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Using ArcGIS Pro on Wacom Tablet

Byang

We have users who are interested in using ArcGIS Pro on Wacom Tablets. They are keen to further explore how tablet tools can be used to aid planning work, in particular to facilitate quick, indicative drawing using a stylus.

I have found some links that ArcMap can be used on Wacom, but I can’t find any related to ArcGIS Pro.

Therefore, would like to seek advice on the following questions:

1. Is there a collaboration between Esri and Wacom to explore the integration of tablets with ArcGIS technology?

2. Are there any existing workflows and/or tools in ArcGIS Pro for drawing with tablets (not limited to Wacom tablets)?

3. Is it possible to use a tablet to draw in ArcGIS Pro?

a. If it is possible, can users use the stylus like a pen , or would it operate similar to a mouse where users have to draw by clicking to set vertices?

4. What features are offered under the integration between Wacom tablets and ArcGIS Pro?

a. Would these features also be available within an intranet environment?

5. We noted that there is a ‘Tablet toolbar’ feature within ArcMap, which offers many shortcuts to facilitate rapid drawing using a tablet within ArcMap. Are plans to port over this tool to ArcGIS Pro as well?

a. Otherwise, would this be something that can be customised through the ArcGIS Pro SDK?

Look forward to the guidance.

Many Thanks.

Ben

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OhNoitsGEO

Tablets (and 2-in-1's, etc.) should all 'work' generically the same with any innate ArcPro stylus (and touch) functionality. Then, the differences in how well one works vs another come down to how well pen/stylus function has been implemented for each/any specific (laptop/tablet) model - with the exception of any (potential) model has, say, partnered with ESRI to specialize its/their input (pen). I'm not aware of any such partnerships, if there are. At that point, you're just really looking for opinions on which pen-enabled tablets/2-in-1's give the 'best' experience and results, and your preferred form factors (size screen, aspect ratio, resolution (screen), resolution (pen sensitivity), tilt-enabled? (pen), color gamut/accuracy/managment, etc. My suggestion would be to look for these opinions in the various creative communities that use them often to create digital art via stylus/pen (at least that's where I've always looked).

*one can always go further down the rabbit hole, eg. 'which digitizer layer/panel is best, who's pen is best, etc.

njpamperin

Forgot to add that in the Wacom calibrate settings you also need to uncheck "Use Windows Ink." After changing this setting you can simply touch the pen and hold it down while you draw a polygon or use the click method before touching the pen to the screen.

Screenshot 2021-04-19 104507.jpg

njpamperin

Ben,

I have been testing a Wacom Cintiq 16 recently for creating deep learning training labels in Pro (2.7). I am using it to create freehand polygons and initially I had issues with the stylus inducing panning behavior whenever I touched the stylus on the screen and moved it to create the rest of the polygon. The Cintiq's stylus has two buttons that are configurable and I discovered that if you program the first button as a single mouse click and click the button before you touch the drawing pad screen, then touch the screen and the keep it held down until you complete the polygon that this eliminates the panning behavior. I have also successfully used it to create rectangles as well in Pro. I don't have any knowledge of collaboration between ESRI and Wacom and it has been difficult to find information on people who have tried these drawing tablets with Pro. Let me know if you have any other questions about the setup, but my initial impressions are that it will be much more comfortable and natural for editing/drawing operations than a standard mouse.

Cheers,

Nate

Byang

Does anyone know what are the Wacom tablets models that work well with ArcGIS Pro?

Furthermore, other than Dell 5285 and Surface Book III, what are the other non-Wacom tablet models that can support ArcGIS Pro too?

Thanks.

Benny

Byang

Thanks for the guidance Robert.

Noted that there are Wacom tablets models that work well with ArcGIS Pro. Are you able to advise what are those models?

Furthermore, other than Dell 5285 and Surface Book III, what are the other non-Wacom tablet models that can support ArcGIS Pro too?

Yours sincerely,

Benny

Robert_LeClair

In the internals, it seems some Wacom models do not work well using ArcGIS Pro - PTX431W for example while others do. My instructor PC is a Dell 5285 tablet that works well with a stylus for drawing/digitizing in ArcGIS Pro. ArcGIS Pro does support Touch Screen editing as one of the Productivity options.

danretired

Links to Wacom return no solution for Pro.

If your intent is to use a pen for tracing or drawing, hardware solutions (like the Surface Book III ) can provide one

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