Problem with drawing tablet

Question

Level 1

14 points

Problem with drawing tablet

I bought the Wacom Bamboo the other day and I noticed a very queer thing when I am using it with Gimp.

When I am using it, although a first few seconds will work perfectly fine, after those seconds I can see the pointer moving on the screen when I am moving the pen on the tablet, but the circle which draws the lines will start moving ever so slowly.

The lines will be still drawn when the pen start functioning properly after a few seconds and the drawing will continue as if nothing happened. And that will happened the whole time I am using it.

Few seconds working fine, a few more delay in drawing, then working fine again.

Anybody has the same problem or even better any ideas on how I could fix this?

Thanking you in advance
Christos

MacBook Pro 15.4" 2.4, Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Jan 29, 2009 5:25 PM

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Answer 1

iVmichael

Level 6

13,740 points

Jan 29, 2009 5:32 PM in response to Mythos_gr

If you run Utilities/Console and click 'All Messages' top left, does it show anything happening when the slowdown occurs ?

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Answer 2

Mythos_gr Author

Level 1

14 points

Jan 29, 2009 6:11 PM in response to iVmichael

Nothing at all. There is a video at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/~u06ck5/Video-0003.mp4 which might be helpful.
The video is taken with a mobile phone camera so it is fairly low in quality, although you will most probably be able to make out the cursor.

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Answer 3

Mythos_gr Author

Level 1

14 points

Jan 29, 2009 6:23 PM in response to iVmichael

This is what I got with "sudo dmesg"

"ultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
Finder[152] Unable to clear quarantine `Install Pen Tablet.pkg': 30
Resetting IOCatalogue.
GFX0: family specific matching fails
Matching service count = 2
GFX0: family specific matching fails
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBMultitouchDriver::message - kIOUSBMessagePortHasBeenReset.
AppleUSBCDCWCM: Version number - 3.2.12
AppleUSBCDCACMData: start: InterfaceMappings dictionary not found for this device. Assume CDC Device...
AppleUSBCDC::createSerialStream NON WAN CDC Device
AppleUSBCDC::createSerialStream using default naming and suffix...
AppleUSBCDCACMData: Version number - 3.2.12, Input buffers 8, Output buffers 16
AppleUSBCDCWCM: Version number - 3.2.12
AppleUSBCDCACMData: start: InterfaceMappings dictionary not found for this device. Assume CDC Device...
AppleUSBCDC::createSerialStream NON WAN CDC Device
AppleUSBCDC::createSerialStream using default naming and suffix...
AppleUSBCDCACMData: Version number - 3.2.12, Input buffers 8, Output buffers 16
disk2: device/channel is not attached.
disk2: device/channel is not attached."

As you can see there is a slight problem with the buffers.

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Answer 4

Calum

Level 2

264 points

Jan 30, 2009 6:14 AM in response to Mythos_gr

GIMP is an X11 app, and as such, its tablet support depends partly on X11's tablet support, which isn't that great in OS X out of the box.

First thing I'd try would be to update to the latest version of X11 from http://xquartz.macosforge.org, and see if that helps.

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Answer 5

Mythos_gr Author

Level 1

14 points

Jan 30, 2009 5:57 PM in response to Calum

Thanks, I will try that and let you know of the results. In the mean time I should note that the same thing happens when instead of the pen I am using the trackpad.

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Answer 6

Mythos_gr Author

Level 1

14 points

Jan 30, 2009 6:48 PM in response to Calum

No change unfortunately.
I forgot to say earlier that when I am using Bamboo Scribe and I am writing on my desktop the same thing happens. It keeps repeating every 3 or 4 seconds, regardless how fast I am moving the pen or if I move it at al. It is still going to happen.

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Answer 7

Calum

Level 2

264 points

Jan 31, 2009 4:28 AM in response to Mythos_gr

Ok, probably nothing to do with X11 then. Have you checked the Wacom website to make sure you have the latest driver?

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Answer 8

Mythos_gr Author

Level 1

14 points

Feb 5, 2009 1:35 PM in response to Calum

Yes, matter of fact I've contacted them and they said that if that happens with Gimp and Bamboo ink then I need to remove the Gimp preferences (which I have no idea how to do).

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Answer 9

Calum

Level 2

264 points

Feb 5, 2009 2:46 PM in response to Mythos_gr

Hmm, there isn't really a single preferences file like there is for most OS X apps, but you could try removing the .gimp-2.6 folder (assuming you're running GIMP 2.6; there's an equivalent folder for other versions) from your home directory.

Not convinced it'll make much difference, though... I don't think there's much in the way of input-device-related settings in there. And it certainly won't affect anything that's happening in any other applications.

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Answer 10

Mythos_gr Author

Level 1

14 points

Feb 13, 2009 3:06 PM in response to Calum

I solved the problem by changing the "Ink" preferences. Everything works good.

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