Testing EasyCanvas and Astropad

[@teabagNBG]

got me a ipad a week ago and easy canvas today.. awesome app even with wifi i hardly have no lag...

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

Glad to hear that! Yeah, I'm pretty impressed with how there is virtually zero latency if you have a good WiFi network. Have you tried Astropad as well?

[@teabagNBG]

@@EyekooDrawsStuff no, not yet i watched a few videos and all said easy canvas is better.. as far i saw on the astropad page, astropad only mirrors the screen u need to buy luna to extend it is this correct?

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

Hi DRCGRAPIX... I thought I responded to this but looks like I didn't?! Sorry about that. Correct that Astropad on its own only mirrors the display. If you pair it with a Luna Display dongle, you'll be able to extend it. I did like EasyCanvas, and its affordable once-off payment is really appealing. Astropad offers a lot more in the way of customizability though and is more actively being updated, hence the pricier subscription model. You can check my dedicated Astropad review on the channel. I need to do one for EasyCanvas in the coming weeks.

[@laurenceloa]

I gave my wife a ipad pro 5 gen, she works as an animator. Great thing to see that ipad has all those flexibility. Does ipad has any program that run The Pencil for artistic program, from mobile Internet 4G or 5G? Or just from WiFi?

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

Of course a few days after uploading this, EasyCanvas has updated and merged the standard and pro versions. So the EL Hub/Easy Canvas as a single app is now compatible across Windows, MacOS, iOS and Android. Are you using Astropad or EasyCanvas to turn your iPad or Android tablet into a pen display? Think it does a decent job it? Let me know in the comments!

[@Bekkocho]

The link to the EasyCanvas website is not working for me - comes up with lines of error codes, cannot connect. I really want to test it out! A real shame, hopefully they fix this soon :(

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

Ah darn, sorry...I see that too. I would tweet them, but they aren't very active on social media. I'll try find their email and shoot them a message. Are you on an iPad or Galaxy tab? If on iPad, definitely check out Astropad...they just dropped the official release for the Windows version. Really nice. You can get a 30day trial of it. I'll put together a video of that soon. Their Project Blue beta will be shit down at the end of May.

[@Bekkocho]

@@EyekooDrawsStuff Hi, the website works now- thought I'd let you know. I'm an iPad user! Also, I know of AstroPad- not very fond of the subscription costs though. I'm testing out EasyCanvas now and I am noticing the quality is a bit odd for USB connection, almost like it's running over WiFi but it's not. I'll keep trying different things and see. Thanks for your video btw :)

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

@@Bekkocho Good stuff! Glad it's working. Maybe try out the different performance mode in the EL Hub, but I think by default it's set for drawing use. If you haven't done so already, maybe give the computer a fresh restart and kill any unused background processes. I'm not 100% sure on this, but I think the cable quality can also impact the response time a bit. Yeah, the subscription model of Astropad is pretty heavy, but I think it's quite a well-refined product. The pricing of EasyCanvas though is waaaaay more appealing for something that is pretty much the same, minus a couple of features.

[@_cmrartmoonpixxy_3924]

@@EyekooDrawsStuff hello! I was just wondering if I could use this without the second display? I don't have a computer or PC after my last iPad was stolen from me..ipad 7th gen, my dad said he's going to get me an iPad Pro and it should be coming this week.. I was just wondering if I could use astropad without another computer and and if I could use it as a regular drawing app.. I was really excited to get this really hope I can..

[@IsItRey]

I'm currently using the trial version of Easycanvas app and it works fine but I'm having a problem in Photoshop where vertical strokes pans the artboard instead of showing the brush stroke 100% of the time while horizontal strokes works 50% of the time and pans the other 50%. Anyone knows how to fix this? In this video, I see Eyekoo drawing on Photoshop without panning. How can i achieve this? I would love to buy this app but this feature might be a dealbreaker for me.

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

Ah, that's a really frustrating problem. I have no idea why it would do that. What device are you using? iPad? I think send EasyCanvas an email if possible to see if they can resolve it. Not sure how quick they are to respond though. I'll see if I can find out anything too

[@wRAAh]

I use Sidecar on the MacBook. Works great for me with no extra apps. The only thing that I miss is the option to 'push' or toggle my iPad Pencil into the MacBook screen, so I can control the MacBook without moving over tot the trackpad. This is possible with the Cintiq: it can toggle between a pen display and a regular tablet with the push of a button. Does either Astropad or EasyCanvas let you do that?

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

Hi Wouter. Thanks for the question. From what I can tell, neither Astropad nor EasyCanvas have that feature, but it may well be worth suggesting that to them as something to include in a future update.

[@Velocity_AU]

Easy Canvas seems to be giving me some tails in my brush strokes when using CSP

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

I've actually been planning to do an updated video on EasyCanvas. I'll look out for that. What tablet are you using?

[@Velocity_AU]

@@EyekooDrawsStuff ipad pro 11 inch from 2018, and im using a usb type c connection with my laptops thunderbolt port. My laptop is also really beefy so it shouldn't be hardware lag

[@kapablekid]

Thank you for sharing

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

You're welcome. Thank you for watching and commenting :-) Do check out my more recent Astropad video if you're considering using that with the iPad. I still have to do an updated video on EasyCanvas because there we some slight changes since making this one.

[@adswan3407]

for some reason, my ipad is super choppy using this with clip studio :( i'm not sure how to fix it, i've been looking around. still a great vid though and the app seems pretty useful!

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

Hi Adswan. Sorry you are having difficulty there. Which app are you using? As I understand it,because they use hardware acceleration to push your monitor over to the tablet, it may just be that your computer system is using too much of its resources. If you are using EasyCanvas, in the EL Hub, adjust the performance down to medium and see if that helps. Also, are you connected via USB or wirelessly. Often with a wireless connection it can be a bit choppy and have higher latency.

[@ThysKotze]

Thanks, been wanting to do that.

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

Thanks Thys! Definitely surprised by how well this works. I'll have to get a dedicated display tablet down the line to do a little comparison and see if this really holds up as an alternative. Let me know how it goes for you :-)

[@tokpilation]

Hello i use easy canvas on my galaxy tab. It works perfectly well with the usb mode but the wireless connection doesn't seem to work i have tried everything but it doesn't work. Im yet to pay for the app still checking it out with the 3 day free trial.

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

Hm. Sorry you're having trouble there. I've been having some issues with my galaxy tab and easy canvas as well. Maybe try checking if there is a setting on your computer and tablet about permission to be discoverable on the WiFi network

[@tokpilation]

@@EyekooDrawsStuffThanks. Fast response too. U got a sub👍

[@underwing0]

Do they have the apple pencil 2 double tap shortcut to switch between pen and eraser quickly?

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

That's a good question. On EasyCanvas it doesn't. I think it's the same with Astropad but don't recall. I seldom use the double tap on the pen. Astropad has the magic gesture of one finger plus pencil on the screen to activate the eraser which I found quite comfortable to use. If you happen to test Astropad with the free 30-day trial, please let me know if the double tap on the pencil works on your end. My subscription is on hold while I'm working with a pen display for review.

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

I have a more recent video on Astropad as well on my channel in case you missed that.

[@nij4785]

is it better to buy for example a simple graphic tablet for like 50 bucks or try to use ipad with 3rd party software? and what about a more expensive graphic tablet, if I will say for like, from 200 to 400 bucks a graphic tablet with screen, what will be a performance ratio between them?

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

Hey, thanks for the question. So this really depends on your needs. If you have a computer and an ipad already... definitely test out EasyCanvas to see if it'll work for you. The affordable once-off payment for the added versatility is well worth it. If you have a computer setup already and that's your main workspace (and portability is less of a necessity), then I'd rather put the money into a larger pen display to work with. In terms of responsiveness, I found my 2020 iPad Pro to be better than the Artist 12 2nd gen, but I still enjoy using the latter. Using a smaller ipad or something like the Tab S6 Lite, the screen can be a little small for for desktop software but not impossible to work with. The benefit is that you also have the touch gestures which generally add a lot to the price of a regular pen display. I find a screenless drawing tablet at the desk is a bit better for my posture, and generally being cheaper, I'd have more to put into some decent learning resources so I can level up.

[@nij4785]

@@EyekooDrawsStuff wow, what a fast response, thanks for your guide, that's an instant sub )

[@azumi5929]

Is this the one time paid easycanvas or the subscription one?

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

I have the subscription one but there is no difference now in what you get in terms of features. I'll do an updated video on it next month. Busy with one on Astropad at the moment

[@azumi5929]

@@EyekooDrawsStuff thank you for the reply 😄

[@JustJoshIsUnavailable]

How do you get easy canvas working? I got the pro version but my tablet doesnt come up as a display when connected by cable. Even with the same wifi it doesnt show up.

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

Hi there. What device are you using? iPad? Did you get EasyCanvas or EasyCanvas Sub? Did you install the EL display hub application from the Easy&Light website?

[@stas_lu]

EasyCanvasin my Photoshop(СС 20), after each stroke, he puts a dot at the end. how to fix it?

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

Hi there. Hmm... I'm not sure what is causing that. Try to change the smoothing/stabilizer settings and see if adjusting that solves the problem

[@unknownbakimono2733]

Heyy, why will you release a video about EasyCanvas. I really enjoyed listening to you!

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

Thanks, yes I've been meaning to do one on EasyCanvas again. I'll try to tackle that after the tablet review video I'm busy with :-)

[@unknownbakimono2733]

@@EyekooDrawsStuff Thank you for replaying to both of my comments! I look forward to your video as it will help me decide

[@hoshi-db3xz]

hii i just wanted to ask, does easycanvas have tilt support when using an apple pencil?

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

Hi Hoshi. Yes, it does. I was supposed to mention that during the test of each app *facepalm*

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

After I'm all set up in my new location next month, I'll likely do another video about EasyCanvas specifically because they updated things not long after I posted this video

[@AliceinLeft4dead2]

my EasyCanvas pen pressure isn't working and the latency seemed slower/delayed, any solution for this problem? I'm using ipad pro M1 12.9''

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

Hm, I'm not sure what the issue might be. Are you using it wired or wirelessly? On MacOS or Windows?

[@AliceinLeft4dead2]

@@EyekooDrawsStuff I used it on Windows 10 and had tried use it both wired and wirelessly

[@hasandeniz6243]

astropad is snappier or are my eyes decieving me?

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

Always shows up more in these video but in general, yeah, Astropad will feel snappier particularly if it's tapping into the high refresh rate of the iPad. Astropad did seem to specifically work on low latency. I do have a newer video (not recent but newer than this one) just on Astropad

[@keal.vietnam]

Can i ask you a question? Can we set a shortcut on Easy Canvas Pro for 2 mouse keys? 1. The middle mouse button of the mouse normal? 2. the right mouse button of the mouse normal?

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

So with EasyCanvas it doesn't look like you can program mouse keys to the shortcut bar. In Astropad you can't set one of the shortcuts buttons to mouse clicks either but you can customize a magic gesture such as two fingers + pen draw to activate middle mouse button or right click. I'll be sure to make a note of that for the updated videos on these.

[@keal.vietnam]

@@EyekooDrawsStuff Perfect , i hope you make video for my question, because i'm 3D modeling, i use Blender and Fusion 360, and i really need to use Middle and Right Mouse button♥♥♥ and i really want to buy ipad mini 6 for use Easy Canvas Pro to control my PC window

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

@@keal.vietnam For sure. I'm traveling at the moment but have Astropad and EasyCanvas videos scheduled for August. I'm a bit of a Blender noob, but I'll try to tackle a tutorial while using these programs and see how they feel. I suspect Astropad will be your best bet here though. Or you could look at something like the Xencelabs Quick Keys remote which is highly customizable. You would be able to program buttons on that for mouse clicks and other useful shortcuts so that you need your keyboard a bit less. drawyourweapon.com/xencelabs-premium-drawing-tablet-competitor/2/

[@keal.vietnam]

@@EyekooDrawsStuff Thanks sir, i will waiting your video ♥

[@pescao8737]

In your experience, is EasyCanvas safe? I've tried it, but noticed that the Windows software is always running background, even if I stop the process on task manager, kinda sus

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

To me this is normal. Various tablet driver applications, like for my Wacom or XPPEN tablets, are also always running in the background even while the tablet is disconnected. You can disable it running on start up in the EL Display Hub settings. With it not closing when ending process in task manager, you have to end the EL Display Hub Service task first. You might have to reboot though before being able to use EasyCanvas again though. After ending the tasks, even when you open the application again, it might not reconnect with your tablet.

[@SaratAnimation]

Wow iPad has a lot more usability unknown to many people. But for pen display on PC for drawing Wacom cintiq is the way due to large display size. Saving money for my Cintiq 32 Pro.

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

Awesome...that's going to be quite an experience to work on I'm sure!

[@nathantragic1047]

One quick question: Do you have to use a keyboard with EasyCanvas?

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

No, don't have to use your keyboard while using EasyCanvas

[@nathantragic1047]

@@EyekooDrawsStuff Awesome. Thanks.

[@bsbbb8838]

I don't know the size because the brush cursor doesn't come up on the easycanvas app, so how did you get the brush cursor to come out?

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

What device are you using? iPad?

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

With iPad, you can only get a cursor if you are using the latest iPad Pro with the pencil hover feature. In other iPads, unfortunately you will not be able to see the cursor. So you will have to draw a line first to get an idea of the brush size.

[@bsbbb8838]

@@EyekooDrawsStuff 😢 thank you!

[@lizzbeeoficial]

@@EyekooDrawsStuff hi!! i am currently looking through the whole internet to find an answer to this.... I have an Ipad Pro m2, just a few weeks ago i got it. My issue is that Im using easy canvas and I cant see the cursor anyway? In procreate it works perfectly but on Pc in photoshop the cursor doesnt appear at all, I just need to start drawing to know where my cursor is. That is very sad for me so I am looking for solution... Please let me know if you know what the issue could be!

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

@@lizzbeeoficial hi there. Ah, sorry to see the cursor not appearing on the latest iPad Pro. I have been wondering about this because I'm busy with another video in EasyCanvas. The issue with the app though is that the developers don't seem to be working on it anymore or it's a low priority because there hasn't been an update for it in over a year. Have you tried Astropad? I know they got to work on an update after pencil hover was released. Definitely a better option all-round if you don't mind the subscription fee.

[@JaromTV]

So on Astropad you showed that it had shortcuts for a keyboard and some quick commands like ctrl, shift, alt, etc... Does EasyCanvas Pro have any of those options? I tried the trial version last night and I couldn't find anyway to type stuff :( ( I should mention that my desired setup is sitting in bed or on the couch with my main pc in another room.) Also, do either of them support any type of "right click"? Thanks for the video!!!!

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

Hey Jarom TV. Thanks for watching and your question. EasyCanvas doesn’t have a keyboard feature unfortunately. Both apps do have a right-click function. Astropad: hold two fingers on the screen and tap with your pencil. EasyCanvas: push and hold for 1 second and release. I much prefer how Astropad’s works. I hope this helps :-)

[@JaromTV]

@@EyekooDrawsStuff bummer about the keyboard but good to know about the right click. Now I just gotta figure out how to get Astropad to work with my PC and I'll be golden. Thanks!!!

[@JaromTV]

Have you heard of Tablet Pro? Looks like it could be the perfect combo with Easy Canvas

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

Sorry for such a delayed reply Jarom. YT has being weird about marking some comments as being held for review and not giving me the option to view them. ANYWAY. Did you get Astropad or rather Project Blue working with your PC? I haven't seen Tablet Pro before, I'm intruiged. Will give it a proper look soon.

[@JaromTV]

@@EyekooDrawsStuff Oh no worries. Nah I wasn't able to get Project Blue working for some reason. They just don't connect, over wifi or with a cord connection. It's too bad because it seems pretty sweet. Making pixel art with Aseprite on the ipad on the bed/couch is the dream. Though maybe it's for the best so that I don't get too attached and have to pay the subscription when they get to that point. lol

[@tenzinkunga8718]

Does iPad 6s support easy canvas?

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

What iPadOS are you running? On store page it says must be version 9.2 or later

[@vhgdseegames4090]

You deserve subing

[@danishraza8843]

Sadly, astropad got too greedy and now costs arm and legs! 12 $ for basic! Per month! Are you joking? It is cheaper to buy csp and Photoshop and wacom in the long run than to buy astropad.

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

Yeah, the price is definitely something to consider here. I really do like how the software is designed and what it offers, but I'm inclined to go with EasyCanvas for the time being. At the core, you're getting a similar product for a lot less. I like that EasyCanvas offers a one-time purchase option too that's really accessible. I'll revisit these soon and do separate videos for each, seeing as not long after posting this video they got updated.

[@teroblepuns]

Why is this thin thing capable to stream wirelessly but every desktop tablet is chunky and needs cables in 2022?

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

Haha, it probably won't be long before someone tests this out. I wouldn't be surprised if XPPen tests this on one of their smaller tablets soon enough. For now, the tradeoff we make is that for the same price of a standalone tablet that can use one of these apps, we can get a much bigger dedicated display. With USB-C at least things can slim down to needing just one cable and that tech is still improving.

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

The thing with wireless is keeping the connection and data transfer consistent. Nothing will drive us more up the wall than laggy strokes and stuttering of lines. It's fine with screenless tablets, but displays are another story. I'd rather just go plugged in with a bigger display.

[@Piho.x]

Are there any free alternatives for iPad? I can't find any and I have no money

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

Hi there Piho. Astropad/Project Blue which I used in this video is a free beta app for turning your iPad into a pen display for your computer. Give that a try.

[@Piho.x]

@@EyekooDrawsStuff I will thank you very much. I really need it since I can't buy a drawing tablet. This is saving me

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

@@Piho.x which iPad are you using?

[@Piho.x]

@@EyekooDrawsStuff iPad Pro 2nd generation

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

@@Piho.x Nice one! Project Blue should work swimmingly. Let me know how it works for you. Enjoy it while it's free. Not sure when the expected final release is scheduled for.

[@razern420]

why most of it need to pay ffs

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

So, people dedicate a lot of time and money to both learn the skills they need, and to develop a product like this. That time and effort should be compensated so that those people and companies can continue to do what they do. If you see value in the product and it would be helpful to you, then you should pay pay for it, because other people have paid to make that product available to you.

[@razern420]

@@EyekooDrawsStuff I would if its one time fee , It just doesnt make sense to pay anually or monthly for such a thing

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

@@razern420 EasyCanvas has a one-time fee option and a subscription option. I recommend the one-time fee for that because developing the app further has either stopped or not a priority. Astropad on the other hand only has a subscription option BUT has ongoing development and management to ensure it remains compatible with new devices and operating system updates, while also supporting new features like Apple Pencil Hover. So in that case, I don't mind the subscription. But yeah, depends on your needs... If you're a professional using Astropad every day, it's a small fee for the extra functionality. The casual user though doesn't need all the features of astropad and should rather go with EasyCanvas

[@theannualantagonist5930]

2 seconds into the video: 🐍

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

Hope you stuck around a little longer that 😆

[@jazlyn2721]

This app is so tiring! You have to uninstall the app each time it has an update, which is around every 2 weeks. They continue to change huge details surrounding the app, and while it’s useable, most times I'm exhausted from having to continually redownload it every time they change anything. I’ve redownloaded it around 30 times since I’ve had it. This is from a PC, which is tedious. Please download any other display app. This one is awful. Sometimes it just won’t connect.

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

I'm assuming you're referring to Astropad, not EasyCanvas? I know they are actively improving the app but I haven't used it in a while. I would reach out to them about having to uninstall and reinstall because that is really strange behaviour for the software. They were quick to respond when I had queries.

[@muhammadluthfifadhillah]

are there some feature differences between easycanvas regular and pro version?

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

There's no longer a difference between the regular and pro versions. Shortly after making this video, EasyCanvas updated things so I need to do a new video on that soon. I'm busy with one for Astropad at the moment