Mudbox 2019.1 - 3dconnexion support

[Intuos5]

I have been trying to use my 3d mouse in Mudbox 2019, but it was only able to zoom in and out. I have checked the preferences in the 3dconnexion software as well as the menu on the viewcube. To make matters worse, once I opened 2018.2 to see that it worked, the 3dconnexion software no longer registers the 2019 version in the driver. So now the device is even more useless... Any help on this matter would be appreciated!

[Intuos5]

Navigation in 2018.2 is also very clunky, definitely not up to standards with what I'm used to in 3ds Max for instance. I'm assuming that the fault is with the pivot location which certainly is not center to the model. Rotation in general (even by mouse) moves the point of origin around an off center axis. In all other programs it rotates around the origin, centering pivot to selection does not change this behavior, which can easily be observed with the basic head mesh. For the T-rex model, navigation with a 3d mouse is almost impossible due to this rotation. 

[faline.custodio.da.silva]

@Intuos5 

Thanks for posting. Do you have any interaction mode set in the preferences? What version of the 3D mouse are you using specifically?

[Intuos5]

@faline.custodio.da.silva I am using a Spacemouse pro wireless with 3dconnexion driver 10.6.2. To make sure to answer you properly I did some trouble shooting and tried both the camera and object mode. It seems both have the same issue and behave exactly the same way in terms of navigation. Whereas I expected the object mode to move the object similar to object mode in the advanced settings for Max, but it does not. Overall, these are the settings I've used:

For the attached videos I used these speed settings and I've put changes to the settings in the title of the respective video. What I noticed is that when I am center on the object or reset its location with the ZoomFit function, rotation happens in the way I expect it to. When I move it off center while continuing to pan/ zoom/ rotate it continues to behave as expected, however upon releasing the Spacemouse and re-initiating rotation that's when the problem occurs. So basically, whenever I am navigating, it is most likely to be off center and therefore very hard to use. Dominant axis does make it a little less clunky at the cost of losing navigation speed...

Aside from this I also noticed that cranking up the speed by one notch in the 3dconnexion driver has a major influence on usability, there is no way to configure a faster, yet usable speed regardless of changing individual axis. 

To elaborate on the issue that 2019.1 is not registered by the 3dconnexion driver: their customer support sent the case over to their developers, but I have yet to wait on an update. It may be an issue with a driver from their side, though they also cannot guarantee it will work out eventually. Their support is in a couple of levels: Certified > works, programs that are working but are not certified and Mudbox falls in the third category of all other programs that could be working but they are certainly not actively testing it. So this specific issue may or may not also involve Autodesk. All I know is that it did register the first time, I was only able to zoom with my 3d mouse and upon changing the settings the driver no longer registered Mudbox.

[Intuos5]

To be sure, I've added one more video here in 1080p with the grid enabled. At the maximum rotation speed that is usable, you can see it is still very slow (especially while recording a movie at 15 fps) so I'm starting to lose control half way through. The second part is about trying to navigate from the front to the side of the head. Settings were as follows: 

[JabbaTheNut]

I have a SpaceMouse Wireless.  I can confirm the same behavior as @Intuos5.  I can only zoom in and out.  As well, there is a problem with the 3dConnexion properties panel in Mudbox.  When you first open the panel, nothing is selected (attached image "mbox_before").  If you select to Restore Defaults, all the appropriate items get selected (attached image "mbox_restore").  However, after you save and then go back into the properties panel, nothing is selected (attached image "mbox_after").  Is anyone at Autodesk looking into this?

[Intuos5]

@JabbaTheNut  Does your 3dconnexion driver recognise that you are using Mudbox 2019.1? 

Also what does the 3dconnexion icon in the systray (bottom right corner on task bar) report when hovering over while in Mudbox (make sure to move it out of the show hidden icons menu)? Mine reports it uses 2018.2 for 2019.1 as well, hence why it may not be working properly. 

[JabbaTheNut]

Hi @Intuos5 ,

The 3dconnexion driver recognizes that I am in Mudbox.  However, it does not indicate a version.  The only version I have installed is 2019.1. I have attached an image that shows what I see.  As well, the system tray icon shows mudbox.exe (image attached).  I am using 3dconnexion driver version 10.6.0.  Also, my Mudbox interaction mode is set to the default (i.e., Mudbox).

[JabbaTheNut]

I must say that it is a bit disappointing that there has been no reply from Autodesk on this issue.

[Intuos5]

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@JabbaTheNut wrote:

Hi @Intuos5 ,

The 3dconnexion driver recognizes that I am in Mudbox.  However, it does not indicate a version.  The only version I have installed is 2019.1. I have attached an image that shows what I see.  As well, the system tray icon shows mudbox.exe (image attached).  I am using 3dconnexion driver version 10.6.0.  Also, my Mudbox interaction mode is set to the default (i.e., Mudbox).

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Hmm... Interesting, I do have the mudbox.xml file that your driver is referencing and also figured that the driver was using this until it suddenly seemed to have lost the connection. It now reports "mudbox.exe (Mudbox-2018.2 Update.xml)" for both versions...

Usually Autodesk is way more responsive, especially when there are Expert Elites involved. This is just disappointing indeed. 

[pavmed]

Hi @Intuos5 and @JabbaTheNut 

Respawning this thread.

Any updates since last posts on this?

I've got exacly the same issue as @JabbaTheNut describes: latest 3dconnection driver (10.6.5 at the moment), mudbox 2020.

3dconnection driver recognises that I'm in Mudbox, it shows "mudbox.exe" in tray popup, it allows me to change config and saves it.

Mudbox allows me to zoom in/out only and does not save 3dconnection settings. 

Any thoughts?

[JabbaTheNut]

Hi @pavmed ,

Unfortunately, nothing has changed (to my knowledge).  It seems as though Autodesk gave up on Mudbox in late 2018/early 2019.  The development team was on a roll during 2018 with significant new features, and things were getting very exciting for Mudbox.  Then, abrubtly and without much explanation, the development team was pulled away to focus on Maya.  It appears they never came back.  It is very sad, really.  I don't like to think about it.  As it stands, I have come to the realization that I must reluctantly move on.  As well, one of the more prolific proponents of Mudbox, @sergimen2001 , has clearly become dissatisfied with Autodesk's handling of Mudbox.  His recent posts speak for themselves.  Over the course of the last year, I think I have seen maybe one post from @faline.custodio.da.silva (bless you Faline).  No other Autodesk employee has dared to enter the tumbleweed ridden and dusty town of what is now the Mudbox forum.

If I knew that Autodesk were standing by Mudbox and were to continue its development, I would stay with Mudbox.  Sadly, I think it may not be.  If you will now excuse me, I must go shed a tear in the memory of what Mudbox once was.

[Intuos5]

Similar concerns here about Mudbox' future. Since sculpting is something I don't need to be able to do, I dropped Mudbox and am waiting for Blender to pick up on most of the features that were in Mudbox before giving it a shot. I wouldn't be suprised though to see some new sculpting features ending up in Maya sooner or later. Although, I got to say that Autodesk tried to do so in the first half of the previous decade and apparently it didn't work out at the time.

Concerning 3Dconnexion support, I filed a support ticket about half a year ago and it wasn't properly adressed. They supposedly send it over to higher level support, but there was no communication whatsoever, apart from a single sentence in a response. So that was it basicly.

[pavmed]

Thanks guys. 

I've got no answers on this on EE forum as well.

it's a pity I've discovered Mudbox this late. Still it seems to complement my toolbox, so would give it a chance ))

[Intuos5]

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@pavmed wrote:

Thanks guys. 

I've got no answers on this on EE forum as well.

it's a pity I've discovered Mudbox this late. Still it seems to complement my toolbox, so would give it a chance ))

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That's exactly why it's such a shame Autodesk dropped the ball here. Know this: if you wan't to get started on Mudbox: check out this forum, because it is plagued with many, unresolved bugs.

Concerning other choices: Zbrush's UI is just too much, too complicated for using it once every know and then, there basicly isn't any competitor in this area. I don't see much about 3Dcoat anymore these days, but I remember reading some story about the users requesting features and the developers completely disregarding the userbase. And yeah, Blender is just lacking compared to Mudbox (Voxelremesh is nice though).

[pavmed]

Thanks for warning )

Did I get it right - if I stick with mudbox I'd better install 2018.2 not 2020? 

Anf yes, of course, I'm looking at Blender closely, especially with it quad remesher plugin.

[JabbaTheNut]

@pavmed ,

That sounds right.  If I am not mistaken, @sergimen2001 has advocated 2018.2 over the newer updates.  He has produced some nice speed sculpts using 2018.  You should check them out.

[Intuos5]

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@pavmed wrote:

Thanks for warning )

Did I get it right - if I stick with mudbox I'd better install 2018.2 not 2020? 

Anf yes, of course, I'm looking at Blender closely, especially with it quad remesher plugin.

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The same Quad remesher plugin is available for 3ds Max, while a new remeshing algorythm is in beta for 3ds Max and available for Maya.

If you can live with a non-high DPI screen interface, then yes, use 2018.2 and check the release notes  in case you want to use any of the other versions. Don't bother using 2020, unless you need the 'send to Flame' function.

[pavmed]

Yep, still 3ds Max is too much for me at the moment.

Considering I only have occasional tasks involving polygon modeling.

I don't bother neither about high-DPI nor Flame so 2018.2 seems like a right choice.

Thanks!

[isitus]

I have had Mudbox for almost a year now --- and have not used it more than an hour. Very frustrated with 3dconnexion Space Navaigator not working in Mudbox, but every other program I have works fine. 

I have the same issues as @JabbaTheNut 

Posting just to hopefully bring some attention to this issue from Autodesk.