Change zoom direction without reversing zoom and rotation

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Prrr
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Joined: Wed Feb 07, 2018 7:21 am

Change zoom direction without reversing zoom and rotation

Post by Prrr »

Hi,

After not using my space mouse for a while, I just started using it again. It is an older model (space explorer) and I notice that I have different driversoftware than I used to have before.
Everything still seems to be working fine (using SolidWorks), but I cannot seem to get the settings right...
I would like to have the zoom direction at up/down, but as I check that option, also two 'reverse' options are checked automaticaly. When I uncheck these reverse boxes, the zoom setting is also reset to forward/backward... :(

Is there a way I can get the zoom direction to up/down without reversing the up/down and rotation setting??

Thanks in advance!!
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mikkoL
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Re: Change zoom direction without reversing zoom and rotation

Post by mikkoL »

Same here also with SpeceExplorer... started roughly two weeks ago. In addition all speed adjustments and reverse check boxes are non functional.
Removing 3DxWare and re-installing helps, but it's annoying to do it several times a week.
UtaSH
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Re: Change zoom direction without reversing zoom and rotation

Post by UtaSH »

Hello mikkoL,

please check if clearing the existing settings solves the issue. See here how to do that.

Which driver version do you have installed?
mikkoL
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Re: Change zoom direction without reversing zoom and rotation

Post by mikkoL »

On Tuesday I re-installed 3DxWare and now it stopped working. 3Dconnexion SpaceExplorer has vanished from Windows device manager.
Driver version was 4.4.2.14725.

I tried to what was proposed in the link, but 3Dconnexion folder is missing from registry. I'll re-install the driver and take a look does the fold re-appear to registry.
UtaSH
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Re: Change zoom direction without reversing zoom and rotation

Post by UtaSH »

Hi mikkoL,

driver version 4.4.2.14725 is not a version number I recognize. Do you still have the installer from that version? What's the exact name?

Sorry, I didn't read your first post correctly. The idea behind reversing the zoom direction is that we change the navigation to as if your monitor would be in the same axis/level as your table. or: as if your device would be mounted to your monitor. That means we have to change the rotational axes as well.

Note that if you untick the reverse you still have the zoom axis changed. But I think the settings don't make sense really.
gebietsvertreter
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Re: Change zoom direction without reversing zoom and rotation

Post by gebietsvertreter »

hey whats up,

this is one of the only threads I found and it's more than two years old, but does anyone know if there is a "solution" for the "problem"? I would love to just change the zoom axis, but keep the rotate settings default. Is there a workaround?

greetings
jwick
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Re: Change zoom direction without reversing zoom and rotation

Post by jwick »

You can't control what the RadioButton does. It has its own plan.
But if you want to undo part of what it has done (like the rotation axis swap), you can change the cfg file that it wrote in %appdata%/3Dconnexion/3DxWare/cfg.
If you use the RadioButton again, it will overwrite your change.
gebietsvertreter
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Re: Change zoom direction without reversing zoom and rotation

Post by gebietsvertreter »

thx for the answer. which of the three is the radiobutton?
It makes absolute sense that the movement of the spacemouse is exactly the same as on the screen, but for me, and I guess I am not the only one, moving the part left/right or up/down is more natural by moving the spacemouse over the same plane. But I think that is just habit. In other threads / forums it is recommended to keep original settings because it widely used this way, so I guess I'll follow this tip.
jwick
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Re: Change zoom direction without reversing zoom and rotation

Post by jwick »

The RadioButton control is the two circles with a dot in one of them under the label "Zoom Direction".
It's a reference to an "old-fashioned" radio, as in a car, where you press one button and all the other buttons release. IOW, only one option (station) can be selected at once.

Yes, it is advisable to learn to use the device in the 3D world orientation. The idea is that you are reaching into the screen to hold the part/object. Push it away from you and it goes away. Move it to the left and it goes the left. Move it up toward the ceiling and it goes toward the ceiling. Etc. Just as if you were holding it in your hand. Stop thinking about what it is doing and just hold the part.

In some applications (e.g., games and world/animation/world authoring) you are controlling a camera. You have to think about moving yourself. That is, walking, flying, panning/dollying/zooming.
ok_grandpa
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Re: Change zoom direction without reversing zoom and rotation

Post by ok_grandpa »

the stupid part I find with your software is forcing the user into using it how YOU want and the user be damned. I dont want to have to *think* about right being left and down being up and zoom throwing what I want in the trash. I want the window/object to move in the direction I instinctively move my hand after 20+ years of using a computer and to be able to actually set those settings how I WANT to use MY mouse without it being overridden.

my boss absolutely got suckered into this purchase thinking it was actually customizable LOL
jwick
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Re: Change zoom direction without reversing zoom and rotation

Post by jwick »

ok_grandpa,

It is possible to rearrange the axes [almost] any way you want. But you need to do it in the XML. The GUI can't help you.
I can help you with this if you provide more details about what you want.
FarFlyer
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Re: Change zoom direction without reversing zoom and rotation

Post by FarFlyer »

jwick wrote: Thu Jan 18, 2024 12:08 am ok_grandpa,

It is possible to rearrange the axes [almost] any way you want. But you need to do it in the XML. The GUI can't help you.
I can help you with this if you provide more details about what you want.
Hello, can you please provide more details on that?

I have the same issue.
I remember that I was able in the past to have the settings in the way I wanted (like 1 year ago).
jwick
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Re: Change zoom direction without reversing zoom and rotation

Post by jwick »

Hello FarFlyer,

It depends on the desired scope of your changes.
E.g., if you want to change just one application, you can change your user file for that application.
The easiest way to do that is to have our GUI write a user file for you, then you can edit that file with an editor (we all use notepad++).
  • While your application is running, launch our GUI (3DxSmartUI) and turn off, then on, all the axes (Advanced Settings->Speed->Active CheckBoxes)
  • Edit %appdata%\3Dconnexion\3DxWare\Cfg\<your application name>.xml.
  • You should have 6 <Axis> entries similar to <Input><ActionID>HIDMultiAxis_X with <Output><ActionID>HIDMultiAxis_X (That maps X to X. IOW, no change)
  • You can change the Output/ActionID of each of those as you wish. E.g., change the Input/ActionID HIDMultiAxis_Y to Output/ActionID to HIDMultiAxis_Z
  • I think you can even do things like change translation axes into rotation axes, or map multiple input axes to the same output axis.
Three65
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Re: Change zoom direction without reversing zoom and rotation

Post by Three65 »

I to would like to know how to change this! Why in the world would you not be able to set your zoom to "UP/DOWN" in the GUI but when you click off the reverse it unselects the "UP/DOWN" This is counterintuitive to how the rest of the GUI works. I opened the XML and changed the HIDMultiAxis_Z to <Reversed>false</Reversed> but all it does is then unselect the radio button for "UP/DOWN" and get you no place. Just give us the option to click on and off any radio buttons or checkmarks as we would like to. Don't try to dictate how we should use the mouse with the software. Every time I update this software I waste hours of my life trying to get this expensive piece of hardware set back up to how I had it.
jwick
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Re: Change zoom direction without reversing zoom and rotation

Post by jwick »

Three65,

Which application(s) are you finding this with?

The CheckBoxes should rule. But then don't use the Zoom Direction RadioButtons--they are just shortcuts to setting the CheckBoxes and rearranging the axes (the first you can do in the GUI, not the latter).
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