A few of us have 3D mouses and instead of continuing to add off topic comments to this thread
I thought I’d start one discussing the 3D mouse issue, in my case a Space Pilot from 3D Connexion.
Some things I’ve found helpful are:
1) After saving a configuration the mouse will still start in the Default configuration when first launching Max.
Hitting the Config button (just above the controller knob) toggles through the available saved configurations.
EDIT: My saved configuration is now active on Max launch.
2) If you want to rotate around a selected object, hitting the FIT button (lowest right button) it centers the
view to the selected object and rotation around the object’s pivot point.
EDIT: While in the Scene/Object Mode under the Camera/View Movement section at the top of the Settings Panel.
3) (from the linked thread)
Don’t forget to play around with the different sensitivities in the Panel for your best feel.
Google Earth has a nice settings panel for editing.
4) kevnich00, who has more experience adds this:
Yes, don’t forget to adjust the settings!
Set everything to just crawl along in the viewport until you get used to the motion, then gradually adjust for more motion.
I took about two days to really get it setup and used to it.
..............................................................................................
Well, that’s it for now, think I’ll add a page for this on my web site.
Any additional tips are welcome,
Don

Max 2012
Windows 7 64 SP1

For some great practice install Google Earth Free and do some navigating (low stress),
really helps to learn how to control the pilot and navigate in Max.

Max 2012
Windows 7 64 SP1

I received a SpacePilot a few days ago. It works great; but, occasionally, I need to switch to OpenGL. While in OpenGL the SpacePilot bogs down and moves in jerks. There may be something in the documentation or on the Web site; but, I didn’t see it. Have you had any experience with yours in OpenGL?

Having said that, I use OpenGL when I work with Vue6 in Max. Perhaps Vue6 is the problem. That should be easy to check.

Max 2012(64) Win 7 - 64
NVIDIA Quadro FX 5800
Dual Xeon E5520 Six-Core, 3.33GHz
16GB DDR3

Don’t think I’ve tried it in OGL, I’ll give it a go in the morning when I get home from work.
I also have xStream 6 so I’ll try that too.

Max 2012
Windows 7 64 SP1

Well, you can decide whether it is bogging down, the FPS is about 7 on my GForce 8800 768MB.
The Vue scene has 102,500,000 polygons.
My guess is it is running normally but it may be your video card trying to keep up, refreshing the viewport,
that is causing the jerkiness. What card do you have (specs)?

Max 2012
Windows 7 64 SP1

	Attachment
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I wish they would support user views for Top, Left, Right, and Front views instead of Perspective Views. I thought mapping the buttons to Custom functions would do the trick, but it doesn’t work for me. I created shortcuts and mapped them to T, L, R, and F buttons, but it made no difference. Am I missing something?

E. K. Anna Hennequet [FA]

Thanks. I haven’t had a chance to test SpacePilot with my file in question, yet. I apologize for not have my hardware setup displayed with my posts. Here it is:

BOXX:
WS Dual Xeon E5420 2.5 GHz 12MB cache 1333 MHz FSB (Quad-Core)
8 GB FBDIMM DDR 800 REG ECC (4 - 2 GB FBDIMMS)
NVIDIA Quadro FX 4600 786 MB
XP 64
Max 64

I’ll get a chance to do some testing in the next few days and post whatever I find. The file is extremely simple: a car and a bicycle on 1800 feet of highway - simple textures. I’m using CraftAnimation’s 4Wheeler Extended; but, if that was a problem in OGL it would be a problem in Direct 3D, also. I started the project in Direct 3D. I inserted a Vue6 atmosphere and everything was still easy to manipulate. I received my SpacePilot and installed the drivers. That’s when the project became dificult to move around in. I may have a problem with my file. I have a Vue6 infinite plane that I didn’t remove. I’ll see if that’s the issue. This isn’t a major problem. It’s actually not a problem at all; but, I would like to know what’s going on inside my project.  I only went to OGL becuase Vue6 in the past seemed to like OGL and was a little more stable. I’m absolutely not complaining about the SpacePilot. After 2 days with it, I don’t like the thought of not ever having one again. I, also, have a SpaceExplorer that I use with other software on a different computer.

ekah, I’m not sure what’s going on with yours. My SpacePilot and SpaceExplorer seem to work fine in all of the orthographic views. Which 3Dconnexion thing are you using? What happens when you try to use it in a T,L,R, or F viewport?

Max 2012(64) Win 7 - 64
NVIDIA Quadro FX 5800
Dual Xeon E5520 Six-Core, 3.33GHz
16GB DDR3

forensicart 19 August 2008 06:20 PM

ekah, I’m not sure what’s going on with yours. My SpacePilot and SpaceExplorer seem to work fine in all of the orthographic views. Which 3Dconnexion thing are you using? What happens when you try to use it in a T,L,R, or F viewport?

Thanks for your reply. When I press T, L, R, and F, I do get Top, Left, Right, and Front viewports, but they are in Perspective View. They aren’t the same Top, Left, Right and Front Viewport as Max’s ortho views.

Edit: I should clarify that it’s only when I am already in Perspective View and press T, L, R, and F. It works correctly when I’m already in User View.

I have SpaceExplorer (the funky looking one).

E. K. Anna Hennequet [FA]

I hooked my SpaceExplorer up to Max to see how it worked.  With the F, T, and L viewports (using the buttons on SE), I could interchange without any unexpected behavior.  When I used the keyboard to change any of them to “User/Orthographic” view, SE moved the scene around as would be expected in the old fashion User view. When I went to Max’s perspective view and used the SE buttons, the scene would change to the T, F, or L views of the objects in the scene, like the new “ViewCube; but, the viewport remained in Perspective view, as with the ViewCube. My SpacePilot works the same way.

I’ve blocked the ViewCube and SteeringWheels from loading with Max. I wonder if that has any influence.

Max 2012(64) Win 7 - 64
NVIDIA Quadro FX 5800
Dual Xeon E5520 Six-Core, 3.33GHz
16GB DDR3

forensicart 19 August 2008 07:02 PM

I hooked my SpaceExplorer up to Max to see how it worked.  With the F, T, and L viewports (using the buttons on SE), I could interchange without any unexpected behavior.  When I used the keyboard to change any of them to “User/Orthographic” view, SE moved the scene around as would be expected in the old fashion User view. When I went to Max’s perspective view and used the SE buttons, the scene would change to the T, F, or L views of the objects in the scene, like the new “ViewCube; but, the viewport remained in Perspective view, as with the ViewCube. My SpacePilot works the same way.

I’ve blocked the ViewCube and SteeringWheels from loading with Max. I wonder if that has any influence.

Thanks for trying this out. It sounds like the SE behavior on your side is the same as mine.  I also have Viewcube and SterringWheels disabled.

The problem I have is that using SE’s T/L/R/F buttons doesn’t allow me to jump around from Perspective to Ortho views nor jump back and forth between 2D and 3D. Also, once I’m in Top/Left/Right/Front ortho view, SE forces me to remain in 2D mode, and I cannot orbit using the SE controller cap.

1. Go to Max’s User/Ortho view (via right-click viewport or “U” key) and use the SE controller cap to orbit around the object. This works as expected.

2. While still in ortho view, press any of the T/L/R/F buttons on SE. Then the viewport changes respectively. Now try to orbit/rotate around the object using the controller cap, and I can’t do that any more. It only pans the viewport and is stuck in 2D not unlike Photoshop canvas.

Although I’m not certain, I believe below is similar behavior as the Viewcube.

1. Go to Max’s Perspective Viewport and press any of the T/L/R/F buttons on SE. The viewport changes accordingly, but it is not in ortho view mode.

What I wanted was SE’s T/L/R/F buttons to take me from Perspective view to orthographic Top/Left/Right/Front views, not perspective Top/Left/Right/Front views. This is why I mapped the T/L/R/F buttons to use Custom Functions which in my mind would use my shortcuts in Max and take me to ortho views, but it seems to ignore the shortcuts.

Perhaps I am asking for something that cannot be done, or I’m missing something.

Thanks again.

E. K. Anna Hennequet [FA]

My behavior is identical to yours in both the SpacePilot and the SpaceExplorer.  It seems like everything on Earth needs a little fixin’ here and there. Thanks.

Max 2012(64) Win 7 - 64
NVIDIA Quadro FX 5800
Dual Xeon E5520 Six-Core, 3.33GHz
16GB DDR3