Boban wrote:Why is it extreme? If other peripherals like mouse keyboard or even joysticks work flawlessly every time there is a new patch or new versions of programs or games, I don't see a reason why spacemouse drivers can't.
It's extreme, because
1: It's not like anything is keeping you from using Maya 2017, in which the 3D mouse still works just fine.
2: All those devices you named, are generic input devices, which are just using the direct OS support, and need no additional drivers. If Maya supported the SM as a generic input device, it would be working right now too. In fact, a million years ago, back in the SGI days, I actually just wrote my own driver for the original Spaceball, in nothing but MEL, because that was the only way to get it to work, and because Maya just treated it as a generic input device. Maya no longer supports the SM that way, which is why they have to write specific software.
3: It's not like the device is non-functional across the board. It works fine in Inventor 2018, Mudbox 2018, Solidworks, and a bunch of other programs. This is a Maya problem, not a release of completely nonfunctional drivers.
Look, I'm not arguing against the fact that their support sucks. Clearly it does. They seem perpetually understaffed, and it is painfully clear that their primary focus is a few specific CAD applications, with everything else taking a back seat. Which is extremely frustrating for everyone not using those few priority CAD apps. However, this is hardly a surprise with specialty hardware. I remember when this was even the case with Wacom tablets, before their mainstream appeal. I'm not making excuses for them, but it is what it is, and it probably isn't going to change unless these things get massively more popular than they are, and they sell a lot more, letting them staff up.
I've been using some flavor of these devices since 1998, and while I do understand the frustration, I just kind of have to roll my eyes every time I see a post like yours, which I see a lot, declaring the device a useless paperweight, because it doesn't instantly support the newest version of a particular program the instant it comes out. It will support Maya 2018 eventually, and until then, Maya 2017 Update 4 is just as functional as it was two whole months ago when it was released.
