macOS with Magic Mouse

[jody.whitlock]

So running macOS Sierra (10.12.6) on an iMac with a Magic Mouse (first version) and for the life of me I can't figure out how to get navigation to work.  I'm coming from a Windows 10 system where I run Fusion360 because of this navigation issue, but I'm hoping I can solve this so that I can use Fusion360 on whichever device I want.

I've seen a ton of posts that are similar but recommend some third party tool that hasn't been supported in a couple of years and the API it references is depreciated, so that's not a viable option.

Is there anyway to have a key modifier to allow for a Mac mouse of any kind to work as a navigation for pan and orbit?  I don't think it would be all that difficult since Windows has the Shift+Middle Mouse for orbit, and Middle Mouse for pan.  Maybe Option+Mouse click for pan and Control+Mouse click for orbit?  I don't see those being used for anything else.

[mazinaSVFNT]

Yeah, I don't know how they prioritize things, but ignoring something that
makes basic actions in their product cumbersome for so many users is absurd.

For what it's worth, I use something called Better Touch Tool that lets you
create a region in the middle of the Magic Mouse that acts as a middle
mouse button when tapped. Unfortunately, it's difficult to reliably tap
the right spot. I ended up printing a tiny label with a single '-' so that
I can tap it more reliably.

[rmh]

I am starting to lean Fusion360, and have run into this issue with the Apple Magic Mouse.   Sounds like AutoDesk doesn't want to support the Mac.  I am not going to get a different mouse, and don't want to add some third party package to my Mac.

[rmh]

I tried right clicking on my MagicMouse and got this.  Not perfect, but workable.   Unfortunate, it's not documented anywhere I could find.

[reconstructions23]

Autodesk could fix this easily if they wanted, I conclude they don't want to.  Fusion is the best solution for CAM and parametric modeling on the Mac, but it is still a graphics dog at heart, although M1 is so fast it is actually pretty performant even with Autodesk's poor implementation of the graphics SDK. So why would Autodesk even develop such a program and give it away for free? To forestall the development of a cross-platform open-source CAM and parametric modeler comparable to Blender, which could threaten to kill their whole business for good if it ran on Windows.  So they keep Fusion just good enough to work on Mac, so that all the schools and free sites will install it, but mostly just to raise the competitive bar for for the open source community. Thus zero interest in fixing problems that would get done in 3 minutes if it was Blender, but might prove embarrassingly better than their high-cost Windows apps when running on an M1 mac with magic input powers.

[tijuanakez]

I find this to be ridiculously short sighted.

1. Provide a MacOS compatible version of your software. For Macs. That's right, computers that come with track pads or a Magic Mouse.

2. Lock the most essential features to a button the Mac users don't have.

Does any one else find this utterly bonkers?

Has anyone at Autodesk used a Magic Mouse? They're awesome. 

[davec]

More crickets, my god, how hard can this be to implement???

[TrippyLighting]

I found the magic mouse an ergonomic disaster for CAD work. I've tried this for an entire year (that's 5-6 years ago) using a couple of software tools such as Better Touch Tool etc.

There is simply no alternative for a click-scroll wheel when working with CAD. YMMV

[davec]

That's certainly one opinion. 

[nicholascallen]

That's interesting, @TrippyLighting. My "milage" is varied; I've had the exact opposite experience. When my scroll-wheel mouse gave up the ghost five years ago, I switched to the Magic Mouse. I use it exclusively and extensively for hours a day in a variety of design and image editing software. I find it to be the most comfortable mouse I've ever used. My gripe is with Fusion's lack of support for Magic Mouse gestures.

While I will accept using different hardware is a solution to this problem, it is not the solution this thread is seeking. Other developers have software which supports the gestures the Magic Mouse is capable of. It would be great if Autodesk would, too. For what it's worth, the number of Magic Mouse users is likely to increase now that they come standard with new desktop Macs.

[rxhanson]

Since there's still a lot of unrest on this topic, I think it is worthwhile to mention that Apple does not provide a supported way for third parties to listen to touch input on a Magic Mouse. If Autodesk were to build support for touch based Magic Mouse gestures into Fusion 360 based on Apple's private, undocumented framework (the only way to do so), Apple could suddenly stop providing access or change this framework in the next macOS release. Additionally, this private framework usage comes with no guarantees from Apple and therefore something built on it might not work the same way for every user. Apple has put third parties in an awkward situation with the Magic Mouse.

For anyone just looking for a middle click on the Magic Mouse that works in Fusion 360, I created an app called Middle. It's not free, but it is simpler and cheaper than BetterTouchTool, and I have done a decent amount of testing with it in Fusion 360. It has a 7 day free trial.

[davec]

As a former Apple engineer I can understand the reluctance to use private API. However, you have keyboard setups for Inventor and others, at least give us a method to map keys to simulate pan, orbit, etc other than the function keys. While your at it, why not give us the ability to remap all the functions to keys we prefer.

[damiengambill]

How is this STILL an issue? Please just add a way to add custom shortcut keys to Pan and Orbit and the issue is resolved for the most part!

[it-infoEAQZW]

yep, it is a pain in the ... BUT the tool MIDDLE makes it comfortable with the magic mouse.

TWO finger click = PAN, Release .. done ... so easy to quickly readjust the view / the position of the object.

When the cursor is within the orbiting area on the grid ... still TWO finger click = PAN BUT additional holding the SHIFT key ==> ORBITING.

Release key done ... press Key Orbiting so ... easy switch betwenn Pan and Orbit ... sooo one can inspect or change side easily to e.g. define Fillets etc.

[giacomo_sacc]

It was 2018, 5 years after do we have a clue?

[paolo.protti]

Just buy a different mouse for Fusion360, it will be cheap and convenient.

[nicholascallen]

Even cheaper and easier, I’ve stopped using auto desk products.

[TrippyLighting]

We appreciate your particularly helpful and contribution. Well done!

[davec]

Likewise, I no longer use Fusion and let my subscription lapse. For now, I use OnShapewhich meets my needs.

[ctgriffith]

Just adding my vote here: as a newcomer to Fusion 360, it boggles my mind (!) that this very capable and highly-praised application provides such lousy support for Apple's Magic Mouse. Autodesk Software Team: how about just adding an option for this device in the Preferences menu—or, at least allow users to set some of their own shortcuts for pan/orbit/zoom? Are you really that unconcerned with supporting such a huge community of creatives? Is it necessary to force everyone to purchase and use a three-button mouse in order to do CAD successfully? Unbelievable.

[TrippyLighting]

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@ctgriffith wrote:

Just adding my vote here: as a newcomer to Fusion 360, it boggles my mind (!) that this very capable and highly-praised application provides such lousy support for Apple's Magic Mouse. Autodesk Software Team: how about just adding an option for this device in the Preferences menu—or, at least allow users to set some of their own shortcuts for pan/orbit/zoom? Are you really that unconcerned with supporting such a huge community of creatives? Is it necessary to force everyone to purchase and use a three-button mouse in order to do CAD successfully? Unbelievable.

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I've said it before, I'll say it again. For anything 3D modeling related, the magic mouse is simply the wrong device. Period! End of Story!

I've used MacOS since 2007 and tried for an entire year to live with the magic mouse for CAD.

I've used CAD and 3D modeling software for over 30 years.