Electronics

Wacom Cintiq 24HD touch adds multi-touch to interactive pen displays

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Muti-touch can be used to do things like manipulate a 3D model or pan, zoom and rotate an image
The Wacom Cintiq 24HD lets users pan, zoom and rotate the canvas with their fingers at the same time as using the pressure and tilt sensitive pen
Wacom’s pressure and tilt sensitive cordless battery-free Grip Pen boasts 2,048 pressure levels and gives an experience similar to using traditional brushes and pens
Muti-touch can be used to do things like manipulate a 3D model or pan, zoom and rotate an image
There are 10 customizable ExpressKeys (five on each side of the tablet) which can be set for application-specific shortcuts
The counter-weighted stand of the Wacom Cintiq 24HD means it can be adjusted to bring the display surface over the edge of the desk
The Cintiq 24HD touch is said to closely replicate the experience of working with two hands when using traditional materials such as paints, markers and clay
Support for Wacom′s multi-touch is available in Corel’s latest Painter 12.2 update
Two Touch Rings which are positioned on either side of the display and can be used to access frequently used shortcut commands and perform time-saving functions
The Wacom Cintiq 24HD touch features a 24 inch 1,920 x 1,200 pixel widescreen HD display capable of displaying 1.07 billion colours and 97 percent of Adobe's color gamut
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Muti-touch functionality was added to Wacom's Intuos5 graphics tablets earlier this year and, after winning much praise from users, it's no surprise to see it arrive on the company's Cintiq range of interactive pen displays. The Cintiq range was first introduced in 2005 and the addition of the Cintiq 24HD touch now allows users to use their fingers to pan, zoom and rotate the canvas at the same time as using the pressure and tilt sensitive pen.

Aimed at digital creative professionals, from freelance industrial designers to Hollywood animators, the Wacom Cintiq 24HD touch features a 24-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 pixel widescreen HD display capable of displaying 1.07 billion colors and 97 percent of Adobe's color gamut. The display can also be color-calibrated.

While creatives are obviously still able to using Wacom’s pressure and tilt sensitive cordless battery-free Grip Pen on the screen and experience a feeling similar to using traditional brushes and pens (with 2,048 pressure levels on pen tip and eraser), they are no longer limited to using buttons and the keyboard to access other functions.

The Wacom Cintiq 24HD touch features a 24 inch 1,920 x 1,200 pixel widescreen HD display capable of displaying 1.07 billion colours and 97 percent of Adobe's color gamut

Wacom claims that muti-touch, which can be used to manipulate a 3D model or to pan, zoom and rotate an image, helps create an immersive experience and natural way of working. "The Cintiq 24HD touch closely replicates the experience of working with two hands when using traditional materials such as paints, markers and clay while giving the artist powerful capabilities that only exist in today’s creative software applications," said a Wacom spokesperson.

Also minimizing keyboard dependency are two Touch Rings which are positioned on either side of the display and can be used to access frequently used shortcut commands and perform functions such as zooming, scrolling and changing brush size. There are also 10 customizable ExpressKeys (five on each side of the tablet), which can be set for application-specific shortcuts.

The counter-weighted stand of the Wacom Cintiq 24HD means it can be adjusted to bring the display surface over the edge of the desk, so that it floats just above your knees, or more vertically like an easel.

The Cintiq 24HD touch – which measures 30.3 x 18.3 x 2.5 inches (769.3 x 463.74 x 64 mm) and weighs 28.6 kg (63 lb) with the stand, 13.7 kg (30.2 lb) without – is expected to ship in August 2012 with a price of US$3,699.

Source: Wacom

Here's a promo video showing what the Wacom Cintiq 24HD can do.

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8 comments
SpaceBagels
Just think of all the people who are kicking themselves reading this after buying their previous models...
EddieG
At $3.5K a copy, it may as well be $350K for most people. And the tech isn't new. The Cintiq desperately needs competition.
Lee Joseph
I agree with ^Eddie,
Wacom holds monopoly which is the only justification for that price.
I would love one of these but it costs more than my 17" MacBook Pro!
Gene Jordan
For you naysayers, the article points out that, "Aimed at digital creative professionals, from freelance industrial designers to Hollywood animators." Not everyone falls into this category and those that do should be able to afford the $2600 this sells for online. Plus, there are plenty of lower range models from Wacom that an aspiring artist can get started with until they can afford something like this. For most professionals in this field, this is as much of a tool for their job as a work truck is for a carpenter or a plummer.
PT
Gene, this will sell for $3,700, and not $2,600. The $2,600 is the cheaper version without touch capability. The pricing reflects a niche product without any competition on the market. You're right about this being a tool, but it's not the only tool necessary, and it's definitely not a "work truck". This is just an input device, which hasn't had many significant upgrades over the years, because there weren't any other players in this field.
Viewsonic will be releasing their digitizer displays soon. Maybe that will drive both companies to actually release innovative tech under the pressure of competition.
tarpitboss
I am a calligrapher, scientific illustrator and creative image generator. I use the Cintiq 12x and only just barely tolerate it. The thing is super klutzy with dongles, cords, a heavy wallwort transformer and a soft surfaced, easily scratched work screen...
I have no problem with Wacom producing high-end table weights. They have their place in industry. BUT I want a portable, light-weight, stand-alone, rechargeable, robust, hard-screened drawing surface, 8.5" X 11" (or A4 sized) artist's tablet!!! Put in a full service CPU, gobs of memory, Wi-Fi, bluetooth, audio and a camera in it so images can be scanned in anywhere and I'll buy it in a heartbeat, no questions asked about price!
Hey WACOM are you listening??????
Christopher Wooten
@tarpitboss There is an Asus tablet running windows 7 with wacom digitizer...only dual core and reported to have terrible battery life, but comes closest to your request so far. I want the same thing, but I am willing to wait until tablets have gotten where I need them to be.
tarpitboss
Hi Christopher,
Wacom's barely post-midevil engineering will go extinct very soon given the rate that tablets are evolving. Wacom will sink or swim depending on it's self-percieved market slice. I think the market for fully-functional fine-art oriented canvas & drafting surfaces is huge... I don't care what company comes up this product.
My Best,
Tarpitboss