Who's excited about 3D mice?

[LinkVanyali]

I'm really excited about the addition of 3D mice as a control option, it's going to make docking and controlling so much more realistic.

I don't actually have a 3D mouse, though I've used them before, and it makes a really nice difference working in 3D programs.

I'd like to buy one for myself but I don't want to have to spend 99USD (about 1000ZAR) on a 3DConnexion SpaceNavigator. That's a bit much for a game controller.

I wonder, does anyone own a 3D mouse? Where did you get it and how much did you pay? What do you think of 3D mice as input devices in KSP?

Also, your opinion on 3D mice.

[antiquark]

Sorry, totally not excited!

[User Unrelated]

If KSP has 3D mouse support, I'll be getting one

because I also do a lot of 3D modeling in Solidworks, so it would be a great addition for both of the things I like to do!

I've never really looked into them before, but now might be a good time to start.

[FellipeC]

This don't float my boat. What I really wish is a good way to use XBox or Dual Shock controller. I have tried but can't find a good config that works well.

[Firov]

I was given a SpaceMouse Pro by a friend recently, so this is actually something I'm looking forward to. It should make docking / RCS maneuvering easier, at least in theory.

[FITorion]

what the heck is a 3d mouse?

[DannySwish]

I think it could be cool. I tend to buy expensive things for little purpose anyway, so I'm open to it.

[Dante80]

what the heck is a 3d mouse?

Well,

[Firov]

what the heck is a 3d mouse?

A "3d" mouse allows movement in 6 axis, rather than just the 2 afforded by a standard mouse, or 3 by a joystick.

For rotation, you can control yaw, pitch, and roll. For translation you can move forward/back, up/down, and right/left. This is all done with one input device. That's what makes them unique and why they should be useful for RCS control.

[Cydonian Monk]

Given that KSP works perfectly well with my $30 3D joystick, I wasn't aware it needed to have support added for 3D mice. What is different between the two that needs added support? (Aside from the pricetag?)

Or is it just a matter of tweaking the default mouse controls?

(Edit: Nevermind. I think I understand now. So they're really six-axis mice?)

Edited November 25, 2013 by Cydonian Monk

[Merinsan]

Not interested.

20 years ago in uni, my classmate was doing a research project on this stuff and it looked pointless then with a 2d display (with "3d" images).

Besides, the mouse already provides more than 2 axis of control with the scroll wheel and mouse buttons. I can't imagine needing anymore control than what I already have.

[Moonfrog]

Who came to this thread other than me, thinking that 3D mice would be incorporated in the game somehow, as 3d shaped mice roaming the complexes and reaches of space as animal experimentation projects.

nice thread but I was disappointed personally.

[Galileo Kerbonaut]

I've tried it all: joystick control (yup, really... looooong ago on the C64 ) trackballs, those drawing pens, touchscreens, touchpads, voice control etc. I never found anything yet that beats simple mouse/keyboard control. So, no... I highly doubt I will like/use a 3D mouse. But before I shove it aside, I have to try it at least once. But, no... I'm not planning to buy one. I'll give it a try when I see a demonstration of it, but it probably will end up on my useless controller list.

[FlamedSteak]

Not really interested. These control systems are usually the type of thing you use for 6 months then they gather dust for the rest of their lives.

I dropped a big pile of cash on a HOTAS joystick and I don't think I've used it for 3 years.

[Dante80]

Its the Axsotic 3D Mouse

http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/09/axsotic-3d-mouse-takes-a-spherical-stab-at-an-age-old-problem/

[Sethnizzle]

I wonder if you will be able to configure TrackIR to use this. It tracks 6 axes of motion and you can set up profiles just to emulate mouse control. I'll have to test it out when this update lands.

[SgìobairOg]

What I'd like to do is take the old Apollo style docking control and be able to use that for RCS; added realism and, in my theory at least, better performance.

[SgìobairOg]

Sorry, double post.

[lunaticPhD]

well there goes 100 dollars...

[nhnifong]

ME! I own a 3D connexion mouse and I love using it for blender and Google earth.

[-Gamah]

Seems to me a lot of the naysayers are severely underestimating the usefulness of 6 axis simultaneous proportional control...

This is essentially what Niel used to land on the moon, in 1 hand versus two.

being able to rotate in any direction by any amount from a little to a lot, all whilst being able to translate in any direction at the same time. This is going to be a blast. I'll be picking up a 3d mouse methinks.

[LinkVanyali]

I think the thing I'm most excited about is the whole proportional control thing. And also that its truly 6DOF. I wonder if the 3Dconnexion products need the driver or can they work with HID like a usual mouse?

The thing is, the only company who sells 3D mice seems to be 3DConnexion. The Axsotic is nowhere to be found. Not really sure of any other brands. The Sandio3D o2 isnt a TRUE 6DOF device, it has a modifier button. The Stealth 3D (http://www.stealth3dmouse.com/) seems a bit like you'll need to actually learn to use it, as opposed to other more intuitive mice (ie 3Dconnexion stuff)

Tangentally related is the Mycestro, while not a true 3D mouse is perhaps an interesting alternative to a traditional mouse (http://www.mycestro.com/)

[Xaiier]

I think its completely ridiculous for Squad to spend time implementing 3D mouse controls. I work at an animation studio and I have a 3dconnexion mouse sitting about 5 inches left of this keyboard, and it's not even plugged in because I find it irritating to use. Sure, with practice it might be great fun, but it's not worth the effort to learn when a normal mouse and keyboard work just fine. Also, I've found that they tend to be imprecise, like when you only want to move one axis its almost guaranteed that another one is going to move slightly too. I would think that with RCS that would be mighty annoying. With a massive deadzone it would work, but then its basically just a fancy layout of keys that I already have on my keyboard and I'm perfectly fine working with. The price is massively prohibitive for anyone who isn't also going to use it for 3d applications, which means most of the community won't ever use one.

[Javster]

I have a joystick, so I'm not gonna spend money on a 3D mouse just for KSP.

[nhnifong]

I think its completely ridiculous for Squad to spend time implementing 3D mouse controls. I work at an animation studio and I have a 3dconnexion mouse sitting about 5 inches left of this keyboard, and it's not even plugged in because I find it irritating to use. Sure, with practice it might be great fun, but it's not worth the effort to learn when a normal mouse and keyboard work just fine. Also, I've found that they tend to be imprecise, like when you only want to move one axis its almost guaranteed that another one is going to move slightly too. I would think that with RCS that would be mighty annoying. With a massive deadzone it would work, but then its basically just a fancy layout of keys that I already have on my keyboard and I'm perfectly fine working with. The price is massively prohibitive for anyone who isn't also going to use it for 3d applications, which means most of the community won't ever use one.

Which modelling program? I use it to control my view with blender (I still move objects with the mouse) While I can see that it would be irritating to move objects in freeform directions, it's really nice for camera control. I hope Camera control is what squad has in mind for 3D mouse integration, but I'll be even happier if I can just map it to whatever I want.

Edited November 27, 2013 by Vanamonde