Spacemouse Pro button configuration - Unigraphics - Drafting

[marco007]

hi folks

I've installed a spacemouse pro for one of our designers, we are using Unigraphics NX8.5 and NX5 CAD software. The driver version the spacemouse device is installing is 6.16.1. The mouse works fine in that it will rotate as normal and all of the preconfigured shortcut keys work ok. I want to change the ikeys to some of the frequently used functions that the user needs. I've tried to change key1 to drafting and key2 to modelling. I did this by opening Unigraphics and the opening the properties on the 3dconnexion control panel. I've changed all the profiles created there to have the keys mapped as I need them but it does not seem to work. If I change key1 to be Isometric view then this will work but if I try to mapit to drafting or modelling it will not work.

I tried to get around this by creating a macro, where <CTRL><SHIFT><D> should take me to drafting, when I configured this macro on key 1 it will not work, nothing happens when I try to select it. I have another designer that is using the same device with the same software but his driver version is 6.15. He has been able to successfully map those buttons. I have followed one of the guides here to do a clean reinstall, deleteing all previously created profiles and registry keys. This did not resolve.

Is there anything wrong with the driver I am using or is there some problem with the way I'm trying to map the keys?

thanks for any help

[Fred]

Hello
Button mapping for your 3Dconnexion device needs to be done from the Customize Buttons editor within NX rather than from the 3Dconnexion Properties window. For any application that has an internal button mapping editor, the internal editor has priority. Buttons mapped from 3Dconnexion Properties return to defaults since they are overwritten by the internal editor.

If you map your buttons instead from the 3DxNX 'Customize Buttons', the mappings will be saved to your profile.

In NX you can access the 'Customize Buttons' from the pop-up menu by pressing the "Menu" on SpacePilotPRO, SpaceMouse Pro. The "Panel" on the SpacePilot and SpaceExplorer and the left button on the SpaceNavigator.

You can also open the editor by choosing 'Button Mapping Editor' from the 3DxNX menu or clicking on Button Mapping Editor in the 3DxNX toolbar.

If your NX button mapping is greyed out , it indicates the system environment variables need to be edited.The steps here explain what needs to done: http://www.3dconnexion.com/faq/55

If you have more than one version of NX installed , the steps need to be done for each version.

Environment variables are located on the Advanced tab in System Properties.

You can see screenshots of the 3DxNX button editor here:[ 3DxHelp- Supported Applications-Siemens NX - Customize Buttons]

If you want to map a command not included in the the editor, you first need to have a keyboard combination [such as Shift+Ctrl+Z or F8] that generates your command in NX.

You can assign your keyboard combination by entering it in the Custom Functions editor and giving it a name. For example if you are using F8 as a shortcut for 'Snap View', you would enter the F8 key and it will be displayed as <F8>. The name you give it - such as ' My SnapView' will be added to the 'Current Recored Functions'.

The Custom Function editor is shown in the manual [3DxHelp- 3Dconnexion Properties-Button Configuration - Custom Functions]

When you re-start NX after creating a new Custom Function, your new macro will be added to the '3DxWare' category in the 3DxNX Button Mapping Editor .
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NX Macros Fail to Execute in Windows 7

There is a problem with the keyboard simulation in NX on Vista and Win7-64bit. The command mapping in 3DxWare does not work correctly and the mapped commands are not executed.

The issue is related to the UAC [User Account Control] in Windows. The UAC specifically stops the mechanism the 3DxNX software uses to send macros.One option is to turn off the UAC, however, this may not be an option for network PCs. If you want to check the UAC status , you can type UAC in the search bar next to the Start button . Moving the UAC slider to the bottom turns it off.We do not currently have a way to generate macros in the NX add-in with the UAC turned on.

The internal bug tracking number for this issue is #5293. Please check our release notes when a new driver to see when a fix is available for this problem.

Driver releases are posted on our download page on the day they become available and are not pre-announced.The Release Notes .PDF for the driver lists issues that have been addressed and plugins that have been updated .[http://www.3dconnexion.com/service/drivers.html]

[marco007]

thanks for your reply. I hadnt realised the button mapping tool in NX took precedence. Once I used this to map the buttons, and then saved that configuration it all worked as it should. As it happens, the other users on the team dont have access to that menu. I assume, as you have pointed out, it s probably just a matter of editing that environmental variable.

One last question for you, if a user has Unigraphics open and then opens solidworks also, should we be able to configure those keys separately in each program? At the moment when using solidworks, the keys are not assigned but from what you have outlined above we should be able to configure seperately ?

thanks again.

[Fred]

We provide an addin forSolidworks, Open up the popup by clicking on Menu.
Choose customize buttons
Drag and drop just like NX.

Youl have to do this for each mode.

[marco007]

good stuff. thanks for your help fred

[melo]

@Fred

Thanks for the link!