CAD Managers

[#1]

I'm just a little curious, how many of you use a track ball?. A new drafter
just started here and brought in his own track ball.
Personally, I can't see how he is going to become productive using a track
ball. But then again I have never used one while drafting.
I've sat at his desk and it seems very awkward to draft with.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You,

--
Howard Kaplan
Sidney B. Bowne & Son
235 E. Jericho Turnpike
Mineola, NY 11501
www.Bownegroup.com
Dell Optiplex GX620
Acad R2006, LDD 2006
Dual Pentium 3.2 Ghz
2 Gig of Ram

[#2]

if he's used it for any length of time he's probably pretty good with it. I tried one for a few weeks and kept getting cramps in my hand because I was using my thumb to work the ball. Never did get comfortable with it. But, I know a lot of people that do. If it works for him, let it go.

Paul Caruthers

[#3]

all trackballs need to be thrown into a pit of fire. we have 2 drafters that use those dam things and they swear by them, but they are 1/3 as productive as the drafters that use a mouse.

[#4]

I have found that using a track ball I "overshoot" my points thus it takes
more time to do the things I need to do.

ACote


"Howard K" wrote in message
news:5439652@discussion.autodesk.com...
I'm just a little curious, how many of you use a track ball?. A new drafter
just started here and brought in his own track ball.
Personally, I can't see how he is going to become productive using a track
ball. But then again I have never used one while drafting.
I've sat at his desk and it seems very awkward to draft with.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You,

--
Howard Kaplan
Sidney B. Bowne & Son
235 E. Jericho Turnpike
Mineola, NY 11501
www.Bownegroup.com
Dell Optiplex GX620
Acad R2006, LDD 2006
Dual Pentium 3.2 Ghz
2 Gig of Ram

[#5]

I use a wacom tablet, but my dad uses a trackball and swears by it. He
is the CAD manager for his firm (has been for 15 years) and suffers
carpal tunnel related wrist problems. This device allows him to work
while limiting the use of his wrist, and he is blazingly fast.

I am sure the trackball has nothing do with others mentioning slow
drafters. It is likely more to do with the drafter themselves.



Howard K wrote:
> I'm just a little curious, how many of you use a track ball?. A new drafter
> just started here and brought in his own track ball.
> Personally, I can't see how he is going to become productive using a track
> ball. But then again I have never used one while drafting.
> I've sat at his desk and it seems very awkward to draft with.
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thank You,
>

[#6]

Howard K wrote:
> I'm just a little curious, how many of you use a track ball?. A new drafter
> just started here and brought in his own track ball.
> Personally, I can't see how he is going to become productive using a track
> ball. But then again I have never used one while drafting.
> I've sat at his desk and it seems very awkward to draft with.
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thank You,

I think they are a bit tedious, I always miss my target by this >< much.

[#7]

I find myself to be much more productive with a trackball. I've read the
other messages about overshooting pick and such. That just means that the
trackball properties weren't set correctly.

I personally don't like the ones that are run using the thumb. But others
may get along with them just fine. Mine has a trackball. a scroll wheel and
4 buttons. One button I have set to toggle Ortho. Something I do a lot. If I
hold down ALT and hit the same button it will toggle the Osnaps (= F3).

Any awkwardness you find can be attributed to unfamiliarity. If you tried if
for a week you might feel differently. What you need to do is to watch him
use it. If I have to sit at a computer with a mouse. I look a little bit
unpracticed at first.

I have the same trackball at both my jobs. When I had bought my last home
computer I picked up a cheep trackball. So my wife learned on it. When if
failed I hooked up the mouse. She hated it. I told her to buy whatever she
wanted. She came home with exactly the same one I use at work without ever
having seen either.

Unfortunately Microsoft does not make the Trackball Explorer any more. They
were obviously popular because a new one goes for over $100 on ebay. A used
one around $75. I dread when one of mine stops working because I haven't
found a replacement I like.

I started using one because of shoulder problems. But I think they are
marvelous. Imagine. Never running out of mouse cord and having to pick up
the mouse and move it up the table in the middle of an operation. Of course
cordless will help but you'll still run out of table.

Anyway. You now know I like trackballs. Let the user prove he can work with
it.

Allen

"Howard K" wrote in message
news:5439652@discussion.autodesk.com...
I'm just a little curious, how many of you use a track ball?. A new drafter
just started here and brought in his own track ball.
Personally, I can't see how he is going to become productive using a track
ball. But then again I have never used one while drafting.
I've sat at his desk and it seems very awkward to draft with.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You,

--
Howard Kaplan
Sidney B. Bowne & Son
235 E. Jericho Turnpike
Mineola, NY 11501
www.Bownegroup.com
Dell Optiplex GX620
Acad R2006, LDD 2006
Dual Pentium 3.2 Ghz
2 Gig of Ram

[#8]

"Howard K" wrote in message
news:5439652@discussion.autodesk.com...
I'm just a little curious, how many of you use a track ball?. A new drafter
just started here and brought in his own track ball.
Personally, I can't see how he is going to become productive using a track
ball. But then again I have never used one while drafting.
I've sat at his desk and it seems very awkward to draft with.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You,

--
Howard Kaplan
Sidney B. Bowne & Son
235 E. Jericho Turnpike
Mineola, NY 11501
www.Bownegroup.com
Dell Optiplex GX620
Acad R2006, LDD 2006
Dual Pentium 3.2 Ghz
2 Gig of Ram

For my right hand, I use a trackball. If I use a mouse for over a couple of
weeks, my hand goes numb. For real productivity, I use the 2 key short cuts
(that I have developed and used for the last 21 years) and my Summasketch
III tablet. Watching some of the other drafters around here mouse their way
through the pull down menus and then go back to the screen to pick drives me
crazy. They are so slow.


Tim Storey

[#9]

Thanks to all for the Input.
So, there are people out there who use a trackball and are productive.
In the 13 yrs I have been drafting I have never seen a person draft with
one.
I think I saw a secretary use a trackball once. But, that is a whole
different thing.

I myself use a wireless mouse and hate when I go to someone elses desk
and have that stupid wire attached to there mouse.



Thanks again,
Howard

"Timothy B. Storey" wrote in message
news:5440065@discussion.autodesk.com...
"Howard K" wrote in message
news:5439652@discussion.autodesk.com...
I'm just a little curious, how many of you use a track ball?. A new drafter
just started here and brought in his own track ball.
Personally, I can't see how he is going to become productive using a track
ball. But then again I have never used one while drafting.
I've sat at his desk and it seems very awkward to draft with.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You,

--
Howard Kaplan
Sidney B. Bowne & Son
235 E. Jericho Turnpike
Mineola, NY 11501
www.Bownegroup.com
Dell Optiplex GX620
Acad R2006, LDD 2006
Dual Pentium 3.2 Ghz
2 Gig of Ram

For my right hand, I use a trackball. If I use a mouse for over a couple of
weeks, my hand goes numb. For real productivity, I use the 2 key short cuts
(that I have developed and used for the last 21 years) and my Summasketch
III tablet. Watching some of the other drafters around here mouse their way
through the pull down menus and then go back to the screen to pick drives me
crazy. They are so slow.


Tim Storey

[#10]

I had a wireless mouse and did not like it as it was heavier than the wired one, it dragged more on the mouse pad.
I love the no wire but went back.
Watch out on the ones who use trackballs, I have seen one in 5 people be fast with them, and the slow ones NEVER speed
up because they are using the mouse (trackball) too much anyway.
Find that person that types most commands, and they are great with a trackball Plus you can play centipede better if
you have MAME.

Howard K
|>Thanks to all for the Input.
|>So, there are people out there who use a trackball and are productive.
|>In the 13 yrs I have been drafting I have never seen a person draft with
|>one.
|>I think I saw a secretary use a trackball once. But, that is a whole
|>different thing.
|>
|>I myself use a wireless mouse and hate when I go to someone elses desk
|>and have that stupid wire attached to there mouse.
|>
|>
|>
|>Thanks again,
|>Howard
|>
|>"Timothy B. Storey" wrote in message
|>news:5440065@discussion.autodesk.com...
|>"Howard K" wrote in message
|>news:5439652@discussion.autodesk.com...
|>I'm just a little curious, how many of you use a track ball?. A new drafter
|>just started here and brought in his own track ball.
|>Personally, I can't see how he is going to become productive using a track
|>ball. But then again I have never used one while drafting.
|>I've sat at his desk and it seems very awkward to draft with.
|>
|>Any help would be greatly appreciated.
|>
|>Thank You,
James Maeding
Civil Engineer and Programmer
jmaeding - athunsaker - com