What's new
What's new

3D Mouse Recommendations?

I use a 3dconnexion spacemouse. It is used with the left hand to manipulate the model on the screen. It works beautifully with three different pieces of software I use. Shoulda spent the $120 years ago.
 
3D Connexion SpaceMouse

Never used one but have read some stuff about them..... Anyone run one with SolidWorks and or have any recommendations?

I use a "SpaceMouse Enterprise" in both Solidworks and TopSolid, and find it useful. I've also got one of their mice (a "CadMouse" with the cord, not cordless). I wouldn't call them world-changing, but they're useful tools, and seem well made. For casual use I'm not sure they're worth the $$, but if you spend a lot of time in CAD/CAM it's probably worth a try. Frankly, view manipulations have never been much of an issue in the programs I'm using here; there's more value in mapping frequently used commands to some of the buttons on the SpaceMouse. The radial menus are useful, too.

The SolidWorks driver has functionality not found in the implementation in TopSolid.

Some folks seem to have trouble with their drivers, but this seems to be very much an application-specific thing.

Cheers, Brian
 
So a 3D Connexion it is. Now the question is which one. Some people seem to love the shortcut buttons, others don't. I'm thinking they could come in handy. On average I spend 20+ hours a week programing so any little bit helps. Just wanted to see what some of the members here had to say before spending a couple hundred on a mouse :eek:
 
I use the wireless version with only the two side buttons and still find it extremely useful. I map the side buttons to control and alt, often used as click modifiers for common actions. I may end up getting the larger one as well, but honestly only so that I can have control, alt, AND shift.

I will note that I've used the wired and wireless compact version, and the wireless has a sturdier base and slightly higher build quality imo. It's also a bit more expensive.
 
Never used one but have read some stuff about them..... Anyone run one with SolidWorks and or have any recommendations?
Not Solidworks, but Pro/E ... I love it. Not the mouse one tho, my hand likes the round Spaceball better. And I don't use too many of the buttons, but you might. Mostly I just use it to spin and move things around.

Definitely think its worth it, but I'd be hunting fleabay for the older one.
 
I have used them for years, and feel crippled without one. I have found myself reaching for it instinctively even when it's not there, and have been entertained when I see others do the same! It becomes that ingrained in your workflow.

The basic SpaceNavigator is all you need. The flashier ones just take up more deskspace and all the extra buttons are not that useful. I had one for a while and went back to the navigator.

However, the Solidworks implementation has a few bugs that are extremely annoying and haven't been fixed in the decade or so that I've been using it; Dynamic highlight and view manipulation are basically mutually incompatible in solidworks, if you move the mouse around the model while trying to rotate it the scene rotation will stutter horribly and lock up momentarily while it highlights whatever is under the mouse. They added a workaround for this that disables dynamic highlighting while there is active input from the spacemouse. It's basically mandatory to have this turned on because it barely functions otherwise. However, when this is turned on you can expect to have to manually go to the settings and turn dynamic highlighting back on frequently. One more on the list of trivial little things that are making me despise solidworks more by the day.
 
It's one of those tools that once you get accustomed to using them, you don't want to go back.

I've got the small version with my laptop, and the Pro version on my desktop. If you want to program a few buttons for repetitive commands, and actually use it, the pro (now enterprise) version is nice. Otherwise, the less expensive puck is fine.

Regarding the 3DConnexxion mouse - I've used it. As someone else pointed out it is not world-changing, but it has a few plusses. I do notice their cad mouse, with their mouse pad, is very smooth.

I did a blog on it a long time ago CAD CAM Zen: 3DConnexion SpaceMouse Pro and CADMouse Review
 
I use the Enterprise, and I find the hotkeys are invaluable, not only in modeling applications, but every day use.

You can (I don't necessarily recommend this, depending on your company policy and building security) set it up to have a hotkey to log you into your favorite websites or applications. I have mine setup to search our tooling software for various things like ER16 collets, ER11 collets, TF20 collets, etc with the press of a button. Having one button cut/paste when editing documents is handy but not life changing.
 
I have used them for years, and feel crippled without one. I have found myself reaching for it instinctively even when it's not there, and have been entertained when I see others do the same! It becomes that ingrained in your workflow.

The basic SpaceNavigator is all you need. The flashier ones just take up more deskspace and all the extra buttons are not that useful. I had one for a while and went back to the navigator.

However, the Solidworks implementation has a few bugs that are extremely annoying and haven't been fixed in the decade or so that I've been using it; Dynamic highlight and view manipulation are basically mutually incompatible in solidworks, if you move the mouse around the model while trying to rotate it the scene rotation will stutter horribly and lock up momentarily while it highlights whatever is under the mouse. They added a workaround for this that disables dynamic highlighting while there is active input from the spacemouse. It's basically mandatory to have this turned on because it barely functions otherwise. However, when this is turned on you can expect to have to manually go to the settings and turn dynamic highlighting back on frequently. One more on the list of trivial little things that are making me despise solidworks more by the day.

I'm using an older version of solidworks and I have found that occasionally when I shut it down and re-start it doesn't recognize the mouse, even though it is turned on in the add-ons (or whatever its called). Mastercam doesn't do this so I don't think it is the mouse. I have to re-install the mouse software to get solidworks to "see" it again. :skep:
 
I use the wireless version with only the two side buttons and still find it extremely useful. I map the side buttons to control and alt, often used as click modifiers for common actions. I may end up getting the larger one as well, but honestly only so that I can have control, alt, AND shift.

I will note that I've used the wired and wireless compact version, and the wireless has a sturdier base and slightly higher build quality imo. It's also a bit more expensive.

Maybe they have changed them over the years, but my wired one is heavy enough to knock someone out with a gentle tap. :D
 
I have used a Spaceball/Spacemouse since about 1995, when they first came out. I would never go back. What some may not know though is that the 3DConnexion devices also have functionality in an awfeul ot of other programs. Word, Excel, Adobe Reader and many others.

Paul
 
I'm using an older version of solidworks and I have found that occasionally when I shut it down and re-start it doesn't recognize the mouse, even though it is turned on in the add-ons (or whatever its called). Mastercam doesn't do this so I don't think it is the mouse. I have to re-install the mouse software to get solidworks to "see" it again. :skep:

I haven't seen that one for a few years, but yes I do remember that happening once or twice. Pretty sure it is specific to SW also. There used to be a simple way to get it working again, in the start menu in the 3dconnexion folder there were two shortcuts - start driver and stop driver. Stopping and then starting would make it work without having to restart SW. I just looked and see those are not there any longer, there are two new ones "start 3dxware" and "stop 3dxware", I assume those do the same thing as the older versions.
 
I have used a Spaceball/Spacemouse since about 1995, when they first came out. I would never go back. What some may not know though is that the 3DConnexion devices also have functionality in an awfeul ot of other programs. Word, Excel, Adobe Reader and many others.

Paul

I had some fun years ago when I realised it worked in google earth :)
 
I haven't seen that one for a few years, but yes I do remember that happening once or twice. Pretty sure it is specific to SW also. There used to be a simple way to get it working again, in the start menu in the 3dconnexion folder there were two shortcuts - start driver and stop driver. Stopping and then starting would make it work without having to restart SW. I just looked and see those are not there any longer, there are two new ones "start 3dxware" and "stop 3dxware", I assume those do the same thing as the older versions.

I don't seem to have either?

3dx.JPG

edit: pic blows up for me when I clicky
 
I don't seem to have either?

edit: pic blows up for me when I clicky

In the Start Menu, not the program folder. Windows 10 here, but you get the idea

ly4CFJA.png
 
I have had a wired Space Navigator for about 5 years now. I find it about as useful as my conventional mouse even though I only average about 4 hours a week in cad, which is Fusion 360. It is a MUST HAVE item in my opinon.

It is heavy but any lighter and it would move around in use. When I first got it I had to be mindful not to push too much.
When motions seem a little wonky check mouse alignment on your desk. When it is not pointed in the right direction moves on the monitor will be off.
Keep the driver up to date, it did change fairly often to keep up with changes in applications. If you are having issues check your driver for updates. Which reminds me I need to do this.
It is Logitech so if you go wireless and have other Logitech wireless stuff you probably can just use one transmitter.
Watch out for getting old versions as they may not be supported with new drivers. When I was researching to get mine I did read several complaints about this. Without a current driver it may not work with current software.
 
I had some fun years ago when I realised it worked in google earth :)
Reminds of this:
THE MOODY BLUES-R.I.P. RAY THOMAS-LEGEND OF A MIND (TIMOTHY LEARY'S DEAD)-1968 - YouTube
"He'll fly his astral plane, take you trips around the bay, bring you back the same day..."

Spacepilot since they first came out. Yes, heavy and clunky.
It's very sensitive, it's not like pulling teats.

Have the "Hockey puck" style now with a laptop, very handy for meetings.
I can fly with it, rolling it to grab a surface, snapping with the mouse, hitting surfaces (like for mating conditions) zipping right along.

However, in a meeting, doing a presentation (and making changes on the fly) having it presented up on a 108" monitor in a meeting room, I need
to throttle it back a bit. I get too many anguished looks, and some appear to need Dramamine.

I only ever use the "Fit" button, for when I get zoomed so far out, I can't "find my way home".
 








 
Back
Top