3Dconnexion
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3DConnexion announces SpaceMouse Pro for 3D aficionados, galactic rodents
3DConnexion's SpaceMouse Pro won't do much to quench your nostalgia for Hickory, Dickory or Dock, but it could make your three dimensional workflow a bit easier. Announced yesterday, this new peripheral boasts a proprietary "six degrees of freedom sensor" for smoother 3D navigation, along with a quintet of QuickView keys, providing instant access to 12 different viewing angles. Compatible with both PCs and Macs, the mouse also features four "intelligent function keys" to control your most frequently used apps, as well as an onscreen display for instant feedback. Designers, engineers and astronauts can grab the SpaceMouse Pro for $300, at the source link below.
3DxWare 10 lets 3D mice work in 2D apps, leaves your standard mouse feeling a bit flat (video)
Your standard mouse may do it on the table, but 3D mice do it with extra dimension -- some of the time, anyway. Quit 3ds Max and suddenly you have one axis too many on your hands. After all, the vast majority of applications are 2D to match mice that may exist in a 3D reality but are limited to a decidedly dual-dimensional existence. No more. 3Dconnexion, makers of a couple different controllers with depth, has released 3DxWare, a Mac or Windows driver that enables exciting 3D mice to work with boring 2D apps. The first video after the break shows some one-handed zooming and browsing, while the second has you cutting and mixing in Final Cut Pro -- again with nary a keyboard or controller in sight. The software is free if you have a compatible mouse, but if not you'll be paying between $99 and $399 for a suitably compliant critter.
3DConnexion's SpacePilot Pro 3D mouse
3DConnexion has always had a place in our heart for their reasonably priced and smartly designed three dimensional controllers. Now the company is back on the scene with the SpacePilot Pro, which ups the ante -- and the price point -- considerably. This bad boy sports an LCD screen and lots (and lots) of buttons, including controls for various isometric views and navigation settings (pan and zoom, rotation, speed). If that weren't enough, there are function keys for various apps and an applet for checking your MS Outlook mail. Ships with drivers for Windows XP and Vista, Solaris 8 and 10, and Linux -- as always seems to be the case with this company, Mac users are stuck without for the time being. Retails for $499, available now.[Via The Inquirer]
3DConnexion SpaceNavigator gets unboxed
We've seen the official images, but those itching for a better look at 3DConnexion's new SpaceNavigator 3D mouse for laptops can now get their fix courtesy of Flickr user zeta.phoenix, who has kindly chronicled the traditional unboxing process for us. As you can see above, the peripheral definitely won't take up too much space in your laptop bag, and the just-long-enough USB cable means it likely won't be doing double duty on your desktop (at least without an extension). If that's whet your appetite, you can find plenty more pics where it came from by hitting up the link below.[Thanks, Jon]
3Dconnexion intros SpaceNavigator 3D mouse for laptops
Logitech subsidiary 3Dconnexion managed to impress with its original SpaceNavigator 3D mouse, and it's now shrunk the 3D environment-navigating tool down to laptop size for those that like to dip into their virtual environs of choice while they're on the go. Apart from the size, however, the only significant change appears to be a new cap design that promises "more immersive and natural interactions within 3D applications," with it otherwise offering you the same pressure sensitive controls and ability to fly through spaces while simultaneously zooming and rotating the view as before. Also likely of interest to a number of folks is that the device is now fully supported by Second Life, although you'll probably still want to hang onto your usual mouse if you want to have any chance in your favorite FPS games. Look for this one to set you back $129 when it's released early next month.
Cinemassively: 3Dconnexion 3D mice in Second Life
Excuse us if we geek out for a few minutes, but the device that we're about to show you is really outstanding. In fact, it could be this blogger's best friend in Second Life. It's actually pretty funny that they're just now announcing the mouse as coming to SL, as many residents have been using it for the last eight months or more. The 3Dconnexion Spacenavigator allows you to use many programs, such as Maya, 3DS Max, Google Earth, and Photoshop CS3, among other things. For machinima use, you are able to move forward, backwards, left, right, up, down, tilt, and zoom. This makes for very precise shots. In addition, it's fun to cruise around sims when you have nothing better to do. According to the video, it even helps out with building! If you have machinima or movie suggestions from any MMO, please send them to machinima AT massively DOT com, along with any information you might have about them.
3Dconnexion announces SpaceNavigator
Chances are you haven't considered your options for 3D inputs unless they were specialty gaming rigs or homebrew hacks, but that's gonna change today. 3Dconnexion, a subsidiary of Logitech, launched their new SpaceNavigator, a very simple, inexpensive six-axis method for navigating virtual environments. End users will plunk down $59 (pro users pay $99 for the same device, but a commercial license) to be able to run through Google Earth and build in SketchUp like they've never before. Unfortunately, until that SDK gets taken advantage of it won't be good for much else, but the built-in Google support for the SpaceNavigator really makes using at least those two 3D apps completely different. And let's face it, you're just not going to find a 3D controller for this price on the market. It should be available immediately or in short order; Mac users can probably expect support in 2007. Click on for more shots we got when we played around with it the other day.
