http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/ Engadget Comments for 3DConnexion SpaceNavigator gets unboxed http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2010 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/Apr 11th 2008 9:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/Apr 11th 2008 9:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/Apr 11th 2008 9:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/Apr 11th 2008 9:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/Apr 12th 2008 11:04AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/Apr 11th 2008 9:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/
This is so weird. No offense.]]>Apr 11th 2008 9:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/
To be perfectly honest, I stopped buying most of PC hardware solely because of drivers. Under Linux you do not have drivers for new hardware. Under Windows they crash applications/OS all the time.]]>Apr 11th 2008 9:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/...all our stuff works basically perfectly.

They don't need to write drivers, they can just send specs at Novell and tell them to get on it, and they will ;) To hold back in the face of such an option is nothing if not shortsighted.]]>Apr 11th 2008 10:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/
As far as Linux drivers go, the commnity pretty good at providing drivers on most types of hardware, you just generally have to do a little of hunting on your own in some cases. There are certain things that are problematic (laptop WLAN chipsets come to mind), but overall it's not bad. If you're using Linux you should expect things like that anyway. (Just because you can burn an Ubuntu ISO and install it does not mean you automatically know how to handle it.)]]>Apr 11th 2008 10:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/WinXP/vista/2000
linux (32 & 64 bit + maya plugins)
Mac OS-X
]]>Apr 12th 2008 6:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/Apr 11th 2008 9:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/Apr 12th 2008 7:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/Apr 13th 2008 9:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/Apr 11th 2008 9:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/
kind of like a guide that you pay $129 for and it will take you through space]]>Apr 11th 2008 9:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/
www.blender.org
That is the point. ...And all you idiots (you know who you are) who pollute the internet by referring to actual food blenders can leave us alone.]]>Apr 11th 2008 10:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/Exactly. More then that though, there are custom builds made by 3DConnexion to bring more features then what the driver will give you. However, I think it will set you back if you have been using SVN stuff. (Their builds are a little behind SVN.) Oh, and if you haven't looked at the SVN builds, EVERYTHING will now blend but clouds and they can be done with Alan's Cloud Generator.]]>Apr 12th 2008 7:54AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/
It's absolute garbage IMHO...I gave it to my cubicle mate who used it every once in a while but eventually it just became a conversation piece when architects walked by our desks...the conversation usually went something like..."You want it? I need more room anyways for my wacom..."

I really don't know what it really is supposed to be used for?Best use we found for this pathetic input device is navigating Google Earth...]]>Apr 11th 2008 9:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/I've been doing 3d cad and FE for about 8 years and I hate working without one. There is NO easier way to manipulate the orientation of a 3d object that I've found than to have something that you can twist push and pull. You dont have a user interface paradigm to get used to, you just treat it as the selected object and manipulate it as you want to manipulate the thing on screen.]]>Apr 13th 2008 5:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/Second best, third best. .....and the hardware gets blamed again.]]>Apr 11th 2008 10:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/]]>Apr 12th 2008 7:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/
Actually I have already moved onto bigger and better things. My previous company could not afford me so I moved onto my other freelance options and have already started up my own llc. I'm trying to do what's best for myself seeing as I have my whole life ahead of me being only 21 and all. I have two projects at the moment that are going to pull in my entire years salary at the previous job in less than half the time.

Is it your call in life to be an internet asshat?

@ Sim

Sorry but Alt+LMB/MMB/RMB works just as fine for $150 less. I don't need to navigate around my models more than I do build. I use my keyboard for all of my simple shortcuts and anything else I use the right click/spacebar menu.

Not to mention this is not supported yet with Revit.

Sorry the SpaceNavigator products are garbage IMHO. Why anyone would need a portable one is beyond me.

Also my work had gotten me the SpacePilot to use. I set it all up and genuinely tried to use it. My keyboard shortcuts are far more important. Anyone who knows how to use 3DS or Maya efficiently with a mouse and keyboard do not need one of these.]]>Apr 14th 2008 11:24AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/A im software]]>Apr 11th 2008 9:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/Apr 11th 2008 9:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/
This really isn't the best place to ask for English speaking advice. I would try searching on Google and finding places like this:

http://www.englishclub.com/esl-forums/index.php
]]>Apr 11th 2008 10:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/
Hey! I came from there!

But I would like to credit Engadget for hours of reading that made my English this good.]]>Apr 11th 2008 11:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/]]>Apr 12th 2008 7:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/
However - is this a paid advertisement?

This is the second mention this week and I still am not sure how this $129 version is any different from the (identical?) one I paid $55 for last year...]]>Apr 11th 2008 9:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/Apr 12th 2008 10:01AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/Apr 11th 2008 10:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/Apr 11th 2008 10:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/
]]>Apr 13th 2008 5:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/Apr 11th 2008 10:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/
Except it doesn't move the cursor, it bypasses that stage and moves whatever you are looking at on the screen. When you have been using one for a while it becomes so intuitive it is like YOUR THOUGHTS ARE GOING STRAIGHT INTO THE SCREEN.]]>Apr 12th 2008 10:07AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/Apr 12th 2008 10:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/
Check out the sample videos on the 3dconexion website for examples of how its used.]]>Apr 12th 2008 3:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/
Also, i dont quite understand your point of using the mouse to select only. I can't think of one time where i had to pan/rotate/zoom while at the same time needing to select something. Maybe i am missing your reasoning here. Maybe because you can kind of do them at the same time with this device?

We have a sample at work, but i haven't had the chance to use it yet. The guy that has been using it says he sees no use for it, at least for what we are doing, designing plastic parts and injection molds. I'll have to get it and play around with it a bit.]]>Apr 12th 2008 3:41AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/
You absolutely can use the mouse for all rotation/pan/zoom functions in Pro-E. The SpaceNavigator just lets you split the work between both hands. I'm 25 and could feel ome pain in my wrist from a long day of CAD work, so I decided to split up the work and save my wrists as much as possible.

As an example of how its used: I work on a lot of cast & forged parts, with lots of fillets/rounds in the model. With a mouse, when you're trying to select edges on different sides of the model to round, you'd have to select one edge, then use the mouse to rotate the model, then select the other edge. With the SpaceNavigator you can select the edge then right away rotate using your left hand, and select the other edge.

I believe the company is pretty good about sending out demo units. Just keep in mind there is a couple day learning curve before you get used to it, so you have to give it a chance. I've let some of our other engineers and designers try mine for a few days, and the department is now considering making them standard equipment.]]>Apr 12th 2008 11:24AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/Apr 13th 2008 11:37AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/Apr 12th 2008 9:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/Apr 12th 2008 10:11AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/
No.

Or, to be more precise: absolutely not.

There's a number of problems with a wiimote/nunchuck or just the wiimote. First of all is the fact that the wiimote is just not precise enough to manipulate vertexes or place features at the correct spot. Secondly, the hand-off-mouse-point-at-screen really gets in the way of using keyboard shortcuts, and any pro-ish user will tell you you can't be efficient without using hotkeys efficiently.

As for the SpaceExplorer...I can very well believe it's a usefull device. Instead of using key board shortcuts (qwer is where my left hand rests and I have my right hand using mouse buttons 3 and 4 for rotation/panning), a short trip to the left seems like a nice easy move (as oposed to picking up a wiimote or fiddling with alt+mouse) whilst I can use my mouse to manipulate stuff.

I'm actually getting my Space Explorer in on monday, according to UPS. I really hope I can grab a vert and keep it whilst I rotate the model. If I can do that, then modeling will be revolutionised for me. If I can't, even then the money will be well spent for the efficiency on rotation/panning and the four programmable buttons (which I think I'll make into w, e, r and a pan/zoom/rotate toggle)]]>Apr 12th 2008 10:16AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/
as for why this keeps getting fpp, i'm not sure, i mean, i've had an older version for 2-3 years and the new (cheap) version came out several months ago...what gives?]]>Apr 12th 2008 10:24AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/Apr 12th 2008 1:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/Apr 14th 2008 11:33AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/Apr 14th 2008 9:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/Apr 14th 2008 10:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/3dconnexion-spacenavigator-gets-unboxed/http://tip.com.au has the lowest prices for Australian users. Hope this helps the Aussies.]]>May 10th 2008 3:25AM