Spacemouse and Vectric

[Ollie78]

HI everyone

I put this in the general computing bit as its a bit about hardware and a bit about software.

I have a 3d connexions Spacemouse which is a brilliant tool used in conjunction with a normal mouse, in Fusion 360 and other 3d programmes you use it to move the model in 6 axis while using the normal mouse in the other hand for drawing etc. Once you have used it it is very intuitive and you really get used to it.

Incidentally I have the cadmouse too which is also excellent.

When I use Vcarve I feel like I am being handicapped because there is no compatibility for the spacemouse. Of course there is no need for 6 axis control in Vcarve but it would be nice to be able to move the drawing left and right and to zoom in and out using it.
I think people who have not used one don`t "get it" but those who have think its a no brainer to use it all the time.

I have asked on the Vectric forum and support for this seems a low priority for them, though several other spacemouse owners expressed interest when I asked the question.

Apparently there was an old version of the drivers that would allow custom control for virtually any software via an overlay or something but for some reason (probably because they want quality control of the implementation) 3D Connexion removed this option.


I am trying a demo version of a thing called control my joystick which utilises the spacemouse to control flight simulators to try and get it to work but I am not having success with output so far (a question has been sent to the developer of CMJ) if I can get it to work i will buy the full version.

Does anyone know how to make this work? Another option of a 3rd party control software? There is an SDK you can download from the 3d connexion site but I would not know where to start with that. Has anyone got this to work?

Seems like if they wanted to it could be implemented quite easily by vectric.

Any ideas ?

Ollie

[EddyCurrent]

I wrote a Spacemouse plugin for CamBam but I don't have a licence for Vectric software and have only used a trial version.
http://www.atelier-des-fougeres.fr/C...paceMouse.html

[Ollie78]

Hi EddyCurrent

Thanks

That is interesting, I had not thought of doing it as a plugin.
Will have to find out if Vectric can accept plugins in that way, I know you can use gadgets for stuff but I think that is a different thing.

It is annoying as I kind of know what I want but as a programming numpty have no idea how to do it. I suspect a software developer/programmer could rustle it up in an afternoon !

The control my joystick software has the right idea but it seems to work by replacing an already existing command with a spacemouse motion. Its finding the way to input the correct existing function which is proving tricky.

Ollie

edit. Just checked about the gadgets apparently they are programmed in Lua https://gadgets.vectric.com/developerinfo.html whatever that is not sure this method would work as the gadgets are activated as a programme inside the main software so not a universal thing...

[EddyCurrent]

You need access to the internal functions of the software, specificalyy the 4x4 transformation matrix that controls the "view".
That way it's possible to, translate, scale and rotate the view.
But I think the obstacle is that Lua, the scripting language, will not be able to access the required 3DConnexion files.
The one I wrote for CamBam uses C#

Maybe your best plan is to use CamBam

[Ollie78]

This is where it goes over my head.
I tried to download the SDK provided by vectric for writing gadgets but it does not look like its working, I was going to see if there was any mention of the 4x4 transformation matrix in there which would at least give some hope of it working.

Apparently the Spacemouse works in Carveco which is in a lot of ways similar to Vectric stuff also Alibre atom which I am trying on demo as a Fusion alternative( not mad keen on subscriptions ).


Ollie