Feature request: 3D mouse support

[burtoogle 516]

Man, it's confusing, fieldOfView on github is ahoeben here and burtoogle here is smartavionics on github. Who are these people?

 

Anyway, thanks for the hint, I'll have a play with that tomorrow.

 

[zugarj 1]

I use a spacemouse for everything, so when I switch form my modeling software to Cura, there is this wave of 'Ughh' that lasts until I am done in Cura. Make spacemouse a priority and people will use it.

[burtoogle 516]

Thanks @ahoeben, your advice was good. I'm sure I'd tried something similar before but it didn't work. Anyway, it appears to work just fine (on Linux, at least).

[adamrx77 1]

Here we are five years later still wishing for this option. sigh

 

[ahoeben 1,985]

@adamrx77 have you tried the plugin?

[adamrx77 1]

I looked before and still do not see one. What is the name of it? I read a google searched post about a "RawMouse".

[burtoogle 516]

 

[43915 19]

I'd like to bump this suggestion for 2021 as well.

 

I have tried the RawMouse plugin but everything moves in reverse compared to when I'm in any other 3D software. I've tried changing the mouse settings while in Cura and checking the "reverse" option on all the different movements, but it doesn't change anything when I try using it in Cura, it still moves in the same directions.

Not sure if it's something I'm doing wrong or if my Spacemouse settings are acting up and not applying after changes, but I can't get it to work properly. If someone knows what I'm doing wrong feel free to tell me.

 

In any case, official support from Cura would be fantastic, and as far as I can tell the program is stable right now, at least on the latest update, so maybe there's time left to get the Spacemouse support working now?

[Smithy 1,145]

You have to change the direction in den RawMouse plugin configuration file, then it works well.

Search here on the forum, there is another thread explaining what you have to do.

[43915 19]

Ah, I'll take a look at that.

I searched through the info provided on the Github page but couldn't see anything about changing direction there, so I assumed it wasn't possible. Thanks for clarifying!

[Smithy 1,145]

It is in the config.json file.

 

Not sure what I changed after I installed the plugin, but this is a part of my config, maybe it helps.

 

  "profiles" : {
    "spacemouse" : {
      "axes" : [
        { "offset": 0.0, "scale": 0.1, "threshold": 0.01, "target": "movx" },
        { "offset": 0.0, "scale": 100.0, "threshold": 1.0, "target": "zoom" },
        { "offset": 0.0, "scale": 0.1, "threshold": 0.01, "target": "movy" },
        { "offset": 0.0, "scale": 0.05 , "threshold": 0.01, "target": "rotpitch" },
        { "offset": 0.0, "scale": 0.05, "threshold": 0.01, "target": "rotroll" },
        { "offset": 0.0, "scale": -0.1, "threshold": 0.01, "target": "rotyaw" }
      ],
      "buttons" : {
        "1": { "value": [ "3d" ], "target": "resetview" },
        "2": { "value": 1,        "target": "toggleview" }
      }
    },
    "libspnav" : {
      "axes" : [
        { "offset": 0.0, "scale": 0.1, "threshold": 0.01, "target": "movx" },
        { "offset": 0.0, "scale": -0.1, "threshold": 0.01, "target": "movy" },
        { "offset": 0.0, "scale": -100.0, "threshold": 1.0, "target": "zoom" },
        { "offset": 0.0, "scale": 0.05 , "threshold": 0.01, "target": "rotpitch" },
        { "offset": 0.0, "scale": 0.1, "threshold": 0.01, "target": "rotyaw" },
        { "offset": 0.0, "scale": -0.05, "threshold": 0.01, "target": "rotroll" }
      ],
      "buttons" : {
        "0": { "value": [ "3d" ], "target": "resetview" },
        "1": { "value": 1,        "target": "toggleview" }
      }
    },
    "tiltpad" : {
      "axes" : [
        { "offset": 0.0, "scale": -0.003, "threshold": 0.05, "target": "movx" },
        { "offset": 0.0, "scale": -0.003, "threshold": 0.05, "target": "movy" }
      ],
      "buttons" : {
        "0x01": { "value": 0.01, "target": "rotx" },
        "0x04": { "value": -0.01, "target": "rotx" },
        "0x08": { "value": 0.01, "target": "roty" },
        "0x02": { "value": -0.01, "target": "roty" },
        "0x10": { "value": -100, "target": "zoom" },
        "0x20": { "value": 100, "target": "zoom" },
        "0x30": { "value": [ "3d" ], "target": "resetview" }
      }
    }
  }

 

[43915 19]

Yes, I found a comment about it in the RawMouse post by burtoogle. I had to switch negative values to positive and vice versa on "axes" for spacemouse in the config. Thank you for the help!

[duckandflea 0]

I didn't realise how long this thread was when I started from the start! But just wanted to add my support for this. I have been using a spacemouse for over 10 years now and so whenever I used a new bit of software with a 3D environment I instinctually move my 3D mouse and then clunkily use whatever mouse combo is there. so proper integration would be great. I came here looking for a plug in though so I will give Rawmouse a go. But I wanted to respond to some of the earlier comments!
 

On 1/10/2014 at 1:25 PM, IRobertI said:

When I rotate around a model with my mouse there's a (close to) 1:1 response and when I let go the model stops. With the space mouse it all feels so "floaty" and it drives me crazy.

 

Generally when I get a laggy response it's either not installed right or needs a restart, most of the time it's more precise than the mouse since you have analogue control and can move a model quick or slow depending on how much you move the 3D mouse. If there's anyone yet to try one of these, it's hard to go back once you have! I always switch the zoom to up and down though as that feels more intuitive for me.
 

On 1/19/2015 at 6:35 AM, eldrick said:

It's kind of hard to see any noticeable added value in rotating the build platform in Cura with a device that very few people will ever have. How often would you ever want to do that, and why, and what's wrong with using the existing support that would warrant bothering with this?

As a significant software investment to support the eleven people in the world who might ever use it once or twice, that would be a really poor use of scarce development time. Zero additional software or hardware would ever bring revenue to Ultimaker as a result of having such support, so there is no reason at all to spend any time on this.

Just my opinion, as a software market development manager...

 

This one just amused me, 6 years ago talking like this was a new device when it had already been about for 10+ years. A bit reductionist to think only 11 people have them! Their very common in engineering and other professions. Yes, still not everyone uses them but a lot of people do. Definitely more than 11.

 

 

On 1/23/2015 at 2:08 AM, eldrick said:

I assert that 3D mice are never going to become popular unless and until they at the least provide some haptic, i.e. touch, feedback.

Current devices are like waving your hand around in the air with only your eyes telling you where the "cursor" might be, and on a flat display, no real feedback about where it is located, so precision suffers greatly vs. a mouse or trackball.

 

Further, having no support for the hand and wrist, they will be about as popular as large touchscreens, i.e. not very, because it is far more fatiguing to hold the arm up in the air unsupported than to have a desk on which to rest the forearm.

Sorry folks, but it will be a long time coming for this technology, and market projections agree.

 

Again, I just found this comment bizarre! 😂 They've literally been around for decades - if no one used them, they wouldn't have brought out wireless models or updated versions!

[IRobertI 521]

1 minute ago, duckandflea said:

Generally when I get a laggy response it's either not installed right or needs a restart, most of the time it's more precise than the mouse since you have analogue control and can move a model quick or slow depending on how much you move the 3D mouse.

It's not really that it's a laggy response as such. It's more the feeling that when you move a mouse and then stop moving, the stop is exactly where you stop. With the spacemouse you have to let it return to the middle of the travel which means it will continue to move a tiny amount (not much, but enough to annoy me). The movement with the mouse feels much more... "direct". I dunno, maybe if I had been a console gamer I would've had a better response to it since I would've already built up the muscle memory for that type of movement with the sticks of the controllers.

[ales_xy 0]

So, Ultimaker Cura claims to "integrate with CAD software for an easier workflow". Hmm, they cannot integrate the support of 3DConnexion driver in almost a decade 😄 Ahhh yes, there's the plugin... Well, it stops working with every Cura update. PrusaSlicer does it right out of the box, no fiddling with plugins. I know it, because I tried 😉 Even FreeCAD, the open-source 3D CAD developed by community, does support 3D mouse (through alternative linux drivers). But Ultimaker sticks to 2D mouse and UI control from 90's.
Btw. the first commercially available 3D mouse (Magellan) was available in 1993 and you can still buy them at ebay as vintage. So, 3D mouse has 30-year anniversary in the next year. 🙂

[steamprint 0]

I'm a CAD designer and use a space mouse all day, every day, at work as well as in the modeling software I use for hobby projects (Creo, SolidWorks, Fusion, Blender, FreeCAD).  Cura is the only 3D application I use that completely lacks native support.  Can I use the software without it, yes.  Do I want to, no.  3D mice my not be in widespread use among the general population, however for 3d modelers / printers (the target audience), they are a lot more common.  It is much more intuitive to be able to push into the model to inspect the contact layer, look at details, support placement, etc. with my 3d mouse than fight with the 2d mouse to get the right view.

[gr5 2,224]

So... are you saying that you are happy about the 3d mouse plugin in cura and it works great?

 

Or are you not aware of the 3d mouse plugin and want to know how to install it (answers in this topic)?