14 DAY TRIAL // There comes a time when all features and innovation avenues are exhausted for a product type, forcing their designers to start doing something else as well, or add unusual traits to their existing projects, much like Wacom is doing in the field of graphics tablets.
The last graphics tablet from Wacom was announced back in the beginning of March and was called Intuos5. The two products now unveiled are quite different, and not just in name.
Their monikers are Cintiq 24HD Touch LCD and Cintiq 22HD LCD, where the 24 and 22 in the name denote the screen size.
Essentially, these are graphics tablets that owners can also use as displays and, more importantly, 3D model generators.
That means that, in addition to normal drawings and the like, the slates (or one of them), through multitouch support, let buyers make 3D objects and move them around the screen.
It should be easy to maneuver a virtual box, for instance, with one hand while using the other to draw or sculpt something else.
"Increasingly, as creative software incorporates multi-touch interaction and gesture support, the Cintiq 24HD touch provides a natural input experience for all related activities including concept sketching, illustration and especially 3D activities such as sculpting, modeling and animation," says Guido Möller, product manager, professional brands.
"The ability to manipulate a 3D model or pan, zoom and rotate an image with one hand while simultaneously sculpting or sketching with the other delivers a completely natural experience, enabling artists to stay completely in their creative zone."
The 24HD Touch supports 30-bit color depth (1.07 billion colors instead of just 16.77 million) and 1080p resolution, but costs $3,699 / €3,010 ($1,100 / €895 more than the regular 24HD).
Meanwhile, the 22HD is largely identical but lacks multitouch. That, in addition to the smaller size, allows for the $1,999 tag (€1,627).
