Blender doesn't work with SpaceNavigator (Ubuntu 7.10 64bit)

Questions and answers about 3Dconnexion devices on UNIX and Linux.

Moderator: Moderators

Post Reply
lopez
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2008 12:05 pm
Location: Poland

Blender doesn't work with SpaceNavigator (Ubuntu 7.10 64bit)

Post by lopez »

Hi,

I am happy (?) user of the Space Navigator. I've chosen it because of blender but unfortunately I have some small problems making it working with this particular application. But let's go from the begining. My system is Ubuntu 7.10 x86_64 (kernel 2.6.22-14-generic). The blender version is 2.46 which is supposed to work with NDoF devices via plugin. I've installed and run proper drivers for 64bit platform and Blue Light on SN switched ON, nice. XCube test application works fine and detects device without any problems. I was able to move the cube. XValues test application works as well. Then I've downloaded 64 bit version of plugin for blender (from blenderbuilds site because there is no such plugin available on your site, hmmm... why? ;>) and put it to manualy created directory 'plugins' inside my ~/.blender directory. So far, so good. When I start blender I have NDoF specific icons available but NO interaction between SN and blender. It seems no events go to blender when I use device. I was trying to use also sapcenav open source drivers. The light on SN was ON, spnavcfg was recognizing the driver but blender wasn't working. I was trying to modify xorg.conf file adding InputDevice section - no success. I'm using Wacom tablet and I thought it can generate problems. I removed it from system but - no success. The device itself works fine with blender but on Windows XP 32bit. But I'm not Window's user. I'm really confused and don't know what's going on. May be I do some stupid mistake? So, I decided to ask you for help.

BTW, when I start blender from terminal it seems the driver is also properly recognized:

Code: Select all

lopez@blaszak:~$ blender
Compiled with Python version 2.5.1.
Checking for installed Python... got it!
X Display: :0.0
Magellan App Window: 0x3a00002
Magellan Motion Event ID=487
Magellan Command Event ID=490
Magellan Root Window: 0x13a
Magellan Driver Window: 0x2e00162
Magellan Driver Window Name: Magellan Window
When I start xcube app I have:

Code: Select all

lopez@blaszak:~$ ~/Downloads/3dxware-linux-v1-3-0.x86_64/xcube 
3DxWare: xdrvlib.c 
3DxWare MotionEvent = 487 
3DxWare ButtonPressEvent = 488 
3DxWare ButtonReleaseEvent = 489 
3DxWare CommandEvent = 490 

3DxWare: xdrvlib.c 
3DxWare Root Window Number: 0000013A 

3DxWare Window Number: 02E00162 

3DxWare Window Name: Magellan Window 

3DxWare Send Command Message: 03A00001 

3DxWare: xdrvlib.c 
3DxWare Display = :0.0 
3DxWare Driver Window = 02E00162 
3DxWare Application Window = 03A00001 
Regards,
Ride hard, ride free and save the trees
ettore
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 127
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 5:55 pm
Location: SF Bay Area, CA

Post by ettore »

you mentioned you created a "plugins" directory inside ~/.blender : you shouldn't need to create a plugins directory, and in any case that's not where the plugins directory should be.

When you install blender 2.46 the plugins directory is already created. Find where your blender executable resides and in the same directory you should also find a plugins folder (containing texture and sequence plugins). It's in that folder that you should put our plugin.

After this, verify our driver is running. Don't run other drivers like spacenavd or others. Click Restore Defaults just to be sure, and set the Buttons to "Button 1" and "Button 2".

Hope this helps.
ettore pasquini
software engineer
3Dconnexion, inc.
lopez
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2008 12:05 pm
Location: Poland

Post by lopez »

Hi,

Thanks for reply,
ettore wrote:you mentioned you created a "plugins" directory inside ~/.blender : you shouldn't need to create a plugins directory, and in any case that's not where the plugins directory should be.

When you install blender 2.46 the plugins directory is already created. Find where your blender executable resides and in the same directory you should also find a plugins folder (containing texture and sequence plugins). It's in that folder that you should put our plugin.
Yes, in fact I have in my system a directory /usr/lib/blender/plugins where texture and sequence plugins are stored. But moving that plugin file from ~/.blender/plugins (that's blender's hidden directory directly in my home dir) into this directory didn't help. As I mentioned before the plugin seems to be loaded by blender during startup when it is in ~/.blender/plugins. I have that information when I run in from terminal level and NDoF specific buttons appear in blender. When I move plugin to /usr/lib/blender/plugins there are no icons and no information during startup.
ettore wrote:After this, verify our driver is running. Don't run other drivers like spacenavd or others. Click Restore Defaults just to be sure, and set the Buttons to "Button 1" and "Button 2".
Yes, your driver IS working. XCube application cooperates with SN.

But I solved that problem in different way. As I wrote to you I was using a plugin downloaded from blenderbuilds site. That was a standalone plugin dedicated for 64 bit platform (3DxBlender-linux-amd64). In meantime I took a plugin provided together with older version of blender 'blender-ndof-2008-03-15-linux-glibc27-py25-x86_64' also taken from blenderbuilds. I put that plugin to ~/.blender/plugins directory and surprise, it worked. SN is recognized and supported. And it doesn't work if I move plugin to /usr/lib/blender/plugins, btw. There is slightly difference between this plugin and the one I used before. The working one is of size 10830 bytes, the second one - 11076 bytes. So, it seems that all of those problems was because of not valid plugin. And as long as you not provide a valid and working plugin for 64 bit linux systems nobody will be sure that he has a proper one, I'm afraid.

Thanks,

Regards,
Ride hard, ride free and save the trees
CasperN
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2008 4:13 pm
Location: Sweden

Post by CasperN »

Where can I find the blender-ndof-2008-03-15-linux-glibc27-py25-x86_64 plugin
Using this now http://mirror.blenderbuilds.com/plugins ... -amd64.zip
Icons working in blender, xcube works, but nothing happens in blender :cry:

Get this message when I start blender 2.46, same as lopez

Code: Select all

Compiled with Python version 2.5.1.
Checking for installed Python... got it!
X Display: :0.0
Magellan App Window: 0x6000002
Magellan Motion Event ID=535
Magellan Command Event ID=538
Magellan Root Window: 0x1a5
Magellan Driver Window: 0x6200165
Magellan Driver Window Name: Magellan Window
CasperN
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2008 4:13 pm
Location: Sweden

Post by CasperN »

found it here http://www.root42.de/blender/
working :)
JeffreyCoffield
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 10:16 pm
Location: California, USA

Post by JeffreyCoffield »

I am running Suse 10.2 on a DuoCore system. The SN did not work till I loaded the plugin in the reply from CasperN. Thanks.
Post Reply