keyboard replacement/additional hardware?

[slowtiger]

I know that some of you use additional controllers which can be programmed to emulate keyboard shortcuts and so on. A friend of mine would like to try this, but I'm lost at finding any of these in this forum. Could you recommend some or point me at a good source for this? I even don't know the exact term to search for, all I get is gaming stuff.

[ematecki]

You mean something like the Shuttle Pro from Contour Design ?

https://www.contourdesign.com/product/shuttlepro-v2/

[NathanOtano]

A Wiimote is the best with tvpaint hehe

[mox]

Could it be "modular controllers" ? Like these ones https://palettegear.com/
I really don't know if it's worth the price and that good for illustration and animation (I mean workflow improvement VS cost)...

[slowtiger]

Nathan: do you use that?

[neonnoodle]

I'm a terrible packrat of digital gear. I have a ShuttlePro but I never really liked the feeling of using it. The ergonomics of the device never quite felt right to me, and the buttons always seemed rather stiff. However it's a powerful device with good software for mapping the various functions.

I also have a USB dictation foot pedal that I've used for certain controls. I got it for free from a junk sale.

[schwarzgrau]

I bought a Logitech G13 from ebay a few years ago to use it with After Effects (which I never really did)

But then I started to use it with TVPaint, which worked out great, since you can assign a lot of shortcuts to it and don't need a lot of space.
In 2016 I switched to a Razor Orbweaver, which seems even nicer.

(G13 left, Orbweaver in the center)

[slowtiger]

Thank you very much for all your suggestions, I've forwarded them to my illustrator friend.

[meslin]

I used the Belkin Nostromo N52 Speedpad (obtained for $10 from BestBuy) for about ten years until the wheel stopped working (which I used for timeline controls), so I switched to a 'Razer Naga 2014' left-handed mouse with a lot of buttons on the side (purchased cheap, also, because the laser for cursor use is broken).

I have used Wii / PS3 controllers through ControllerMate, also, but I prefer to use TVPaint in Windows (every release always performed better for me on the windows side of my iMac and Macbook).

I think those tiny buttons on the Razer Naga mouse are too small to use comfortably.

I try to find a reason in almost every post to mention that if you're not using a detented wheel (such as a 'clicky' mouse wheel) to move between frames, you're missing out! I can't enjoy the digital animation process without it.

-David

[Animationriver]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xhLMslMVmk&t=521s

https://us-store.wacom.com/Product/expr ... undefined1

[meslin]

schwarzgrau, your pic that you posted with the Razer Orbweaver showed a Nostromo with the Razer logo on the palmrest. I had known that Belkin revised the Nostromo once after the orange and black one that I had (N52->N52TE), but I didn't realize there was a Razer one, too. I since have picked one up via shopgoodwill.com ($21 plus shipping) and it is the best device of its kind that I've yet used. Thanks!

[schwarzgrau]

The Orbweaver is the successor of the Nostromo, you can get it pretty cheap on ebay if you don't need the RGB-version. There is also the Razer Tartarus, which is even cheaper, but don't have mechanical keys.
Personally I'm kind of a keyboard nerd, so the feel of the Orbweaver is worth the price gap for me, but I guess the Tartarus is nice too.