Wacom Intuos 3D

THE TABLET GIANT INTRODUCES AN INTERESTING NEW FORMAT.

WHEN IT COMES to Wacom products, you expect a high-end feel. Unfortunately, the Intuos 3D doesn’t quite live up to other members of the family. It looks great, with pleasing shapes, thin enough to be comfortable and with some useful buttons, but the plastics used in its construction are hard and brittle feeling, rather than the more commonly used soft-touch materials Wacom is known for. Everything feels a little cheap, including the stylus and tablet buttons.

However, the interactions with the tablet are very positive and feel good in extended use; that’s important, as this kind of tool often supersedes the use of a mouse. The button clicks feel responsive and inspire confidence on both tablet and stylus. What’s more, the buttons are programmed out of the box (with ZBrush Core commands), making for less time spent hunting in menus, keeping you creative and efficient. Although, this will be of particular interest to ZBrush newcomers, it’s a handy default for anybody, saving on setup time when you first install the device.

If you travel a lot, you’ll be glad to know that the stylus can be stored in a handy fabric loop at the top of the tablet, and the USB cable can be detached, unlike some other graphics tablets. There is also an option for a wireless kit, which is similar to other Wacom devices, with a small dongle that plugs in nice and unobtrusively. For a little added protection on the move, Wacom also offers fitted cases on its online store.

The most important element of using a device like this is how the nib feels on the tablet’s active surface, and you might expect this to match the hard, brittle feeling elsewhere, but the reality is that it’s a pleasant experience. If the stylus had the soft rubber grips of other Wacom styluses, this would be a real joy. As it is, drawing and sculpting feels ‘just’ good. The nib runs smoothly over the surface and is also replaceable, although not with the variety of nib types that the Intuos Pro offers.

You may appreciate the grid of dots on the tablet’s active area, but they could prove to be a distraction to some — equally, others may forget about them altogether. Either way, they don’t interfere with the operation at all, so you shouldn’t be overly concerned about them.

A big benefit of the Intuos 3D is that it’s essentially a bundle to get you up and running with 3D sculpting as easily as possible. The box comes with a download code for the powerful ZBrushCore from Pixologic, a well-regarded 3D sculpting and painting app, priced at US$149.95 (about $200).

What’s more, included with the bundle is time-limited access to ZBrush training videos, which will be useful to newcomers who want to explore the possibilities of working in 3D.

The overall experience with the Intuos 3D is a good one. The bundle offers fantastic value, but it’s worth taking a moment to look at the tablet on its own. The materials don’t replicate the high-end feel we’re used to from Wacom, but you soon forget that, and working with it is a lot of fun. We find that using a tablet for artwork is more intuitive, precise, healthy and fun than a mouse and keyboard, so the Intuos 3D should be considered if you’re on the hunt for a new input device.

AS IT IS, DRAWING AND SCULPTING FEELS GOOD. THE NIB RUNS SMOOTHLY OVER THE SURFACE AND IS ALSO REPLACEABLE, ALTHOUGH NOT WITH THE VARIETY OF NIB TYPES THAT THE PRO OFFERS.