Mouse
In all of my time working with CAD programs I never used anything but the conventional mouse + keyboard. Today I had a conversation with my engineering manager and he brought up the subject of using a CAD mouse. My company is quite great when it comes to ergonomics and taking care of their employees, so he brought the CAD mouse up into conversation because he didn't want me to get "injured" in the future (repetitive strain injury I believe you call it).
So, I'm completely clueless with CAD mice, have been looking around for the past few hours to see what the deal really is, and if I believe there's any benefit to using one over the conventional M+K. I agreed with my manager I'd look into it and come back to him if I want one or not.
So, my questions are:
- Is there any actual benefit to using one? I've gotten so used to M+K. I know all the shortcuts on the keyboard that I need in a CAD program. Would it still be faster?
- Is it ergonomically better than using a standard mouse?
- The movement in CAD programs is something I'm so used to, specially in combination with keyboard keys to drag a model or rotate it, or to press a key on the keyboard so the model aligns with a front/back/side view, etc. Would a CAD mouse still be advantageous?
p.s.: By "CAD mouse" I'm talking about something like the 3D-Connexion pro space mouse (I believe it's called).
Thanks for any help!
1 Answer
They will increase your productivity a great deal. Not to mention the ergonomic advantages. A 3D mouse can easily double your productivity at times.
Instead of using a regular mouse to both rotate your model and pick items on the screen, you split the tasks between your left and right hands. It allows you to do both simultaneously. Your left hand does all the zooming and rotation. Your right hand does all the traditional pointing and picking.
I’ve been using a 3D mouse type device from 3Dconnexion for over 25 years and I could not imagine working without it. The learning curve is very quick. It’s a very natural extension of your hand. It’s as if you have a hold of the model on the screen and are able to directly manipulate it. They are well worth the money and will pay back dividends in productivity gains in a very short amount of time. Payback will be a day or two or even a few hours. If you’re being paid to do CAD work then I view a 3D mouse as mandatory equipment.
In addition to a 3D mouse I recommend a precision standard mouse as sold by 3Dconnexion. When coupled with a high resolution video screen and a complicated CAD drawing, a precision mouse allows much more precise pointing on the screen. While you won’t see tremendous gains in productivity, they definitely improve the ergonomics of the situation.
