Reddit reviews 3DConnexion 3DX-700040 SpaceMouse Pro 3D Mouse

CH includes an analog thumbstick on its pro throttle which most players map to thrust vectoring and translation.

A buddy of mine who has Elite dangerous says he uses a 3dmouse for 6DOF controls, He also does 3d modeling as well so if you only want it as a game controller I would say to save your money.

This looks a bit complicated.

http://www.amazon.com/3Dconnexion-3DX-700049-SpaceMouse-Wireless-Professional/dp/B00L1HW1AS/ref=pd_sim_sbs_147_7?ie=UTF8&dpID=41OJbCK0NZL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=12RR8N01KM6VM2286KH8

http://www.amazon.com/3DX-700040-3Dconnexion-SpaceMouse-Pro-3D-Mouse/dp/B006GPZ17K/ref=pd_sim_147_8?ie=UTF8&dpID=41wx7qZLVAL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0Q81GD17GTNAWGJ1JCFS

I use this at work with the left hand and it is fantastic for navigating space in CAD. It's expensive though... logitech g502 is very handy for macroing buttons to hotkeys. My favorite is keying the sniper thumb button to a zoom-in or camera-normal-to-whatever-you-have-selected hotkey in modeling software.

I’ve always used the 3D Connection Space Mouse for CAD.

It’s used in conjunction with a regular mouse and is great once you get efficient with it.

I use the Space Mouse Pro, and unless you're doing CAD or using other software that navigates 3D space, they aren't useful. I use CATIA v5 at work, so I can't speak for other CAD packages, so keep that in mind when I review it.

Pros:


I tend to navigate large assemblies and go through parts with features on all sides, and I would guess it saves me about 25% of the time it would take with just a standard mouse. It takes some getting used to, but it allows you to navigate the space with your left hand while doing picks and clicks with your right. The hotkey buttons on the mouse are relatively ergonomic as well, but I can't speak for other 3D mice. If you're working on CAD for 6+ hours a day like I do, it's less stressful on your hands to use the 2 mouse combo. Once you get good with it, you can 2D pan, rotate, and zoom easily with your left hand. Frankly, it's also fun to mess around with while thinking.


Cons:

If you're going to be typing a lot, it slows that down, as you have more to move; my ideal situation would have a number pad next to the 3D mouse or have a 3d mouse with a numpad on it. In parts/assemblies that have parts spaced out a lot, rotating can be a pain in the ass, as it uses relative scale for rotation (for example, if I am in an assembly with scale 1000x1000x300, it's really hard to focus onto parts on the outer rim of the limits). It is difficult to learn to use; I spent 4 hours the day I got it figuring it out before I could consider myself anywhere near proficient, and after several months with it, I still have some issues rotating with it properly.


Overall Opinion:

If you're a professional CAD designer, I recommend it. The speed increase makes you more valuable, and working a full day in CAD can put a lot of strain on your hand joints, which this helps mitigate. The price point isn't bad if you're getting paid a decent designer or engineering salary, and you could probably get your employer/supervisor to budget for it.

For hobbyists, I'm not sure it's worth it unless you're doing a lot of 3D printing or something similar, but depends on how much you're willing to pay on a hobby. If getting just the ball navigator, you'll be spending about 100 USD (~£75), which isn't bad, but it doesn't give you hotkeys or the wrist rest pad.

Thanks for the info, I'll be looking into those tablets. Is there a specific one you'd recommend? It seems there's a few different models available on Amazon, including a few non-Wacom brand 3D graphics tablets. I'm assuming Wacom is the cream of the crop brand though, right?

I hate to continue bombarding you with questions, but have you had any experience (positive or negative) with the 3Dconnecion SpaceMouse? It's got good reviews on Amazon, but simply wondering if you'd ever used one before. It seems like it'd be perfect for me simply because it'd get me as close as possible as being "hands on" without simply reaching into my clay and making something. Here's the one I'm looking at in particular:

http://www.amazon.com/3DX-700040-3Dconnexion-SpaceMouse-Pro-3D-Mouse/dp/B006GPZ17K

As for the Nvidia card, that won't be an issue with me. I have a really beefy gaming / editing PC I built a year back that has a GTX 980 Ti in it. So hardware wise I should be set!

I realise it's kind of nitpicky. But it sort of stood out to me.

I remember the joystick from when Fred Johnson and the mormon representative are talking on the transport gondola on Tycho appears to be a Thrustmaster Hotas Warthog along with the accompanying throttle unit. He also held it the wrong way around. ಠ_ಠ

Later there is the scene where two Belters are harassed by Martian authorities and the Belter captain decides to fling his asteroid cargo at them. The trottle he pushed to speed up was from a Saitek X-55. That one seemed especially cheap, because it wasn't even integrated into the desk, it just stood there. It also seemed a bit unrealistic that all he has to do to speed up a spaceship is push that throttle. (but again I'm nitpicking)

Later on Alex appears to use a 3d mouse to control the Rocinante. I actually liked this one (though they could have modified it a bit), it's the future, why would we still use old joystick-like control devices that were invented to change the angles of attack on airplane control surfaces.

There were more than this, but I can't really place them off the top of my head anymore. Overall it's definitely nitpicky criticism. But to me it seems more like a symptom of the low budget sets overall. Everything I see on the show seems somehow... cheap. Not just the electronics, but also the furniture, props and the architecture itself.

the Sandio 3d gaming mouse may be useful to him, it's got 3 analog sticks and plenty of buttons.

They're out of production as far as I know, though you can still find them on ebay.

The Space Mouse Pro might be worth a look too, but it is nothing near cheap.

SpaceMouse Pro:

http://www.amazon.com/3Dconnexion-3DX-700040-SpaceMouse-Pro-Mouse/dp/B006GPZ17K

This one is the earlier version

Also take a look at this one (same version but without display)