Working with two hands...

[vlad]

Maybe something like this :
http://www.3dconnexion.com/

[GDurrens]

thanks Vlad I checked out the space navigator and that is looking great!

[InfernalDarkness]

I really don't see any benefits to using such a device in modeling, it would just slow me down. I use Maya, and all the camera controls are keyed to the Alt key, which is keyed to my thumb1 button on my G5.

http://gamingweapons.com/image/articles/best-gaming-mouse/logitech-g5.jpg

http://www.everythingusb.com/images/list/logitechg5profileswitching.jpg

So, to be specific, T1-LMB is Rotate(Orbit), T1-MMB is Pan, and T1-RMB is zoom, with the mouse movement controlling the amounts/directions for each. This keeps my left hand free for hotkeys, where it needs to be. (I also have thumb2 mapped to the space bar, for marking menus...)

So any pan/zoom/orbit happens with the hand I'm already using, and there's no hand-transition, and it's instant. It couldn't really be faster, at least in Maya. A multi-touch would also have the "side benefit" of lacking resolution and accuracy, and that would get pretty annoying for CAD work (which is what I do).

Basically, if you have a G5 or better mouse, you won't have to worry about such things. You wouldn't need a touchpad; you just use your thumb.

That said, those 3D mice look pretty cool from 3Dconnexion. Cool enough to replace the already wicked G5? Not sure, but the separate orbiter controller is redundant if you have a good mouse.

[GDurrens]

Thanks for your reply InfernalDarkness and for explaining your setup.
The G5 mouse looks good indeed and could be an interesting configuration in the near future for me, but I'm still conviced that working with two hands would give more natural feel when one is creating.

[InfernalDarkness]

Indeed, do whatever works best for you!

I was only explaining what works best in my setup for me (Maya, Rhino). Other software might not be so easily mouse-ified, and like I said I mostly do arch/viz, so I like having my left hand free for entering measurements and hotkeys and stuff like that...

Those 3D mice the other poster linked to also look pretty cool.

[goldilocks20]

Personally I think it's possible.though there are some problems with using 2 mice.

A while ago i found a multimouse driver online after researching this matter myself. This of course meant I lost the advanced features of the mice in question.

However, there were two indivudual pointers. Even three when i stuck in a third mouse. But the way windows is coded means that you still only have focus in one application. So you can't for example have two users both using separate programs. Since any mouse click will change the windows focus to the location of the clicked mouse, this will inactivate the other window. Im not sure if this can be fixed with a driver but I doubt it.

[meleseDESIGN]

I don´t see a problem to use two mouses, actually it´s me who is using two mouses, one via PS2 and another via USB. I´m right-hander and most of the time i have a Trackball to navigate in the right hand and the Keyboard for shortcuts in the left hand.

Probably 99% of us work like that, so there is actually no need to cook up something new.
It wouldn´t be funny to get a tennisarm on both sides.
;)

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