Hard to use spacemouse when sketching

[SGoldthwaite]

Anyone else have trouble using a spacemouse when sketching? I have no problem controlling the view in Model mode, even if I have bodies hidded and just show sketches.  But when I go into edit sketch, I have a terrible time controlling things.  I can't put my finger on it, but it just doesn't work the same.  As soon as I exit the edit sketch mode, everything is fine.  I'm using Fusion360 on a Mac.

[Oceanconcepts]

I can't say it's that hard to use, but I do notice differences with the Space Navigator behaviour in sketching. I believe that the perspective view changes as well. When sketching i tend to use the view cube or "look at" command more, that might be why. 

I do notice in the Sculpt environment, that for a second, up to several seconds after using the Space Navigator, manipulators and tools disappear. This doesn't happen if I rotate with the View Cube. 

[FrankCao]

Hi SGoldthwaite,

Thanks for reporting the issue. We also did some simple testing internally using space mouse in sketch environment, seems we did not find much problems.

So could you help let us know:

1. Did you encounter the problem for each model in sketch? If you only encounter the problem for specific model, could you help export the model and attach it here for us to research? We would appreciate if you could help record a video for us to better understand the issue.

2. This issue might be related with hardware, can you tell us your detailed Mac OS information including grapchics card?

Thanks,

Frank

[SGoldthwaite]

I get the same behavior for all my designs. I'm on a Mac. I did a little testing and i think I know what's going on.  I made a simple circle and rectangle model to test.  When I look at my model from the Front view, everything works fine.  Tilting left on the mouse tilts left the model and visa-versa.  Rotationg clockwise on the mouse rotates clockwise on the model, and visa-versa.  But when I change the view to the top, tilting left on the mouse rotates the model clockwise and visa-versa.  And rotating the mouse clockwise tilts the model left - kind of.  It's kind of at an angle.  So the mouse movements change as my orientation changes and this makes it impossible for me to control.  I think the problem I'm having with edit sketch mode is I'm normally looking at it from the top and when that happens tilting and rotating are mixed up.  Here's a link to a screencast I made.

https://screencast.autodesk.com/main/details/b4bf2574-a0f0-4b41-9fbe-806f19b6c750

I hope this isn't the desired behavior.  I don't know if I could get used to it.  

[TheCADWhisperer]

With my 3DConnexion Space Navigator I changed the default behavior such that the pan up/down is the same motion relative to the desktop (physical desktop) as pan right/left.

To me this is a more natural motion and the motion is identical in all of the various CAD program (Fusion, Inventor, SWx, Creo) that I use.

[NicolasXu]

Hi Scott,

Thank you for the screencast. It’s very helpful for us to understand the problem.

I worked with Frank to test the behavior by using a Space Navigator. We tested Inventor, Fusion 360 and the utility “3Dconnexion Collage” installed together with the 3D mouse driver. We saw similar behaviors in the three software, i.e. the mouse movements are related to the view orientation - the spin axis is always the UP direction against the view angle.

https://screencast.autodesk.com/main/details/bdd28377-2897-4590-bd10-a52af319f911

It seems to us a common behavior, but anyway, we will discuss it with the experts in the development team. Meanwhile, do you happen to know if other software can handle the 3D mouse in a different way?

Best Regards,

[SGoldthwaite]

I've only used my 3D mouse with SketchUp and it works very well.  It doesn't change anything as the viewpoint changes.

[NicolasXu]

Hi Scott,

Thanks for the information. I checked the 3D mouse setting for SketchUp. It seems the “Lock Horizon” option in the popup menu of Button L is a key.  I tried uncheck this option and saw similar rotation behavior as Fusion 360.

The option should be added by the application itself. If this is something that you would like us to add to Fusion 360, it would be great if you can submit this request to our IdeaStation.

This site is the best way to get ideas and suggestions to us, and others in the community can vote for your idea.

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-ideastation-request-a/idb-p/125/tab/most-recent

Regards,

[Teunsegers]

I'm having a lot of issues using the SpaceMouse enterprise at the moment. It seems like axis get randomly inverted, sensitivities change under certain angled for certain axis (to the point an axis is seemingly locked) and it's just an inconsistent mess.

I know the axis get inverted, because if I invert them in the driver it's all fine again. Until they flip again of course. When an axis "bogs down", the mouse still works fine and I have to switch to that. It's all very hard to describe and very inconsistent. I've tried all sort of driver settings in the 3DConnexion software, but nothing seems to help. Sometimes I can't pan vertically, sometimes I can't zoom, sometimes 2 axis on the mouse become 1 axis in Fusion. Sometimes both sides of an axis go in the same direction (once I was always zooming out when moving in eitehr direction).

When does this happen? Quite randomly. Sometimes leaving Fusion and focussing another applicaiton resets the issue. Sometimes wiggling the model around fixes the issue. Sometimes it just won't go away. Using the 3dConnexion demo app works perfectly, I can control the model exactly the way I want; but in Fusion it's like controlling a puppet with the strings crossed.

Please help.

[jerry.lowerry]

Having the same issue with the SM Enterprize!  When I zoom in it seems to get so far and then lock.  Did you get this resolved? 

[TheCADWhisperer]

Can you File>Export your *.f3d file to your local drive and then Attach it here to a Reply?

[jerry.lowerry]

Sure, if it will help... Really hard to predict when it happens but it seems to do it when I am in a sketch and trying to get into a tight place.. I can still orient slowly but it will zoom only to a point and then stop zooming.. If I engage the wheel on the mouse it can sometimes fix it.. It seems to be a function I have engaged that I am unaware of.  It could also be my sloppy technique.. I am still a noob to 360.  I am using the enterprise 3d mouse and the Cad mouse from 3d connexion. 

[Teunsegers]

No, I did not get this resolved. It seems to be more prevalent when zooming in close to details in large models. Isolating the component does seem to help. Overriding with classic mouse control also seems to work.

[jerry.lowerry]

Understood. Exactly what is happening to me and I am using the same work arounds

[g-andresen]

Hi,

For sketches, the Space Mouse is rather disadvantageous.
When it comes to Quick Zoom and you own a CAD mouse, use it for that.

Here is a tutorial.

günther