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3D Mouse Recommendations

Susquatch

Susquatch

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One of the things I liked about dedicated CAD Workstations was the input devices.

I've got a hankering to try a 3D Mouse with Fusion. I've seen a few comments on the Forum and elsewhere on the Web, but nothing beats recommendations from folks you know.

I may get a chance to test fly a mouse or two in an upcoming member visit, but it would be good to know what to look for and what to look out for too.

So I'd be interested in hearing what members might recommend and why. Please share your experiences here - both good and bad. Love to hear them!
 
I have a spacemouse, and It is definitely a high quality product that is worth the money if you do a tonne of CAD. During my internship, I had to make technical drawings and clean up an assembly in SolidWorks that had several thousand parts in it. I think 90% of the benefit of the spacemouse is to be had if you are working in large assemblies, as it makes mating parts extremely fast. The other 10% of the benefit is when you are presenting a CAD model to a client or maybe even your manager. You can kind of smoothly 'fly' through your part-space so it makes the viewing experience much smoother and less jerky. It makes the reviewing experience feel a bit more professional, you know?

Now that I use CAD less frequently and the parts I make are relatively simple and not in huge assemblies, it's been sitting in a drawer for a while.

EDIT: I have the spacemouse Pro which has a bunch of extra programmable hotkeys. This pairs extremely well with Solidworks, and I would guess that solidworks users are their primary audience. I know it can be used with Fusion, but I haven't tried it yet.
 
I have a Spacemouse, absolutely love it. Takes a bit to get used to using left hand for it, right hand for regular mouse. For right mouse I now have a CAD mouse, also from 3Dconnexion. Buy both at one time, saves money (ask me how I know ). the big advantage to me is being able to zoom and rotate easily, esp. useful for building assemblies on the fly.
https://www.3dmouse.ca/ is where I bought mine
 
Spacemouse for me too, purchased through @gerritv link. Nice build quality & its really designed wit CAD in mind. Of course outside of CAD it operates like regular mouse too, but the customization setup means you can still program buttons or wheels to do whatever you want within specific apps. I have my buttons set up to invoke Views, Measurement tool, Wireframe/Shade toggle...things I use a lot over & above rotating & zooming around. Initially the 'ergonomic' shape took me some getting used to but that was coming off a boring MS mouse that my muscle memory wouldn't let go of. I initially tried their smaller version, didn't like it as much & returned for the regular? bigger version. I've heard their Bluetooth is very good but I opted for wire. It doesn't bother me to have a wire, but any amount of lag or glitch behavior drives me mental.
 
Spacemouse all the way. I find that if I am working on a computer without one, my LH is reaching for it... So engrained now after 7 years of having one. My previous employer had them too, so I have thousands hours on it. Mine is the medium version, (no screen).
 
I have a space mouse with 12 shortcuts for zbrush. I LOVE IT.
Also have a cad mouse right handed brand new. Got it as a gift. But I’m left handed. I want to get rid of it if you are interested.
 
JuanH said:
I have a space mouse with 12 shortcuts for zbrush. I LOVE IT.
Also have a cad mouse right handed brand new. Got it as a gift. But I’m left handed. I want to get rid of it if you are interested.
Click to expand...

I'm currently using a Logitech mouse for my right hand input. I'd love something more flexible. What model is it?
 
My 3 year old 3DConnexion CadMouse Pro (wired) has been acting up & getting progressively worse. Skippy scroll wheel syndrome. Scroll up, it goes down, then changes its mind & overcompensates. And the same problem works in reverse. Some Googling including their help forum turns up its unfortunately a common issue. No change in OS or anything else on my side. The cures seem to be quite random which makes me think its probably electronics bugging out. I like it OK but in all honesty never really enjoyed the fit in my hand. I could just throw another $100 at the problem & stick with the familiar but - any other wired (ideally 3-button) mice I should consider? Seems like slim pickens. Really its only CAD work that I'm fussy about. And if I had to give up 3rd button I'd just be grumpy. I've heard some have programmable middle (utility) button that supposedly allows free float rotation. The rest of programming I just accept the defaults, but even the app is a bit old & flakey IMO. Apparently Win-11 is causing all kinds of grief too, but I'm still on Win-10 & hope to stay that way for as long as possible.
 
Corded Logitech are few & far between
www.logitech.com

Computer Mice - Wireless Mouse, Bluetooth, Wired | Logitech

Shop Wireless and Wired Mice. Visit Logitech to find the perfect wireless or wired computer mice to enhance your productivity or unleash your creativity.
www.logitech.com www.logitech.com

I swore I would not go Bluetooth or USB TX again because of lag. Have they made monumental leaps in the last couple years? I don't even notice my Bluetooth mouse on my laptop, but CAD seems to bring out the OCD in me.
 
I use the Space Mouse (round/wireless) in LH, the CAD mouse (wireless) in RH for CAD work. Once used to it I wouldn't go back. Both will works with cords as well. I can't detect any lag in wireless mode.
All of my machines are on Windows 11, no issues with the supplied setup app.

Previously I used a Logitech thumb/track ball mouse (it stayed in one place, you rolled the ball with your thumb. Also wireless although the button switches were garbage and were replaced by me after a year.

gerrit
 
I use a LuguLake Vertical Mouse:

IMG_7595.jpeg



IMG_7596.jpeg

Wired, 3-button, 1,000 DPI, standard USB, works with Mac & PC back to Vista & 98). More comfortable for me to use for long sessions.

Unfortunately, no longer available (I bought four of them in 2016), but search Amazon for “ergonomic vertical wired mouse” and you’ll find a bunch.
 
After weighing the pros & cons of a new mouse, new setup app, potentially new feel, general reluctance to go wireless.... all for basically similar price, I ended up deciding to buy the exact same mouse. They have an excellent return policy as a back stop. Came delivered within a few days, plugged into USB port & away we go. I think I just wore out my prior scroll wheel, the buttons were fine. The new one feels precise in scroll & depress mode, no more drifting or slight jog. I don't see any way to take these apart & wouldn't know what I'm looking at anyways. But a soft air blast into adjacent gaps did not improve the old one. I got just over 3 years out it so I'll chock it up to mice are consumable items when you make probably millions of clicks & scrolls. If it wasn't for CAD priority there are all kinds of cool mice to consider.

www.3dmouse.ca

Buy Ergonomic Mouse | 3Dconnexion CadMouse Pro - 3DMouse.ca

Ergonomic mouse designed to reduce strain and increase productivity. The CadMouse Pro supports natural hand placement for ultimate comfort during extended use.
www.3dmouse.ca www.3dmouse.ca
 
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