Product Description

Until now, advanced 3D navigation has been reserved for high-end design professionals. With the introduction of the SpaceNavigator, 3Dconnexion has made this exciting technology accessible and affordable for architects, artists, students and anyone else who wants to enjoy the 3D experience. 3Dconnexion's SpaceNavigator offers natural and intuitive navigation of 3D environments and objects for today's most popular and powerful 3D applications. Simply push, pull, tilt or twist the SpaceNavigator's controller cap to simultaneously pan, zoom and rotate 3D imagery. You'll experience an easy, simple and fun way to fly through 3D environments like Google Earth using 3Dconnexion's award-winning technology. Two programmable keys store your favorite application functions.At home, at school or on the road - SpaceNavigator Personal Edition is the Navigation Device for your 3D world. There are no differences between the devices in terms of scope or capability. The only difference is the license. The SpaceNavigator Personal Edition is exclusively for private use or for use in research and education.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #689 in Consumer Electronics
• Color: Black
• Brand: 3D Connexion
• Model: 3DX-700029
• Platforms: Linux, Mac OS X, Windows
• Dimensions: 2.00" h x 3.00" w x 3.00" l, 3.33 pounds

Features

• Advanced 6 degrees-of-freedom optical sensor
• 2 programmable function keys
• Fly through Google Earth and 100+ 3D programs
• PE model includes non-commercial use license and online tech support only
• Ideal for 3D designers, students, artists and enthusiasts

From the Manufacturer

Discover what’s possible with a 3D mouse. Whether it’s flying past the Eiffel tower at Mach 2, modeling an addition to your home, or doing a flyby of next weekend’s cycling trip, the SpaceNavigator 3D mouse delivers effortless control of 3D worlds. Unlike a conventional mouse that confines movement to a flat plane, the SpaceNavigator 3D mouse allows effortless motion in all dimensions—up, down, forward, backward and sideways. By varying the amount of pressure on the cap users can easily accelerate or decelerate actions with precision.

The Perfect Companion for 3D applications.
Unique pressure sensing technology makes the 3D mouse a virtual extension of a user’s body—and the perfect companion for today’s most popular 3D enabled digital applications, including Google Earth, Google SketchUp, Autodesk 3ds Max, Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended and many more.

Explore, search, discover with Google Earth. "...the hours have just been flying by while I rediscover Google Earth with a level of control that is completely addictive. I need to remind myself to eat." - Stefan Geens, editor Ogle Earth Blog Support for the SpaceNavigator 3D mouse is built right into Google Earth, making it an essential sidekick for any armchair explorer.

Why use a SpaceNavigator 3D mouse?
The key advantage of a SpaceNavigator over a mouse and keyboard is the ease of performing intricate adjustments to camera views and models without repeatedly stopping to change direction, zoom, or rotate. With a SpaceNavigator you can do all three at once while simultaneously using the mouse to access commands and tools.

Heavy for precision.
A heavy (479 grams) brushed stainless steel base keeps the SpaceNavigator stationary and provides a stable platform for the spring-mounted pressure sensitive controller cap.

Convenience.

• Universal compatibility: Works with all your favorite 3D applications—on Windows, Mac, or Linux.
• Affordable precision: Step up to advanced 3D technology--at a price that’s comparable with many 2D mice.
• Space saving: The small footprint of SpaceNavigator 3D mouse conserves space. Your work area remains uncluttered, even if you’re also using a conventional mouse.

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Customer Reviews

3d Connexion
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

smooth as buttah!
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.

Great for Flight Planning
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. (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. 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. Moreover, I can face in any direction while maintaining that ground track. This is especially useful when trying to get an idea of the scene as you fly a pattern in an unfamiliar airport. If you have done this you know that it is usually done while looking at the runway from each direction about half the time. 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. (Harriman and West, North Adams MA - I call it "scary man out west".) 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. Best fifty bucks you'll ever spend.