middle button dynamic rotation

[beej]

I wish that when I picked middle button for dynamic rotation it would use the cursor location for the rotation point. It seems like it uses some arbitrary point out in space, which usually rotates the geo right off my screen.

[Müřlıń®]

You must chick on a point of some kind in order for the geometry to stay put.

 

Set cursor to "single" and auto snap to some kind of point, or place a point to rotate from.

[beej]

murlin, does that work for the middle mouse button? I have single and auto cursor turned on but I can't figure out how to make the middle button pick a point?

[Pete Rimkus from CNC Software Inc.]

No, the middle-mouse button spinning wont let you pick a point. For that you need to use 'View/Orient/Dynamic' (it's on the default toolbars too).

The middle-mouse spinning will essentially tip the image about the center of the viewport. Moving the mouse up tips the top of the image in, moving it down tips the bottom in, etc. If your part is physically large, yes a few degrees can make a big difference.

[bellyup]

yeah, that does kind of muck-up what would be a

real nice feature otherwise.

[Thad]

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yeah, that does kind of muck-up what would be a real nice feature otherwise.

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A big +1 to that!

 

V9 used to rotate about a snapped point, although I think it was the mcutils chook that did it. To me, it only makes since to have dynamic rotate function the same, no matter how you activate it.

 

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The middle-mouse spinning will essentially tip the image about the center of the viewport.

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Is that functionality helpful to anyone?

 

Thad

[Pete Rimkus from CNC Software Inc.]

Dynamic Rotation in X does work the same as in V9 - select the function and click a point to rotate about. The middle-mouse spinning is a new feature and it doesn't force you to click about a certain point. I use it all the time, and I bet I'm not the only one. In fact, everytime I go back to V9, I find myself wondering why it doesn't work there!

[beej]

Pete, I use it all the time too. I love it. It works especially well when I have a small part on the screen. I was just wondering if there was a way to make it rotate about a particular point to keep it from swinging my geo off the screen on the big parts.

 

[JOHN HIMES]

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V9 used to rotate about a snapped point, To me, it only makes since to have dynamic rotate function the same, no matter how you activate it.

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I second the motion!

[Thad]

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Dynamic Rotation in X does work the same as in V9

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V9 used to rotate about a snapped point, although I think it was the mcutils chook that did it.

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Bad choice of words on my part. I never used dynamic rotate. I always used the mcutils chook that would snap and rotate about a point. Having the zoom and spin right there at the middle mouse button was sweet. Not right click-dynamic rotate....not clicking the dynamic rotate icon, then rotate.....I'm talking about clicking with the scroll button on the entity and rotating. It's always there, all the time. *That* was nice! Now if we could only get the pan to work with a scroll click+RMB drag, like in UG, I'd be all set.

 

Selecting dynamic rotate or clicking the scroll wheel both get you to dynamic rotate, right? Then why do they function differently (different rotation point)?

 

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I use it all the time

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Me too and I hate when it spins my model off the screen. I must then use 2 more clicks, using dynamic rotate, to get what I need. It falls under that "less mouse clicks" concept.

 

Thad

[gti_jay]

I have found that setting a "hotkey" for dynamic rotate and using the middle button as pan is the fastest way to go.

 

Just choose a hotkey combo that you can hit with one hand i.e. "ALT+Q" or something...

[Guest]

I have found a spaceball works the nuts.

 

There is a reason all the CAD systems now support them. There are an excellent addtion to your arsenal of tools.

[gti_jay]

^^^^I agree....

 

Just try to convince accounting to buy one!!!

[beej]

I just got two of them in a box of computer junk at an auction (FLX-3003c) but I can't find drivers for them...not even at the manufacturers website. I guess they are too old. Anybody know how to get them?

 

I used them before at another company and loved them too.

[Thad]

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Just try to convince accounting to buy one!!!

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+1

 

If it gets any worse around here, we'll have to buy our own toilet paper.

 

Thad

[Guest]

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If it gets any worse around here, we'll have to buy our own toilet paper.

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I worked at a place like this once. Though it was amusing til the checks started bouncing.

 

You're still there Thad?

 

Place I used to work the company that provided the rags, showed up one day and collected all of the rags they could find. Turns out they hadn't been paid in like 3 months. Then literally there was no paper in the can. Ugly

[mrmead]

I never used a spaceball anybody got a link or a recomandation ,so i can check it out.

thanks

[Guest]

www.3dconnexion.com

 

 

beej,

 

There is an older driver on the FTP you might want to give a shot to. The new drivers won't see it when you install them. I though someone had posted in athread that thei 4000FLX worked. Maybe the 3000 is too old.

[tooljockey]

3dconnexion makes some good ones.

 

I think they are a division of Logitech?

 

If you can pass as a student you can get some good discounts too.

[beej]

John,

I tried the 4000 drivers. I couldn't get them to work.

[3rdstring]

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I just got two of them in a box of computer junk at an auction (FLX-3003c) but I can't find drivers for them...not even at the manufacturers website. I guess they are too old. Anybody know how to get them?

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I'd try driverguide.com. I've never looked for Spaceball drivers, but I have found a lot of old sound card & modem drivers there that I couldn't find anywhere else.

 

HTH

[Guest]

beej,

Try this site. I didn't dig to deep but they look like they might be available here

 

Nevermind, BS site

[LaszloK]

I had to switch the middle mouse button to pan and use the right button to access the dynamic rotation so that I could pick the point to rotate about. It is just easier this way and everything stays on the screen.