Wacom Bamboo Digital Notebook Older Versus Newer Version Review

As an creative person who specializes in combining traditional and digital tools, I'thou always in search of a better way to create artwork out in the "existent" world that I tin can later edit and rework on the reckoner. In a previous CreativePro mail  I explored vector sketching with the iPad. Although the iPad Pro amps upward raster drawing considerably, vector drawing isn't much improved. The iPad still constrains drawings to the size of the tablet surface. Furthermore, the software bachelor to the iPad is even so in its infancy compared to using Wacom tablet connected to Illustrator or Photoshop, and all tablets are less tactile than pen or pencil on newspaper. Lastly, for now anyhow, no electronic devices are as unimposing, flexible, and responsive as the sketchbooks that I behave along with me wherever I become. But happily, a new variant on applied science has entered onto the scene. For the past few months I've been testing a workflow that, although imperfect and even a chip frustrating at times, has already inverse the manner I sketch when I'm out in the earth.

The Neo SmartPen

The Neo smartpen

The Neo SmartPen  allows you lot to span the analog and digital worlds by drawing on special paper. The pen records your drawing with a tiny camera, and so sends the data via Bluetooth to your digital devices.

While there is room for improvement, this footling device has quickly warmed its way into my middle. In this beginning post I'll give yous the basics nearly this new workflow—if you're hungry for more details, let us know in the comments, then we can do a follow-up part 2 with practical tips and tricks.

It'southward important to know that in a big way, adopting this technology at present is like signing on for a beta test. There are lots of ways I'd like this new tool to work amend or differently, and in truth the drawings don't always tape the digital markings properly, but somehow something nearly the feel of materials and the style I can rework the drawings, compensates for the frustrations.

With the latest version of Neo SmartPen I can covertly draw in a pocket-size sketchbook while riding a bus, or spread out with larger lined or unlined paper. The pen feels quite comfortable in my hand, and the required specialty paper comes in a variety of sizes and formats, ranging from difficult-bound notebooks with bare and lined pages, to A4-sized white lined or unlined pads. To work, I just plow on the pen and start drawing. At a more user-friendly time, I tin can download the digital drawings to my iPhone, which I tin can then ship to my figurer as SVG. Once in the computer I can open a unmarried-line path vector version of my cartoon into Illustrator where I can fashion and modify the paths infinitely to my heart's content.

The single line path SVG file with 1-pt line equally information technology comes into Illustrator, and so with a 2-betoken stroke, and then set up to the first Variable Width Profile.

A Work in Progress

I have to admit that equally someone who has worked on testing art-making digital hardware and software for more than three decades, I tend to exist impatient with technologies that are flawed or not working fully. And while it'southward off to a good start, the Neo SmartPen isn't quite even so working fully yet. As I mentioned, a adept proportion of the time the drawings don't digitally tape well enough to use. So I'1000 not certain why I feel more than forgiving of this new imperfect workflow. Mayhap it'southward in function because I have my actual drawings on paper, regardless of whether the digital versions are garbled. Information technology may likewise be that I tin can feel where this is heading if the product continues to exist refined. Or it's possible I just want to help steer the form of this engineering science. In whatsoever case, any the reason, this new way of working has indeed completely transformed the sketching part of my fine art practice. If you're looking for reliability or you aren't comfortable editing in Illustrator, then I'd encourage you to expect before hopping on board. I'm not convinced that the Neo SmartPen will be my tool of choice once competitors catch on to what these folks are doing right, simply I tin can tell y'all that the Neo developers seem eager to implement updates and user comments that have already transforming this early version forth the path to being the powerful, professional tool it promises to be. My regular sketchpads and pens/pencils are at present on a shelf,  well-nigh e'er at present replaced past the Neo SmartPen and sketchbook. As it is right now, warts and all, information technology's still pretty darn cool.

Options for Bridging Paper and Digital

Bringing this paper-to-digital technology to consumers appears to engagement to 2009. At 1 of the final San Francisco MacWorld Expos, a small company won "best in show" for LiveScribe SmartPen, a supercool pen and special paper that is geared towards enhancing notetaking at lectures and meetings.  Their digital pen draws with ink onto special paper that digitally records your handwritten notes and records audio into the pen at the same fourth dimension. You lot could and then download the notes to your calculator, share them with others, or if y'all tap on a spot in your notebook with your pen, you tin can hear the related sound.

Skip forward a few years and there are a agglomeration of new products based on this and similar technology. Wacom's latest entry into the digital pen and paper field is the Bamboo Spark . Their previous Clue technology transforms a secure sheet of paper into a digital tablet that can input both raster and vectors, replays your drawing as an animation. It's fun to test out, but I found it a bit awkward to put to practical use as it requires a stationary surface and doesn't easily allow y'all to add to your drawing once yous've unclipped the device.

The Bamboo Spark's special paper is clipped deeply to a plastic holder—making it significantly more portable than the Inkling. Every bit of now, notes and sketches created with the Bamboo Spark translate merely as raster images, though I'g guessing it'southward probable to eventually incorporate Inkling'southward vector translation. The holder keeps the paper in place so cartoon with the special pen can be created in multiple sessions. Though my principal event with the Spark  isn't technological, it'southward aesthetic. Equally much as I love the Wacom tablets that I rely on to draw and paint directly into the computer, I observe the size and tactile feel of the Spark disappointing; with a fixed paper size that's clipped into a bulky plastic holder, I'one thousand constrained to a device that bluntly feels more than like I'g cartoon into child's plastic-toy device than a professional artist's tool.

Advantages of the Neo SmartPen

Like the LiveScribe and Bamboo Spark, the Neo SmartPen records with a real pen on real newspaper, but the implementation then diverges in a number of subtle means that, to me, add together up somehow to it being an overall game-changer. With the Neo SmartPen you have i) a variety of dissimilar papers in unlike sizes and formats to choose from, including portable small-scale notebooks with unlined pages, two) a pen that is fairly comfortable to hold, 3) marks tin exist recorded every bit single vector paths for time to come editing, and 4) you can describe with your pen on paper—untethered from whatever device. If that combination sounds interesting to yous, read on for some of the details nigh how it works.

Using the Neo SmartPen

Equally of at present you demand a USB connection to charge their pen and an iOS or Android device to download the NeoNotes app. Later on charging the pen, turn on your device's Bluetooth, launch NeoNotes and follow directions to pairing your device and setting defaults (including the size for your digital path). In one case you lot're charged and take initially paired your pen to your app you can conserve your device's bombardment by turning off the Bluetooth and disconnecting from the pen.

Side by side, yous can just turn on the Neo SmartPen and start cartoon onto i of their notebooks or pads (or onto newspaper yous've custom laser printed with their special configuration of dots). As long as you keep the pen as perpendicular as possible to the paper, you can at present move about your life, sketching whenever inspiration hits, using your slightly bigger-than-usual pen on real paper—and this works even when you're not anywhere virtually a smartphone or computer. You'll have your existent-life actual drawings, and (when information technology works correctly) you'll as well be recording digital versions of the drawings into your pen you lot can later on download and modify. If you're comfy in Illustrator, for maximum flexibility when later editing your digital files, choose the smallest neb size in your NeoNotes setup preferences and so your marks are recorded every bit unmarried-line vector paths. With single-line paths in Illustrator you lot'll non only be able to "clothes-up" with custom brushes and stroke profiles, but you can hands modify, add together, remove, adjust, shine, simplify, cut, and otherwise reform.

Adjusting the stroke and width profile I deleted a few unwanted marks, and cleaned up and re-wrote some of the text with the Pencil tool.

If you're not planning on editing the paths, y'all can choose a thicker beak size to give your default digital lines a more naturally tapered look with marks that answer to pressure, however these "outlined" paths are much more time-consuming to tweak in Illustrator.)

This drawing was created with the slightly thicker nib setting in NeoNotes, which looks better without whatever tweaking only is trickier to adjust and edit.

The current newspaper choices includes unlined and lined note pads, as well equally medium and small-scale hard-bound notebooks. The default pen pecker doesn't flow very smoothly, so you lot'll probably want gild some of the "better" refills for the pen, I like the MonteVerdi, and (I've been told the more pricey Mt Blanc is fifty-fifty better). I was unable to detect the correct nibs locally in whatsoever of the office or fine art supply stores in San Francisco so if yous can't notice them locally, you can get refill links hither . Unfortunately permanent archival inks don't record digitally as well every bit the standard non-archival (and can somewhen fade) inks—nonetheless, hopefully you will end upwards with the digital version that can be backed upward.

Problems and Solutions

If you're anxious to get started correct away testing the pen, here are a few issues and solutions to be aware of. Drawings record all-time when your pen is perpendicular to the newspaper. Lite marks or marks drawn too rapidly might non record at all, so press fully into the paper (non as well  hard though!), and try to avoid scribbling fast. Sometimes the download to the NeoNotes app syncs very slowly, more than once I've thought it wasn't getting the latest drawings, then be patient. The current version of the app sometimes crashes if you choose the "groundwork mode" for downloading the drawings (more about groundwork mode in my next commodity).

Although y'all tin export raster versions of your entire notebook all at one time as a PDF, currently the only way to become vector artwork out of the NeoNotes app is via email for each page— though I assume that exporting of vector workflow should be improved shortly. And if you're willing to modify the character of your pen and paper drawings, if your epitome didn't record properly, you can try to add them to the digital drawing by retracing the portions of your cartoon that are missing from the digital version, or simply describe some new lines in Illustrator with the Pencil or Paintbrush tools.

The drawing every bit it was recorded on the left, missing some of the details and lines, middle is with the stroke width and profile practical, on the right is after I added back some of the missing detail using the Pencil tool.

Want to Know More?

If yous're intrigued merely desire more details first, permit us know in the comments! In a follow-up article I can go into more particular about the features, and offer some specific advice and useful tips and tricks for getting downwards to piece of work with the Neo SmartPen. Here are a few of the areas I can encompass:

• tricks for getting your vectors onto your computer more easily
• how to use Illustrator to smooth paths with besides many points
• quick ways to apparel up your paths to mimic natural media
• how to describe in a way that can be converted into layers
• how to watch your drawing "animate" to the screen

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Source: https://neosmartpen.com/neo-smartpenreview-neo-smartpen-n2-on-creativepro/

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