Mouse with pressure sensitive buttons?
October 22, 2018 9:00 AM Subscribe
Are there any mice with a pressure sensitive button? In Photoshop there are settings for changing brush size based on pressure. I know that tablets are pressure sensitive, but I don't like using tablets.
Apple patented a force touch (pressure sensitive) version of the Magic Mouse a couple years ago but nothing has come of it so far. Apple has an event scheduled for the 30th that might include a desktop hardware refresh; there's an outside chance they might release an updated Magic Mouse along with any new hardware.
posted by nathan_teske at 12:12 PM on October 22, 2018
posted by nathan_teske at 12:12 PM on October 22, 2018
From what I can tell, there is a force-sensitive mouse on the market: https://www.swiftpoint.com/store/swiftpoint-z-mouse/
But it does not yet integrate with photoshop: https://community.swiftpoint.com/topic/172-photoshop-and-pressure-sensitivity/
I've never used it, and can't tell you what the experience is like, or whether its likely to be integrated with PS anytime soon. Waiting for Apple to release one seems like a better bet, honestly.
posted by agentofselection at 12:26 PM on October 22, 2018
But it does not yet integrate with photoshop: https://community.swiftpoint.com/topic/172-photoshop-and-pressure-sensitivity/
I've never used it, and can't tell you what the experience is like, or whether its likely to be integrated with PS anytime soon. Waiting for Apple to release one seems like a better bet, honestly.
posted by agentofselection at 12:26 PM on October 22, 2018
Response by poster: thewumpusisdead, I mean products like Wacom tablets that use a pen and are pressure sensitive.
Are there laptop touchpads that are pressure sensitive that can be used with photoshop?
posted by gregr at 12:38 PM on October 22, 2018
Are there laptop touchpads that are pressure sensitive that can be used with photoshop?
posted by gregr at 12:38 PM on October 22, 2018
The key part of that question is "used with Photoshop" — Macbook Pros have a pressure sensitive touch pad (and you can also get the same functionality standalone with a Magic Trackpad 2) but I'm not sure if it's supported natively in Photoshop.
posted by nathan_teske at 1:04 PM on October 22, 2018
posted by nathan_teske at 1:04 PM on October 22, 2018
ergonomics perspective here - you would hate using a pressure sensitive button a lot more than the tablet!! You've been training your hands to use a pressure sensitive stylus since using crayons as a toddler. Trying to mimic the pressure you apply on a physical pencil/crayon/brush with your whole hand with the pressure you apply on a button with a single finger would be painful. I'm sure you could eventually train your hands, but it would be difficult.
Also note that the Apple patent mentioned by nathan_teske measured pressure on the whole housing (mimicing the pressure applied to a stylus as it moves), working around the biomechanic problem of splitting the movement and pressure tasks. (so presumably they've already thought of this, and it still wasn't (yet) a good enough product to bring to production.)
posted by cfraenkel at 3:23 PM on October 22, 2018
Also note that the Apple patent mentioned by nathan_teske measured pressure on the whole housing (mimicing the pressure applied to a stylus as it moves), working around the biomechanic problem of splitting the movement and pressure tasks. (so presumably they've already thought of this, and it still wasn't (yet) a good enough product to bring to production.)
posted by cfraenkel at 3:23 PM on October 22, 2018
Not what you're asking, but I *love* my cheapo wired wacom tablet, which works as a giant touchpad when you aren't using the stylus.
posted by aspersioncast at 12:26 PM on October 23, 2018
posted by aspersioncast at 12:26 PM on October 23, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by thewumpusisdead at 9:41 AM on October 22, 2018