Space Navigator Broken

Questions and answers about 3Dconnexion devices on macOS.

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raygun
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Joined: Thu May 31, 2007 3:31 pm
Location: Delmont, Pa USA

Space Navigator Broken

Post by raygun »

I just got my Space Navigator Today. Installed the latest driver from the website. Installed the latest Google Earth App. I have a Mac Pro with OS X 10.4.9. After trying a number of suggestions about configuring the navigator with no success it looks like the device isn't working correrctly. Panning doesn't seem to work. Next tried the simple 3d axis demo from the preference panel and found that no matter how I moved the navigator a lot of the values changed at the same time not what I would expect.

Help,

Ray Delissio
raygun
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu May 31, 2007 3:31 pm
Location: Delmont, Pa USA

Post by raygun »

After some more experimenting I have found that the Pan Left/Right axis doesn't seem to work. It gives me the same values as the Pan right/left axis when I check the numbers returned by runnung the Axis3dDemo program. This is why in Google Earth it looks like I am always panning at a 45 degree angle instead of left and right or up and down.

Just to make sure this wasn't just a Mac problem I tested the device on a Windows XP system with the latest drivers and it doesn't work there either
seacrets
Posts: 29
Joined: Sat Dec 09, 2006 9:25 am
Location: Barcelona

Post by seacrets »

In the 3dconnexion preference pane, there is a button CALIBRATE. Press it and then try again. It may solve your problem.

Best wishes

EDIT: When you press the button do not touch the spacenavigator
raygun
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Joined: Thu May 31, 2007 3:31 pm
Location: Delmont, Pa USA

Post by raygun »

Tried to calibrate a number of times. But with no change. Calibrate seems to be used to zero out all of the readings from the device when it is just sitting idle. I don't have that problem. I just don't get the axis values to change correctly when I move the navigators knob around. In low level terms pushing left and right should only change the X axis. But it also changes the Y axis. If I push forward and back it should change the Y axis. But in my case nothing changes. The other intersting thing I noticed is that pressing down, which should change the Z axis also changes the Rx, Ry and Rz axis. These are the rotational axis's. I even wrote a program to check the values comming in through the low level HID interface to make sure some other piece of software wasn't changing the values.
seacrets
Posts: 29
Joined: Sat Dec 09, 2006 9:25 am
Location: Barcelona

Post by seacrets »

Looks like a faulty unit then. Anyone from support here?
CSHD_Dave_Wells
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Joined: Wed Feb 14, 2007 9:00 am

Post by CSHD_Dave_Wells »

Did you update your Google Earth after installing the latest 3DX driver? If so, you may just need to reinstall the driver to repair the addin for Google Earth. From what I understand your demos are working correctly but not Google Earth? If that is the case then it is unlikely it is a faulty unit and more likely it is a corrupted addin for the Google Earth. I'd be interested to know if reinstalling the driver fixes the problem.
raygun
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu May 31, 2007 3:31 pm
Location: Delmont, Pa USA

Post by raygun »

I should have made it clearer that ALL the programs I have tried both on a Mac and a PC don't function correctly.

Update:

Talked to customer support and it looks like they will take care of the problem.

Thanks
ettore
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Post by ettore »

raygun wrote:The other intersting thing I noticed is that pressing down, which should change the Z axis also changes the Rx, Ry and Rz axis.
Just curious about one thing: do you notice this behavior in the Axes Demo even when Dominant mode is set?

Anyway, yeah, it does look like a faulty device. There shouldn't be any problem in replacing it.
ettore pasquini
software engineer
3Dconnexion, inc.
raygun
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Joined: Thu May 31, 2007 3:31 pm
Location: Delmont, Pa USA

Post by raygun »

I tried using the Navigator in Dominant mode but it didn't seem to work correcly either. I must admit I didn't to a lot of testing in that mode though.

Ray
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