General Questions

1. What is the difference between the SpaceNavigator PE ($59) and the SpaceNavigator SE ($99)?

The difference is in the license and the level of support. The hardware is identical.

The PE is the Personal Edition. This edition is licensed for home or educational use. Support/Troubleshooting help is limited to the online Forum only. You may upgrade to an SE for $40 after your initial purchase if you would like. Simply go to our online store for further details.

The SE is the Standard Edition. This edition is licensed for commercial use. Access to our helpdesk via phone and email is included.

2. Confused about version numbers?

We include all Windows drivers and add-ins for every supported application in a file called 3DxSoftware. The latest version of 3DxSoftware is 3.3.6. Each driver included in 3DxSoftware carries its own version number. This can cause confusion. For example, you may be running 3DxWare v5 and when you go to our download page to update your driver, the only driver you can find is v3.3.6. I assure you 3DxSoftware 3.3.6 is the correct update and it contains 3DxWare 6.3.3

3. My computer does not have any serial connections; it only has USB. Can I use a Serial -to- USB converter?
3Dconnexion does not support any type of Serial-to-USB converter. Please contact your local reseller to purchase a USB 3D Mouse.

3. I have installed 3Dconnexion's "3DxOffice" and I can't get it to work.
"3DxOffice" is only supported on USB 3D Mice. If you have a serial connection, the office drivers will not work.

5. I updated to the latest 3DxSofware and now my 3D Mouse does not function in Microsoft applications as it did in the past?

3D Mouse motion in Microsoft applications is made possible by 3Dconnexion's 3DxOffice driver. Unfortunately, previously installed 3DxOffice drivers get automatically uninstalled when you update 3DxSoftware. To restore functionality simple go to our archive download page, download and install 3DxOffice.

6. I want to interchange the Y and Z axis. How do I do this?
Open the "3Dconnexion Control Panel" (double click the icon in the system tray) and select the opposite "Zoom Direction". Also, look for more options under "Advanced Settings".

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Installation Problems

1. I installed the latest 3DxSoftware, but my 3D Mouse is not working within my application.
Verify the 3D Mouse is enabled within your application. Some applications require specific steps to activate a 3D Mouse. Also, you may want to do a "repair" on your 3DxSoftware driver if it was installed before your applicaiton.

 

 

Hardware Concerns

1. My USB 3D Mouse moves the model even when my hand is not touching the 3D Mouse.
This issue is most commonly seen in the SpaceBall 5000 or the SpaceTraveler models. Often times, a simple firmware update can be applied to the 3D Mouse that will solve this issue. Please contact Technical Support for a firmware update tool.

2. My USB 3D Mouse works for awhile, but then stops functioning.

Try unpluging and re-pluging the 3D Mouse. If the problem persists, contact technical support for assistance. In some cases a simple firmware update will resolve this issue. Our helpdesk can provide you with a firmware update tool.

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Application-specific questions

Catia

My SpacePilot buttons don't work very well in Catia.

Catia has native support for the SpacePilot starting in V5 R15. You must install 3DxWare as well, but no plug-in is required for Catia. If you are running R15 or higher, it's important that you reset your config in the "3Dconnexion Control Panel" to the config labeled "Catia". You may have it set to "Pre-R15 Catia" which will cause the 3D Mouse" to malfunction if you are running Catia v5 R15 or higher.

UG NX

 

Autodesk Products

When I zoom in using my 3D Mouse in AutoCAD the model snaps back to its original position when I release the cap.

This is a known issue and has been resolved. The fix is in the testing phase and will be released soon.

 

I can't rotate (Tilt/Spin /Roll) in AutoCAD.

You must be in a 3D "Visual Style" in AutoCAD to rotate your model. Rotation is no longer possible in a 2D "Visual Style".

 

Pro/Engineer

1. I've installed my new SpacePilot, but the buttons are not working correctly.

The SpacePilot has a plug-in for Pro/E called 3DxProENGINEER. However, if Pro/E is installed on a server rather than your local machine; you will need to make a few changes...

  1. Install 3dxProENGINEER on the Server where ProENGINEER is installed.
  2. Copy the directory tree C:\Program Files\3Dconnexion\3DxProENGINEER to where proeWildfire is installed (normally this is C:\Program Files\proeWildfire) so that you end up with C:\Program Files\proeWildfire x.0\3DxProENGINEER and all its subdirectories)
  3. Locate the protk.dat file. This may be in a number of locations, try C:\Program Files\proeWildfire x.0\text or  C:\Program Files\proeWildfire x.0\i486_nt\text. The protk.dat file should (amongst others) have an entry similar to:

    name 3DxProENGINEER

    startup dll

exec_file C:\ProgramFiles\3Dconnexion\3DxProENGINEER\$PRO_MACHINE_TYPE\obj\3dxproe.dll

    text_dir $TEMP\3DxProENGINEER

    end

  1. Change the exec_file line to

exec_file $PRO_DIRECTORY\3DxProENGINEER\$PRO_MACHINE_TYPE\obj\3dxproe.dll

2. I am using Wildfire 2.0 and my 3D Mouse works until I “Preview” a part. Once I open the part, the 3D Mouse stops functioning.
This issue has been solved by PTC in Wildfire 2.0 Maintenance Release M140
*Temporary work around…Once you preview the part, close the preview window before selecting open.

3. Every time I open Wildfire the "3Dconnexion Control Panel" opens as well.
This issue has been resolved by PTC Wildfire 2.0 Maintenance Release M150.

4. When I am in part or assembly mode the datum planes disappear when my part or assembly is rotated.
In Pro/E under Tools>Options... Set the option Spin_with_part_entities :yes
By default this value is set to No.

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