DraftSight 2018

[mhoopes]

I cannot seem to get my SpaceMouse Compact to work in DraftSight 2018. It's been that way for a while. The reason I'm in the 2018 version is that I didn't get on board with the subscription model that became the exclusive licensing mode for DraftSight after 2018.

I'm using 3DxWare 10.8.10 in Windows 11.

I've deleted %appdata%\3Dconnexion\3DxWare\Cfg\DraftSight.xml, and see that C:\Program Files\3Dconnexion\3DxWare\3DxWinCore\Cfg\DraftSight.xml has <InheritsFromID>ID_Default_Cfg</InheritsFromID> and <ExecutableName>DraftSight.exe</ExecutableName>.

I know DraftSight isn't officially supported, though it has worked "ok" in the past, and there are obvious hooks for it in the default 3DxWare installation.

Is there a workaround available?

[jwick]

Hi Michael,

Draftsight changed the way they communicate with the 3D mouse at version 19. I don't know what that release is called (2019??).
We ship two cfg files for the application that are supposed to get used for version 19+, and for versions before that.
When your Draftsight version is in focus, what file does the 3Dx systray icon say is being used (hover over it with the 2D mouse).

Did the SpaceMouse Compact ever work with that version of Draftsight? Or did only earlier devices work with it? Their old code might not support new devices. This might be why they changed the way the communicate with the devices.

Jim

[mhoopes]

Hi Jim - I don't know that the SpaceMouse Compact ever did work with 2018; I bought that unit this year. I'll try my old SpaceNavigator when I get back to the office on Friday. The system tray icon hover text says the following:

DraftSight.exe
(DraftSight.xml)
SpaceMouse
Compact

I noticed there is a DraftSight_S80.xml, with the following code:
<VersionRange>
<Min>19</Min>
</VersionRange>

Those tags aren't in DraftSight.xml. I changed that file to DraftSight.old just to test, and am getting the default KMJ profile, which at least allows for mouse wheel emulation in DraftSight 2018.

I thought I'd take DraftSight 2022 for a trial spin. There, the SpaceMouse works much like it does in other CAD programs (much smoother than 2018 was), though I immediately reversed the y axis for zooming, and maxed out the overall speed.

I don't see any 3D Mouse controls in 2022, so that's all done in 3DxSmartUi. I also see that there's a Teigha eXtension file here:
C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\DraftSight\bin\Fx3DConnexion_4.03_15.tx

[mhoopes]

Looking at DraftSight 2018, I see there's an earlier version of that extension: Fx3DConnexion_4.01_14.tx.
As an experiment, I did the following:

Changed DraftSight.xml to DraftSight.old.
Changed the 4.01_14.tx to .old.
Copied the new tx into the 2018 bin and renamed it _4.01_14.tx.
Changed the DraftSight_S80.xml VersionRange value to 18.

The driver did not apply DraftSight_S80.xml; it still is using default KMJ. I commented out the VersionRange tags, same result. Is there a way to force the driver to use the S80 xml file?

[mhoopes]

Stopping and starting 3DxWare enabled DraftSight_S80.xml for 2018. However, 2018 is not responsive to the SpaceMouse Compact using that profile, so it's likely more complicated than my attempted workaround can achieve.

I rolled everything back to default and found an old SpaceNavigator. That does work with DraftSight 2018 using DraftSight.xml. The SpaceMouse Compact is incompatible with DraftSight 2018, as Jim suspected. I'll use the KMJ profile for that.

[antonimorali]

Please try the following to resolve your issue:

First, make sure your SpaceMouse Compact and 3DxWare software are installed correctly and without any conflicts or errors.

Second, try updating your 3DxWare software to the latest version. Sometimes, new versions of software fix some problems with older versions and provide better compatibility.

If updating the software doesn't work, you can try manually configuring the DraftSight.xml file. You have deleted the %appdata%\3Dconnexion\3DxWare\Cfg\DraftSight.xml file, but you can try to manually create a new configuration file and make sure it contains the correct configuration information.

You can also try contacting DraftSight's technical support team and ask them if they have any solutions or suggestions regarding SpaceMouse Compact compatibility. While DraftSight may not officially support SpaceMouse Compact, they may be able to provide some useful information.

Finally, if all else fails, you may want to consider using other CAD software or updating to the latest version of DraftSight to ensure compatibility with SpaceMouse Compact.

I hope you get the solution.

[mhoopes]

Please try the following to resolve your issue:

First, make sure your SpaceMouse Compact and 3DxWare software are installed correctly and without any conflicts or errors.

Second, try updating your 3DxWare software to the latest version. Sometimes, new versions of software fix some problems with older versions and provide better compatibility.

If updating the software doesn't work, you can try manually configuring the DraftSight.xml file. You have deleted the %appdata%\3Dconnexion\3DxWare\Cfg\DraftSight.xml file, but you can try to manually create a new configuration file and make sure it contains the correct configuration information.

You can also try contacting DraftSight's technical support team and ask them if they have any solutions or suggestions regarding SpaceMouse Compact compatibility. While DraftSight may not officially support SpaceMouse Compact, they may be able to provide some useful information.

Finally, if all else fails, you may want to consider using other CAD software or updating to the latest version of DraftSight to ensure compatibility with SpaceMouse Compact.

I hope you get the solution.

I failed to implement scrolling in DraftSight 2018 with the SpaceMouse Compact for two reasons:

1. DraftSight 2018 is not compatible with that generation for HIDMultiAxis actions.
2. DraftSight doesn't have scroll bars or scrolling of any kind, so HIDMouse_Wheel actions only Zoom, regardless of any modifier one might apply. It's a complete no-go for 2018; a KMJ profile doesn't have anything to work with there. Newer versions of DraftSight are subscription-only ($299-$599/yr), and I don't use it enough to justify the cost.