- Advanced 6 degrees-of-freedom optical sensor
- Simultaneously pan, zoom and rotate 3D models
- 2 programmable function keys
- SpaceNavigator SE model includes commercial use license and full technical support
- Ideal for 3D designers, CAD engineers, architects
Product Description
Until now, advanced 3D navigation has been reserved for high-end design professionals. With the introduction of the SpaceNavigator, 3Dconnexion has made this exciting technology accessible and affordable for architects, artists, students and anyone else who wants to enjoy the 3D experience. 3Dconnexion’s SpaceNavigator offers natural and intuitive navigation of 3D environments and objects for today’s most popular and powerful 3D applications. Simply push, pull, tilt or twist the SpaceNavigator’s controller cap to simultaneously pan, zoom and rotate 3D imagery. You’ll experience an easy, simple and fun way to fly through 3D environments like Google Earth using 3Dconnexion’s award-winning technology. Two programm… More >>
3Dconnexion SpaceNavigator SE
I confess, I’m a bit of a Luddite. However, the product promised ease of use for beginners to experts, and so I gave it a shot. I am using Windows XP, and followed the instructions for the installation. I will say, it *was* easy to install, and the tutorial was easy to follow. The demos, however, were a different story. It was easy to move things, but not to move this precisely, or purposefully. For example, the cube. Six-sided, different colour on each side. It was easy to make the cube fade into the back ground, spinning slowly. However, trying to make the cube come back to the foreground was practically impossible. It drifted from side to side and took forever to even get close. Trying to get it to face a specific colour forward was something I eventually gave up on.
I use Google Earth quite often and was curious to see how it would perform. It wasn’t difficult, per se, but a lot of the motions were counter-intuitive. It was slow moving, and hard to turn. I eventually found it easier to just use the mouse.
It is entirely possible that the Navigator would be of more use in a CAD type program, but I just didn’t have much use for it in Google Earth. Rating: 3 / 5
Love this mouse – takes a little getting used to but becomes second nature quickly. Rating: 5 / 5
I bought this mainly for use with SolidWorks, and for that it works fine. My only complaint is, the buttons are worthless. In order to actuate them you have to be very patient. It is really cool when used with Google Earth, it’s like flying. Rating: 4 / 5
When creating 3D models and objects, navigating in, out and around can be a bit of a chore. This “mouse” with its degrees of freedom really gives you new ways of 3D navigating. Rating: 5 / 5
I use the SpaceNavigator with Autodesk Inventor 2009. I find it very handy for manipulating the model as I am creating and assembling parts in complex 3-D drawings. It takes a bit of getting used to, but once mastered it is very handy. Rating: 5 / 5