World's first wireless 3D mouse gives you greater control

Rob Redman investigates if it’s worth ditching the leads with the wireless version of the popular Space Mouse.

By Creative Bloq Staff
( 3D World )
published

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Pick up the Space Mouse Wireless and you are immediately aware of the solidity of the build. As a piece of design it is attractive, with a heavy brushed metal base and plastic upper section. Importantly the puck part is the same shape and size as others in the range, so if you are thinking about buying one of these to use on the move, it will have the same feel as the wired version. Even the amount of resistance as you manipulate the puck is the same across the board, which means there is very little acclimatising involved.

For more options, take a look at our guide to the best mouse right now. 

The Space Mouse comes with a USB cable for data and charging, as well as a tiny USB wireless dongle for cable-free use. The battery life is very good and I only plugged it in after a week – mainly through habit with other devices – but it was still working away.

"As a piece of design it is attractive, with a heavy brushed metal base and plastic upper section," Redman comments

"As a piece of design it is attractive, with a heavy brushed metal base and plastic upper section," Redman comments

The form is clean and simple, with just the puck, USB port, power switch and a decent sized button to either side. These buttons fall naturally under your thumb and little finger as you work, and can be programmed to access the commands most useful to you.

In use, the Space Mouse is intuitive and effective, giving far greater freedom of viewport control than any other method. The lift and depress axis is particularly useful once you get to grips with it, and navigating a scene is fast and easy.

In use, the Space Mouse is intuitive and effective

As yet not all 3D apps offer full support but development is ongoing, so check with the 3D Connexion website to find out if your chosen app is supported. I tried it with Cinema 4D and Maya, and both worked perfectly well (on Mac and PC).

Verdict

Space Mouse Wireless

Score: 8/10

The Space Mouse Wireless offers all the main benefits of its sister products in a convenient package.

Uppers

  • Cable-free
  • Six-axis navigation
  • Customisable buttons

Downers

  • Not all 3D apps offer full support

Words: Rob Redman

Rob Redman is 3D World’s technical editor and a 3D artist and trainer.

This article originally appeared in 3D World issue 178.

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Creative Bloq Staff

The Creative Bloq team is made up of a group of design fans, and has changed and evolved since Creative Bloq began back in 2012. The current website team consists of eight full-time members of staff: Editor Georgia Coggan, Deputy Editor Rosie Hilder, Deals Editor Beren Neale, Senior News Editor Daniel Piper, Digital Arts and Design Editor Ian Dean, Tech Reviews Editor Erlingur Einarsson and Ecommerce Writer Beth Nicholls and Staff Writer Natalie Fear, as well as a roster of freelancers from around the world. The 3D World and ImagineFX magazine teams also pitch in, ensuring that content from 3D World and ImagineFX is represented on Creative Bloq.