This is really a post that began a few weeks ago, when I was kindly given the opportunity of trying out one of 3DConnexion’s new 3D mice for SolidWorks 2009, the SpacePilot. For those of you that haven’t heard of it or don’t know what the big deal of a 3D mouse is, this device allows you to manipulate 3D models and scenes using six degrees of freedom, which is practically impossible to do using an ordinary mouse.   I must confess that I was curious about it, given that I had heard so many people talking about  the benefits of having one these, how much easier and faster it was working with it when compared to  an ordinary mouse, etc., so I was very excited when the opportunity came for me to finally try one.

After plugging in the device and installing the software, I was a bit overwhelmed reading the instructions on how to use the SpacePilot to manipulate parts and assemblies in SolidWorks.  I tried the mouse first on a 360° image that is provided as a practice example, but panning and tilting didn’t seem to go according to how the instructions said it would be.  I was beginning to wonder if I had done something wrong, but when I finally opened SolidWorks 2009 it all became clear to me, as I realized that the instructions referred more specifically to how to use the 3D mouse inside SolidWorks 2009.

The SpacePilot is fully integrated with SolidWorks 2009. As soon as I opened SolidWorks, a welcome message showed up in a window, and more instructions on how to use and configure the unit were also provided. 

A new toolbar had also been added on top of the command manager.

An extra menu, 3D Control, in between Tools and Window menus, was added as well, and a small icon in my systems tray, from which I can access the 3DConnexion Control Panel to configure the device for preferences on speed, buttons, which movement in the mouse (the cap part of the 3D mouse) you want to associate with zooming, etc. I can also obtain help from here.

Moving and rotating objects using the Spacepilot takes some time getting used to, especially when you are right-handed, like me, and are not used to operating anything with your left hand, but once you do, you don’t seem to notice it anymore. It blends so nicely into SolidWorks 2009 and the control and precision you have with this device is certainly something I didn’t think possible. Plus, you still have the use of your 2D mouse for other design operations. It was hard to envision working with both at the same time, but it really doesn’t take that long to get used to it.

It’s amazing how sensitive to the sligthless movement of your hand this device is and how fast and smooth the movement of parts and assemblies can become when you use one of this. No more “hiccups”, like with an ordinary 2D mouse!  Push the cap a bit and your part or assembly pans down, pull it and it pans up,  tilt a bit and the part rotates, twist it and the part spins. In the beginning, I found the device was at times a bit too sensitive for me, so it was very convenient that the sensitivity can be decreased using one of those buttons in the toolbar. I found that by doing this it was a lot easier to get used to it. You can also configure the device in order to limit the rotation to only one dominant axis or disable zoom or pan, thus facilitating the use of the 3D mouse even further.  So far, I haven’t done that, although I realize it may be convenient at certain times.

There are a couple of things that I particularly like about the SpacePilot. One of them is that you can easily select a point in your model (like a vertex or the center of a circular face or edge) and rotate the model about that point, or you can also select an edge, a line in a sketch or a temporary axis and designate it as the new axis of rotation for the part or assembly simply by using the buttons in the toolbar. I don’t know about you, but I find it tremendously helpful to be able to select any axis, line or edge on my model and be able to rotate the model exclusively about that axis.

My second favorite (although not necessarily in that order) is the programmable buttons that come with it. Button Mapping, as they call it. This SpacePilot has six different buttons that can be associated with macros that match your keyboard shortcuts or with practically any command available in SolidWorks as easy as dragging and dropping from a list to each of the buttons in the Button Mapping Panel (access this panel by clicking on the icon in the toolbar).  I know a lot of people love their hotkeys and shortcuts. I don’t usually use them, because I have an awful memory for remembering them. I would probably need a list of them pasted right next to my computer and then look for the one I need in that list… and that would defeat the whole purpose of the shortcut keys altogether. This device makes it a lot simpler, just programming a few buttons with some of your most commonly used commands and macros, and their names always get to appear in the SpacePilot’s LCD screen, to remind you what each button is for.  I know what you’re thinking, six buttons isn’t really that much. Perhaps not, but you can create (and save) multiple configurations, each with six different commands and/or macros, if you wish.

Another neat thing of this device is that, when working with assemblies, you can toggle between manipulating the whole assembly and manipulating only a part or component in the assembly, simply by pressing a button in the toolbar. If you are moving a part in the assembly, the rest of the assembly remains anchored in place. When you are done, simply toggle back to moving the whole assembly. Really nice! Oh, and it can also detect collisions between parts and components while rotating them, although I still struggle manipulating the component of the assembly when this option is turned on. I find that the movement is not as smooth, even when I don’t select the option to stop the movement when collision is detected.

So, as far as I’m concerned, everything I heard about it was true. The praises were all for very good reason. This is an extremely useful device for anyone that works with SolidWorks. Sure, it’s also fun with Google Earth, but in integrates so beautifully, that it seems as if it had been especially made for SolidWorks. It really makes your life easier, but be careful because once you try one of these, you get hooked, and you really don’t feel like going back to 2D mouse and keyboard ever again!

For more information on the 3DConnexion products, visit their web site located at www.3dconnexion.com