Zbrush 4 on a Convertible Tablet PC Demo/Review (Part 1 of 2)

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-AlOvMFq5k&hd=1

Originally posted for Zbrush central here:
http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?p=721654

Hi, so I've been meaning to post a review/demo of using Zbrush on a convertible tablet PC, since when I first started looking into it there was not a whole lot of information about how well it would run. I've been using it now for about a year and loving it the whole time. It works better than I had hoped, and I have no idea why tablet PCs were always marketed to the "business" customer and not to the artist. How useful is pressure sensitivity in spreadsheets anyway?

Anywho, the video is a little long (2 parts) but I tried to cover most of the basic considerations. Thanks to 720p portrait size, it's probably only really watchable in full-screen mode.

More info and in-depth review on the specific tablet I'm using: http://www.tabletpcreview.com/default.asp?newsID=632&review=ThinkPad+X60+...

Category:

Education

Tags:

• zbrush
• 3d
• convertible
• tablet
• pc
• mobile
• sculpting
• demonstration
• review
• ibm
• lenovo
• thinkpad
• x60
• autohotkey

[willpreston]

this very informative video of yours is nearly 1 and a half years old now, do you have any new advise for someone looking to do Zbrush on the train, sofa etc?

has much changed?

also I'm in England and am having trouble finding a stockist for the lenovo x60

[drkdve]

@willpreston Honestly I haven't been searching for new tablets much since then, since even with all the recent updates, zbrush still works incredibly well on the regular old x60. And I still use it every day. I'm sure some things have changed in the tablet market, but I haven't heard of anything amazing enough to recommend a switch, especially since the x60 is even cheaper now! You should be able to find it on the USA ebay site for under $200 and many sellers will ship overseas.

[tokillafly]

hi i m insterested in a tablet pc. what table pc do u have and which tablet pc would u reccomend for using on zbrush and can u use maya mudbox zbrush and photoshop on a tablet pc thanks.

[drkdve]

@tokillafly You should read the Zbrush central thread. There are multiple different tablets that can run different programs. I use the Lenovo x60, but most seem to be able to run zbrush and photoshop fine.

[willpreston]

@drkdve - yeah, you're right,

but i kind of like sculptris a bit more than Zbrush now and i thought you said there were problems?

[drkdve]

@willpreston The newest version of Sculptris seems to work reasonably well. With the advent of dynamesh in zbrush, I don't use it at all though. It seems to be a little bit less responsive than Zbrush, probably because of the real-time tesselation calculations, but it's definitely still usable.

[drkdve]

@DoggieDoubles No problem. If you aren't sure, I would recommend getting a cheap Wacom Bamboo tablet or a used Intuos, something for around $100.00 just to see if you like that style, since those can retain value fairly well, and you can always use them for something if you decide to upgrade.

[DoggieDoubles]

@drkdve Thanks so much for the info! I'll see what works for me...

[drkdve]

@DoggieDoubles Mainly it depends on how you like to work. If you are used to drawing on paper, I would recommend a tablet PC (reasonably priced) or Cintiq (expensive!). But if you aren't, you may be put off that your hand occludes the workspace. A tablet PC is ideal for me since it's not expensive, and I like drawing exactly where the pen touches. It works with various drawing styles (e.g. drawing from either elbow or wrist), and it's very portable.

[drkdve]

@DoggieDoubles Most zbrush artists use a tablet of some kind. Most commonly the Intuos line from Wacom. High-end artists often use the Cintiq, which is a tablet with a built-in screen that basically acts like a monitor for your computer which you can draw on. It's mostly a preference/price thing.

If you have a 8" tablet and a 24" monitor, moving a small distance on the tablet equates to a large distance on the screen, but on any tablet with a screen you draw exactly where the pen touches.