Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Third-Party Mac Developers Begin Embracing Force Touch, Led by 'Inklet'
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Good to know about that one, thanks. And there are various other apps that also let you draw in Photoshop/whatever using your iPad as a second spanned screen. I've used both DisplayPad and Splashtop, and Duet Display shares Astropad's claim of better performance via (optional) wired USB connection.
(Astropad requires a purchase outside the App Store. I like that others have a paid iPad app and then the Mac client is free. Maybe Astropad will come to the Mac App Store in time.)
Well... they've been TRYING to go in that direction... but what you get is a not-very-good PC (NOT what a serious artist/photographer/Photoshop user might best need) coupled with a not-very-good tablet. A powerful machine with a Cintiq is better and equally intuitive (or more: real mechanical keyboard and shortcuts still available).
Microsoft Surface and the like have a real niche, and that's great. But it IS a niche, and better creative solutions exist. The best you can say is that it's cheaper than a Cintiq, which is certainly worth something!
Or if you want portable, then a real, lightweight tablet with great tablet-optimized apps is the way to go. Apple needs a first-party stylus on an iPad to achieve that best. Meanwhile, other styluses with Procreate and the like are awesome--and iOS-only.
iPad is a compromise for artists. So is Surface. Fingers crossed for the future.
Last edited:
I bought my son a Wacom Pen & Touch and liked it so much I thought about buying one myself, but for all intents and purposes it looks like Apple is building in that functionality in the new Macbooks (though the Wacom would've been cheaper!)
Most PC trackpads are utter garbage, and their version of multi-touch software for the trackpads is either inconsistent or sometimes just flat out missing. Unless people get a chance to see trackpads done right, they'll never know how terrible their PC trackpads really.
IMO, the best part of "Force Touch" is that it resets the whole touchscreen interface paradigm.
The only problem with it that I can see is that it still uses those nub end capacitive styluses. What Apple's offering here is a nice "in-a-pinch" option, something that's handy to have around when you're on the go. But until they start supporting fine tip styluses, it won't totally replace that Wacom.
But on the plus side, I could see this tech ending up in the always rumored iPad Pro. Pressure sensitivity! We're halfway there!
Just noticed that even older Apple Trackpads can be set to zero acceleration. Cool. That was one of the things that would interfere with drawing.
But software support is still needed: you WANT acceleration for most UI usage, but you need NO acceleration when drawing.
I'm also currently working on adding force touch support to BetterTouchTool
That's an awesome app. Have you seen my instruction thread I made about it a year ago? : https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1693622/
The Surface is far, far less of a compromise than an iPad. It's picked up plenty of support from the "serious" crowd. It's biggest fan base are among the industrial designers and digital artists of the world.
...which, admittedly, is pretty niche. But it's a niche the SP was designed for, and it does an excellent job catering to them.
This is great, a move in the right direction. I've always dreamt about having an integrated Wacom tablet in the trackpad, that would make some tasks so much easier. It would be great to one day have full Wacome-powered integration that senses the stylus's location even when hovering above the trackpad, with a stylus that has multiple buttons, just like a real Intuos stylus. Except without all the bugs in the Intuos.
Dammit.
I was hoping the opposite. As I was one of those people who ran to pick up the 2014 rMBP for $1260 from B&H Photo. I figured the 2015 version.. was not worth the $240 difference. Here's hoping I dont regret my purchase as more support & glowing reviews continues to flow about the Force Touchpad.
I'm also currently working on adding force touch support to BetterTouchTool
This is all I wanted to hear. Thanks!
Does anyone know if these new trackpads have any precision/accuracy or, like an iPad are only rough for finger tip type usage?
I mean, can you use a fine tipped device on one for any level of quality, or, as I said it it really only suitable for low res finger, or large stylus tip use?
I mean, can you use a fine tipped device on one for any level of quality, or, as I said it it really only suitable for low res finger, or large stylus tip use?
I've been thinking of switching to the SP due to my creative line of work for this reason. The other option is the Wacom Cintiq companion (2015 model).
Looks like it's using large grid capacitance, going by the stylus that's shown in the picture on page 1. You gain pressure sensitivity, but still don't have pixel point accuracy.
...or maybe you do. You're not drawing directly on the screen, you're using it as a surrogate finger to control a mouse cursor. So even with a big nub stylus, you still have some relative measure of fine control.
It all depends on how it feels in use, I guess.
Sure, I just like the idea of having a built in tablet on the laptop where graphic designers could do their work.
It might not be Apple first intention but if that leads to a Wacom replacement, I am up to it. I love Wacom, don't get me wrong. I had more than 4 of their tablets over the years but if Apple can deliver a superior experience built in on their laptops and make me avoid to carry the tablet everywhere, I am all for it.
It's cool that developers are already utilizing the Force Touch. I hope Apple will update the Magic Trackpad with this technology.
This has been resolved in various ways on the tablet side--and i imagine it could be here as well--if apple is interested.
The bigger problem is that the size and position of trackpad makes is bad substitute for a wacom tablet--much less a digitizer screen like surface pro.
Seems like trackpad vs touch is shaping as the new laptop paradigm divide.
Wow!! They released their software with support for Force Touch even before the OS update and the Macbook itself!
That's truly incredible!
...
I guess companies will keep making bonus claims like this as long as sites like MR credulously lap it up. But this sure makes Ten One Design look sleazy and MR look foolish.
You know, people complain when there is a new technology and nothing to support it. It's nice to see that companies are supporting this new tech.
As news goes, it's better than updates of what stores us ApplePay now...
Gary
Absolutely!
Yeah, it would be great if the 15" MacBook Pro had a Force Touch trackpad. And the new keyboard with the bigger keys, shorter travel distance and Butterfly switches.
I guess the sensitivity and accuracy of these new trackpads is going to be incredible. Hopefully they'll release a new 14"/15" laptop with it soon.
"Inklet is the first 3rd party application to support the Apple's new Force Touch trackpads."
Yeah, it would be great if the 15" MacBook Pro had a Force Touch trackpad. And the new keyboard with the bigger keys, shorter travel distance and Butterfly switches.
This could eat Wacom's lunch when it comes to iPad. It would definitely make me upgrade from my 3.