how to get spacepilot pro working in blender?

Questions and answers about 3Dconnexion devices on Windows.

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hathor
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2016 8:11 pm

how to get spacepilot pro working in blender?

Post by hathor »

I picked up a used SpacePilot Pro on ebay to improve workflow based on this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIcZrxJLa4k

I am using 2.77a with Win10x64 and a Wacom Intuos.

I tried to set it up according to these instructions but it isn't working properly:
http://www.spacemice.org/index.php?title=Blender

Can anyone point me in the right direction? I'm not opposed to doing the SDK if I have to, but I am hoping there is an easier/more straightforward solution.
Tehrasha
Posts: 187
Joined: Thu Apr 22, 2010 3:55 pm
Location: Iowa
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Re: how to get spacepilot pro working in blender?

Post by Tehrasha »

The instructions on my website are getting a bit antiquated, not as old as that video though. :)
As yet, I do not have Windows10 to play with, so I have to rely on input from users like you to iron out any issues.

Let me attempt to help you where I can.
Can you further define 'isnt working properly' ?
Spacemice -- Input devices for a 3D world.
hathor
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2016 8:11 pm

Re: how to get spacepilot pro working in blender?

Post by hathor »

I just want it to do this:

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

Fiddling with settings in Blender I got Pan/Zoom working, but I can't get rotation working.

What I am looking for is this:
http://hathor.link/1474557787.mp4

What is actually happening is this:
http://hathor.link/1474557807.mp4
Tehrasha
Posts: 187
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Location: Iowa
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Re: how to get spacepilot pro working in blender?

Post by Tehrasha »

Essentially you want your settings to be the opposite of what my page shows for 'free fly mode'.

You want 'rotate around selection' to be enabled.
Image


And you want these settings to remain as shown in this image.
Image

That should limit it to rotation only by default, and requires SHIFT to pan.

Oh, and dont forget to save those preferences...
Spacemice -- Input devices for a 3D world.
hathor
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2016 8:11 pm

Re: how to get spacepilot pro working in blender?

Post by hathor »

why is it rotating around some random spot in space instead of rotating around the selected item(s)?
hathor
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2016 8:11 pm

Re: how to get spacepilot pro working in blender?

Post by hathor »

After messing around with settings for a while I ended up keeping the "rotate around selection" and then disabled the NDOF views except for orbit/zoom. Then I disabled rotate view and remapped the move view to the middle mouse button instead of requiring a shift modifier. I will worry about integrating the pen tablet into my workflow until after I have become more familiar with Blender in general.

I am still disappointed that there doesn't seem to be an easy way to get it working how it does on the 3Dconnexion demo app without using the SDK or modifying Blender's source code; I feel like their marketing page claiming Blender integration is very misleading. I will figure out how to get better integration, but for now my workflow has improved by some significant percentage.
broken01
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2016 12:57 pm

Re: how to get spacepilot pro working in blender?

Post by broken01 »

"3D mouse" is really disappointment in Blender. My current settings is Orbit+Turntable, which keeps my rotation center and simplifies rotation.
What I am really missing is view move without holding SHIFT key.

Does anyone knows, how to keep rotation center eith selection and been able to move view without holding SHIFT key?
Tehrasha
Posts: 187
Joined: Thu Apr 22, 2010 3:55 pm
Location: Iowa
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Re: how to get spacepilot pro working in blender?

Post by Tehrasha »

broken01 wrote:"3D mouse" is really disappointment in Blender. My current settings is Orbit+Turntable, which keeps my rotation center and simplifies rotation.
What I am really missing is view move without holding SHIFT key.

Does anyone knows, how to keep rotation center with selection and been able to move view without holding SHIFT key?
Currently Blender can only do one or the other. You can rotate around selection -or- you can free-fly without the SHIFT key.

The settings to enable Free Fly mode can be found here.

Keep in mind that 3dConnexion does not support Blender, it is Blender that has rudimentary support for 3dmice.

I have been after the devs for quite some time to improve the integration, and support things like rotating around a selection while moving, but the majority of them do not see cleaning up the 3dmouse support as a high priority issue.

The support we have was added by one person, who both wanted the support, and had the skill set to program it. That is what we need now. Someone with a focused desire to make it work that way, and the knowledge to code it. I have the desire, but when I look at the code, it makes my brain melt. It is way above my skill level. Such is life when dealing with free software and a niche hardware product.
Spacemice -- Input devices for a 3D world.
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