Light boxes and magnetism

[Deyadee]

I have a technical question.

To be honest, I really don?t know if the following is commonplace or not.

Currently, I own a Hakuba LightViewer light box. From what I can gather, there is a transformer inside it that emits a heavy dose of electromagnetic radiation.
Enough to magnetize my aluminum peg bar and freeze my laptop?s track pad when the lightbox is activated within a six-foot radius. I hear that covering the transformer with tin foil may reduce discharge, but I have yet to seriously experiment with this.

Out of curiosity, does anyone know if there are any good, portable light boxes out there that would be less of a potential threat to my data?

This is something I want to consider while I'm rearranging my stuff. :)

[frankenart]

i got mine from lightfoot limited they have really great products and services.

http://www.lightfootltd.com/index.php/cPath/25_39

[OwenWelsh]

I got my first light box from lightfoot as well... this one:
http://www.lightfootltd.com/product_info.php/cPath/25_39/products_id/329?osCsid=e409a41e6798f5cd32001a2bf7796765

I used it for years and it served me well. I never had any problems with it.

I now have a new... errr old animation desk from fox animation and I prefer it because I can stand and work at it which helps a lot because I do far too much sitting!

[DNethery]

Out of curiosity, does anyone know if there are any good, portable light boxes out there that would be less of a potential threat to my data?


These are good, 'semi-portable' animation tables (fold down for storage or moving):

http://www.animationdesks.com/



I was recently looking at one of these Light Pads to use as a truly "portable" animation table , just tape on a peg bar:


http://www.amazon.com/LightPad-A930-9x12-Light-Box

http://ak.buy.com/PI/0/500/218926250.jpg

http://content.vcommerce.com/products/462/109282462/fullsize.jpg?-636194991

Unit size is 19" x 13" outside dimensions, light-box area is 12" x 9" which is the usable drawing area on a piece of 12 Field Animation paper. The backlight is provided by LEDs so it shouldn't get too hot to hold on one's lap for drawing on the go (the "hey look at me ma, I'm sitting here animating at the coffee shop" situation.)


But now I'm kind of wondering if these LightPads have the same kind of transformer inside that your Hakuba LightViewer has , which emits the strong electro-magnetic field ? I don't see any kind of warning about that in the technical specs (http://www.artograph.com/products/documents/LightPadGuide306-363.pdf) on the ArtoGraph webpage , so I hope not, but it makes me think that's something I want to investigate further before I decide to buy one.

[Deyadee]

Thank you all so much for all the suggestions!



But now I'm kind of wondering if these LightPads have the same kind of transformer inside that your Hakuba LightViewer has , which emits the strong electro-magnetic field ? I don't see any kind of warning about that in the technical specs (http://www.artograph.com/products/documents/LightPadGuide306-363.pdf) on the ArtoGraph webpage , so I hope not, but it makes me think that's something I want to investigate further before I decide to buy one.

Nothing was mentioned in the Lightviewer?s manual either. Then again Hakuba inc. appears to no longer exist so I can?t question tech support.


My problem is that I don?t entirely know what to look out for. Right now, the only way I know how to detect a magnetic field is to turn on the light box and hover a compass over it.

[DNethery]

I just saw this new portable animation table mentioned on the TVP Animation User Forum:

http://www.handroo.com/

(photos from Annecy Animation festival where Handroo and TVP had adjacent booths: http://www.tvpaint.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4881)

Looks very stylish, light-weight, easy to store and transport. Not sure how much the shipping would be to the U.S. or Canada or elsewhere , but if anyone is in Europe it should be no problem to order this (the company is based in France) --

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WdXUCiakMiI/Tf44uMP8uvI/AAAAAAAADbY/rpPMddzxGME/Handroo_Desk_02.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-AAS4G25Atis/Tf44srkfKDI/AAAAAAAADbM/OwZXU8wV9s4/Handroo_desk_01.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QUjpnTZL5JA/Tf44taytAcI/AAAAAAAADbQ/wE_UvKiv61s/Handroo_desk_04.jpg


https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Q3sNDQ48Jnw/Tf44ttIP7WI/AAAAAAAADbU/cpUQUQvM7rw/Handroo_desk_three.jpg

Another view of this desk (https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/JbwMhzLU9HZ-PI0FMT0ZAg?feat=directlink).

See their website (http://www.handroo.com/)for updates on pricing and availability.

The prototype desk was just introduced at the Annecy Animation Festival last week, so they are probably taking orders now and price may be based on how many orders they get for the initial run. If I didn't already have a portable animation desk I'd give this one a serious consideration because it seems very compact and light-weight from the looks of it. (I also like the soft, curved "L'Art Nouveau" design sensibility)

[frankenart]

thats a pretty sweet design,i would really like to get one myself.

[zanekohler]

That does look to be a very cool desk. Be interesting to see how much it ends up going for. I will have to keep an eye out.

[ericaanimation]

I got mine from light foot as well and it is really easy to transport and as long as you have plug in you are good to go. You can choose the peg bar configuration and even get start up kits that include col-ease pencils and papers which my husband surprised me for Christmas a few years back.

[GdeSouza]

I'd have to see the handroo demonstrated and try it in person. Its "arms" look awkward to me. Give me a big board any day with a clipboard clip and a coil to hold pencils. Dope sheets are generally bigger than those little pallettes. As for portables, for me, The less parts the better, I think. Again in fairness, I'd would have to see this in person 'cause I ain't "getting it" by looking at it.

[DNethery]

I'd have to see the handroo demonstrated and try it in person. Its "arms" look awkward to me. Give me a big board any day with a clipboard clip and a coil to hold pencils. Dope sheets are generally bigger than those little pallettes. As for portables, for me, The less parts the better, I think. Again in fairness, I'd would have to see this in person 'cause I ain't "getting it" by looking at it.

I thought it was interesting , so just wanted to share it here. I haven't tried it yet . I think the main advantages are the compact footprint and that it is very light-weight and packs flat for travel or storage. .

However, the prototype Handroo shares the same major design flaw of many portable animation tables in that it doesn't have the hole for the disc off-set to one side to leave more room on the right or the left for the X-sheet (depending on if the animator is right-handed or left-handed) .

So the Handroo has the little add-on extensions, but as you correctly point out those are not large enough for standard size X-sheets, but I think it would be a simple thing to use a longer piece of masonite panel that would attach to the Handroo with the little wooden dowel/pegs like their standard extension. That would take care of the X-sheet .

But yeah, all things being equal , if someone didn't have a space limitation which required a very compact footprint for the table then it would be better to use a medium or large-size wooden drafting table, cut a hole into it for the disc (off-set to one side for the X-sheet or with at least enough room to add a masonite clipboard extension to one side for the X-sheet as in the attached photos) .




Desk with proper off-set disc leaving room for X-sheet and/or model sheets to one side:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tQIBV7Amd10/SiksCBqtr4I/AAAAAAAADCk/ntsANMZ9WzI/desk-27.jpg

Masonite clipboard extension bolted to one side of drafting table for the X-sheet:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-l6Lh4sxO9d4/SgNixVxR5vI/AAAAAAAADCk/hg6uWEoOsdo/desk_extension.jpg


This one was made from the same DIY plans (https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-71Er1t38b1o/Se9q2kZKv5I/AAAAAAAADJA/VYzFIiJxX6M/s1280/Animation_Table_Plan.JPG) that Sheridan College teacher Jim Macaulay drew up and handed out back when GdeSouza and I were at school in the BC era. (Before Computers)

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-4fqPo07dPA8/TgLNa13KcUI/AAAAAAAADcI/M2w1gxq2fJM/Marty_Walker_AnimationDesk2.JPG

Again, with an off-set hole to allow room for an X-sheet .


And to bring this topic back around to where it started: These sort of traditional animation tables don't have any problem with strong magnetic fields. These traditional desks use a circular fluorescent lamp housing underneath or even just a clamp-on shop lamp (with big aluminum reflector) and a spiral "Cool Bulb" fluorescent bulb that won't get too hot.

[GdeSouza]

And to bring this topic back around to where it started.....

Yes. Never heard of that before. Beware, animators with pacemakers. ;)
I would wear a lead apron on that thing!;)

[Deyadee]

I talked to somebody who knows about light bulbs. According to him, florescent bulbs need a lot of energy to heat the mercury inside the tubes and smaller transformers tend to be less efficient. On that knowledge, I gather the safest option would either be to look into something with the larger and more efficient bulbs as DN pointed out, or go the LED route.