3Dconnexion launched die neue SpaceMouse Pro Wireless auf der PTC Live Global

Get both hands on your 3D models. Don't work with one hand tied behind your back - this is the promise of the SpaceMouse Pro Wireless.

This 3D mouse is an excellent productivity device for 3D design and 3D CAD modeling. 3Dconnexion has just launched the wireless version. The SpaceMouse Pro Wireless offers 2.4 GHz wireless technology and a battery which lasts for two months. When you need to charge your wireless 3D mouse, just connect the USB cables and continue working.

The SpaceMouse Pro Wireless offers 2.4 GHz wireless technology and a two-month battery life.

CADplace interviewed 3Dconnexion's Sarah Devaney at PTC Live Global where she presented the SpaceMouse Pro Wireless for us and provided a demonstration of its features.

The SpaceMouse Pro Wireless has the same look and feel as the SpaceMouse Pro from 3Dconnexion. This means that you will have a long list of compatible software applications where you will benefit from the 3D mouse's productivity features.

It means that you also benefit from the "heads-up" display with application-specific buttons which can be programmed to speed your work - and programmed differently for each of your applications. It means having the keyboard modifier keys right on your SpaceMouse Pro Wireless so that you reduce movement between the mouse and the keyboard. It also means having the commands to set standard 3D views right on your 3D mouse.

And - most importantly - it means that you have the 6-degree of freedom control knob to pan, zoom, and rotate your 3D model without any mouse clicks.

At CADplace we reviewed the original SpaceMouse Pro here.  The gain in productivity comes from the fact that a 3D mouse lets you use both hands to model in 3D.  Imagine something as simple as peeling an apple. Imagine attempting to do that with only one hand! This is essentially how you are modeling if you do not use both hands. For example, you want to select a part of the assembly  positioned on the back of the model, you drop what you are doing, click and drag the 2D mouse to rotate the model, return to the selection command and click. Ugh.

With the 3D mouse, just a twist of the controller turns your model to the right location and you select the part - no need to leave one command for another, just manipulate the model with one hand and keep working on the model with the other.

A two-handed approach to modeling with a 3D mouse is far superior to the standard "hand on the keyboard plus 2D mouse" configuration

Two enhancements make this the "Pro" version. One is the full set of buttons on the 3D mouse. The programmable buttons, the keyboard modifiers, the view-set buttons are on the device to eliminate unnecessary hand movements.  This makes working more efficient and reduces your fatigue for a full day's work. A second enhancement is the ergonomic design. Nicely weighted, the SpaceMouse Pro Wireless stays in a fixed location on your desk. The soft-touch buttons are easy to manipulate, too. And because it is a professional 3D mouse, the comfortable, ergonomic wrist rest is an essential feature for designers spending all day on their projects.

The CADplace summary of the SpaceMouse Pro Wireless? For any 3D professional workstation, this 3D mouse simultaneously delivers a more efficient working environment and a more ergonomic working environment. This makes it as essential as multiple monitors or a properly tuned workstation for any full-time 3D designer.  In our opinion, the two-handed approach to 3D modeling is far superior to the standard "hand on the keyboard plus 2D mouse" configuration. Additionally, it is likely to be a very long time before a better, more productive paradigm for 3D design comes to market.    

Calculate your own ROI, but consider even a modest increase in productivity and you'll see a return on investment that is measured in months if not weeks.