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Bought one of these since it was the cheapest way to try out the concept.I have had it on my desk for a few weeks but really havent given it a full tryout - I use the mouse out of habit. It is heavy but when I pull up on it can still lift off the desk. Obviously the version with the heavy base wouldnt do this but I didnt want to spend that much money to try it out.Seems like a well constructed unit with good drivers so far - have used on both Solidworks 07 and 09
This little gadget has taken the jumpy jitteriness out of moving my camera and avatar around in a 3D cyber space. Great for in world vids and edits. Move around like a pro in multiplayer universes.
(Using Voyager Free Flight, a course line and set of boxes export to GE as a klm file).Keyboard navigation is clumsy for this because the most natural point of view while using arrow keys is straight down the middle, where my dual monitors are next to each other and there is a discontinuity in the scene. Moreover, I can face in any direction while maintaining that ground track. (Harriman and West, North Adams MA - I call it "scary man out west"). I am a private pilot.I have a dual monitor setup that I use with Goggle Earth and Voyager Free Flight, to get a sense of how unfamiliar terrain will look from the air. Simulating this is no problem with the 3D Navigator.There is an airport I am interested in visiting regularly, that is surrounded by tall, steep hills. It is a huge help to be able to really explore that air space before actually flying in it. For all practical purposes, this is the one last bit of technology that finally binds all the available elements together to unlock Google Earth as a useful and enjoyable flight planning tool.If you are a pilot, you should go out and get this.
This is especially useful when trying to get an idea of the scene as you fly a pattern in an unfamiliar airport. If I try to follow the course centered off the middle of the extended desktop, I am never able to move in the same direction I am facing and must constantly stop and re-center the viewpoint.With the 3D navigator, I can easily move along the course line wile it is centered anywhere on the extended desktop. If you have done this you know that it is usually done while looking at the runway from each direction about half the time. Best fifty bucks you'll ever spend.
This may be very helpful to those suffering from RSI / carpal tunnel as you can offload work to the opposite hand naturally. This device is well built. Sensitivity is adjustable as well. There is no limit to what you can do. It is heavy to ensure that it does not slide around. When used with Firefox and extensions such as NextPlease, you can easily navigate long, multiple pages with a mere tilt. It has nice blue lights, although a bit too bright.
It can be used to bind to multiple keyboard commands, mouse movements, and joystick even. With the manufacturer supplied drivers, it can only be used with about 100 applications; most that the average use will never use. It has a very smooth 6-axis mechanism, that can be a bit too sensitive. As supplied, it rated 2/5.However, when used with the compact RBC9 driver, it can be infinitely adjusted for use with nearly all programs. Wonderful device.
But remember, you only have two hands, so you have to either give up the mouse or keyboard for a moment to use it. Works great. Got this for Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and Maya. I wish they had Lightwave support (perhaps in the future).Glad I bought it. I wish I had three hands, as I use the mouse and keyboard simultaneously most of the time.Remember to check to see if your software will work with it before you buy.
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