24-bit color, the images it displays are truly realistic and natural.
From the get-go, you'll notice a computer monitor mounted on a gimbaled base that's able to rotate to just about any angle needed. But the Cintiq 18sx is much more than a fancy display. Drawing and painting directly on the Cintiq's LCD screen — while at the same time being able to navigate application menus quickly with the same pen — makes for a very productive and creative flow. For those large and long jobs, there's also the relief from repetitive stress injury that a pen and tablet provide.
With 512 levels of pressure sensitivity, the Cintiq Grip Pen controls the cursor in any application with pen-point precision for painting those precise images or finding just the right frame of video to cut to. Best of all, you can jump between monitors while using the same pen! And as any artist will tell you, quick access to palettes and tools helps the creative process. It's also important to know that the pen can be used only with the Cintiq 18sx, and vice versa, to avoid ruining either component.
 If you're using multiple monitors with a graphics application or an NLE, add the CintiqPartner tablet and do away with the mouse all together. |
New is the CintiqPartner tablet. This is what will allow video artists to kill the mouse even for applications running on multiple monitors. At 6"×8", it's great for quickly navigating through various menus and applications — even across those multiple computer monitors. Priced at only $199, the CintiqPartner can also be used solo without the Cintiq 18sx.
At $3,499, the MSRP of the 18sx may be a bit steep for all but the professional-level shop, but there's no doubt about the coolness factor. The question is, will it make you more productive?
Before proceeding, there are a lot of precautions that you need to take in. Most significantly, the unit's parts are really fragile. Handle everything with extreme care, or you could cause permanent damage to the unit or even hurt yourself. In fact, that's the only real drawback to the Cintiq 18sx — the unit could be a bit more rugged.
The software installation went off without a hitch after I connected the hardware. The only thing unfamiliar to me initially was the DVI interface (with adapter) that the unit has along with the standard VGA connector. Setup was as simple as turning on the monitor, then the PC, installing the software drivers, and rebooting. When Windows comes up again, the tablet active-conforms to the active screen resolution of your computer.
Using it to create artwork for my new music CD due this fall, I tested the Cintiq 18sx and the CintiqPartner on a variety of computers including a new 2GHz Pentium 4 with Windows XP Pro, a 550Mhz P3 running Windows 98SE, and a 500Mhz Mac G4 running OS X 10.2. I ran into no significant problems with any of them. I tried drawing freehand images, photo retouching, digital video editing, and audio editing just to see the system perform in a wide variety situations. And perform it did.
The bundled Wacom Power Suite CD-ROM contains three programs: Procreate Painter Classic, Nikpen Palette, and Wacom Brushes 1.0. The latter two utilities are created specifically for Photoshop 7.0, and since I didn't have Photoshop 7.0, I didn't try those out. The included Painter Classic software is a really good program to show off the capabilities of the tablet. It allows you to create easily with any drawing tablet, and you're able to able to place a photo directly on the tablet or monitor, then trace it to make a digital copy. For the most part, Painter works very well with the pressure sensitivity and stylus controls.
In over seven days of very heavy use, the Cintiq crashed on me only one time, while I was renaming a file.
The productivity provided by the Cintiq 18sx is really a no-brainer for digital artists, but what if your main interest is video or audio editing? Would it also benefit the edit suite, helping to offset the cost of the display? In a word, yes! If you use a dual-monitor display with Adobe After Effects, the main monitor can be used as the interface display, while the Cintiq 18sx shows the composition window where you can quickly draw out track mattes and masks with great accuracy. On the audio side, if you're creating music with a program like Sonic Foundry's Acid 4.0 or dealing with audio for video via Pro Tools, with the Cintiq the applications enjoy an environment that could best be described as “painting with music.” Creating volume envelopes becomes much easier, for example. Everything seems more natural, perhaps because all of us have been using a pen or pencil since first grade. One thing is certain — your wrist will feel better at the end of those long edit sessions, and maybe that alone is enough to justify the price.
For a nonlinear editor like me, the Cintiq 18sx is also the digital equivalent of physically cutting and pasting film. Once acclimated, I found myself more comfortable and more productive. The mouse is dead to me now. The Wacom Cintiq 18sx may not be for you if you are doing only video or audio editing work, but even then there are distinct advantages to it. This product is a must especially if you have multiple monitors and perform tasks like rotoscoping, animation, and 3D modeling. The Cintiq will make you more productive.
Tom Patrick McAuliffe is a journalist, entertainer, and video creator living on Maui. Reach him at reelcom1@comcast.net
BOTTOM LINE
Company: Wacom Vancouver, Wash.; (360) 896-9833 www.wacom.com
Product: Cintiq 18sx and CintiqPartner
Assets: Interactive LCD display rotates to almost any angle; 512 levels of pressure sensitivity on Grip Pen; compatible with both PC and Mac; CintiqPartner integrates Wacom displays into multiple-monitor setups.
Caveats: Handle with care.
Demographic: Digital artists of all stripes.
Price: $3,499 for Cintiq 18sx; $199 for CintiqPartner
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