Setting up my digital environment. Part 1 - the Tablet.

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So, in my last (and first!) post (Project Background)  I wrote about the context of this project. I stated that I want to learn how to create a cartoon, I gave you my background and listed the tools available. Now, on to creating stuff... Or... Rather...Well... I'm a tech guy... Lets set up the laptop for this.

First, I can not mess with my computer too much. I'm a developer and architect in the Microsoft application and integration world. My laptop is actually a tool in my work so I will keep it Windows 8.1. Artsy people seems to prefer Apple stuff. I don't. I actually got myself  an iPod G5 in 2005 (?), installed iTunes, used it for half a year and then swore on never buying anything from Apple again. Anyway. I've got a nice Windows 8.1 laptop and I will use that.

Now, in my last post I told you that I've actually own a pretty new and, as far as I know, really good tablet. A Wacom Intuos Pro. Mission #1: Get that thing to work!

Setting up the tablet hardware is a task straight forward enough, insert batteries, plug in cable press the tablet power button. The software and drives, though, is a somewhat different ordeal. To ensure I get the latest version I downloaded the software from Wacoms' web site. The .eu one since I'm Swedish. Double clicking the msi-package reviled the gem below. Curtains.

Thank you, Wacom!

I closed this dialog using the mighty escape-button and went straight back to the interwebz searching for another package, to no avail. I downloaded the same pack from a couple of different locations, they all tried to convince me that I was Japanese. So, I went back to Wacoms' .eu site and downloaded the first one again and started to take some chances. Sort of semi randomly clicking buttons - I'm sorry I didn't document this process for anyone else finding themselves caught up in the deep dungeons of Wacom software hell, but I was in too bad of a mood - until I got it properly (?) installed. All I remember afterwards is that I started with the ¾Ü¾ø-button.

After a system reboot the tablet seemed to work fine, navigating the OS. The touch-controls as well as the pen. Yeeehaw! The next time I rebooted though, I received a notification that said that "THE TABLET DRIVER WAS NOT FOUND". The f**k?!? I checked my computers local services and noticed that the "Wacom Professional Service" was in Stopped state. I started the service and set the start up method to "Automatic". That rided me of that issue.

The Wacom (self-) service. Sorry for the Swedish.

After that the tablet has worked nicely, besides from one strange thing. It sometimes seem to just stop working. Completely. I made a simple batch file that restarts the services and that actually seems to do the trick. To do the same, just open up notepad paste below code and save as SomeFunkyName.bat.

@ECHO OFF
@ECHO RESTARTING THE TABLET SERVICE, AWESOME!
@NET STOP WTabletServicePro
@NET START WTabletServicePro
@PAUSE

Whenever the tab stops working try fixing it by simply double-clicking the file. You might need to run it with elevated access. I made a shortcut on my desktop and in Properties > Advanced on the shortcut I checked the "Run as Administrator" box, Badabing, badabom! Of course, after creating that script, the problem hardly ever occurs anymore.

So, now I've got the tablet running - no thanks to whack-oms' software installation routine team, who suck - and it's time to move on. Next step: software. I hope to be able to deliver that story soon enough. I leave you with a "Thanks for reading!" and for the Wacom software-set-up-people I've reserved a very special raised middle finger.

10-4. //Niklas

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