[deadalvs]

morning.

i got a SpacePilot and have fantastic button mappings to work insanely fast ... (yeah, well !)

but one question. how do i map the normal X and V button (snap to vertex, snap to grid) to the T and R SpacePilot buttons WITH the release command ? it this possible ?

if i assign the commands (tip: the commands are from the list «status line» in the assign list) as usual to the buttons, they lose the release feature...

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deadalvs

[3dtrialpractice]

wow space pilot.. only seen pics of those.. How does it really feel?
I'm guessing its worth the price? I'm pretty stuck to using my mouse and wacom.. convince me of what SP can do for us with maya and other apps..

[deadalvs]

i'll convince Ya fast !

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ok, i'm student thus hardware is much less cheap.

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http://www.3dconnexion.com/docs/Pilot_ds07_vFF.pdf

as You see in the link, the SP has directly esc, shift, crtl and alt keys. then:

- button «config»: scrolls through 3 possible menus of the 6 blue buttons above. for example 6 buttons animation, 6 buttons modelling and 6 buttons for sth. else. the screen writes in which menu You are plus which commands mapped are !!
- button «Panel», opens the button mapping menu directly in maya.
- button to edit speaker volume (never used, not sure and mute or sth. like that.)
- button «fit» which mostly is assigned by f (duh!) in maya (fit all selected objects in view)
- buttons «T, L, R, F»: 4 freely assignable buttons. some users prefer T_op L_eft R_ight, or whatever.
- button «3D» can not be reassigned, it locks 3D view and 2D view in maya.

pros:
- any maya interface command can be mapped !
- marking menus can be mapped (even user made mms !)

cons:
- ?
- maybe based on my above question... how to assign buttons that need the release button command (the hotbox works of course with the release functionaliy !)

* * *

i use now a marking menu with all my special scripted tools, then:

- undo
- select toggle mode (F8 which toggles between vtx mode and obj mode)
- enter edit mode (pivot edit)
- toggle UIElements (ctrl-spacebar, which shows and hides all UI elements)
- Render Frame
- Render Globals
- fit all selected objects in view
- hotbox
- my marking menu
- snap to vtx
- snap to grid

--> i can work without the entire GUI, i only have to move my left hand to enter numeric values... nearly just for that.

attribute editor and script editor are on my second 24 inch monitor... well... place for modelling !!!

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convinced ?

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deadalvs

[deadalvs]

it «feels» very great !

the movement and rotation can be adjusted independently, as You feel. the pressure You need to move is very very low, no force used. it lies in the hand as a female breast...

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only problem: if You have to go REAL close to an object the steps of the moving feedback are too large for the view... umm... let's say You work in meters and have to zoom to a 5 mm detail when building a house, the navigation on the house-scale is perfect, the navigation on the detail-scale is just too fast (only in translation, rotation is cool)

but all other stuff is just perfect !!!

ok, the thumb buttons need a little practice, they are not so perfect, since they have to be pushed with the side of the thumb and not the «flat part», but after some time this works also.

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deadalvs

[mverta]

I'm surprised it doesn't have a weighted input so that small movements yield small values while large movements yield proportionally high movements.

_Mike

[deadalvs]

I'm surprised it doesn't have a weighted input so that small movements yield small values while large movements yield proportionally high movements.

_Mike

maybe just not in maya ...

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deadalvs

[3dtrialpractice]

soo.. its wireless? or wire?
and does this need to be placed on a desk.. or can you "freeball" it putting it on your lap.. standing with it.. can you have it on your lap since you say that it detect minute movments there shouldnt be much pressure for it to have to rest on a desk.-- also be grea tto use it standing holdingw/left hand correct? -that would bee cool demoing stuffthats already setup for a mayaDemo or any presentation

(Id like to buy one for one of our guys here hes gott wrist pains with the way his desk/chair inteact with the height / lentch of his arm so.. if this replaces the mouse then he can have better arm placment]

let us know how it goes. .esp aboutthe weighted movment progress.. cuz for modeling this would be required...

also.. do you have to have programs that support it.. or is it like wacom wher eyou just program any key as a keystroke.. what about the support for the control knob..
thats why its great that you had got one. thanks for the input!
hope it works out great for ya..

[deadalvs]

soo.. its wireless? or wire?
and does this need to be placed on a desk.. or can you "freeball" it putting it on your lap.. standing with it.. can you have it on your lap since you say that it detect minute movments there shouldnt be much pressure for it to have to rest on a desk.-- also be grea tto use it standing holdingw/left hand correct? -that would bee cool demoing stuffthats already setup for a mayaDemo or any presentation

(Id like to buy one for one of our guys here hes gott wrist pains with the way his desk/chair inteact with the height / lentch of his arm so.. if this replaces the mouse then he can have better arm placment]

let us know how it goes. .esp aboutthe weighted movment progress.. cuz for modeling this would be required...

also.. do you have to have programs that support it.. or is it like wacom wher eyou just program any key as a keystroke.. what about the support for the control knob..
thats why its great that you had got one. thanks for the input!
hope it works out great for ya..

it gives no lap dance...

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standing is not best to use it... but certainly possible. it's usb wired.

it doens't replace the mouse it just keeps the hand that doesn't use the mouse steady in one place and thus, the keyboard doesnt' need to be used for every command. wrist problems should not be a problem any more... really.

it's better to have the thing standing on the desk than anywhere else because of it's dimensions and the resulting precision. for the most extreme moving, rotation commands, the know is only moved about a mm !!! it's very very precise and must be placed properly...

as wacom, You can download new drivers freely. the driver now is independent of the piece of hardware, no matter if You use the space mouse, spaceball or spacepilot. the software is really easy to use. it stores values for each apps differently, of course.

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i think, there is a program that You can order a piece, try it freely for two weeks and then send it back or pay. DO THIS !

the list of supported application is very large:

max
cativa
excel
photoshop
maya
...
...
...

nearly what ever soft You use.

inform Yerself here: www.3dconnexion.com

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deadalvs

[3dtrialpractice]

think, there is a program that You can order a piece, try it freely for two weeks and then send it back or pay. DO THIS


ahhh sweetness.. Thanx deadalvs!
-luke

[deadalvs]

it looks like a virgin

[dyarza]

I love my space pilot, I feel handicapped when I am at a different computer and don't have it.

3D Connexion has some new models that are less money than the Space Pilot: Space Explorer $299US, and Space Navigator $99US.

The only difference is less programable buttons.