Joystick Flycam, 6 axis controller, 3dconnexion

So I finally got around to plugging a gamepad into my computer and zooming my camera around in joystick flycam--Only to find I'm a couple axis' short.

Searching the internet for 6 axis controllers brought me to 3dconnexion and the Space Navigator.

Is anyone using this thing? It seems like just what the lindens had in mind when they came up with joystick flycam.

Well, They say the pioneers are the guys with the arrows in their backs. Since it will still be useful for Google Earth and Google Sketchup, I ordered one anyway.

I'll let the rest of you know.

Out of the box drivers do NOT work with the Space Navigator. HOWEVER, according to the 3dConnexion forums, they are looking into it.

On the other hand. . .

The drivers written by RBC9, also available through the 3dConnexion forum, work quite nicely. They're a little finicky to set up and calibrate at first, and you'll probably want to create a new layout that's a little livelier than the default configuration, and maybe remap an axis or two. . .

With a 3d party driver, and a little work, the Space Navigator works quite well. Hopefully, we'll see official drivers or support built into SL soon.

I've had a lot of success with the SpaceNavigator in SL.

I'll be posting some screenshots etc, in combination with 3dconnexions own forum:
http://www.3dconnexion.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4909

All the best,
Tene

And... here are my settings.

Sorry it's a bit rough but I wanted to get my settings to you ASAP.

http://teneverse.blogspot.com/2007/07/blog-post.html

Let me have your comments!

Tene

Gosh I was starting to think I was the only one here.

my system is not seeing the driver, anyone have a clue why?

Ova, are you using the RBC9 driver? You can find it in the the 3DConnexion forums along with setup instructions.

Tenebrous, I wasn't able to use your settings. Actually, I didn't have to set up the Space Navigator at all, the default worked right away. But I needed considerably more dead zone on some of the axes, and I couldn't keep my settings quite so linear.

It works. It's good for building in that I can place the camera POV anywhere I want it and it STAYS put. My point of view never gets pushed outside. Also, I can move directly in on a target, and go through walls facing forward instead of obliquely.

On the other hand. . .

if I move my avatar, my camera pov stays right where it was. It doesn't snap back over the avatar the way it would if I was using SL camera controls. So, if I need to move my avatar, I have to watch and steer remotely.

Also, no more alt clicking an item to zoom in on it. Just doen't work.

I tried to set up a new layout, but for some reason it always seems to fail and default to the old one. My layout used the arrow keys and page up/down, appropriately assigned to positive or negative positions along a given axis. The idea was that I could switch between moving my AV and moving my camera.

Occasionally, things are working fine and the camera is movirg right along, when all of a sudden, it goes crazy and I end up underground 3 regions away.

Properly integrated, this thing would be killer for SL. But for now, it's very useful for specific tasks and a little quirky.

I tend to adjust the scalings etc based on what I'm doing at the time.



That's what I use it for most. I love the ability to navigate with my left hand and build with my right. Assigning a button on the SpaceNavigator to 'Edit Linked Parts' is also useful (see http://jacek.meratalk.com/?p=137)



If you're talking about the RBC9 driver, then on Vista I found the control panel needed to be set to run as administrator to fix this. Yeah, annoying extra dialogue when you fire it up, but it works.



I've had that happen a couple of times to me, but at the time it was definitely due to lag in SL.



Absolutely!

Tene.

While I tried Tenebrous Pau's settings and they work well for their intended purpose, it was not what I wanted. I use the Space Navigator to move my avatar around in 3D space and I believe this is the most useful application of the device. Using RBC9 driver from the 3DConnexion forums, I set the Space Navigator to emulate the keyboard controls for movement. With a fairly large dead zone, this works pretty well. It is still not analog like the joystick input, but it does make moving your avatar around much easier. Now if someone would only add a analog joystick avatar movement control, like the flycam we would be all set.

I use the 3d Navigator too. I change the settings for whatever I'm doing. It does a nice job.

This is very cool, and took only a few minutes to become proficient flying the camera around. I think this will greatly reduce the repetitive strain problem I have with 3D apps, including SL, due to constant holding of the mouse buttons for camera movement. It's also great for pan/zoom in Photoshop.

I just wish there was a keystroke shortcut (preferably a function key; no control-shift-alt combination) to enter flycam mode, because I use the escape key a lot, which takes me out of flycam mode. Or maybe a way to make the left button on the device enter flycam mode. That's be wonderful.

Anyone tried SpaceNavigator with SL on Linux ?

I hear it's a paperweight on Linux. If I remember I'll nudge someone who tried it to post here.

Have the latest versions - the latest release candidate and first look - had any changes that affect the use of these controllers?

Seems like I saw a comment to that effect but I don't know where.

The Linux client apparently doesn't support the joystick flycam yet, but it's supposedly on LL's to-do list (see /263/84/187066/1.html

I have a conventional 2 axis joystick, I suppose it is useless, I can't get it to move in the direction I want it too.
Finally worked out how to get it to work, then lost all the settings when I logged back in after using another viewer.

Wow, I didn't see this thread until now.

I've had SpaceNavigator for quite a while now and while I love flycam, there were few issues with previous viewers RC 1.20 has now finally solved. The most notable were:
1. random "teleports" of the flycam camera (JIRA issue VWR-4223)
2. just flycam, no way to move avatar itself with SpaceNavigator
3. no shortcuts to enter flycam mode (JIRA issue VWR-4480)

Big thanks to LL for listening to my (and others') JIRA reports and improving SpaceNavigator support - and solving all of those issues.

Tenebrous Pau, thank you for everything you posted so far, though I'm reading it only now - pity I didn't run into your posts before I found the correct settings myself by trial-and-error. :/

And Anya Ristow, yeah, you're absolutely right - this device really does wonders for repetitive strain while moving camera around.

As of new RC, there are some new issues with SpaceNavigator - so let me pimp the metaissue which links to all of those:
http://jira.secondlife.com/browse/VWR-6363

Please vote if any of this issues affects you, joystick support is actively being developed right now, and Lindens are listening, so this is our chance to suggest improvements.

I got mine yesterday, its working with RC 1.20 and Mac OS 10.5.2 out of the box... I can't seem to assign values to the two buttons though, using the control panel in Systems preferences... Anyone else using Mac/SpaceNavigator in SL?

Torley Linden has also done several videos about it...

Links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEAyMDDSh5g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHqF-jvGox0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcsJDy7G4to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWk1VT6NE3Q

I can't speak for what happens under MAC OS, but on my Vista machine the right button brings up the Space Navigator application. (This is typical) And the left button cycles between cam control and AV movement control. Can't assign values.

According to the 3d Connexion web site there are a number of other controllers that will be compatible with SL. Most of them have a LOT more buttons than the Space Navigator. Too bad.

Edit. Torley's last video shows how to go into the 3d Connexion panel and change the action of the right mouse button.

Someone had mentioned that there was a new way of doing it, but there was no specifics

You may already know of these from july 2007 These are the last settings I had seen that was said to work with SL. Below is a link.



With info on this site



"Firstly, we have the settings for the RBC9 driver. As you can see I've just mapped the SpaceNavigator axis almost randomly ;) Just make sure you map to the joystick axis of X,Y,Z, and rX, rY and rZ.

Secondly, we have the settings from within Second Life itself. The 'Joystick Flycam' is found within the 'Client' menu (CTRL+ALT+D to turn it on, if you haven't got it)."

I suppose those settings may still work in the official client, (which I never use.) But the last few RC's support much more functionality. Torley's videos explain it all.

Patrice, have you got the button issue sorted yet? I'm curious because I am a Mac user and I think I want one of these... but probably not unless it works in SL. I've read here at the forums that it's good for Photoshop and 3D apps use, if I recall correctly, so I might get it anyway....

Welleran, this is a very old thread.

The Space Navigator is directly supported by the SL Release Candidate (1.20) viewer. Works great, right out of the box.