Drafties, designers, architects, engineers, whatever: does anyone use a 3D mouse thing? I know the internet is awash with opinions I can search but I know we have some CAD users here and SB users are probably a cut above the general populace .

I'm testing a 3DConnexion SpaceMouse Compact today and it's quite different to a normal mouse! I'm trying to work out the best way to use it, currently I've got it on my left hand and my normal mouse in my right. I tried switching but I've already learnt enough movements with my left hand that my right hand is all "left-handed". I tried reversing a few axes too but ended up going back to all default since they all seem as unnatural as each other so I may as well just learn the defaults by default...

When using Inventor I use the 3DConnexion Space Mouse but when using AutoCAD I use the 3DConnexion Cad Mouse. If you are in a true 3D design software inventor, solid works then I think the Space Mouse is a better way to go.Please don't group Drafties with Architects or Engineers, we are a special animal with no similarities to them. I prefer to be called a CAD Operator because I just operate the computer and the software does all the work without any input from me, that way I can't be blamed for any errors because the computer made the error.

Cool cheers. I didn't know what Inventor is but I just looked it up. Makes sense, and when you talk about AutoCAD you're probably talking about 2D style CAD work? The CAD I'm using is a mining industry CAD, primarily 3D with some 2D plotting functionality. So when you use the space mouse in Inventor do you use a normal mouse too? If so, how do you share your hands between the space mouse, normal mouse and keyboard?