Spacepilot and AutoCAD 2007 & AutoCAD 2008

[Skint Subby]

Why is it that using the spacepilot in AutoCAD 2006, it worked fine in 2d wireframe, yet in AutoCAD 2007 & AutoCAD 2008 you have to switch to a different visual style just to be able to rotate your model?

[ngomes]

Hi Skint Subby,

Please refer to the following posts: post 1 and post 2.

[Skint Subby]

Hi Skint Subby,

Please refer to the following posts: post 1 and post 2.

Hi Ngomes

That's what I mean. If you are working in AutoCAD 2007 or 2008 (2d wireframe) and you want to rotate your model, you have to switch visual styles before you can rotate the model. Otherwise you can only pan the model. Why can't the drivers be set so that as soon as you tried to rotate the model it automatically switches to 3dwireframe (assuming you are in 2d wireframe) I don't recall having this problem with 2006?

Basically In Inventor and Solidworks, as soon as you rotate the model it works fine, yet in AutoCAD you have to change visual styles first. If I've got to click an icon to change visual styles, I'm as well clicking the icon for 3Dorbit and not using the Spacepilot

Skint

[ngomes]

Hi Skint Subby,

If you use the "orbit" command, you will see that the application changes from a 2D wireframe to 3D. The 3D Mouse implementation follows the same approach.

[Skint Subby]

Hi Skint Subby,

If you use the "orbit" command, you will see that the application changes from a 2D wireframe to 3D. The 3D Mouse implementation follows the same approach.

Ngomes

That's my point. AutoCAD does it automatically

What benefit is a spacepilot in AutoCAD if you have to action a command before you use it? At least in AutoCAD it does it automatically when you do the 3dorbit command. (ie you want to orbit, so it switches to 3dwireframe then orbits)

As I mentioned earlier in Solidworks and Inventor as soon as you touch the joystick / controller it automatically lets you rotate, zoom, pan etc. Which is brilliant. Yet in AutoCAD you can't do any of this until you change visual styles first. Why can't the drivers be modified to act like it does on the other apps? Or at least to give us the option to act in this manner?

I just think it's a shame that when I use the controller in any other programme it works automatically, yet in AutoCAD you can't use it without actioning another command first. If it worked like that on all the programmes I would have (as someone mentioned in another post) "an expensive paperweight"

It worked fine in 2006 so why change it for 2007 & 2008?

[ngomes]

Hi Skint Subby,

That's my point. AutoCAD does it automatically

Activating the "orbit" command is a manual operation: the user needs to click on a toolbar button or type the command in.

I as far as I'm aware, you can switch to a 3D wireframe mode and leave it there. Is that correct? Do you need to use the 2D wireframe mode?

[Skint Subby]

Hi Skint Subby,

That's my point. AutoCAD does it automatically

Activating the "orbit" command is a manual operation: the user needs to click on a toolbar button or type the command in.

I as far as I'm aware, you can switch to a 3D wireframe mode and leave it there. Is that correct? Do you need to use the 2D wireframe mode?

Yes and using the spacepilot if I'm in 2d wireframe it is now a manual operation to enter another visual style also, before you can orbit your model.

As far as enter 3dwireframe and leaving it there. Any rasters or OLE objects will not show up in 3dwireframe mode. So no the option of putting it into 3d and leaving it there is not an option.

I don't see what the problem is. It used to work fine in previous releases (if i was in 2dwireframe and tried to orbit my model, it automatically switched to 3dwireframe) but now you (connexion, not you personally) have changed the way the driver works so that you have to manually action a command before you can use the space pilot orbit features. (back to what I said before.. If I have to action a command, I'm as well actioning the 3dorbit command and not using the spacepilot)

Skint

[ngomes]

I don't see what the problem is. It used to work fine in previous releases

"2D wireframe" is a mode where most users work on a plane surface. That is to say that most users prefer the 3D Mouse not to rotate the view. The other users are one click away from being able to rotate.
In the past, our solution was not consistent mainly due to a limitation of the AutoCAD API that prevents add-ins from reliably determining whether a dwg is 2D or 3D. The decision was then made to follow the behaviour of the other native commands of AutoCAD -- like the "orbit" tool.

[Skint Subby]

[quote="ngomes] In the past, our solution was not consistent mainly due to a limitation of the AutoCAD API that prevents add-ins from reliably determining whether a dwg is 2D or 3D. The decision was then made to follow the behaviour of the other native commands of AutoCAD -- like the "orbit" tool.[/quote]

So when the driver couldn't work out what mode it was in...it actually worked better?

ok. thanks for the info.... When using AutoCAD I'll stick to the 3D orbit and mouse then.

Spacepilot.. excellent for Inventor and Solidworks... for AutoCAD just use the tools Autodesk provides!

[ngomes]

When using AutoCAD I'll stick to the 3D orbit and mouse then.

Do note that most users do not want to rotate the working plane when editing a dwg in the "2D wireframe". The act of reaching for the "orbit" tool has a implied switch to the "3D wireframe."
The 3D Mouse works fine in panning and zooming regardless if you are in 2D or 3D wireframe.

[Skint Subby]

Do note that most users do not want to rotate the working plane when editing a dwg in the "2D wireframe".

Hence the reason I asked "Or at least to give us the option to act in this manner? "

The act of reaching for the "orbit" tool has a implied switch to the "3D wireframe."

Yip... but it's automatic after you action the command. One command wether it's using the mouse to action the 3dorbit command, or changing visual styles. Using the mouse also means you don't have to change your visual style back to 2dwireframe when you've finished. Again no bonus to having the spacepilot... Not for AutoCAD anyway

The 3D Mouse works fine in panning and zooming regardless if you are in 2D or 3D wireframe.

So does the normal mouse that your right hand is usually always on.

I may be thick, but now you have changed the drivers to work in this way, convince me that using the spacepilot in AutoCAD is more beneficial than using the mouse?

[ngomes]

So does the normal mouse that your right hand is usually always on.

Not really. The normal mouse is limited in what it can do, navigation wise. Either you zoom or you pan or you rotate. You cannot do all at the same time as with a 3D Mouse.

A 3D Mouse will control all six degrees of freedom at the same time. That's the crux here, if you are in a 2D environment and you grab the 3D Mouse, how would you stop it from doing an unwanted rotation?

This was the complaint of users that prefer not to rotate when panning and zooming with the 3D Mouse in a 2D environment.

now you have changed the drivers to work in this way, convince me that using the spacepilot in AutoCAD is more beneficial than using the mouse?

We have changed the drivers because we listen to our customers. When working on a 2D environment, users prefer to pan and zoom with the 3D Mouse without rotating the plane. In 3D environments, they can use the 3D Mouse to its fullness.

Note that the normal mouse is not a competitor (after all we are a Logitech company). There are some tasks (like point-and-click) where the normal mouse is the preferred input device.

In the end, the user has the choice. No two engineers use AutoCAD in the exact same way. The same goes for the 3D Mouse.

[Skint Subby]

In the end, the user has the choice. No two engineers use AutoCAD in the exact same way. The same goes for the 3D Mouse.

That's my point. We don't really have a choice. Why can't we have the option to use it in the way we desire?

Don't get me wrong. I think the Spacepilot is brilliant. especially when I use it for Inventor. I just prefered the way it worked on previous releases of AutoCAD.

Anyway, no point beating a dead horse.

[ngomes]

We don't really have a choice. Why can't we have the option to use it in the way we desire?

You have the choice. You can switch to the 3D wireframe by a single click on a button on the "visual styles" toolbar and rotations will be active.

You can also assign a keyboard shortcut to toggle between 2D and 3D wireframe and assign it to a button on the 3D Mouse: a single press on the button and you can rotate; press again and you revert to 2D wireframe.

[Skint Subby]

You have the choice. You can switch to the 3D wireframe by a single click on a button on the "visual styles" toolbar and rotations will be active.

You can also assign a keyboard shortcut to toggle between 2D and 3D wireframe and assign it to a button on the 3D Mouse: a single press on the button and you can rotate; press again and you revert to 2D wireframe.

Jeezooooo gnomes....... read my first post!!!! You've just wen't round in circles to the question I first asked!!

Why is it that using the spacepilot in AutoCAD 2006, it worked fine in 2d wireframe, yet in AutoCAD 2007 & AutoCAD 2008 you have to switch to a different visual style just to be able to rotate your model?.