Problem: Auto-lock rotation in sketch mode

[U316755]

Since yesterday I am experiencing a strange behavior with my 3DConnexion mouse. That is, I cannot rotate the model when in sketch mode. I used this almost 90 percent of the times to select the surface to project or intersect, but now it is impossible to do that.

I have no idea, what is going on, besides that, the entire settings of the space mouse were reset to defaults. Does anyone know, if this is a new "feature"? And, can you please stop messing with features like this in the future, because people have a workflow that we don't want it to be messed with.

[TheCADWhisperer]

Bug reports go over here

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-support/bd-p/962

There are several threads on 3DConnexion issues since the Nov update.

In one of the threads I explained how I got mine working again and someone else explained a solution directly from 3DConnexion.

[Phil.E · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Sorry for any inconvenience. Recently 3Dconnexion and Fusion 360 development got together to introduce a tighter integration between Fusion and spacemouse.

This includes: Lock horizon (constrained orbit) and full command customization. It also included a pan/zoom "lock" on sketches, which was based on popular requests when we were doing research. It happens any time the "camera" is looking orthogonally at the sketch plane. (via look at command, or view cube)

What was left out (by accident) was a way to turn it off. The new functionality was under preview for a few months and we didn't hear from anyone who disliked the pan/zoom behavior. However, after the recent graduation from preview to full time operation it is apparent that some users want an option. 3Dconnexion is working now to produce a driver that allows for this sketch behavior to be turned off if desired. Sorry for the inconvenience while this is settled.

In the meantime, try any of these workarounds.

1. Use perspective camera - this effect will happen 0% of the time.

2. Turn off "auto look at sketch" preference - to avoid looking orthogonally at a sketch as you start or edit it.

3. Orbit with your mouse, or the orbit command, or the view cube to "break" the lock on the sketch plane.

[Phil.E]

PS: here is the 3dconnexion forum page.

[RCSDesign]

Nothing to add here but yeah, I hate this feature.  Its pretty simple to click the "home" icon to unlock it but yeah, its a bit jarring to go from free moving my model in space to my space mouse suddenly becoming a "zoom" function.  To me thats what I hate... I want my space mouse to do the same thing everytime I touch it, I don't want conditional functions. 

[Phil.E]

Do you like the Auto Look At sketch behavior, or do you use Look At sketch?

[jeff2HS8X]

by far the dumbest update feature released. this has been a pain in the ass , terrible idea to release this and not make it an option to turn it off. 

[Phil.E]

Have you tried any of these workarounds?

1. Use perspective camera - this effect will happen 0% of the time.

2. Turn off "auto look at sketch" (Preferences > Design > Auto Look At) - to avoid looking orthogonally at a sketch as you start it or edit it.

[billupsrothenbergfusion]

Both are horrible workarounds 😞 I've moved to fusion from solidworks since 6 years ago, and I'm subscribed user, but if this features doesn't get fixed, I'm jumping back to solidworks 😛

[rooshio]

I came here looking for a solution to my problem: "space-mouse not working in sketches until after moving view-cube." This has been frustrating me for a long time, and I'm surprised to hear that it's been a feature-request. Meanwhile I've been reinstalling software and drivers. For now, I'll use the workaround. 

Jumping into the conversation... I think it is very helpful to automatically look-at sketch when a sketch is created; however, if one wishes to remain  locked in that view, it is already very easy to pan and zoom in sketches by use of the original mouse's wheel-click. Since the original-mouse already fully controls zoom/panning, my other hand is accessing keyboard-shortcuts. The only reason I would touch my space-mouse is to use what it's designed for: 3D control. 

Removing the spacemouse's main functionality only to duplicate control that we *already* have in our other hand seems like a step backward. What percentage of these people are laptop users without a scroll-wheel or people who just haven't learned it yet? 

If I could have it my way, I would like the option to disable automatically Looking-At a new sketch. Instead, I would set one of my space-mouse buttons to Look-At (not currently an option) and jump there as needed. 

[Phil.E]

To disable Auto look at sketch, as mentioned previously, just turn off the preference for it.

[billupsrothenbergfusion]

deleted

[awelton00]

I hated this and accidentally found out that disabling the "look at sketch" option made it stop acting this way, but I assumed it was the terrible 3dconnexion driver doing it or I certainly would have complained. If the current behavior is working as intended then add me to the "I hate it, change it back" tally. 

[Phil.E]

There is an update to Fusion 360 to address the following issues for customers using Windows:

• Support for older 3Dconnexion devices
• 3Dconnexion pan and zoom behavior in Sketch mode

The update includes a new preference to use the legacy 3Dconnexion drivers for the experience of the previous integration between Fusion and 3Dconnexion devices. If you have an older device, it should be supported by the Legacy driver setting in Fusion.

Note: This will also remove the newest features like constrained orbit, and advanced button customization features, but only temporarily. We are currently working with 3Dconnexion on a solution for the sketch pan/zoom behavior that is intended to provide both the latest functionality as well as options for sketch behavior.

To get the latest build, 2.0.11894:

1. Restart Fusion 360
2. Watch the Job Status indicator
3. When complete, click Restart Fusion

To get the Legacy driver option:

1. Open Preferences
2. Click the dropdown next to SpaceMouse driver
3. Select Legacy
4. When prompted, restart Fusion

[billupsrothenbergfusion]

You guys saved my sanity (and my monitor from having the mouse thrown through it!)
How fast it took is seriously impressive.

[Lukas_Snopek]

Hello @Phil.E ,
I have similar problem in Drawings workbench. I think that few months ago I was able to use Spacemouse in drawings for pan and zoom the same way as it works now in sketch.
Now if I open drawings space mouse will change for a second to autodesk "Fusion 360-Drawing mode" and after to "AcCoreConsole" and she space mouse stop to manipulate with drawing. In 3D all is ok.
Is there some way how to repait it. I have the latest driver, and also reinstall the fusion. The problem is with both options for driver in F360 settings.

[Phil.E]

Actually, no. Fusion drawings have never supported spacemouse.

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-api-and-scripts/3d-mouse-now-works-in-2d-drawings/td-p/940...

Because of the new integration with spacemouse, drawings support is possible. I've updated the improvement request to reflect this. At this time there is no ETA for the improvement.

[GRSnyder]

Hmm... Unlike most of the people posting in this thread, I desperately want this feature (auto-lock 3DConnexion devices to the sketch plane when sketching)! But it doesn't seem to be working for me. I'm using a Mac - is this a Windows-only feature at this point?

The device I use (a SpaceMouse Pro) has a spin-lock button that has always worked perfectly well. Press the button to lock to the current plane, press again to go back to full 3D rotation. I just want the spin-locked mode to activate automatically when editing a sketch and to deactivate when I leave the sketch. If I hit the manual spin-lock button, it should toggle exactly as it currently does, regardless of the current state.

The issue isn't that I'm too lazy to press the spin-lock button (although I am 🙂). It's that it's very easy to lose context of which mode you are in. If you accidentally rotate while sketching, then you have to 1) change the spin-lock mode, 2) Look At the sketch plane again, which zooms and moves the sketch display, 3) zoom in or out to get back to the zoom scale you were previously working at, and 4) move the sketch so you see the area you were previously working on.

[Phil.E]

The solution for the complaint here is currently in the works. The end goal is to have a toggle for "sketch lock" in the 3dconnexion driver preferences. In Fusion you'll have a choice of legacy or latest drivers. This is not quite ready for release, so safe harbor applies here. 

After that, mac support will be the next task. Thanks for the question, and please be patient. I'm glad to hear someone say they want this feature. Fusion isn't the only software to use it, but it caught people by surprise. I can see the case for either mode. 

[barry9UDQ6]

When locked to the sketch plane I find it impossible to know exactly which geometry I am projecting into the sketch, being able to orbit with my 3d connexion in a sketch is essential. 

But for my drawn-in sketch elements I want to be in plane/face view. Scrolling and panning with the mouse work perfectly here.