Space Ball Mouse 1

[CaptainBob]

Is anyone using the "space Ball" for a mouse ?

I have seen adds for them and others, even one for each hand, what works the best for inventor ?

Bob

 

[SeanDotson]

Mouse in one hand, spaceball or space-puck in the other. Once you get used to it you'll never go back.

Sean Dotson, PE
Inventor Tutorials & More

http://www.sdotson.com

 

[rft]

I wont disagree with Seans comments - I use a 3D Connections Cadman myself and would not be without it - at work that is. The problem is that for home use it is a pretty expensive solution.

The real question for me is whether there is a workable and significantly cheaper alternative that can drive Inventor. In these days when there are lots of games using joysticks etc we ought to be able to drive Inventor with something much cheaper - but what? That horrible F4 button is hardly an alternative.

 

[SeanDotson]

Some of the 5 and 6 button mice allow you to assign keys to the buttons. So assign f4 to one button, f3 to another etc.. The problme is some drivers send the button press as a stream of F4s (what you want) and some send it as a single press and release F4. You'll have to experiment to find the right one.

Sean Dotson, PE
Inventor Tutorials & More

http://www.sdotson.com

Your Webbased mCAD Discussion

http://www.mcadforums.com

 

[DesignerMike]

It's pretty easy to get an older model on E-bay. I've bought three with good success, and you don't have to miss it at home. The 3003 version will cost you around $25 and all that is missing is a lot of buttons. You need a spare serial port for them though.
3dconnexion (the manufacturer) will stop supporting the 2000's and 3000s in March, but a lot of us have the drivers if you need.

It's a cheap way to give them a try.