SpaceNavigator works with Chrome but not with Firefox

Questions and answers about 3Dconnexion devices on Windows.

Moderator: Moderators

Post Reply
lhermann
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2015 5:24 am

SpaceNavigator works with Chrome but not with Firefox

Post by lhermann »

Hi there,
I'm working with the 3Dconnexion SpaceNavigator at the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research in Darmstadt as a student assistant.
It works properly on Chrome (I have version 46) but not on Firefox (version 41).
Is there any additional requirement for the gamepad API support on Firefox?

I installed the archived drivers, and after that, it worked as intended on Chrome.
Chrome recognizes two Gamepads (one of them is the "SpaceNavigator (Vendor: 046d Product: c626)" with 2 buttons, 6 axes).
Firefox recognizes no single game pad :-(

Thanks in advance,
Lukas
UtaSH
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 3754
Joined: Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:34 am
Location: Munich, Germany
Contact:

Re: SpaceNavigator works with Chrome but not with Firefox

Post by UtaSH »

Hi Lukas,

why did you install the archived driver? You should install the release driver. This one has support for Chrome, Firefox and IE (and even other browsers).
tsturm
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2015 7:50 am

Re: SpaceNavigator works with Chrome but not with Firefox

Post by tsturm »

Hi,

same problem here. Chrome recognizes the SpaceNavigator and Firefox not.

My System:

OS: Windows 7 Enterprise 64-bit
3DxWare 10: 10.2.9
3DxWinCore: 17.2.9.11812
Device: SpaceNavigator (firmware 3.18)
Browser: Chrome 46 / Frirefox 42

To reproduce the problem connect the SpaceNavigator and visit the HTML5 Gamepad Tester:
http://www.html5rocks.com/en/tutorials/ ... ester.html

Chrome recognizes the SpaceNavigator after one of the two buttons is pressed, but in Firefox nothing happens.

Is there any solution to solve this problem or is it a bug in Firefox?

Best regards,
Timo
UtaSH
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 3754
Joined: Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:34 am
Location: Munich, Germany
Contact:

Re: SpaceNavigator works with Chrome but not with Firefox

Post by UtaSH »

Hi both,

our devices are NOT gamepads. They are multiaxis devices.

If you install our current driver - 3DxWare 10 - you can pan and zoom and scroll in Firefox, Chrome and Microsoft Internet Explorer.
tsturm
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2015 7:50 am

Re: SpaceNavigator works with Chrome but not with Firefox

Post by tsturm »

Hi Uta,

thanks for your quick reply.

So it's something the Mozilla guys have to fix.

Best regards,
Timo
Hypersonic
Posts: 265
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:58 pm

Re: SpaceNavigator works with Chrome but not with Firefox

Post by Hypersonic »

GamePad API isn't a very good name as it actually covers more than just gamepads. Gamepad API gives webpages access to inputs of many types of controllers. The Chromium engine that powers Chrome and Opera browsers access 3DMice via Raw Input. Apparently Mozilla doesn't have a Raw Input solution. I don't think Microsoft does either, though I haven't yet tried their new edge browser.

As Utash mentioned 3DConnexion has a config for Chrome that let you control functions that the 2D Mouse typically controls. What would be nice is being able to somehow switch modes:
-one to zoom/pan the browser content window
-another to give input to the web app

Earlier this year I put all 6 axis to good use in Cesium
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic ... HEkXPyLKQw

You can try it out for yourself here (with a Chrome or Opera browser.) If you have an active Chrome config you should probably disable it while you're controlling the camera.
http://warpdrive.github.io/Apps/testApp.html
1st 3DMouse will control via 5DOF, 2nd 3DMouse will control 6DOF. (In 5DOF mode roll will control zoom, something not possible in Google Earth.)

With GamePad API you can use multiple 3DMice at the same time, a 3DMice in each hand for 12 simultaneous axis. I made a webapp similar to this back in 2011 with Google Earth Plugin using JavaScript Joystick plugin, but Google has abandoned GE plugin service.

One can fly around the Earth in 6DOF using all axis of the 3DMouse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX9yzfC ... MDtsro6ENh
Hypersonic
Posts: 265
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:58 pm

Re: SpaceNavigator works with Chrome but not with Firefox

Post by Hypersonic »

BTW Cesium does have terrain, to turn it on click the 2nd icon from the top right then click STK world terrain meshes.
pjh29c
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Dec 26, 2015 7:04 pm

Re: SpaceNavigator works with Chrome but not with Firefox

Post by pjh29c »

Hypersonic wrote:BTW Cesium does have terrain, to turn it on click the 2nd icon from the top right then click STK world terrain meshes.
test
carter.vaughns23
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2016 3:37 pm

Re: SpaceNavigator works with Chrome but not with Firefox

Post by carter.vaughns23 »

test
5k18a
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon May 07, 2018 1:27 pm

Re: SpaceNavigator works with Chrome but not with Firefox

Post by 5k18a »

Well I don't know why, but my Spacepiloot pro stops working with Firefox.I can't scroll sites. I'am running on newest drivers.
UtaSH
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 3754
Joined: Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:34 am
Location: Munich, Germany
Contact:

Re: SpaceNavigator works with Chrome but not with Firefox

Post by UtaSH »

Hello 5k18a,

it might be that your configurations got messed up for any reason. See if it helps if you remove the existing settings. See here how to do that.
janvin
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2020 10:35 pm

Re: SpaceNavigator works with Chrome but not with Firefox

Post by janvin »

I have a spacenavigator that wasn't working with google chrome - removing the chrome.xml file (actually, I just renamed it) instantly worked - thanks for this tip!
Post Reply