[Akaki Kuumeri] had an old Wacom Intuos digitizing graphics tablet collecting dust, and figured out how to non-destructively transform it into a drawing tablet. He was inspired by an old Hackaday post of a similar hack, but it required literally hacking a big hole into your Wacom tablet. Not wanting to permanently ruin the Wacom tablet, [Akaki] instead designed a 3D printed frame which he holds in place with a pair of straps. The design files are available on Thingiverse. He names the project, incorrectly as he later points out, WacomOLED (it rhymes with guacamole, we think).
As for the screen, he buys an old third-generation iPad and removes its Retina display panel and the foil backing, which would otherwise block the stylus’s connection to the tablet. Toss in an HDMI driver board to connect the display to your computer, and presto — you have made your own a drawing tablet. Even if you don’t need a drawing tablet, [Akaki]’s hack is still interesting, if only to remind us that we can put custom HDMI displays into any project for $65 using this technique.
In the end, [Akaki] notes that unless you already have a non-graphical digitizing tablet laying around, it’s probably cheaper to just buy a iPad. This is not [Akaki]’s first go at user input devices — we wrote about his Smash Brothers game controller and flight controller yoke project last year.
Do any of you use a graphics tablet in your day to day workflow? Let us know in the comments below.
Can anyone suggest good open source software for drawing on a tablet, ideally outputting SVG? Maybe I just need to practice with inkskape…
I would love that recommendation as well!!
Inkscape works fine with tablets, at least with my el cheapo Wacom Bamboo. It maps pressure, but I’m not 100% sure that it maps pen tilt — I don’t have it.
And I’m absolutely not a serious artist. I just use it for making simple graphs, text thinguses, circuit diagrams, and random stuff. Not drawing, like an artist would. So maybe you have other needs?
Krita or Inkscape or both.
it lacks of details like the screen P/N and exact model of the LCD driver :/
This shouldn’t stop you! Pick up a screen first, and then find the matching LCD driver. He said in the video which iPad it’s from, right? But it’s not critical either — a screen is a screen.
guacamole? maybe so, perhaps yes. i think WacomOLED can be pronounced Whack-a-MOLEd