Blog

I never thought I’d ever consider using two mice at the same time. Yes, two mice! The SpaceNavigator is used for navigating through within 3-D programs like Google Earth and Blender. It’s basically a camera control.

One of the things that I find annoying as a paper engineer is moving the camera around in Blender to see different angles of the model that I’m working on. It’s slow and cumbersome to do it by hand. The SpaceNavigator is supposed to be more fluid and intuitive, so I’m strongly considering investing in one. Although, I haven’t made up my mind just yet.

It’s compatible with over 100 3-D applications, allowing control over panning, zooming, and rotation. There are other versions (they kinda look like tricorders) that are high-priced, but would help eliminate having to use the keyboard as well. The SpaceExplorer and SpacePilot are both good contenders because of their programmable keys that are within reach of the fingers, hence lowering dependability of the keyboard. That’s a big plus!

Right now, the SpacePilot is the same price as the SpaceExplorer ($299), but it has as many as 21 programmable keys (versus the Explorer’s 15) that automatically change functions to match the open application. Neat! It has an LCD screen, too, but I’m not sure what it’s for. Product details on the website are sketchy at best, and they leave many questions unanswered, so I’d better do my homework first.

YouTube is a great resource. I can typically find several product reviews on just about anything. It’s great to get pros & cons, see products in action, and discover the little things that the manufacturers’ websites never tell you.