SpaceNavigator PE Cost effective 3D Input device.

Author: Jani 'Japala' Pönkkö Published: 31.10.2007 Manufacturer: 3DConnexion Product Group: Input In English Suomeksi

Software

As the controller is so versatile, it is nice to find a well made and full featured configuration software bundled with it. This time the layout is bit more conservative than the control softwares we have seen lately with gaming related controllers. And that is a good thing.

Device Configuration includes couple of basic settings. From here, one can adjust the overall speed of the controller. This sets the overall speed of the device, changing the amount of force or torque that is needed to move an object, camera or scene. This affects all the axes the same way, enabling a fast tweaking if needed.

Calibration function is there to make sure that the controller stays in perfect working order all the time. Inside the controller cap are sets of springs that keep things aligned. Over time, some drifting may start to occur. Just hit Calibrate and everything is back to normal again.

Not all people like to control things by using the same axes. For some, zooming can be more natural when the movement is up from the table top and towards the table. For example I prefer to push the SpaceNavigator when I want to zoom in and pull when zooming out. Just select what works the best for you.

One can also enable/disable certain axes. This can be handy if one wants more precise control by only using certain axes. Revesing the axes can also be done.

In SpaceNavigator, there are two side buttons. A nice feature is the ability to customize the functionality of the buttons for every program. Functions can be selected from a premade list or user can record their own macros.

The ability to tweak the sensitivity per axis is just great. I personally found the zooming to be bit too slow in every program I used. When this happens, I just open up this screen and move the slider of that axis to the right. Very easy and effective.

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