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Showing posts from October, 2024

3DConnexion Space Mouse Diary #2 : Out of the box use with FreeCAD

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As you’ve probably seen from my Twitter posts, I recently started my journey with the SpaceMouse. I began with the initial setup a couple of days ago, and today I’m attempting to get it working with FreeCAD. I’m sharing my thoughts in real time as I go, so you’re getting my reactions as I discover how this new technology works. Each session lasts around 30-45 minutes. Currently, I’m still on Windows, and I noticed that a small 3Dconnexion Home window appears every time I turn on my laptop. I initially missed the “show at system startup” checkbox, so I unchecked it to prevent this pop-up. 3Dconnexion provides a knowledge base article on SpaceMouse settings for FreeCAD, but it only covers versions up to 0.21.2, and there doesn’t seem to be anything specific to FreeCAD v1 (RC) yet. Here’s the link: 3Dconnexion SpaceMouse Settings for FreeCAD . To get started, I powered on the SpaceMouse, opened FreeCAD v1 RC2, and loaded the BIM example found on the start page to explore the settings. Sur

3DConnexion Space Mouse Diary From A Complete Noob #1

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This diary entry will be followed by a video once I have the device set up and running, but for now, I’d like to share my learning journey with the device for anyone who is new to it. I have been given a 3Dconnexion SpaceMouse Wireless Kit 2 to test out with FreeCAD! 3Dconnexion reached out and asked if I’d like to try it, provide feedback, and incorporate it into my channel. My channel focuses on teaching FreeCAD, and I typically use a standard input device since it’s the norm for most viewers. However, I’ve always wanted to create a dedicated space to explore more professional tools and alternative input methods, like trackballs, graphics tablets, and now the SpaceMouse. When you reach the stage of using FreeCAD regularly for work or complex designs, it’s helpful to have coverage on tools that can enhance the experience. Additionally, with my other channel, MJ3D Solutions, which focuses on other 3D tools (currently Blender and CAD Sketcher), I think this device could be a worthwhile