IMAGINiT Technologies offer the 3-D Mice design software. A recent article, published in the Design News by Beth Stackpole, discussed 3DConnexion’s research, which showed the productivity gains when using 3-D Mice. A survey, conducted by the independent market researcher MarketLab, polled 190 3Dconnexion mice users, acquiring feedback regarding their experience with 3-D Mice while using CAD applications such as the Autodesk Inventor.
More than 80% of the respondents said that using a 3-D mouse increased their productivity, noting an increase within the first week of using the mouse. In addition, almost half of the respondents said their overall productivity increased by 20% or more. More than 80% reported that using a 3-D mouse made it easier to identify problems associated with design. Moreover, more than 70% of those surveyed said their 3-D mouse reduced discomfort while navigating designs, allowing for longer design sessions.
Unlike traditional mice, 3-D mice let design engineers move in all three dimensions simultaneously, using six degrees of freedom. Users gently lift, press and turn the controller cap to pan, zoom and rotate without stopping to select commands.
The findings from the survey can be found in The Economic Payback of 3D Mice for CAD Design Engineers.