Feature request: 3D mouse support

[kmanstudios 1,120]

Try that link to see if it works for you. It may be the quickest way to solve the issue without waiting on me.

[GreyArea 1]

Will do...might be a while, I’m in the middle of house move!

[kmanstudios 1,120]

ugghhhh...change....I hate moving.

[GreyArea 1]

Yeah, I know routine is a big thing with Asperger's too...at the moment, I'm thinking maybe I should give your therapist a call.

Joking.

I think...

[spacebob 0]

Hi all,

I'd just like to add a my support for an updating fix to cura for 3D mouse.

 

I've been using cura or six months or so and just loved it, but after just one week of having a 3Dmouse am very disappointed that I cant carry over my new found freedom/increased work speed.

 

There is a little landing gear assembly demo in the 3Dmouse settings thing and after practicing just 5 or 6 times I compared the  timing/travel/mouse click stats with a new attempt, with just the mouse.

The timing/travel/mouse click stats were (almost) double for the regular mouse.

 

Like most people I have been using a mouse for 20 years +.

3dmouse 1 week.

 

Have you tried this exercise @kmanstudios 

 

I'm also AS affected and would like to add the 3d mouse satisfies my need to simplify anything to its core and would be most unhappy to lose its advantage.

Many thanks

 

 

 

[kmanstudios 1,120]

You can slow the movements down.

 

Have you tried the link posted above for the Spacemouse implementation?

 

Basically, if a solution already exists, what is the issue?

[spacebob 0]

Do you meant the one on thingverse? I'm afraid I don't understand it.

Is there an in-cura fix that i am missing, if so I apologize.

Could you relink to it ?

[kmanstudios 1,120]

I was referring to the Thingiverse link.

 

What is it you do not understand?

 

From a user point of view, all you have to do is copy the listed files to the specified locations and it should work.

 

As it says in Thingiverse:

" Cura.xml is the config for 3dconnexion software and goes in "C:\Program Files\3Dconnexion\3DxWare\3DxWinCore64\Cfg"
CameraTool.py goes in "C:\Program Files\Ultimaker Cura 3.2\plugins\Tools\CameraTool"
Restart the 3dconnexion software and open Cura: it should work right away
You can check if the Cura.xml cfg is loaded by hovering over the 3dconnexion system tray icon while Cura is in focus. "

 

Edit: It should be noted that the actual Cura location will depend on the version you have installed. So, just substitute "C:\Program Files\Ultimaker Cura 3.2\plugins\Tools\CameraTool" for your version number.

Edited December 8, 2018 by kmanstudios

[spacebob 0]

Again I apologize,

I am a Carpenter and only a 3D modeler at the most basic hobbyist level and have very no experience in that particular "all I have to do" category and at this moment I do not understand.

 

However reading your last post and its edit has definitely made me feel that i need to learn what you say is simple, and I shall now try to implement the advice. Every day is a day at school.

 

 I still would like to firmly give my vote for an in Cura fix.

Many users other would befit from the absence of hunting for fixes.

 

Thanks again.

[kmanstudios 1,120]

3 minutes ago, spacebob said:

I still would like to firmly give my vote for an in Cura fix.

The best way to implement something like this is for people who use a spacemouse to try it, give feedback and then see if it can be just implemented in cooperation with the person who authored the fix. It would also be the fastest way concerning people that may use 3RD party printers that may create a conflict of some odd origin.

 

It would be the fastest and easiest way for this than relying solely on Team UM to do this. For them to implement and test would require someone to  gain access and use of a spacemouse. I would be hesitant that UM would purchase the thing to do this in a quick pace.

 

5 minutes ago, spacebob said:

Every day is a day at school.

Yes, it is. At every level. Modeling, printing, etc. Difficulty is at the level of each person that uses the software. Some people may be mechanical and not technical in quick understanding. But, once you gain a few insights, it does become easier. Unless you have a tech person there to explain it to you, it may be difficult to get instructions more attainable in understanding at your level over the internet. The internet is great for getting information, but it cannot point and lead in real time like a person who could work with you in person.

 

I did the cut and past as I did because, honestly, I do not think I could make it more clear. That may be my limitation. All of my instruction experience is based on being there in person and examples, not over the internet with written instruction.

[spacebob 0]

I made sense of it.

The first file just went in but the second needed to replace another file so the old one is gone now.

does that mean i need to re install if I want to put it back as it was? Because...

 

It only kind of works.

its very jerky for orbit and pan, workable, but poor compared to all other programs.

The in and out is completely the wrong way around. Annoying.

 

Edit: The zoom/inout on the scrollwheel on mouse is still working the right way so..

def better than nothing.

 

Thank you for your help and indeed your time.

Clark.

 

Edited December 8, 2018 by spacebob

[kmanstudios 1,120]

23 minutes ago, spacebob said:

The first file just went in but the second needed to replace another file so the old one is gone now.

does that mean i need to re install if I want to put it back as it was? Because... 

An old trick...old as the home computer, is to rename the file it is trying to overwrite. I use the old method of just calling the old file 'name.old.' Where 'name' is the name of the file. Do not mess with that. Just the 'f-extension' or 'file extension.' It causes no harm. Just makes the system not 'see' it for use.

 

I have not had time to dig my spacemouse out to test it with. I am pushing to get a lot of prints done before I get surgery. So, not very helpful there, but your feed back is valuable.

 

Also, check to see what your spacemouse settings are for Cura. I believe you can reverse some things in there.

[Blunderhoof 0]

The workaround files posted on Thingiverse seem to break Cura 4.1.0.  Any chance of native support in our future?  I've always used one for 3d work. I am new to the 3d printing world and I'm honestly surprised that any 3D program wouldn't support them.  They are a staple of the 3d design world, and I can't help but think that they are only going to become more and more popular with hobbiests going forward.

[P3D 46]

6 hours ago, Blunderhoof said:

The workaround files posted on Thingiverse seem to break Cura 4.1.0.  Any chance of native support in our future?  I've always used one for 3d work. I am new to the 3d printing world and I'm honestly surprised that any 3D program wouldn't support them.  They are a staple of the 3d design world, and I can't help but think that they are only going to become more and more popular with hobbiests going forward.

 

I can only second that. Every company I know of that does any serious 3D modeling work has SpaceMouses for their employees, as they vastly improve the workflow - instead of click, drag, press shift, press the other mouse button etc. you can smoothly and accurately manipulate objects in 3D space without lifting your hand from the device even once.

 

It is a shame that Cura still lacks this.

Edited July 26, 2019 by P3D

[Jakobus 1]

Dear Ultimaker,

 

Please add support for 3d Connexion Space Mice.
Many people use them and when you do it's a bummer to do without.

Cura is the odd one out at his point.
(btw you guys have at least one at the office and otherwise just buy one. You'll certainly find a use for it after development. You'll end up buying loads of them for the people in the office.)

 

Cheers! Thanks in advance

[Guest maht]

2 hours ago, Jakobus said:

Dear Ultimaker,

 

Please add support for 3d Connexion Space Mice.
Many people use them and when you do it's a bummer to do without.

Cura is the odd one out at his point.
(btw you guys have at least one at the office and otherwise just buy one. You'll certainly find a use for it after development. You'll end up buying loads of them for the people in the office.)

 

Cheers! Thanks in advance

 

We had this feature request come in through GitHub too https://github.com/Ultimaker/Cura/issues/1152

@smartavionics has contributed this plugin, which adds support in Cura.

[burtoogle 516]

If you need to contact me, please use @burtoogle as @smartavionics is no longer logging in to the forum.

 

Forum admins, if I remove smartavionics from the forum will all the past postings get trashed or will they remain?

[gr5 2,224]

No idea.  I'd leave things as is.  If I see someone contacting you as smartavionics I'll let them know.

 

[Guest maht]

36 minutes ago, burtoogle said:

If you need to contact me, please use @burtoogle as @smartavionics is no longer logging in to the forum.

 

Forum admins, if I remove smartavionics from the forum will all the past postings get trashed or will they remain?

 

@burtoogle Noted, answers are coming for your query.

 

Also, cross post of relevant thread here:

 

[GreyArea 1]

Where are we on this? I'm back to a position where I could test my spacemouse.

In terms of what I'm looking for from it...camera control as per Meshmixer (works right out the box and is also a free piece of software) would be goal #1. If pressing a button could transfer that control to the model, that would be wonderful.

So to be clear - default state one would allow full 6-axis control of the camera, press a button to enter state two to move the model in the same way (so pressing the button would be the equivalent of "picking up" the model. There's no need to have built in axis-flipping support as the 3D mouse software allows for that.

...but as I said if someone can provide a link to the current best solution I'll give it a try.

[burtoogle 516]

16 minutes ago, GreyArea said:

...but as I said if someone can provide a link to the current best solution I'll give it a try.

 

https://github.com/smartavionics/RawMouse

 

It's not really what you are asking for but it does allow the spacemouse to work on all 3 platforms (Linux, MacOS and Windows).

[GreyArea 1]

Hey, it's doing goal#1 - camera movement - and even survived me upgrading Cura to 4.4.1.

Good work. One thing I notice though. The notes say  no other program can use the spacemouse while Cura is running. That's not QUITE how it happens.

If I open Meshmixer and Cura at the same time, the spacemouse works in both.

If I use the spacemouse in Cura, with the Meshmixer window either minimized or in the background, when I reopen the Meshmixer window, the meshmixer model is where I left it before I switched to Cura.

However, Cura is no so understanding! If I use the mouse in Meshmixer, when I return to Cura my camera position has moved. It's clear Cura is not relinquishing control of the spacemouse to the active window in the same way that Meshmixer does.

A minor annoyance (though could be more serious for more professional users with a higher work rate) but maybe could be fixed in a later release?

Other than that, ideal!

[burtoogle 516]

1 minute ago, GreyArea said:

However, Cura is no so understanding! If I use the mouse in Meshmixer, when I return to Cura my camera position has moved. It's clear Cura is not relinquishing control of the spacemouse to the active window in the same way that Meshmixer does.

 

If you minimize Cura, it should stop reading events from the spacemouse. I wanted to detect when Cura lost the focus but failed to achieve that so what it does now is the next best thing.

 

 

 

[burtoogle 516]

Let's ask an expert. Hi @fieldOfView, do you know how to detect when Cura has the keyboard/mouse focus?

[ahoeben 1,985]

Hey, I did not know there was also an @fieldOfView account here. I can't remember making it. My main account - for historic reasons - is @ahoeben.

 

I think it should be possible to get the window object with 'Application.getInstane().getMainWindow()' and connect to its `'activeChanged' signal (to activate/deactivate handling of events in your plugin) or use its 'isActive()' function (while handling events).