Space Explorer backwards compatibility

[idcsteve]

Hi,
We are building a GLUT application.

One of my colleagues will be developing with the spaceball 5000 from a different country. I will simultaneously be developing with another input device that we are about to purchase. If I get the Space Explorer, will the application be compatible with both her code and mine? Or do I need to track down a spaceball 5000 from somewhere?

If I do need to find one, does anyone have any suggestions of where I can pick up a USBversion? The one on amazon (http://www.amazon.co.uk/HP-Spaceball-50 ... B00030EZ4O) seems to be a serial version, though I'm not sure.

Regards,
Steve

[jwick]

Hello idcsteve,

There's nothing fundamentally incompatible about the SB5000 and the SpaceExplorer. You should though make sure you don't write any code that assumes a certain number of buttons, or a certain layout or a certain device ID. There are many types of 3Dx devices out there and more to appear in the future. They all produce the same 6 DOF motion data and have some number of buttons. If you keep it to that you should be safe.

Do not buy a serial device. Support for all of them has ended.

Jim
3Dx Software Development

[idcsteve]

Thanks very much!

I'll get on it - and I'll stay away from the serial devices.