SpaceMouse Pro

If you're looking at this product you're a serious CAD user, so I'll be blunt; get this 3D mouse and you'll be extremely happy. There is a learning curve and you need to train your left hand, but once you configure the mouse to maneuver the product the way you visualize it in your mind, this becomes an extension of yourself into the computer. The software from 3D Connexion is simple and powerful. You can change direction and speed of every axis, including which axis on the nub zooms (pulling the nub in the +/-Z or the +/- Y). The 5 buttons on top are fully customizable for every screen in your CAD software. I've used this with Solid Works and Inventor (both run flawlessly) and the software recognizes each program, recognizes the mode I'm in (sketch, part, assembly, drawing, etc) and runs that specific button layout. (For example, when making a drawing Button1 is my Smart Dimension shortcut, but when I'm in assembly mode, Button1 automatically switches to my constraint shortcut. You'll have to specify in the 3D Connexion program what button you wish to do what, but the software has made that incredibly easy.) Once you get the mouse set up and get used to it, it's amazing how much more efficient you become at your workstation. All of the most used keys are on this unit (Esc, Enter, Tab, Alt) and are activated by your pinky. There are view modifiers on the thumb spot. This product has been designed by people who use it every day, and it shows.This product is fairly expensive, but I view it as a tool. I would have no problem buying a quality set of power tools if it made my life easier, so I don't see a problem purchasing this to make my desk life more efficient and enjoyable. Its an investment, it's made extremely well, and if you don't abuse it it will work for many years to come.Bottom line: If you are serious about your CAD performance invest in one of these products and become the envy of your coworkers.

I bought this device here from Amazon a few months ago and wanted to give it a real workout before I wrote a review. I can't even describe how painful it would be to try and model something without this on my desk going forward. It's literally like reaching into your monitor and grabbing a mesh with your hand while you work on it with your regular mouse. That's not to say its a completely natural thing to pick up right away - I imagine it has about the same learning curve as a Segway, where at first you'd swear a sneeze would cause you to run over the nearest 6 yr old, but soon with a little practice you're chasing down geese around the park while that tour guide is yelling at you. It comes with a little training program that helps, and the software lets you setup sensitivites in various axes to tune it to your liking. Took me about a week to really settle in to using it 100%, and most of that was breaking old habits.The main benefit is really time savings. Even with extra mice buttons and keyboard shortcuts, you really cant Pan and Orbit and Zoom simultaneously with a standard planar 2D mouse. This guy has 6 degrees of freedom and can handle all that no problem. Often you have to stop whatever operation you're doing to manuever your work object and then go back to that operation. With this thing, it's like the program doesn't even know you're handling the object. Also, its got like 15 some buttons you can program (incl one that pops up an on-screen numpad) so you almost never need to touch the keyboard. I can honestly say after months of use, I'm completing projects 2-3 times faster than I was previously... and if that's worth $300 to you then definitely buy this bad boy right now.To be fair and balanced, here's some of the downsides. Make sure you go to their website and do a product search for which software applications you can use this for before you get it. For example, it would be genius if this thing worked in either Mudbox or ZBrush for digital sculpting and painting. I stink at both those programs and it works great in 3DS Max - so no problems for me personally - though I do tend to grab it when working in UDK and wonder why nothing's happening. I also wish it had a simple power switch on it somewhere... One so it doesnt draw power off the USB port when I'm not using it, and two cuz when I hop into a game of BF3 I often wonder why my guy has Parkinsons until I remember to crawl under my desk and unplug this device.Other than that - LED is nice and strong, it's never lost calibration, never crashed a driver, hasn't given me carpaltunnel and it doesnt bug me about software updates every 7 days. Best thing I have connected to my computer.

Quality is good. Does the job well.

Works great, should save on shoulder strain and finger pain when 3D modeling.One thing to note. I work remotely on CAD through another computer. I initially bought the Spacemouse Pro Wireless (bluetooth) version. I couldn't get the joystick to work through the remote computer, but all other buttons would work. I ended up returning the Wireless version, and purchasing this version and it worked! Buy this version if you plan to work remotely!

Excellent control over 3-D models!

Not much to say about these things - once you start using them for CAD you can never go back. They are an indispensable tool for 3D work.One star knocked off because of the inaccurate picture - they only have an all black model; I confirmed this with the company, yet their listing shows a cooler looking two-tone model with dark gray highlights around the buttons. I returned two of them before I found out that some genius in the marketing department uploaded the wrong picture to Amazon (probably concept art or a never-released variant of the pro model)Note to 3Dconnexion - you really should make it with the gray highlight because that looks a lot cooler then all black!

This devise rocks. I'm never going back! I use it for Sketchup and AutoCad. The trick is setting up the buttons. Beware it will take a few weeks to adapt ( same as a different type mouse) the joy stick is intuitive, and button locations well thought out. It's a better mouse trap