A bit offtopic but tell me - Screen tablets like Cyntiq can work standalone with no pc ?

Only if you pick the Cintiq Companion. This is a "Tablet" in todays meaning of the word, which means a mobile device with an integrated screen, touch and in this case pen digitizer, and all the internals needed (CPU, GPU, Memory, SSD Storage) to run standalone.

There are two versions: The companion, which is a mobile Windows Workstation with the internals of a typical Windows laptop, and the companion hybrid, which is the Android version with the internals of a powerful android tablet, and the ability to be turned into a normal Cintiq "Graphic Tablet" when hooked up to your PC.

Both are virtually identical outside besides the ports to the Cintiq 13, which is the smallest of the "normal" Cintiqs of the current Cintiq Line.

"normal" Cintiqs are just screens with a digitizer layer over them. So they cannot work without being hooked up to a PC as they have no CPU, GPU or Memory in them.

The companions cost around 1200-1500$ for the Android version and around 2000-2300$ for the windows version, depending on internal SSD Size.

The normal Cintiqs cost around 900$ for the 13HD, around 1800$ for the 22HD and around 2300 for the 24HD version. There is a newer version of the 24HD incorporating Touch and a 10bit Panel, this is conisderably more expensive than the 24HD costing over 3000$ though.

Take it from me, (somebody who uses the mouse and keyboard exclusively for 10 years), when I purchased my Cintiq 24HD I was crying at the price. That said, I would pay it again and again 50 times over!!!! Seriously!!!!

Recently I was deployed on a ship and decided to not take my tablet. I tried to do some work while in that type of environment and it felt impossible. The efficiency and the ease of flow is considerably greater when you have a tablet in your art pipeline. I can throw down concept sketches in seconds and the clients ( or even me ) are able to see what ideas are being worked on. There is very little that can match the feeling of pen and paper, but the tablet setup gets you pretty damn close. So, without giving you a 50 page document as to why you should.... i 100% suggest you get one if you want to anything art related.

To answer the other question, the only one that can work standalone without a PC is the new Windows ones. The android one that is cheaper requires you to be plugged into a computer but the expensive windows OS one can be used without being on a PC. The 24HD and the 24HD Touch require you to be plugged into a computer and act as another monitor.

Our artist uses a Cintiq for all the sketching/painting/texturing stuff. It's all mouse for 3D work though.

I have migrated to using the tablet for 3d as well. Unless... I am trying to retopo, that would be annoying as hell to do with the pen tablet!

I have migrated to using the tablet for 3d as well. Unless... I am trying to retopo, that would be annoying as hell to do with the pen tablet!

Personally, I added a 3D Navigator from 3Dconnexion to my toolbox some time ago. Its far superior for Navigating 3D Space than both the mouse and pen.

For retopos I use the Tool "3D Coat", which is pretty good for that kind of things. And its fully optimized for Pen use, so I do my retopos with the Pen for placing the the retopo geometry and the 3D Navigator for rotating/zooming/translating the view. I am decently efficient with it I would say, and its far less of a nightmare to me than trying to navigate the Blender UI with the mouse and numpad alone!

I love 3dcoat as well. Had that for use since they were in the alpha stages of release.

I bought a cheap wacom tablet to learn graphic design. But I dont feel like working on it now. I love using the pen tool...

As a 2D and 3D artist, I would not be able to work without a tablet. Bamboo if you do photography. Intuos or higher for the rest. you can probably get away with bamboo but if it's a career, why not work with the standards. right?

I use a tablet for pretty much everything graphically related, 2d, 3d, retopo etc. I use a Wacom Pro but I started with a Monoprice for very cheap. For anyone unsure I would suggest it over a bamboo anyday, I had it for 2-3 years and it was still kicking when I replaced it. Cheaper than a bamboo, more surface area, and just as sensitive.

http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=113&cp_id=11303&cs_id=1084101&p_id=6251&seq=1&format=2

extremly addictive is two hands solution of - pressure/mouse. Imagine you hold mouse in right hand and left hand just pushes touchpad immediate pressure value= zbrush utopia

extremly addictive is two hands solution of - pressure/mouse. Imagine you hold mouse in right hand and left hand just pushes touchpad immediate pressure value= zbrush utopia

What you describe is just a Pen on a pen tablet. What is the point of having such a complicated hacky solution when every bamboo wacom tablet will give you better solution?

Or do you simply dislike pen tablets (I don't, but I could understand that)?

Really, that second hand should be holding a space mouse / navigator while you draw away on your tablet. This, to me, is 3D Sculpting heaven!