AutoCAD, Google Earth and Sketchup problems (5 of them)

Questions and answers about 3Dconnexion devices on Windows.

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Woldman
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AutoCAD, Google Earth and Sketchup problems (5 of them)

Post by Woldman »

Hello,

Next to the problems - describe in other topics - with regenerating drawings in AutoCAD / Switching between 2D -> 3D -> 2D with every motion - which should be constantly in 2D if so desired and possible Driver-wise - I also found some other problems while using this otherwise excellent product. (sorry about that sentence :shock: )I posted them in the SpaceTraveler forum as a reply, but I would also like to post them here, as they are actually occurring with my SpaceNavigator. Here's what I wrote:
Hello,

I can completely confirm the problem as described by Chrisman. AutoCAD 2007 seems to be unable to work with reversed axis. There is no change noticeable when you change any setting but the left / right direction. All others will remain un-reversed. This problem is related to the driver I think. Because when you click reverse it checks all the boxes behind the individual axis, but when you click reverse again, it removes on two checks (the red ones)

One other problem with AutoCAD seems to be the fact that the toolbar is repositioned every time you restart the program. Probably an Autodesk problem, but maybe it is related to how or when the driver loads when AutoCAD 2007 starts.

Next to this I also noticed a 'similar' problem in Google Earth. It seems impossible to select all the panning motions and only the spin rotational option. It works to start with, but when you switch back and forth between Google Earth and another app, the spinning axis is deactivated again. This setting is useful if one wants to move over the earth without changing the angle to the surface, but being able to manipulate the north angle.

Other than this the product works excellent, maybe only one thing, Sketchup performance seems much slower in heavy models when using the 3D controller in relation of for instance middle mouse rotation. Maybe some extra integration between Sketchup and 3dxware...

I hope I explained my four slight problems, and that in some next release they can be solved. Maybe the Vista Driver release, because I can't wait to lay my hands on the controller on my Vista system. I heard something about a beta testing. This would be something for me, as I'm quite picky as you can see in the remarks I made.

Greetings,

Bas Woldman
Using SpaceNavigator
I hope someone knows anything about these problems.

Thanks in advance,

Bas Woldman
Toaster55
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Joined: Thu Jan 25, 2007 11:52 pm
Location: Massachusetts

Post by Toaster55 »

I am having the exact same problem just as described above. In google earth, all the configuration options work, but in Autocad 2007, not so much. I am really dissapointed, as I purchased this device solely for Autocad.

Is there any way to get this to work properly?

I also posted in the SpaceTraveler forum under the same topic
tle
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Joined: Fri Jan 26, 2007 7:57 am

Post by tle »

Hi all

I am getting the same error when using Rhino 3.0 SR5b.
Each time i switch to another app. (fx. AutoCAD 2007) and return to rhino i need to check the tilt and spin check boxes again, as they have been unchecked during the switch.
This also happens everytime i open a new file in rhino, even without leaving the application.

Furthermore each time i exit rhino the 3DXware asks me (if autosave configuration is unchecked) if I want to save the rhino3.exe configuration upon exit. I guess that's because i'm changing the settings all the time, when using Rhino, by checking the tilt and spin boxes, due to the above mentioned bug.

Otherwise I really enjoy the product!! therefore my interrest in crushing these bugs... :D

Regards
Lee
ngomes
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Post by ngomes »

Hi tle,
tle wrote: i need to check the tilt and spin check boxes again, as they have been unchecked during the switch.
This is a know issue and has been referenced as issue #4274 and it is already fixed. We will have an update on the beta for release 3.1 soon that will include the fix.
tle wrote:each time i exit rhino the 3DXware asks me (if autosave configuration is unchecked) if I want to save the rhino3.exe upon exit. That can't be good since it's the main exe file for running rhino (don't know what it's trying to do with it?).
That is the driver asking you if you want to save the changes you have made to the Rhino configuration. This behaviour is by design.
Nuno Gomes
tle
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Joined: Fri Jan 26, 2007 7:57 am

Post by tle »

Wow, talk about fast reply!!! :shock:

Thank you very much I'm looking forward to this!

Great service!!!
Toaster55
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Location: Massachusetts

Post by Toaster55 »

Maybe we should combine this topic into one?

See the other post here:
viewtopic.php?p=1106#1106
Woldman
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2007 5:35 am

Back on the Problem

Post by Woldman »

I've been away for a while, but I'm glad to see others have the same problem also.

Reversing Axis in AutoCAD is simply only working for the 'red' two axis (as in red in the images in the driver) All the others just don't react to the reversed commands in the driver. Sometimes the checkboxes remain checked and sometimes they're unchecked when you come back to the driver. Only the red ones always remain and will work.

I've reproduced the problem myself on three different systems, all on clean installs of Windows, with all recent drivers including the 3.11. It's really simple to reproduce as it allways occurs when you use AutoCAD 2007.

I really hope you can incorporate a sollution in the final 3.1 driver, as its really needed for workflow in objects larger then certain scale, as you want to be able to reverse all axis, anf rotate yourself instead of the object. Ever tried to work this way on a urban plan, it's not natural.

Looking forward to an answer,

B | Woldman
Woldman
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Post by Woldman »

Also I'd like to confirm that the problem with Google Earth is still present here.

It is not possible to sellect both pan, zoom and spin axis and not the tilt and roll axis. This has nothing to do with reversing the axis, as they are already correct in google Earth. (in my opinion, just like I want to use them in AutoCAD)

All works when you set it the first time, but when you re-enter Google Earth, you have to set it again, as the spin axis is desellected again.

I hope this also can be resolved in the next driver release. (not as important as the AutoCAD problem though)

B | Woldman
Toaster55
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Joined: Thu Jan 25, 2007 11:52 pm
Location: Massachusetts

Post by Toaster55 »

Ok, so a bit of an update.

I downloaded and installed the Pre 2007 Autocad plugin. I can now adjust my axes in AutoCad.

However, the zoom is so slow, its useless. Also, when I go to select objects, the snap points are off from what I see on the screen, unless I pan the image with the mouse.

Also, none of my settings save no matter what I do!

Please help!

-Eric
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Post by jwick »

The problem some of you have noticed with some of the settings in the advanced tab not sticking, has been fixed in the 3.1 release. This is being evaluated in QA now. It will be, at least, 3DxSoftware version 3.1.3 when it gets released. Thanks for pointing it out.

Jim
3Dx Software Development
Toaster55
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Location: Massachusetts

Post by Toaster55 »

What about the other problems, such as the snap points not lining up? And the zoom speed, it crawls so slow its silly (even with the speed all the way up)

And does it make sense that I should have to install a driver for an older version of AutoCad to make this work?

When can we expect this driver to come out? Not to be a pain here, but I purchased this device to work with Autocad, not to wait for drivers to be properly devoloped. I was under the impression that this was fully compatable with AutoCad, at this point, it appears that it is not.

I do appreciate that you are working on it. However, I find it a bit misleading that you advertise a product that should work with AutoCad, yet several people are having the same problem and the drivers are still being devoloped. What is the timeframe on this new driver coming out, and is there something in the mean time that we can all do to get around this problem?

-Eric
Woldman
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Post by Woldman »

I must say I'm also a little disappointed by the quallity of the driver as it is now, but at the same time, I'm not aware of any company that is so responsive to questions and immediatly tries to incorporate them in the next release.

I'm really looking forward to this 3.13 release, but please take the time to make it perfect. In that way we will all benifit fully from it. Haste is never a good path. I really hope to see the reverse axis and axis sellection (My Google Earth problem) being remembered in a very stable manner. And indeed, The Snap Points!!!!, They are half a screen misaligned!!! Also with just the 3.11 Beta driver. Please incorporate that also in the next release.

I'd rather wait another week than reopening a new topic on one of these problems, don't you agree Toaster55?

Thanks in advance,

B | Woldman
Toaster55
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Joined: Thu Jan 25, 2007 11:52 pm
Location: Massachusetts

Post by Toaster55 »

You are correct Woldman, the direct access to support is nice. I just wish I knew it was still in beta, I might have waited a bit to purchase it.

Thanks do go out to the people that have responded with support!
ngomes
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Post by ngomes »

Hi Woldman,
Woldman wrote:I'm really looking forward to this 3.13 release, but please take the time to make it perfect.
Our thoughts exactly. Like it was stated above, we believe to have fixed the problem that you are referring to (issue #4274). The fix was included in version 3.1.2 (beta) but the software was not released precisely because we were not happy with its quality.
We are disappointed with this delay but we do believe it is in everyone's interest to wait for 3.1.3.
Woldman
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Post by Woldman »

Thank you, really looking forwart to it, and dont forget the misalligned snap points! You know, the blue squares on the endpoints and midpoints of lines in AutoCAD. Or is this also (issue #4274)?

Thanks alot!

B | Woldman
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