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toolbox

The SpaceMouse Pro is meant for movement. When I used the device with its factory settings,
I could glide through my model just as with Google Earth. It’s perfect for demos, and it makes
it easy to sit back and move through a 3D environment or review a model without my big head
getting in the way. But when it comes to actually doing modeling work, it isn’t quite so useful.

knob, my mind is thinking images worked like a charm, and even be an ergonomic replacement have taken over the right side of my
“movement.” When I’m doing I immediately preferred using the for a regular mouse—if the drivers keyboard—a place of prestige for the
everything else in a 3D package, my SpaceMouse Pro to the dozens of existed, which we will have to wait universal controller, the mouse.
mind is thinking “everything else.” keyboard shortcuts I’m used to. I and see whether the version 10
There just aren’t enough keys on this mapped the other keys to quickly driver set supports. During my Carey ChiCo is a 16-year veteran of the
thing to go around. fit images to the screen and undo review process, the SpaceMouse game industry. He has always been an
I focused my efforts on mistakes, which was handy. Pro earned a place to the left of my active member of the industry at-large,
configuring the device (which, I did notice that as I panned an keyboard and caused me to enjoy formerly as a GDC Advisory Board
thankfully, includes every key image, it would jitter slightly, which using Google Earth on almost a member, a freelance writer for Gamasutra
command in Softimage), so that was at most a visual distraction. daily basis; kids especially love it. and Game Developer magazine, and a
I could do some modeling. As Also, I could not paint while panning, Perhaps if the support of the device frequent speaker at industry trade shows
I began to pare down my list, I though I think this is an issue with extended beyond the programs and events.
tried using the SpaceMouse Pro Photoshop, not the mouse. All in all, tested above, the SpaceMouse could
in actual modeling scenarios and I could see the benefits of having
quickly found that no matter what the SpaceMouse Pro by my side in
I set up, there was always some addition to my Wacom pen.
key combination that I couldn’t
perform without having to take everyDay PC aPPs
my hand off the SpaceMouse and neeD not aPPly
return it to the keyboard. There » After trying out the SpaceMouse
just aren’t enough shortcut keys Pro with Photoshop, I wanted to know
on the SpaceMouse Pro to replace whether it would change the way I
a keyboard, which means you used my normal PC applications—
need to choose between resting Internet Explorer, Microsoft Word,
your hand on the mouse or the and so on. While some of the
keyboard—you can’t do both. shortcut keys did work with these
The SpaceMouse Pro is meant for applications, the coolest part of the
movement. When I used the device mouse—the 3D controller—didn’t
with its factory settings, I could work. The mouse currently doesn’t
glide through my model just as with ship with any presets for these
Google Earth. It’s perfect for demos, standard PC apps, nor could you
and it makes it easy to sit back and really manually configure it to work.
move through a 3D environment I think that’s a bit of a miss at launch
or review a model without my big for 3Dconnexion—I really wanted to
head getting in the way. But when have more use for the device beyond
it comes to actually doing modeling my art packages and Google Earth.
work, it isn’t quite so useful. The additional keys are a perk to a
(Note: I should point out that at very sleek and cool control device,
this point in my review, the device but for $300 I want the mouse to
failed. The pan/zoom/tilt controls seamlessly handle volume controls,
stopped operating correctly, and in playback controls, browser scrolling,
some cases didn’t operate at all. I and other application-specific tasks.
have to thank the 3Dconnexion team
for working very hard to debug the a Promising start
problems and then shipping a new » I really wanted more from the
unit to me that worked just fine.) SpaceMouse Pro. I liked it, to be
sure, but ultimately, the best uses
2D work with a 3D mouse I found for it were in Photoshop (a
» Even though Adobe Photoshop 2D program), Google Earth, and
is a 2D application, using a 3D Microsoft flight. For me, anyway,
mouse with it is surprisingly the idea of keeping my hand on both
handy. I used the SpaceMouse a mouse and a SpaceMouse makes
Pro to smoothly scroll and zoom it harder for me to work, and in most
in and out of images, quickly tab cases my keyboard connects me far
through images, and instantly more contextually to what I’m doing
switch among my four favorite than a 3D mouse does. I believe
tools. Panning and zooming in on that the SpaceMouse Pro could

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