About Wacom Intuos eraser tool

[Soom]

I have a question about the pen button as Right Click for erase . Most of the time I use the 'eraser end' of the Wacom pen to erase . I have read about using the pen button on the Wacom stylus (set to Right Click) to erase , but I've never used it like that (because I have my Wacom pen buttons set to other functions). (*NOTE: I can't find anything in the user manual about using Right Click to Erase last stroke and it's not listed in the Key Shortcuts commands for erasing. So I'm just curious: how does anyone ever know how to use Right Click button to erase if they don't read about it here on the user forum ? )

Good question, I didn't find it in the manual either. Frankly - I don't remember how I started using it, but it was one of the first and most intuitive things I've learned in TVPaint, so I believe it comes naturally but anyway - a good point to ask why it's not in the manual (or why it's so hard to find if it's there)

Here is the problem: the Right Click button to erase only works with SOME tools in TVPaint , but not all tools . Is this normal ? For example, there are certain custom brushes , such as "Chinese Brushes" and all the brushes from Creation Pack , and a few others , where pushing the Right Click button on the Monoprice pen enables me to erase the last stroke as expected. But with many of the other tools , including the basic set of pencils in the Tool Bin and the default Sketch Panel, the Right Click to erase does not work. Why would the Right Click button to erase work with some tools , but not will all tools in TVPaint ?

First thing to check is if DRYING is ON or OFF. When you set Drying off, then you can erase with the right click as much as you want. Drying on - only erases last stroke (for some pens it can erase several last strokes). I've noticed, that if the "last stroke" was some kind of an action, like line smoothing, then this thing doesn't work cause it just can't read the actual stroke. But there are all kinds of complicated tools, that might have unexpected behavior when in Erase mode. It depends on several other settings. Also keep in mind, that not all tools are actually drawing, so not all of them will of course erase. Some tools will undo themselves with right click instead of erasing something. Experiment with the Drying setting and you will see results.

I am using the right click erase constantly, as the most important tool after the pen. Draw a line, erase, draw, erase, draw erase - easy. No need to flip the pen. On a Cintiq it's crucial for fast workflow. I do use the eraser tip for a bigger eraser to erase bigger areas fast.
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[Henk Beumers]

Hi.
I cannot reproduce your stylus sideswitch behaviour. It just works like it should. It erases when I use it. If your switch changes its assignment than there is something wrong. Maybe it's your stylus.
I'm not sure if I understood correctly what your problem with the switch is.

It's like Soom says. I starded to use Dpaint and tvpaint when there was no tablet and we had to draw with the Left Mouse Button and erase with the RMB. It's almost like you don't question it.
It should be more clear in the manual if it isn't. Didn't check.

Try to forget how you do things in Photoshop or whatever software you use. If it's not possible don't try it and find a way how it works best for you. In the end you'll love TVP and you'll ask yourself why the hell you ever wanted to work in Photoshop. But TVP by no means is perfect.

Drying ON or OFF is important. Drying ON erases everything regardless how many strokes you made. Just like a real eraser. Drying OFF erases your last stroke. Soom confused the 2 with each other. Sometimes it's different like he mentioned because not all tools are drawing tools. Or whatever.
I don't care because I always have drying ON. If you want to use it different, do so.

In the Preferences/Configure panel in TOOLS you will find the RMB. It's set to the sideswitch of the wacom stylus because this switch is by defauld on RMB.
So in TVP it will erase. If you don't want to erase with this switch assign it to something else or don't use it like I do.
In TVP, like in most software, you can assign every tool or function to any key you want.
Like others explained, erase is not a tool but a funtion, so it's evailable to every? tool. Erase is by defauld set by the F3 button. F1 is back to Color so you could draw and erase just using those 2 keys.
Since The F keys are not very practical I assingned the RMB/erase funtion to the SPace Bar. So basicly when I'm drawing and I want to erase something, I just rest my tumb on the SPB and without having to switch tools I can erase with the same tool I'm drawing with. If you need a larger or smaller pensize you can do so like you would normaly change the size of your pen or pick another pensize from the bin like Paul does.
If you want to erase/clean a much larger part, just switch to Free Filled Shape and with the same SPB you erase by just drawing a shape around an area and it erases everything in it. Or you select the filling tool and with SPB you erase with it. Every tool responds to the SPB/RMB/ERASE.
I use my stylus just to draw. I never put it down.
I assigned my shortcuts to a group of keys on the keyboard nex to each other in the left corner of the keyboard because the CONTROL and the ALT keys are there. So my left hand is always in the right position. I can do everything with the stylus combined with one of the shortcuts and with CONTROL and ALT on the keyboard.
I draw and erase but also zoom in or out with the stylus. Same thing to rotate your workspace/pegbar. The timeline responds to the same commands as well.
I don't know a faster and more intuitive way of working. It's very similar the way Soom discribed his workflow. He just uses the keys he is accustomed to, like we all do.
Hope it made things a little bit more clear. Henk.

[Paul Fierlinger]

I starded to use Dpaint and tvpaint when there was no tablet and we had to draw with the Left Mouse

there was a tablet, actually, and I used it -- until I destroyed my rotator cuff from over use and needed an operation. It had a pebble-like surface for some reason (8 bit technology?) and a pen with maybe no side switch (my memory is fuzzy on that one) . It was large, dirty cream white, heavy and the pen was attached to the tablet with a cable... I need not say more, but it was a clear sign of better things to happen soon, which happened faster than anyone had expected.

[Soom]

Soom confused the 2 with each other.

oops - you are right! my mistake

[ematecki]

I starded to use Dpaint and tvpaint when there was no tablet and we had to draw with the Left Mouse

there was a tablet, actually, and I used it -- until I destroyed my rotator cuff from over use and needed an operation. It had a pebble-like surface for some reason (8 bit technology?) and a pen with maybe no side switch (my memory is fuzzy on that one) . It was large, dirty cream white, heavy and the pen was attached to the tablet with a cable... I need not say more, but it was a clear sign of better things to happen soon, which happened faster than anyone had expected.

Well... graphic tablets predates the mouse by almost a decade...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphics_tablet" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouse_%28computing%29" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have used tablets since 1983, on a Dec computer with a CAD software.
The first mouse I used was in 1985 on a MacIntosh 128K...

[Paul Fierlinger]

True! I forgot all about that! I remember seeing my first pen and tablet during post production sessions at a completion house in the late 70's when working with the Davinci graphic editor to take out dust marks from my 16 mm film transfer to tape, charging me a fortune. How more humiliating can the slick ad people get than that?

[Zetariver]

Thanx for your advice. I found a solution.
There are 2 tips in Intuos3 pen. Stylus and tail switch.
If i flip pen and activate tail switch, current tool is changed to eraser tool, which is the eraser tool I said in my 1st post.
When I use tail switch I can change all parameters including drying. And I flip it again and push side switch to activate the wacom eraser tool temporarily, I can use the eraser tool with (tail switch) parameters I changed. Seems This eraser tool is also used as 2nd brush. when I activate tail switch and change current tool to mechanical pencil, and flip it again and push side switch, current tool is changed to mechanical pencil.

[Soom]

Thanx for your advice. I found a solution.
There are 2 tips in Intuos3 pen. Stylus and tail switch.
If i flip pen and activate tail switch, current tool is changed to eraser tool, which is the eraser tool I said in my 1st post.
When I use tail switch I can change all parameters including drying. And I flip it again and push side switch to activate the wacom eraser tool temporarily, I can use the eraser tool with (tail switch) parameters I changed. Seems This eraser tool is also used as 2nd brush. when I activate tail switch and change current tool to mechanical pencil, and flip it again and push side switch, current tool is changed to mechanical pencil.

Wait - so do you have now the wacom "erase" function set to both tail switch and side switch?

[Zetariver]

Wait - so do you have now the wacom "erase" function set to both tail switch and side switch?

I assign right button click to tail switch and assign wacom eraser to side button. I think "right click" changes current tool mode to erase mode, but it doesn't in my case. I don't know why.

[Soom]

This is weird way of setting your pen, but well - each to his own
I don't think it's supposed to work this way - the idea of right click erase is to quickly switch the same tool to erase mode, while drawing (I believe it works together with the pen tip, not by it's own) and at same time to have the right click menu always under your hand. flipping a pen for right click looks very cumbersome - why would you want it this way? by the way you could also use the second side switch for erase or right click function...

[Zetariver]

I want to use right click to erase, but I always use PenBrush with weird setting .
This topic will explain my situation.
http://forum.tvpaint.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7842
I need to keep minimum 1 pixel brush size,so I tweaked Elodie's PenBrush and use it.
It has weird pen pressure setting and No anti-aliasing.
I always use the custom PenBrush, and If I use right-click eraser, it messes up my drawing, so need to separate pen and eraser setting.

[Soom]

I want to use right click to erase, but I always use PenBrush with weird setting .
This topic will explain my situation.
http://forum.tvpaint.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7842
I need to keep minimum 1 pixel brush size,so I tweaked Elodie's PenBrush and use it.
It has weird pen pressure setting and No anti-aliasing.

I've seen this topic - the pen issue had a very simple solution, and the pen pressure is not weird - it's just adjusted to how much you press per how thick it gets. Lot's of processes in TVPaint are controlled this way - by adjusting the profile. The rest depends on your personal drawing habits and a pressure sensitivity setting in Wacom settings.

I always use the custom PenBrush, and If I use right-click eraser, it messes up my drawing, so need to separate pen and eraser setting.

The right click erase should work just as it's supposed to - can you explain, how does it messes up your drawing exactly? and please tell me your exact configuration (OS version?, MAC/PC?, TVP version?)

[Zetariver]

Win7,PC,latest version.
It's a habitual thing. It's just difficult for me to use right click eraser. I prefer using normal pen pressure eraser.
If it keeps minimum 1 pixel, I will definitely use right click eraser, but it's impossible in TVPaint.