3Dconnexion has announced its range of 3D mice, including the Spacepilot Pro flagship 3D mouse, is now supported by Dassault Systemes’ Catia Version 6 2010 virtual design solution. 3Dconnexion’s 3D mice help engineers working in Catia V6R2010 to more efficiently interact with and collaborate on designs. In addition to the increased control and navigation benefits inherent in 3Dconnexion 3D mice, the Spacepilot Pro 3D mouse also complements the collaborative engineering and improved efficiency focus of Catia V6R2010, with features designed to help engineers save time and reduce interruptions in their design workflows.

Its Quickview Navigation keys offer designers easy access to 32 standard views, allowing Catia users and workgroups to instantly view a design from any angle for improved error detection and design review and verification, while its full-colour LCD Workflow Assistant lists function-key assignments and delivers at-a-glance access to important information. For added productivity, 3Dconnexion’s 3D mice and new Spacepilot Pro are also pre-configured with the most commonly used commands for Catia.

Design engineers also have the flexibility to further customise the programmable buttons to suit their personal workflow needs using Catia’s built-in button-mapping editor. In addition, 3Dconnexion’s 3D mice allow engineers to navigate and control their designs more naturally and intuitively when working with the new direct modelling and visualisation enhancements featured in Dassault Systemes’ V6R2010. With less time spent toggling views and commands within Catia, users are left with more time for the creative elements of a design.

Am Donnerstag, dem 29.10.2009, wurden auf der animago CONFERENCE die Gewinner des wichtigsten Wettbewerbs für Digital Content Creation (DCC) mit dem animago AWARD ausgezeichnet.

Der animago AWARD wurde in diesem Jahr zum 13. Mal vom Fachmagazin DIGITAL PRODUCTION – mit freundlicher Unterstützung des Medienboards Berlin Brandenburg und den Sponsoren AVID, Chaos Group, eyeon, Maxon, Mackevision, PNY, 3Dconnexion – veranstaltet. Unter den Einsendungen für den animago AWARD 2009 befanden sich sowohl nationale als auch internationale Beiträge. Insgesamt sind über 1000 Beiträge aus mehr als Ländern eingegangen. Aus allen Beiträgen wurden von einer Jury aus Spezialisten der DCC-Branche die Gewinnerbeiträge ausgewählt. Zudem wurde der Leserpreis der DIGITAL PRODUCTION an die beste internationale Kinoproduktion, den Pixar-Film „Oben“, vergeben.

Die diesjährige Preisverleihung fand im Rahmen der animago AWARD & CONFERENCE statt. Die animago CONFERENCE wurde in Zusammenarbeit mit Lichtblick 4D ausgerichtet. Die Neukonzeption des animago AWARD hat voll überzeugt. Die Veranstaltung hat gezeigt, welchen Stellenwert die 3D-Branche in der Gesellschaft hat. Alles ist digital. Die Artists der animago-Beiträge sind Kreative auf höchstem technischen und künstlerischem Niveau, die eine Anerkennung verdienen.

Die Preisträger sind:

animago AWARD – Beste Film- und TV-Produktion

Produktion „Die Chroniken von Narnia, Prinz Kaspian“ (Wassereffekte)

Artists: Scanline

Primäre 3D-Software: 3ds Max, solidThinking

Ein komplett aus Wasser bestehender „Rivergod“ erhebt sich aus einem Fluss und zerstört eine Holzbrücke, die gerade von einer Armee überquert wird. Der Rivergod sowie die Wassersimulation des Flusses wurden mit dem Scanline-eigenen Fluidsystem „Flowline“ realisiert. CG-Comparsen auf der Brücke incl. Reiter, die Brücke nebst Distruction-Set wurden mit 3ds Max und VRay sowie diversen externen und hauseigenen Rigid Body Simulationssystemen realisiert.

animago AWARD – Bester Kurzfilm

Produktion „The Kinematographer“

Artist: Tomek Baginski, Platige Image

Primäre 3D-Software: 3ds Max, VIZ, Lightwave, Maya, solidThinking

Inhalt: Der Kurzfilm spielt in einem kleinen englischen Dorf in der viktorianischen Zeit. Erfinder Francis bastelt erfolglos an seinem Kinematographen herum. Sein großes Ziel ist es dabei, die Welt durch die Erfindung des Films zu reformieren. Unglücklicherweise fokussiert er sich viel zu sehr auf sein Projekt, dass er darüber sein ganzes Umfeld, vor allem seine Beziehung, vergisst. Als schließlich sein Kinematograph tadellos funktioniert, verstirbt seine geliebte Ehefrau an Tuberkulose. Gebrochen erstarrt Francis in Trauer und veröffentlicht seine Erfindung nicht – bis die Bruder Lumiere im Jahr 1895 ihm zuvorkommen.

animago AWARD – Bestes Game-Design

Produktion „ Mirror’s Edge“

Artist: Electronic Arts GmbH, Dice

Inhalt: In einer Stadt, in der sämtliche Kommunikation strengstens überwacht wird, transportieren flinke Kuriere, die „Runner“, sensible Daten an neugierigen Blicken vorbei. In diesem scheinbar utopischen Paradies wurde ein Verbrechen begangen, deine Schwester wurde hintergangen und jetzt wirst du gejagt. Du bist die Runnerin Faith und dieses innovative Action-Adventure in der Ego-Perspektive erzählt deine Geschichte. In Mirror’s Edge schlüpfst du in die Haut dieser einzigartigen Heldin, während sie die Stadt in schwindelerregenden Höhen durchquert, atemberaubende Kämpfe führt und sich rasante Verfolgungsjagden mit ihren Gegnern liefert. Durch das unvergleichliche Bewegungsgefühl und die einzigartig intensive Perspektive wirst du mitten in Faiths Welt hineingezogen – eine Welt, die intuitiv, unmittelbar und extrem gefährlich ist.

animago AWARD – Beste Werbeproduktion

Produktion: AUDI TDI „Filter“

Artist: Henrik von Müller, INFECTED Postproduction GmbH

Primäre 3D-Software: Softimage

Inhalt: Mit dem „TDI Clean Diesel-System“ hat Audi den saubersten Dieselmotor der Welt entwickelt. Die Aufgabe bestand darin, diesen technisch komplizierten Prozess im Katalysator einfach und dramatisch zu erzählen und dafür eine völlig neue visuelle Sprache zu finden. Die Grundidee für den Spot war einfach: Aus einem Alphabet werden 97 % aller Buchstaben gefiltert, 3 % kommen am Ende durch und zwar T, D und I. Wichtig war es den Filter an sich – nicht als ein technisch, abstraktes Gerät darzustellen, sondern viel mehr seine Funktion mit Hilfe einer außergewöhnlich Bildsprache sichtbar zu machen.

animago AWARD – Beste Mobil-Produktion

Produktion „iKitty“

Artist: Thorsten Rauser, the binary family

Inhalt: Sie schnurrt, sie faucht, sie frisst – iKitty erinnert ein wenig an Garfield, der vierpfotige Schnurrbartträger lebt aber auf dem iPhone. Der virtuelle Katzenhalter hat verschiedene Möglichkeiten, das Kätzchen bei Laune zu halten. Tut man das nicht und setzt iKitty zum Beispiel einem Schleudertrauma aus, beendet das derart malträtierte Kätzchen einfach das Programm – eine halbe Stunde muss man warten, bis sich iKitty wieder streicheln und füttern lässt.

animago AWARD – Beste Nachwuchsproduktion

Produktion „Trickster“

Artists: Alexander Pohl

Primäre 3D-Software: VIZ, Maya

Der Zirkusclown, als digitaler Charakter zu einer Kunstfigur stilisiert, die bereits Fellini in seinem Film „The Clowns“ begraben hat, ist Ausgangspunkt dieses Animationsfilmes. Das Duo Dummer August und Weißer Clown tritt getrennt auf, repräsentativ für eine zunehmend polarisierte Welt, die durchsetzt ist von Normen und Regeln. Als unfreiwilliger Clown auf die Leinwand eines Kinos projiziert und von einem ahnungslosen Publikum auf voyeuristische Art und Weise beobachtet und gedemütigt, findet er schließlich zu sich selbst und seinem Archetyp, dem sogenannten Trickster.

animago AWARD – Beste Interaktive Produktion

Produktion: MINI Cabrio: Weltpremiere in Ihren Händen!

Artists: BUZZIN MONKEY: Stefan Becker

die agentour GmbH: Peter Linke

AR-Umsetzung: metaio GmbH

Primäre 3D-Software: metaio Unifeye Viewer

Inhalt: Noch weit vor offiziellem Handelsstart des neuen MINI Cabrio, zum offiziellen Kommunikationsstart, feiert das Fahrzeug seine Weltpremiere – dieses Mal an einem ganz besonderen Ort: Direkt in den Händen der Menschen! Mithilfe der Technik Augmented Reality wurde die Verbindung zwischen Print und 3D-Content geschaffen. Als Träger diente eine spezielle Anzeige. Hält der User diese Anzeige unter mini.de/webcam in die Webcam, erscheint das MINI Cabrio als virtuelles Modell. Der Clou: Die 3D-Daten sind mit dem Live-Bild verknüpft. Der User kann das Fahrzeug also selbst drehen, Details ansehen, wie er es möchte. Live und in Echtzeit!

animago AWARD – Beste Postproduktion

Produktion „ Assassin’s Creed 2 Game Cinematic“

Artists: Digic Pictures

Primäre 3D-Software: VIZ, Maya

Assassin’s Creed II ist der Nachfolger des Titels, der als schnellst verkaufte neue Marke in die Videospiel-Geschichte einging. Der mit Spannung erwartete Nachfolger präsentiert einen neuen Helden namens Ezio Auditore da Firenze, einen jungen italienischen Adligen, und eine neue Ära – die italienische Renaissance, mit all ihren kulturellen Errungenschaften und dunklen Seiten. Assassin’s Creed II erzählt eine epische Geschichte über Familie, Rache und Verschwörung. Schauplatz ist das Italien der Renaissance, eine Epoche, die Meilensteine der Kunst hervorbrachte, aber auch Schattenseiten voller Korruption und Habgier beinhaltete. Ezio freundet sich mit Leonardo da Vinci an, bekommt es mit den mächtigsten Familien in Florenz zu tun und wandelt durch die Kanäle Venedigs, wo er alles lernt, um ein Meister-Assassine zu werden.

animago AWARD – Beste Visualisierung

Produktion „Porsche Museum »Porsche 917«“

Artists: Ingo Zirngibl, Jörg Stierle, Marcos Zervallos, Olivier Passemard, jangled nerves gmbh

Primäre 3D-Software: Maya, solidThinking

Der Höhepunkt in der Porsche Rennsportgeschichte stellt die 917-Ära dar. Innerhalb eines kurzen Zeitraums Anfang der siebziger Jahre wurde unter höchster Geheimhaltung eine Rennsportlegende kreiert, die die Marke binnen kurzer Zeit vom David zum unbesiegbaren Goliath der 24-Stunden-Rennen von Le Mans wie auch der amerikanischen Canam-Rennserie machte.

animago AWARD – Sonderpreis der Jury

Produktion „Engel zu Fuß“

Artists: Jakob Schuh, Saschka Unseld, Studio Soi GmbH & Co.KG

Primäre 3D-Software: Maya

„Engel zu Fuß“ beschreibt die Geschichte des Engels Waltraud, der vom Himmel gefallen ist, weil ihre Flügel zu klein geraten sind.

animago AWARD – Bestes virtuelles Foto/Still

Produktion: Hausnummer 42

Artist: Verdi Voß

Primäre 3D-Software: Cinema 4D

Inhalt: „42“ ist laut Autor Douglas Adams die Antwort auf die Frage nach dem Universum, dem Leben und allem. Ob wir über das 3D-Still von Verdi Voß mehr Auskunft zu diesem philosophischen Ansatz finden, ist fraglich. Klar ist jedoch: „Hausnummer 42“ ist ein perfekter Spiegel der Wirklichkeit, der allerdings nicht affektiert aufpoliert wurde, sondern seine natürlichen und alltäglichen Schlieren des urbanen Lebens trägt. Damit reflektiert das digitale Werk dem Auge des Betrachtes eine herausragende Authentizität.

One of the most popular partner products used by SolidWorks users has to be 3Dconnexion 3D mice devices.  That is why I felt that this press release was important to post for all of you.  3Dconnexion announced yesterday that their full product line of 3D mice now support SolidWorks 2010.  To see all the details of this check out the press release below.

3Dconnexion 3D Mice Enhance New Design Experience in SolidWorks 2010

3D Mice Help SolidWorks 2010 Design Engineers Work Faster, Simpler and Smarter

FREMONT, Calif. – Oct. 27, 2009 – 3Dconnexion, a Logitech company, today announced that its full line of 3D mice, including the SpacePilot™ PRO flagship 3D mouse, now supports SolidWorks^® 2010, the newest version of the popular 3D CAD software. 3Dconnexion 3D mice complement the new user-driven features in SolidWorks 2010 that help designers and engineers work faster and smarter.

Using 3Dconnexion’s 3D mice within SolidWorks 2010 allows professionals to navigate around their designs more intuitively, further enhancing the speed improvements made to rendering, loading parts and large assemblies in the new 3D workspace. In addition, 3D mice enable engineers working in SolidWorks 2010 to view designs from multiple angles, helping to detect errors earlier in the design process.

“3Dconnexion is committed to improving and enhancing the productivity of 3D design work, and the core design functions that have been implemented into SolidWorks 2010 echo that goal,” said Dieter Neujahr, president of 3Dconnexion. “SolidWorks 2010 paired with 3Dconnexion 3D mice provides today’s engineers a very powerful 3D design solution focused on efficiency and design performance – critical elements in bringing competitive products to market as quickly as possible.”

3Dconnexion’s 3D mice enhance new features of SolidWorks 2010. For example, when using the new Rapid Dimension Tool with a 3D mouse, designers can position drawing views and add dimensions to generate final drawings with greater ease and efficiency. In addition, 3D mice complement the functionality of new Mouse Gestures in SolidWorks 2010 for drawings, assemblies, parts, and sketches, helping engineers concentrate on design needs instead of the application environment.

“SolidWorks 2010 is focused on optimizing core design functions so users can more quickly and intelligently achieve their goals,” said Nick Iwaskow, Manager of Alliances at Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. “Using a 3Dconnexion 3D mouse with SolidWorks 2010 can help today’s engineers work even faster, simpler and smarter.”

About 3Dconnexion 3D Mice

3Dconnexion’s advanced six-degrees-of-freedom sensor technology allows designers to simultaneously maneuver 3D objects or move within 3D scenes by gently pushing, pulling, tilting or sliding the 3D mouse controller cap. Using a 3D mouse together with a traditional mouse engages both hands into a balanced and cooperative work style and provides more control than just using a standard mouse alone that is confined to motion on two flat planes.  3Dconnexion’s Professional Series of products – including the SpacePilot PRO, SpacePilot™ and SpaceExplorer™– provide another level of productivity with quick access to frequently used SolidWorks 2010 commands via customizable Intelligent Function keys.

3Dconnexion provides advanced and affordable 3D mice that are supported by more than 130 of today’s leading and powerful 3D applications. For a complete list of applications supported by 3Dconnexion, visit: www.3dconnexion.com/solutions.

Pricing and Availability

SolidWorks 2010 supports 3Dconnexion’s entire 3D mouse product line on Windows^® XP, Windows Vista^®, and Windows 7 (SolidWorks 2010 SP1 when Windows 7 ships). The 3Dconnexion product line, including the Professional Series with the new SpacePilot PRO (MSRP $399), SpacePilot (MSRP $299 with promotion) and SpaceExplorer (MSRP $299), and the Standard Series with the SpaceNavigator (MSRP $99) and SpaceNavigator for Notebooks (MSRP $129), are available from professional CAD resellers and major online resellers including CDW, Insight, PC Connection, and PC Mall. For a complete list of resellers or to buy directly, visit www.3Dconnexion.com.

About 3Dconnexion, A Logitech Company
3Dconnexion, a wholly owned subsidiary of Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (Nasdaq: LOGI), is the leading provider of 3D mice for 3D design and visualization. 3Dconnexion devices support today’s most popular and powerful 3D applications by offering users a more intuitive and natural way to interact with computer-generated 3D content. 3Dconnexion’s award-winning 3D mice serve a wide variety of industries and are used by 3D designers, animators and artists worldwide. 3Dconnexion is headquartered in Fremont, Calif. with European headquarters in Seefeld, Germany and offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.3Dconnexion.com.

Im Moment bin ich schon etwas nervös. Morgen, Donnerstag 29. Oktober 2009, startet unsere erste animago CONFERENCE in der Filmstadt Babelsberg. Wer Lust hat an der Zukunft teilzunehmen, ist herzlich eingeladen. Karten gibt es an der Tageskasse. Mein Team von der DIGITAL PRODUCTION hat zusammen mit Freunden aus Berlin, vom örtlichen Autodesk-Händler Lichtblick 4D, eine fabelhafte Veranstaltung konzipiert. Gefördert wird der ganze Spaß durch das Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg.

Das Programm und die Referenten können sich sehen lassen: Paul Kanyuk verrät uns Hintergründe über die Crowd Simulation bei Pixar. Einen exklusiven Blick hinter die Kulissen des neuen Emmerich-Blockbusters „2012“ versprechen auch die Vorträge von Thomas Zauner (Scanline) „2012. Der ultimative Weltuntergang“ und Mohsen Mousavi (Pixomondo) „Technical FX pipeline on 2012 & Advanced Crowd simulation pipeline“. Und das ist wirklich eine Wucht: Noch bevor der Film 2012 in die Kinos kommt, sprechen bei uns gleich zwei Kreative über ihre Arbeit und stellen die Trick vor. Das ist eine absolute Seltenheit und ich freu mich wirklich darauf.

Mit dabei ist auch Hanno Hagedorn (Naughty Dog) zum Spiel des Jahres „Making of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves“. Das Spiel wurde auf der Games Com zum Spiel der Messe gekürt und ich bin mal gespannt über die Grafik und wie die Macher Bits und Bytes geordnet haben.

Persönlich freut es mich sehr, Armin Pohl von Mackevision als Referenten (und als Sponsor) zu treffen und zu hören. Macke ist ein starkes Unternehmen, gute Ideen, gutes Konzept und wirklich engagierte Leute. Pohl spricht  über „Create with no limits! Will CGI take it all?“

Dies ist auch nur möglich geworden, weil wir starke Partner an der Seite haben: Avid, Maxon, eyeon, Mackevision, PNY, 3Dconnexion, ChaosGroup. DANKE für eure Hilfe.

Am Abend des ersten Konferenztages muss ich dann ran. Wir verliehen zum 13. Mal den animago AWARD, den wichtigsten Preis der Animationsbranche. 13 ist aber keine Unglückszahl. Wir haben 1000 Einsendungen aus 44 Ländern für die elf AWARDs bekommen. Wow, diese Tatsache kann sich sehen lassen und beweist, dass das Konzept des animago richtig ist. Ich darf rund zweieinhalb Stunden moderieren und die Gäste durch den Abend führen. Eine ungewohnte Rolle für mich, denn eigentlich bin ich eher hinter dem Schreibtisch als auf einer Bühne zu finden. Aber was solls. Ein Mitarbeiter meinte neulich: „Die Rampensau wird es schon machen.“ Ich sehe das Mal als Lob und Motivation.

Wir haben dieses Jahr mit dem neuen Standort Babelsberg am Konzept gefeilt. Wir wollten mehr Öffentlichkeit und ich denke, es ist uns gut gelungen. „Der Artist in der Postproduktion soll die Anerkennung bekommen, die er verdient.“ Die ersten Schritte sind gemacht, die Weichen sind gestellt. Wir haben Publikumsvotings eingeführt, bei denen Interessierte den Sieger mitbestimmen konnten. Eine Fachjury hat eine Vorauswahl getroffen und dann wurde abgestimmt. Diese Votings wurden hervorragend angenommen. Außerdem haben wir starke Medienpartner an der Seite, die in ihre Branche den animago AWARD getragen haben.

Alles in allem bin ich zufrieden. Natürlich sind viele Ideen auf der Strecke geblieben. Aber der Grundstein für eine erfolgreiche Veranstaltung in Babelsberg, der Wiege des deutschen Films, sind gelegt. Der animago ist dort angekommen, wohin er gehört.

Last week 3Dconnexion released an updated driver for their brand spankin’ new SpacePilot PRO 3D mouse.  You may remember hearing about this new product this past April when the product was released but since then it has been made better and better with each driver update.  I have been running this new driver since it came out now and am very pleased with it.  There is a lot of new functionality that is now available at your fingertips that makes you more efficient doing your day to day work.  One of the nice new features is the ability to see all of the SolidWorks file properties on the LCD screen.  You can read more about this is the official press release below.

3Dconnexion Enhances Its Powerful SpacePilot PRO 3D Mouse with New Software Updates

FREMONT, Calif. – Aug. 10, 2009 – 3Dconnexion today announced a free software update for the new SpacePilot™ PRO 3D mouse, enhancing the functionality of its full-color LCD Workflow Assistant that delivers quick access to important commands and information without interrupting the design workflow. The new update helps connect engineers more closely to their 3D applications, allowing them to view vital 3D model information and the name of an activated command when an Intelligent Function key is pressed on the LCD at a glance.

“The LCD Workflow Assistant featured on the SpacePilot PRO was designed with an open architecture to allow for additional features to be introduced,” said Dieter Neujahr, president of 3Dconnexion. “This software update is a reflection of that, introducing an even tighter integration between our 3D mouse and supported CAD applications, enabling higher levels of performance for our customers.”

The software update brings several enhancements to design engineers working with the LCD Workflow Assistant on the SpacePilot PRO, including:

- Model Properties Applet: This new applet enables engineers to quickly view key model information on the SpacePilot PRO’s LCD Workflow Assistant, increasing productivity and making it even easier for workgroups to collaborate. The new applet is compatible with SolidWorks^TM, Autodesk Inventor^TM, Pro/ENGINEER^TM, and NX^TM, and gives professionals easier access to vital model statistics, such as file size and type, creation date and time, name of the last person to edit the design, as well as mass, volume and density information.

- Intelligent Function Key Notification: A new visual confirmation in the form of an easy-to-view pop-up window shows users what Intelligent Function key command was activated, regardless of the applet currently running on the LCD Workflow Assistant. This new feature enhances designer’s interactivity with the SpacePilot PRO, providing more control over the design environment.

Also new with the software update is an updated default button setting for SolidWorks on the SpacePilot PRO’s Intelligent Function Keys, as well as on the SpaceExplorer™ and SpacePilot™ Speed Keys. The popular “S” shortcut key in SolidWorks has been added as a default command, giving design engineers quicker access to the command shortcut toolbar.

More about 3Dconnexion 3D Mice

Unlike traditional mice confined to motion on one flat plane, 3Dconnexion 3D mice enable design engineers to move in all three dimensions simultaneously, using six-degrees–of-freedom sensor technology. By gently lifting, pressing and turning the controller cap, design engineers can easily pan, zoom and rotate without stopping to select commands. Using a 3D mouse together with a traditional mouse engages both hands into a balanced and cooperative work style.

3Dconnexion provides advanced and affordable 3D mice that are supported by more than 130 of today’s leading and powerful 3D applications, including Autodesk Inventor, SolidWorks, CATIA, Pro/ENGINEER, NX and Solid Edge^TM. For a complete list of applications supported by 3Dconnexion, visit www.3dconnexion.com/solutions.

Compatibility, Pricing and Availability

The software update v3.7.18 is available with SpacePilot PRO products purchased as of September 2009, and existing design professionals can download the update for free at www.3Dconnexion.com.

The entire 3Dconnexion product line, including the Professional Series with the SpacePilot PRO (MSRP $499), SpacePilot (MSRP $399) and SpaceExplorer (MSRP $299), and the Standard Series with the SpaceNavigator (MSRP $99) and SpaceNavigator for Notebooks (MSRP $129), are available from professional CAD resellers and major online resellers including CDW, Insight, PC Connection, and PC Mall. For a complete list of resellers or to buy directly, visit www.3Dconnexion.com.

About 3Dconnexion, a Logitech Company
3Dconnexion, a wholly owned subsidiary of Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (Nasdaq: LOGI), is the leading provider of 3D mice for 3D design and visualization. 3Dconnexion devices support today’s most popular and powerful 3D applications by offering users a more intuitive and natural way to interact with computer-generated 3D content. 3Dconnexion’s award-winning 3D mice serve a wide variety of industries and are used by 3D designers, animators and artists worldwide. 3Dconnexion is headquartered in Fremont, Calif. with European headquarters in Seefeld, Germany and offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.3Dconnexion.com.

If you are the owner of one of these awesome devices I highly suggest you go out and update your driver now to be able take advantage of the helpful new enhancements.  You can download the updated driver here.

Matt Lorono also covered this in a post he did last week.  You can check it out here.

I just released version 0.4 of my spacenavd user space driver for 6dof input devices, which fixes some long-standing reliability and ease of use issues.

First and foremost, I cleaned up the code, which started initially as a hack, and ended as an unmaintainable mess. I’ve split and isolated the linux specific parts so that I may add support for other operating systems in the future (specifically I’d like to find the chance to add freebsd support soon).

I’ve also dropped the dodgy 30sec polling cycle to aquire the device if it’s disconnected, which had the effect of being able to use the device at some seemingly random time after plugging it in, and started using the KOBJECT_UEVENT netlink socket to get asyncronous notification of hotplug events from the kernel. Now the device lights up and is ready to use immediatly upon plugging it in the USB port.

More importantly, I lifted the responsibility of notifying the daemon that X has started and it may connect and start listening for X11 clients from the user. By using the excellent inotify API to detect when the X server’s socket is created in /tmp/.X11-unix, the daemon is now able to wake up and connect to the X server automatically as soon as it’s started up.

And finally, now spacenavd actively grabs the device when it starts, which solves the problem of the X server trying to use it as a mouse, without having to resort to messing around with the user’s HAL config files, to make hald ignore it.

To celebrate this milestone release, the free spacenav project now has a newly redesigned web site, which may help attract more attention compared to the previous plain-text web page. Thanks go to cybernoid for the new web site.

Why a Driver and not a simple User-Mode application? Or using the 3DConnexion SDK? Some application or game don’t accept hooking keyboard, or use DirectX Input, so with a user-mode app, I’m not able to send information. With a driver, SpaceNavigator doesn’t “emulate” a keyboard/mouse/joystick, but IS a keyboard, IS a mouse and IS a Joystick. RBC9 – SpaceNav is an alternative driver and software allowing you to use your 3DConnexion SpaceNavigator / SpacePilot in absolutely every application, even when the official drivers and software don’t offer the needed support. RBC9 – SpaceNav gives you the power to utilize your 3Dconnexion hardware 3d mouse in everyday applications such as web browser, word processor etc. by just creating a profile for that application where you define each action of the controller and what function will it perform. With RBC9 – SpaceNav you can emulate mouse, joystick and keyboard commands so you can even control your games with your favorite 3d controller…

- Download RBC9 – SpaceNav driver/software… – [ mirror ] – [ mirror 2 ] – [ mirror 3 ]

Believe it or not but the picture above is a mouse… yes, a computer mouse. The 3DConnexion SpacePilot has an LCD screen and a bunch of buttons. I’m guessing that this mouse is supposed to increase your productivity, but I don’t think it would help me at all. It has buttons for your important shortcuts, but it has an LCD screen and that alone would really distract me. It has drivers for Windows XP and Vista, Solaris 8 and 10, and Linux, but it looks Mac users are left out to dry here. The SpacePilot mouse is now available for a low, low price of $499 USD.

[Engadget]

Today 3DConnexion launched a new product touted as the “most powerful 3D mouse ever”, the SpacePilot PRO.  Here is the official press release from 3DConnexion.

3Dconnexion Launches Its Most Powerful 3D Mouse Ever: the SpacePilot PRO

Integrated Color LCD Workflow Assistant, QuickView Navigation Technology,and Intelligent Function Keys Save Time and Reduce Interruptions

FREMONT, Calif. – April 16, 2009 – To meet the rigorous demands of design engineers working in powerful 3D applications, 3Dconnexion today announced the new SpacePilot™ PRO. The company’s flagship 3D mouse is designed to deliver advanced control of 3D models, easier access to the power of professional 3D applications, fewer interruptions in the design workflow, and superior comfort. Specifically, the SpacePilot PRO features a new color LCD Workflow Assistant, second-generation QuickView Navigation technology, Intelligent Function keys, and an improved design for enhanced comfort and control.

“3Dconnexion’s 3D mice have rewritten the rules on the way design engineers and professionals interact with 3D environments,” said Dieter Neujahr, president of 3Dconnexion. “Our new SpacePilot PRO builds on our market-leading industry experience, delivering the most powerful 3D mouse we’ve ever made. It enables increased performance that ultimately results in better designs, created in less time.”

The SpacePilot PRO 3D mouse provides the highest level of performance features ever available from 3Dconnexion, including:

- LCD Workflow Assistant: The color LCD lists function-key assignments and provides at-a-glance access to Microsoft^® Outlook^® e-mail, calendar and task lists, allowing professionals to access important information for a fully integrated design experience with fewer distractions. Through 3Dconnexion’s open software architecture, the workflow assistant can be further customized to meet the needs of individuals, companies and software vendors.

- Advanced MCAD Navigation: Five new dual-function QuickView Navigation keys
improve error detection, design review, and design presentation by providing one-touch access to the following views: top and bottom, right and left, front and back, two isometric views, and 90-degree view rotation of any view either clockwise or counter-clockwise – for a total of 32 views. A short press activates a key’s primary view command, while pressing and holding a key activates a secondary view command. In addition, new Navigation Setting keys offer simplified and customizable control, allowing professionals to turn pan-and-zoom, rotation and one-axis control on or off, making it easier to define navigation settings for certain work modes.

- Intelligent Function Keys: Five new fully customizable, dual-function keys offer immediate, one-touch access to 10 frequently used commands within any supported 3D application. The SpacePilot PRO automatically detects the active application and assigns appropriate function keys – whether default or customized. The color LCD denotes the function key assignments and application mode so engineers can easily identify commands and design states.

- Superior Comfort: The SpacePilot PRO has a new sculpted, soft-coated wrist rest that positions the hand in relation to the controller cap to support a balanced workflow. The micro-precision six-degrees-of-freedom sensor allows for fingertip control with minimal effort from the arm, wrist and hand, while frequently used commands are conveniently positioned at your fingertips. The intuitive and symmetrical layout of the function keys makes the device usable with either hand.

About 3Dconnexion 3D Mice

Unlike traditional mice confined to motion on one flat plane, 3Dconnexion 3D mice enable design engineers to move in all three dimensions simultaneously, using six-degrees–of-freedom sensor technology. By gently lifting, pressing and turning the controller cap, design engineers can easily pan, zoom and rotate without stopping to select commands. Using a 3D mouse together with a traditional mouse engages both hands into a balanced and cooperative work style.

3Dconnexion provides advanced and affordable 3D mice that are supported by more than 130 of today’s leading and powerful 3D applications, including Autodesk Inventor^TM, SolidWorks^TM, CATIA^TM, Pro/ENGINEER^TM, NX^TM and Solid Edge^TM. For a complete list of applications supported by 3Dconnexion, visit www.3dconnexion.com/solutions.

Compatibility, Pricing and Availability

The SpacePilot PRO is backed by a three-year warranty, and is currently available at a suggested retail price of $499. The SpacePilot PRO is supported by Windows XP, Windows Vista^®, Sun Solaris 8 (SPARC), Sun Solaris 10 (x86), and Linux^® (Redhat Enterprise Linux WS 4, SuSE 9.3 or later). Linux and Solaris support workflow assistant function key assignments only.

The entire 3Dconnexion product line, including the Professional Series with the SpacePilot™ (MSRP $399) and SpaceExplorer™ (MSRP $299), and the Standard Series with the SpaceNavigator (MSRP $99) and SpaceNavigator for Notebooks (MSRP $129), are available from professional CAD resellers and major online resellers including CDW, Insight, PC Connection, and PC Mall. For a complete list of resellers or to buy directly, visit www.3Dconnexion.com.

About 3Dconnexion, a Logitech Company
3Dconnexion, a wholly owned subsidiary of Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (Nasdaq: LOGI), is the leading provider of 3D mice for 3D design and visualization. 3Dconnexion devices support today’s most popular and powerful 3D applications by offering users a more intuitive and natural way to interact with computer-generated 3D content. 3Dconnexion’s award-winning 3D mice serve a wide variety of industries and are used by 3D designers, animators and artists worldwide. 3Dconnexion is headquartered in Fremont, Calif. with European headquarters in Seefeld, Germany and offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.3Dconnexion.com.

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© 2009 3Dconnexion. All rights reserved. 3Dconnexion, the 3Dconnexion logo, and other 3Dconnexion marks are owned by 3Dconnexion and may be registered. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

My Personal Review

I have had the distinct pleasure of using this product for the last day and a half and let me tell you what, it is an amazing new product that 3DConnexion is releasing.  As you have already read above this product offers some great features and there are a few that I wanted to point out and expand on for you.

The 1st thing that I really liked about this product was the 10 fully programmable (5 dual function) keys that it offers.  I am personally a huge proponent of having keyboard shortcuts and probably 90% of mine are on the left hand side of my keyboard.  Because of this I have always struggled getting into a good workflow going using a 3D Mouse.  However, the SpacePilot PRO relieves some of this pain for me.  I can now program 10 of my keyboard shortcuts right into the 3D Mouse and my hand will RARELY have to leave the SpacePilot PRO during my daily design processes.  This is a huge selling point for me and I would imagine for some of you that have moved to a 3DConnexion supported 3D modeling program from a program like AutoCAD.

The next thing that I wanted to touch on was the overall comfort of this product.  When you first open the package you see how big the 3D Mouse is and might be a little taken back by it, however, as soon as you start using it you forget the size and you get caught up in just how normal it feels to keep your hand on the SpacePilot PRO.  This covers everything from the extra comfort in the wrist resting area to the “joystick”.  This all in all is a very comfortable product to use and greatly aids in your daily designs because of this.

The last thing that I really wanted to write about was the LCD Workflow Assistant.  Now the integration with Microsoft Outlook Email, Calendar and Tasks are all great features but the one thing that really stood out for me was the ability to see all of the functions that you have mapped to the 5 dual function keys.  Now as time goes on you may get a feel for what all of your keys do but you have to remember that you have 10 commands programmed for working in assemblies, 10 for working in parts, and 10 more for working in drawings.  This is 30 commands that you are trying to remember as you go through your design process.  The ability of having a quick access guide to what your keys are programmed for is a huge benefit, especially when the guide is on a LCD screen right at your fingertips.

My Closing Remarks

In closing I want to say that I would highly encourage any SolidWorks (or other 3D CAD user for that matter) user that is in the market for a 3D Mouse to check out this product.  The initial price tag on it might be kind of eye brow raising but I think that the return of investment on it would be quick.  It is a great new product that will be the envy of the CAD community for a long time to come.  You will be able to buy this product at major online resellers such as Amazon, Buy.com, CDW, Dell, and PC Mall or directly at www.3Dconnexion.com. 

Nothing new, but since lots of people never heard of these peculiar interface devices, I’m making a post about them.

Logitech Design Controllers

The one on the first pic is called NuLOOQ… I couldn’t find the Logitech official page of it, but I guess it was a budget version of the Design Controller series.

You can read more about it at TechLounge’s review.

Now, for the professional series, here’s the current line:

SpaceNavigator 3D Mouse:

SpaceNavigator

SpaceNavigator

Space Navigator and Google Earth

SpacePilot 3D Mouse:

SpacePilot

SpacePilot

SpacePilot and Pro/Engineer software

SpaceExplorer 3D Mouse:

SpaceNavigator

SpaceNavigator

If you still can’t understand these controllers, I’ll try to explain a little bit.
When you are using 3D modeling software, you have to manipulate simulated 3D objects in 2D space (your monitor). Picture a spaceship in space… there are a large amount of moves you could make… like turn left, right, tilt up and down, move in several directions, etc.

If you only have a standard keyboard and mouse, since the keyboard only have 4 directional keys and using the mouse would require several shortcuts and stuff, a design controller such as these from Logitech can be a big help.

The problem of having to memorize and use several shortcuts also happens on image and video editing softwares, and some other products like Google Earth.

So, that’s it. It seems that the Logitech webpage was kinda trimmed down… but I remember seeing several interesting takes on computer peripherals.
I’m a big fan. Currently, my Home Theater and Mouse are Logitech… but I also had wireless keyboard, another 2 mice, gamepad and some other stuff. Quality stuff.

2D controllers move over. Here’s a relatively new product from 3Dconnexion, a subsidiary of Logitech. The Space Navigator  was originally designed as a controller for 3D applications such as CAD/CAM or 3D graphics programs. However, the Popular Mechanics review of the gadget (video below) claims that 3Dconnexion is billing it as a Google Earth controller.

So imagine the possibilities of using this thing in Second Life (SL) for example. Well, imagine no more. Torley from Linden Labs just posted a YouTube video yesterday indicating how Linden Labs and 3Dconnexion are collaborating so this device can be supported in SL.

Here’s one more video, showing Beast Linden demoing the product.

http://www.3dconnexion.com/solutions/sl_video.php

The price of it? A quick Internet search showed it going at $52 at the low end. If anyone is using this product, let me know. User posts only (vendor posts will not be approved).

                                  3Dconnexion, a wholly owned subsidiary of Logitech, is the leading provider of 3D mice for 3D design and visualization. 3Dconnexion devices support today’s most popular and powerful 3D applications by offering users a more intuitive and natural way to interact with computer-generated 3D content. 3Dconnexion’s award-winning 3D mice serve a wide variety of industries and are used by 3D designers, animators and artists worldwide. 3Dconnexion is headquartered in Fremont, Calif., with European headquarters in Seefeld, Germany, and offices worldwide. 
The Company has announced the newest addition to its award-winning 3D mouse product line – the SpaceNavigator(TM) for Notebooks.

“As the notebook market continues to grow and more and more people carry their laptops with them, there is a greater need for advanced mobile input devices,” said Dieter Neujahr, president of 3Dconnexion. “This new 3D mouse encompasses a sophisticated design to address the need for portability in many environments, without sacrificing the intuitive 3D navigation and improved design experience our customers have come to expect from 3Dconnexion’s product line.”

The SpaceNavigator for Notebooks offers the same benefits as the original SpaceNavigator – effortless movement and control within 3D workspaces – but also includes a new cap design for more immersive and natural interactions within 3D applications. Designed to withstand the wear and tear of travel, the SpaceNavigator for Notebooks easily slips into a laptop bag and comes with a convenient travel case for easy transport. Its small footprint makes the device easy to use anywhere – at home, work, or at remote locations.

The SpaceNavigator for Notebooks works well with almost every operating system including Windows XP, Windows® 2000, Macintosh® OS X 10.4.6 or later, Windows Vista®, and Linux® (Redhat Enterprise Linux WS 3, SuSE 9.0 or later). It comes with a 2-year limited hardware warranty at an SRP of $129. You can also select from the following models:
SpaceNavigator Personal Edition (MSRP $59)
SpaceNavigator Standard Edition (MSRP $99)
SpaceExplorer™ (MSRP $299)
SpacePilot™ (MSRP $399)