A shocked new owner of a SpacePilot

[JeronCoolman]

I just got a new SpacePilot and quite frankly I'm really disappointed with it. I hope just don't understand how to use and/or configure it for an application, but the software/drivers seems pretty limiting.

Don't take this post the wrong way. I blame myself for not doing enough "due dilligence" before wastine so much money on what appears to be a device that is worthless to all of my workflows. If anything I'm creating this post as feedback for "constructive criticism". I think the 3Mouse hardware is a great idea, that "missed the mark" with the configuration software/drivers.

First of all, can I configure the keys on the SpacePilot for a specific Application that is not on the "official list" of plug-ins/supported apps? I want to save a button configuration and assign it to an EXE. It looks like all I can do is save a configuration and then manually load it. For instance, I want to program my SpacePilot buttons, save the configuration, assign it to Internet Explorer then have that configuration loaded/current whenever an IE window is active. Can I do that?

I'm a software developer, musician and videographer. So I use software developmment tools like Microsoft's Visual Studio and Adobe's Dreamweaver (no SpacePilot support). I can think of many ways the SpacePilot could help navigating an IDE interface (Interactive Development Environment).

I also use DAWs like ACID and ProTools (no SpacePilot support). I can see how the SpacePilot can help navigate a DAW interface; e.g. a timeline with tracks and a "play head".

Unfortunately I use Lightwave as my 3D modelling tool (no
SpacePilot support). According to the forum posts Newtek has to create a plug-in/driver/configuration for the SpacePilot to work? I'm glad all of my other control devices don't follow this paradigm of driver software. I'd hate to have to wait for Adobe to create a driver that will make my WACOM tablet work or wait for Avid to create a driver that will make my ****** controller work with Media Composer.

It NOT in the software developer's best interest to go out of their way to write code for 3D Connexion's hardware to work with it. It IS in 3D Connexion's best interest for 3D Connexion to write their drivers and configuration software in a way that it will work with ANY software package.

I use NLEs like Vegas, Premiere Pro and Avid Media Composer (gee no SpacePilot support). Just like with a DAW, I can see how an NLE could benefit from using a SpacePilot to navigate the user interface. Timeline, play head, tracks, etc.

How about Web Browser support?

How about Operating System support, Vista Aero, resizing and switching between windows?

How about some emulator drivers/plug-ins for common control device protocols; e.g. a driver that would allow the SpacePilot to emulate a Mackie Control Universal? That would open up a lot of support for all applications that support the MCU.

A couple of simple requests would tun my new SpacePilot from a paper-weight to a very useful device...

1. Allow me to configure every button and knob, save that configuration file and assign it to one or more EXEs, so that configuration automatically becomes "loaded"/"active" whenever that EXE is active. (Note: I hope you can do this and I just haven't figured out how)

2. Please, please, please, let me be able to assign "Custom Functions" to the motions of the knob from within the Control Panel. I'd like to set up my SpacePilot to send an "L" keystroke to my application when I turn the knob clockwise and send a "+" key to the application when I push the knob in. (Hint: JKL keys are common keys with applications like DAWs and NLEs for play backwards, stop and play backwards, as well as having keys like -+ for zoom out and zoom in)

[JeronCoolman]

I'd hate to have to wait for Adobe to create a driver that will make my WACOM tablet work or wait for Avid to create a driver that will make my controller work with Media Composer.

Hmmm I thought I typed in "******", not "******"

[JeronCoolman]

I'd hate to have to wait for Adobe to create a driver that will make my WACOM tablet work or wait for Avid to create a driver that will make my controller work with Media Composer.

Hmmm I thought I typed in "******", not "******"

Uh what is going on here?

Is ****** e P r o a dirty word like the F-word or something?

[JeronCoolman]

I'm trying to figure out how to configure this SpacePilot in the hopes that it won't be totally worthless to me.

The idea was to try to create a custom configuration for Notepad.exe. I chose something simple that anyone would have in case I need help.

I created a "Custom Function" with this as the text of the Custom Function...

J E R O N <Space> I S <Space> M Y <Space> N A M E

...I gave it a name and assigned it to Button 1.

I saved the Configuration file and named it Notepad. I know it is loaded because I see the name of the configuration file on the SpacePilot and I see the name of the Custom Function assigned to Button 1.
Now I open Notepad put the cursor in the editable text area and press Button 1 on the SpacePilot and nothing happens.

I would expect it to type...

jeron is my name

...in the notepad edit area.

Hmmm maybe I'm just missing some documentation? Is there a piece of documentation somewhere that talks about how to configure the SpacePilot for an application just using the Button Configuration, Custom Functions and a Configuration file?

[JeronCoolman]

While working on an animated 3D title sequence for a documentary, I realized there is yet another software package I use regularly that could have benefited from the SpacePilot, is Zaxwerks' ProAnimator.

I use such a plethora of software packages for so many creative projects, there has to be at least one (e.g. Zaxwerks) with developers that have heard of the SpacePilot and invested money to pay their developers to create a plug in for a different company's (e.g. 3DConnexion) hardware controller.

Makes me wish I used Photoshop more in my projects' workflows

I feel like I don't understand something... it seems like such a backwards plug-in/driver paradigm to rely on another company to create the plug-in/driver for your controller to support a software package.

There has to be a document/tutorial that demonstrates how to use the 3DConnexion Control Panel to at least configure the buttons for Application X...

I wonder if the industry needs a "3D Mouse Standard" like ASIO or MIDI. That way a software package could support this "3D Mouse Standard" then a piece of hardware could have a driver that supports the "3D Mouse Standard"?

[jwick]

Hello Jeron,

Such a constructive post deserves a constructive response. Thank you for being so civil and helpful. It is very important that you mention the applications you want to use. In fact, I started a thread on just that topic, but it sort of got hijacked by people who only wanted to rant.

The current driver was designed to work with applications that contact it. Think of it as an external GUI for a 3Dx-enabled application. Notepad not knowing anything about a 3D mouse doesn't contact the driver, so the driver goes on talking to whatever application it last talked to. For this case, you can make a special scg file that tells the driver that this is a one-way application that it will only be sending keystrokes to.

Take your userXX.scg that you made for notepad and make the following changes to it.

1) move it to the default directory (...3dxware/en_us/profiles/default)
2) rename it to notepad.scg
3) edit it with notepad (sounds recursive doesn't it)
3.1) change the EXECUTABLES = {"*.*"} field to { "NOTEPAD.EXE" }
3.2) give it a nice APPLICATION_NAME = like "Jerons Notepad"
3.3) change the TRANSPORT_PROTOCOL to WIN32_KEYBOARD
3.4) save it
4) Now since you were trying to get this to work earlier, your registry probably contains erroneous information about NOTEPAD.EXE. Goto: HKCU/software/3dconnexion/3dxware/applications and delete the NOTEPAD.EXE entry.

Finally, restart your 3DxWare driver, and start notepad. You should have your Jerons Notepad" configuration listed in the 3DxWare GUI when notepad is in focus.

You can now assign keyboard macros to your SpacePilot buttons and they will be sent to notepad.

Repeat as desired for other apps.

Jim
3Dx Software Development

[JeronCoolman]

Thanks Jim

I'll try your suggestion.

I do like the controller and being a software developer myself I can understand the value of trying to be constructive and address a problem that might have a solution as opposed to just whining. I didn't want to sound like I was just whining

[kay ahnung]

I just got a new SpacePilot and quite frankly I'm really disappointed with it. I hope just don't understand how to use and/or configure it for an application, but the software/drivers seems pretty limiting.

So am I, heavily disappointed. I have wasted money (for the SpaceNavigator) and time -- to work out, that 3D Connexion is not willing to provide the necessary drivers so that the SpaceNavigator can become a generally useful item. Two years ago, the discussions in this forum where about the same subject already, the situation did not change since: Provide a generic driver users can easily adapt to any application they require (and that brings a reasonable support for most applications ex the box). It seems that other users have demonstrated, that this is possible, but 3D Connexion did not even take the chance and develop this further, not 2006, not today. (I talk abaout viewtopic.php?t=336&highlight=logitec.)

Even worse: SpaceNavigator does not even support the software it is supposed to support according to the 3D connexion application list. In case of Acrobat 3D only the PDF viewer applications are supported, not the 3D content design application (3D Reviewer in Acrobat 9).

Guys at 3D Connexion and Logitech: You can be sure that I will not recommend your products any longer and hesitate to buy it myself each time I need something from your portfolio. The situation was different so far. But now: When you do not change, I have to change. When I cannot be sure to get the best possible product, worse: when it is policy to provide cripple ware, there cannot be any trust in you, that I may experience the same with other products under your brands!

Regards

[JeronCoolman]

Jim,

I finally got your suggestions to work. Thanks for the info.

I have a few comments in case anyone else tries to do this. There are a lot of people who complain (I'm guilty too) of not being able to do this...

1. It took a while to find the scg file I needed to edit. Maybe because I'm running Vista 64.

2. The file doesn't seem to have any carriage return + line breaks when I tried editing it in notepad. This made it hard to edit it.

3. I had to reboot when finished to get the SpacePilot control panel to see my new "Jerons Notepad" configuration.

I have one more issue/question. If you have the answer I really want to hear, then I have absolutely no problem with my SpacePilot. No one else should either

Can I set up my Notepad.scg so that a keystroke will be sent to Notepad when I move the cap/knob a direction?

For instance, the application I want to use this with the most, uses the "-" and the "+" keys for zooming in and out. I'd like to send a "+" when I push down on the cap/knob to zoom in and I'd like to send a "-" to the application when I pull up.

If I can do that, then I think I can program my SpacePilot to do whatever I want in any application I want.

I'd even type up some easy to read/use instructions that would show the community how to do the same. It will shut up my whining, so I'm sure it would shut down some other peoples' whining as well

[jwick]

1. It took a while to find the scg file I needed to edit. Maybe because I'm running Vista 64.

Type %APPDATA%/3dconnexion/3dxware/profiles into Explorer. It will take you directly there.

2. The file doesn't seem to have any carriage return + line breaks when I tried editing it in notepad. This made it hard to edit it.

Try wordpad.

3. I had to reboot when finished to get the SpacePilot control panel to see my new "Jerons Notepad" configuration.

You should have only had to bounce the driver (and cleared out the registry while the driver was down).

Can I set up my Notepad.scg so that a keystroke will be sent to Notepad when I move the cap/knob a direction?

Yes. But it doesn't work well with the driver you have. Wait for the mid-April driver and it'll work somewhat more acceptable. I'll tell you how to use it then. A lot more work is required to make an good general solution to this need. It is being worked on--we do listen to our users (regardless of what you read in this forum).

I'd even type up some easy to read/use instructions that would show the community how to do the same. It will shut up my whining, so I'm sure it would shut down some other peoples' whining as well

Thanks. That would be helpful. I'll keep you in mind for a beta tester for the new driver.

[JeronCoolman]

I'd be glad to help in any way. Just shoot me an email.

[JeronCoolman]

Yes. But it doesn't work well with the driver you have. Wait for the mid-April driver and it'll work somewhat more acceptable. I'll tell you how to use it then. A lot more work is required to make an good general solution to this need. It is being worked on--we do listen to our users (regardless of what you read in this forum).

Jim, any more news on the "mid-April" beta test for this driver?

I work with a half a dozen applications that involve 3D modelling or navigation in some way, shape, or form. None of their developers seem to think it is important to dedicate their valuable programming resources to write a bunch of code to support your devices.

Yet, if I could program the keys and knob movements to keyboard keystrokes, I could use my SpacePilot.

[JeronCoolman]

Jim, any more news on the "mid-April" beta test for this driver?

If I could program the keys and knob movements to keyboard keystrokes, I could use my SpacePilot.

[jwick]

The mid-April release came out with the SpacePilot Pro. I'm not going to support trying to use kb functions on axes with that driver. You'll have to wait for the new driver. It is in internal testing.

[JeronCoolman]

Thanks for the feedback, Jim.

If I buy a SpacePilot Pro, will I be able to map the buttons and the knob movements to keyboard keystrokes for any application?

Or does, "I'm not going to support trying to use kb functions on axes with that driver." mean that the movements of the knob (axes?) won't map to keystrokes?

...

I want to be able to use my current SpacePilot (or a new SpacePilot Pro) with any application, by being able to map the buttons and the knob to keystrokes.

Do I need to either wait for this driver that is in internal testing or can I buy a SpacePilot Pro?

Do you have a trade-in/upgrade policy where I could send in my SpacePilot and a check for a SpacePilot Pro? The SpacePilot has never been used, since I don't have one of few programs that support it