Using a 3D Mouse in VentSim

[Martin Griffith]

We occasionally get requests in regard to using a Connexion 3D Mouse in Ventsim. The ability to use a 3D mouse in Ventsim has been there for a while (you need to enable it though: go to Settings -> Graphics -> Controls -> Use 3D Mouse). 

We hadn't used the 3D Mouse in Ventsim 5.1, so we ordered a new 3D Mouse to have a test and to work out whether or not we recommend users get a hold of one. 

The Connexion 3D mouse is a nice piece of hardware; it looks good and feels very solid and well-built. To use it in Ventsim was simple; first, I plugged it in and went through the Connexion introduction and tutorial. I then opened Ventsim and the Metal Mine demonstration model, and then changed the Settings, Graphics -> Controls -> Use 3D Mouse. 

The first time I used the 3D Mouse, my model spun around quickly and then flew off in to the distance. The mouse is very sensitive and takes some getting used to. 

Once I worked out that only very light pressure was needed, I was able to start moving the model how I wanted. One thing that quickly becomes apparent, particularly when using Ventsim straight after doing the Connexion tutorial, is that Ventsim doesn't allow the full range of movement that a 3D Mouse is actually capable of. One thing users of Ventsim may not have noticed with their own standard mouse, is that the viewer rotation is only enabled in two out of the three axes. With your standard mouse, you can only spin the model around the axes in line with the plane of your screen; you can't spin your model around the axis coming in and out of the screen. This is deliberate; mine models have a natural directional bias, ie up and down. There isn't really a reason or need to view your model lying on its side; locking rotation around this axis makes it easier to navigate through the model by helping the user avoid losing their bearings as they do so. 

Unfortunately, this limits the usefulness of the 3D Mouse somewhat in Ventsim. The 3D mouse movement that would tilt the model around the axis perpendicular to the screen instead rotates it around the vertical axis. 

What the 3D Mouse does give you is the ability to very smoothly move the model. This definitely gives Ventsim a different feel, although I don't know if it allows you to explore or edit airways any faster than you would with the regular mouse. For presentation purposes, this could be useful, but no more useful than the ability to set a spin to your model using the Ctrl-key and the standard mouse. 

In conclusion, the 3D Mouse gives a different feel to Ventsim, and if you have one, you should definitely turn it on and give it a try (and reply in this thread how you go!). However, at this stage, with the way Ventsim is designed, it can't really make full use of the 3D Mouse's capabilities; we wouldn't recommend that you go out to buy a 3D Mouse specifically for use in Ventsim. 

Let us know if you've used the 3D Mouse in Ventsim and what you thought of it. Also, if you have any tips on how to get more out of it, or you disagree with any of the above, please share!