3Dconnexion SpaceNavigator PE (Personal Edition) 3D Navigation Device USB ( 3DX-700029 ) by 3Dconnexion
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Digital camera reviews of 3Dconnexion SpaceNavigator PE (Personal Edition) 3D Navigation Device USB ( 3DX-700029 )
Digital camera Review: Exellent for Modeling
Summary: 5 Stars
It is amazing to me how many people bought this to play with google earth! This device is really intended to be used in a solid modeling program such as Catia, SolidWorks, ProE, etc. And it is great, takes a little while to get used to, but once you are used to it you will love it, it changes the way you work and makes designs go much faster. Gotta give it to 3D Connexions though, there marketing team seems to have done a great job getting this sold outside of the 3D modeling market!Digital camera Review: Flimsy & inconvenient
Summary: 2 Stars
[...]Pro:
* It indeed feels cool to control Google Earth with it.
* To a degree, senses your force, i.e. the further you push the knob, the faster the object on the screen moves, although the gradations are few.
Contra:
* It feels very flimsy. I'm afraid it would break in no time.
* It is VERY HARD to make it do precisely what you want. For example, when you try to pan, you will eventually fall into tilting, even though you didn't mean to. Tilting similarly tends to turn into zooming, and so on.
* The springs are too tight. After just about 10 minutes, my muscles are aching.
* The device isn't supported "natively". As you know, you can plug in any mouse, joystick, keyboard, etc., and Windows will recognize the device and make use of it immediately. Not with this one, it requires software download (the CD has obsolete version)
* That software download size is ENORMOUS!!! 100+ Mb!!! Come on guys, the whole 3D Studio package took less than that a couple years ago, but 100MB for a freaking DRIVER??? You oughtta be kidding.
So all in all, you better buy a 6-axis joystick.
Digital camera Review: Freedom to Move
Summary: 4 Stars
I have tried a couple different input devices for Second Life, many of the had a rather long learning curve i didn't want to commit myself to or they weren't intuitive enough. This was great, out of the box is hooked up easily and i was walking my may through SL like never before. Now if I connect using a computer with out my Space Navigator i find myself reaching for it and then realizing I have to use my arrows and mouse. Perhaps a bit pricey, but it is solid contruction.Digital camera Review: Good device -- if only more apps supported it...
Summary: 4 Stars
Ah, gadgets. I'm lucky enough to be able to justify most purchases (such as this one) with some obscure business need (the secret is not to be too specific :-). And so, a few weeks ago this device landed in my hands after I learned that finally Mac application support was assured (we are developing a Mac graphic app).
Please note: the Space Navigator (SP) is *not* a mouse replacement. You are expected to use this device in addition to your mouse and keyboard (or, rather: graphic tablet and keyboard). The SN's prime function is to aid you in positioning (rotating, panning, scaling) objects in 2D or 3D. Most applications already have functions for this, and the goal of this device is to make these functions more accessible or easier to use.
So, how does it hold up? The first thing you notice is how heavy the device is. This is a good thing. It feels solid, and encourages you to take a firm grip of the upper control. It also will not easily slide about, or (worse) turn by itself. The SN is sturdy, feels great, and is very, very sensitive. After a few short hours navigating in 3D becomes natural, and you'll wonder how you ever got by without it.
The downside is that applications must be re-written in order to take advantage of the SpaceNavigator. This is perhaps it's greates stumbling block, as only a few applications currently support it (the big three do, plus Google Earth (PC), and SketchUp (PC and Mac)).
The current Mac integration is less than stellar, emplying a rather silly control panel with integrated demo apps of dubious quality). Configuration options in the control panel are poor, and appear to be rushed to the market. Also, on the Mac there currently are only a handful of apps that support it, which hopefully will change soon.
Being a developer (and having to justify the purchase, remember) I also looked at the SDK (software development kit) that you can download to provide integration for your application (this is only usable for application programmers). Having played around with the SDK for a while I have to say that I am impressed. Firstly, the device itself is far more sophisticated that I initially thought. Also, the SDK abstracts device and software nicely, making integration much less a chore than I had thought. I'm therefore hopeful that this device receives a much broader adoption on the Mac than it now has -- especially for some games, where this kind of device would make immersion even better.
Aestethically, the device is hard to beat. It's round shape, the large, black rubberized top, with a heavy, brushed aluminum base, and a blue light shining from within (no doubt a not-so-subtle nod to Griffin's PowerMate) make this device look good, and definitely not flashy (which, considering the fact that most people using it are designers of some sort, is a good thing). It also looks like a distant cousin to Logitech's Harmony 1000 wich employs the same design palette (black/aluminum/blue).
Overall, even though current use is limited for many users, I can recommend this device if you are in the 3D design field (and your application supports it - it's worth a check, though).
Digital camera Review: Great Buy!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been using this for 1.5 months now and its been great. I run Pro E with it. It spreads the work load to my other hand and relieves stress!
Movement is smooth and precise!
GREAT GREAT