Space Navigator - for 3D art tools, XSI, Max, Maya.

[Malcolm]

I bought a Space Navigator a while ago to see if I could use it in XSI for character modelling etc... It has great potential but has failed in two key areas which mean it is unfortunately unusable. In our complex of offices there is another company who has tried to use the Space Navigator in Max for similar modelling tasks, but they have also struggled with the same issues. Also in other threads I have seen people write "who uses this in Maya".

Here are the problems as I see them, I haven't discovered a way to fix these. If anyone can suggest a solution I'll be most grateful.

1. The Gimble lock plane is fixed to horizontal.
There needs to be an option to change the Gimble lock plane to be Vertical.



The diagram shows that if you are modelling the face the camera will constantly be moving through the Gimbal plane, this causes rotation to reverse or stall if the camera is on the Horizontal plane.

2. The Rotation/Pivot - Focal point mode. (In Fly Mode)
This needs adjusting so that the focal point doesn't move with the camera Dolly. The only time the focal point should move is when the camera is translated. This makes the camera behave in the same way as using mouse inputs which is the expected behaviour to the artist. Without this the artist has to switch continually in and out of Fly Mode. (If this could upset existing users, it could be added as an option.)

These changes could open up the use of the Space Navigator to more 3D artists like myself who would like to use it, but can't, as it doesn't quite work.