Using old device (like Space traveler) on W7 with new Apps

[3Dconnexion]

This is very simple workaround, what needed is:
3.7.22 installer, uncompress it two time whit 7zip go in to the 3DxSoftware_v3-7-22\3DxSoftware\components (32 or 64 bit) folder and install 3DxWare (this is the driver only)
So make the same operation whit 3.11.3 (32 or 64 bit) and install the needed apps plug-in from this dir 3DxSoftware32_v3-11-3_r955\components
You can download everything from 3dconnexion site or *****.
Now olds HW run like the new ones.

[Kiwi_TJ]

Hi There,

I have a SpaceMouse Plus USB that I was using on Vista 32 bit and Solidworks 2010 32 bit - all OK.

I have now upgraded to Windows 7 64 bit and Solidworks 64 bit.

I have installed the V3.7.22 3DxWare (driver only) and my spacemouse works in the demo for Google Earth.

I then installed the 3.11.3 Solidworks plug in only, and the plug in window comes up within Solidworks, but no response from the SpaceMouse.

Any advice? I really want to get this thing going again.

[Witch Doctor]

Kiwi, hopefully this helps. It sounds like you need the 3.10.1 driver instead, as it seems to communicate with the 2.8.2 driver better (but not perfectly). I'm just a regular user that happens to like the old-school SpaceBall, and figured this out through trial and error. These instructions are hackish in the worst way and are totally unsupported! Don't ask 3dconnexion for support on this! As we all know, the SpaceBall is about 4 years out of support, and it looks like Windows 7 may be the final nail in its coffin. Shame, but I certainly got mileage out of mine!

Install instructions for 32-bit Win7
- Get both drivers
--- Go to 3dconnexion's site and locate the driver download area.
--- For Product, choose CadMan (that's right!) and 32-bit Windows. (SpaceBall 4000 will also work, but the CadMan allows the 64-bit XP driver).
--- Download the 2.8.2 driver.
--- Go back to the driver download page and choose SpaceNavigator, then 32-bit Win7, and check the box to show archived software.
--- Download 3dxsoftware 3.10.1 (not 3.11.3 or 3.8.2).
--- Download and install 7-Zip from www.7-zip.com.
- Extract both drivers
--- Right-click each downloaded driver package, and use 7-Zip to expand them.
--- Now, go into the expanded directory of each, and use 7-Zip again to expand the installer within.
- Install the serial driver
--- Uninstall ALL 3dconnexion software first, reboot, and make sure the msiexec.exe process isn't running. You want a "clean" system.
--- Go into the expanded 2.8.2 driver directory > components > 3DxWare. Run "3Dconnexion 3Dxware.msi" and do a CUSTOM install. Don't tweak anything in the custom section; just let it use the default custom options. (Weird, huh?) It'll hang if you use the standard install.
--- When done, test the serial driver by opening one of the 3dconnexion demos from the 3dconnexion Programs folder. It should work, and the SpaceBall should beep when the driver is loaded and unloaded by the demo.
- Install the SolidWorks plugin
--- Go into the expanded 3.10.1 directory > components32 > 3DxSolidWorks. Run "3DxSolidWorks32.msi" and do a standard install.
- Launch SolidWorks. The SpaceBall should beep (if you have beeps enabled in 3DxWare) and you should get the "old-style" 3dconnexion driver window. It should work!

Problems:
- It looks like the 3Dcontrol menu is unusable. I haven't done much testing, but it looks like hotkeys may not be programmable anymore. You can set up a profile in 3DxWorks but it's somewhat "fiddly."

[Witch Doctor]

One correction: the 64-bit CadMan reference was an internal note to myself. You would instead choose the driver for whatever product you had, and download the 32-bit WinXP driver, which should be 2.8.2 (the last official version for serial 3dconnexion products). This should be self-explanatory, but I wanted to be clear.

[Kiwi_TJ]

Cheers Witch Doctor - You are a fricking LEGAND!!

Thanks soooo much for your help, I am now back up and running again.

Windows 7 - 64 bit
Solidworks 2010 Service Pack 3.1 - 64 bit
SpaceMouse Plus USB

Accoring to the Windows Control Panel, Programs and Features Tab, I have...
3Dconnexion 3DxWare (x64) version 5.09.0002
3Dconnexion Add-In for SW 2005-2010 (x64) version 2.16.1

The pop up Add-In window in Solidworks is blank, but you can program the buttons using the 3DxWare driver in the windows tray, so I am a happy man!

How I got there...
I downloaded the 3DxSoftware64_v2-8-2 using the method you suggested, then used 7Zip to uppack this. I then ran the "setup.exe" file under the 3DxSoftware64_V2-8-2 directory.

This installed the driver and the SW Add-In. The driver worked but not the Add-In, Solidworks claimed it would not run.

So I used the Windows Control Panel "Programs and Features" function to remove JUST the Add-In.

I then downloaded the 3.10.1 software as you suggested and unpacked the 3DxSoftware64_v3-10-1_r852.exe file, then used 7zip to unpack the 3DxSoftware64.exe file that this created.

I then went into the resulting 3DXSoftware64\components64\3DxSolidworks folder and ran the 3DxSolidWorks64.msi file.

NOTE: Prior to this I was running Softare 3.7.22 and addin 3.11.3 and this did NOT work.

Hope that is useful for anyone else with a similar issue with this hardware/software combination.

[Witch Doctor]

Kiwi, glad my instructions helped. I spent a few nights (and a few beers) figuring it out. I was going to test it with Win7 x64 this weekend, but you beat me to it! Thanks!

A note to everyone; if you're running 64-bit Windows and use a serial 3dconnexion device, you'll want to download the 64-bit CadMan driver, regardless of your product. It appears to be the only 64-bit 2.8.2 (serial) driver that they made.

Another note: if you drill down to the specific 3DxWare installer in the 2.8.2 driver as mentioned above, you shouldn't have to mess around with any vestigial SolidWorks plug-ins; it only installs the serial driver. The main "setup.exe" is sort of a meta-installer that tries to install the driver, the older plugins, etc. Good to know it worked on your config, though. When I was testing, the meta-installer (setup.exe) would hang, and the only way to get it to install reliably was to run the 3DxWare installer by itself.

I'm going to see if there's any sort of config file or registry keys where I can put SolidWorks-specific customizations.

[jchaussee]

Yep Clearly Witch Doctor you are a real legend! Thanks guys for sharing this, it might be useful in the future!

That shows that if they wanted, 3D Connexion could put together a bundle that works for a very low cost! That would please users with older products that still are fine and meet their needs. After all old products mean long standing customers... the exact same ones that have been publicising their product for a long time and who help make 3D Connexion what it is today...

The only question is, does 3D Connexion really cares about their customers!

J.

[Smiler]

They care about sales just like any company. If they keep supporting old products you will never buy a new one, us telling people how good the support is and how nice the products are doesn't always translate to bloated balance sheets but making products with a limited life does!

Believe me, I'd love to have my USB Space Pilot be supported in the new all singing/dancing driver they've promised but I suspect it won't to encourage sales of the Space Pilot Pro.

I'm a long standing customer too but 3Dx need us to keep buying the new stuff too.

Jeff.

[jchaussee]

They care about sales just like any company. If they keep supporting old products you will never buy a new one, us telling people how good the support is and how nice the products are doesn't always translate to bloated balance sheets but making products with a limited life does!

Believe me, I'd love to have my USB Space Pilot be supported in the new all singing/dancing driver they've promised but I suspect it won't to encourage sales of the Space Pilot Pro.

I'm a long standing customer too but 3Dx need us to keep buying the new stuff too.

Jeff.

In a way, yes I agree with you Jeff. And I understand they need to keep the company going and need to sell more units. But you cannot just rest on just one idea and expect to live on it forever! Clearly none of their new product is bringing ground breaking innovation or even an incremental change that justify buying new equipment. It is just selling us the same stuff over and over again and they are just riding the Microsoft wave by using new OS releases as another occasion of forcing the customers to buy new products. They might as well charge a yearly license fee!

Even worse, when it comes to portable devices, they have actually stepped backwards massively. The Space traveller had 8 buttons, all customisable. The Space Navigator and Space Navigator for Notebooks only have 2, which from what I understand on the website are not even customisable!!! This is pretty poor.

If you look at the evolution of the product over the past couple of years, there has only been minor style changes which would produce a small investment in new moulds. They've been quite clever in standardising the basic/common part of the product, i.e. the actual 3D mouse part of the product. Nice reduction of cost... If you couple that with the fact sales have really taken off by reaching new markets, I don't think continuing to support some of their old products for which they do not have an equivalent.

If you guys at 3Dx are reading this, I'd very much like to hear your point of view on this.

[Jonny Tenebrous]

I have a question that I think is in keeping with this topic. I do not currently own a 3dConnexion device, but am having a very difficult time reaching a decision as to which one I will get. I've been a 3d hobbiest for quite some time but did not become professionally serious about it until about 6 months ago. I am currently retraining from networking/IT (which is becoming a bit boring for me) to 3d Modelling for the gaming industry. I've been putting long, looong hours into my coursework and I now fear that I'm developing RSI in my mousing hand... at 28 years of age, at least 20 years of which have involved very heavy mousing, I'm afraid I may have pushed it too far. I've spent the last few days exploring my options...

Aside from rearranging my workspace for better ergonomics, and deciding to more heavily favour my Wacom Intuos pad over my mouse when possible, I believe that it's worth trying a 3dConnexions device to distribute more of my 3d workload to my left hand, aside from the other benefits of using such a device.

The only issue facing me now is that, after purchasing everything necessary to move away from hobbiest level, I'm left very budget-limited. I'm not making any money with this device from my home. From what I've researched (and this INCLUDES possible educational discounts) I can afford one of two things:

1. A SpaceNavigator
2. A REFURBISHED Space Pilot (non-pro)

Frankly, the "old" refurbished Space Pilot looks like the HANDS-DOWN winner, EXCEPT that it's no longer officially supported. I really, really feel that I could benefit from the extra buttons, however. I am running Windows 7 x64 Enterprise (legit) with, primarily, 3ds Max 2011 (Student) and Sketchup 8. BOTH of these softwares appear to be supported by the 3dxSoftware Beta 2, but there is no listing for being able to drive a non-pro Space Pilot. I know it's a "legacy" device and I know there are "official" Windows 7 x64 older non-beta drivers that support it... but I need to run the two very important apps I listed as well.

Will the latest beta drivers run (unofficially) with a Space Pilot under Win7 x64? Am I wasting money considering a "legacy" usb Space Pilot when I could get an officially supported Navigator, sans ALL the extra buttons and functions of a Space Pilot?

When I get an industry job, I'll look at a Space Pilot Pro but there's no flipping way I can stretch for that, or even a SpaceExplorer yet.

And, I hope whichever new "generic software capable" drivers I've been reading about on this forum will work with the Space Pilot. I also use ZBrush and cannot even believe that NOBODY from 3dConnexion or Pixologic have bothered to ever make compatible drivers in almost 5 years.....


Thanks for Your Response,
Jonny

***Waiting Impatiently on the Brink of Clicking "Buy" somewhere.

[Jonny Tenebrous]

Well, I didn't receive a response, so I just went with my gut instinct. It seems crazy that I'd go with a SpaceNavigator over a non-pro SpacePilot for the same price, but that's exactly what I did. For the current drivers/support. I really hope the new whiz-bang generic-app enabled drivers come out soon now... because at least I know the SpaceNavigator should work with them in Win7 x64. But now that I've spent the £100 on a "currently-supported" 3d mouse model that came out... 4 years ago?... that it doesn't get phased out next week. The thought just makes me sick to my stomach. So, please, I kindly ask... keep supporting the SpaceNavigator for at least a couple more years.

Cheers,
Jonny

[ngomes]

3Dconnexion has released Beta 10 of 3DxWare 10 for Windows which includes experimental support for ZBrush 4.

For further details and download information, please refer to this topic.

[Barbara]

On the topic of software support for the 3dconnexion devices - when one of the current devices is discontinued, there are 3 years of continued software support for it. The SpacePilot , for instance ,was discontinued March 31, 2010. Software support for the SpacePilot will continue until March 31, 2013.

-----------------
Barbara

[smokes]

can you tell me how to get an old space mouse plus xt to work with solidwork 2011, loaded the 3dxware version 5.9.2 software on and the demo for the mouse work.

[rune1980]

I've just gotten a 3Dconnexion SpaceExplorer Serial, and i just now realize that the bastard wont be plugged in under windows 7. I'm guessing this fix could work for me as well ? But what functionality am i sacrificing by doing this instead of getting 3Dconnexion SpaceExplorer USB version?

What would happen if i plugged it into a usb converter? would i be bale ti use the usb drivers then ?