3Dconnexion 3D Mice Enhance 3D Visualization, Navigation

By DE Editors

3Dconnexion‘s (Fremont, CA) 3D mice augment Acrobat 9 from Adobe (San Jose, CA) by allowing people to navigate 2D and 3D content within PDF documents more intuitively than with a traditional mouse alone.

Unlike mice confined to motion on one flat plane, 3Dconnexion’s 3D mice enable users to move in all three dimensions simultaneously, using six degrees of freedom. By gently lifting, pressing, and turning the controller, Acrobat users can easily navigate to pan and zoom within 2D PDF documents as well as rotate 3D objects embedded within a PDF document in Adobe 3D Reviewer software. An added benefit is that while the 3D mouse is being used to control an object, the traditional mouse can be used to simultaneously select menu commands.

3Dconnexion’s 3D mice are supported by Acrobat 9 Reader, Acrobat 9 Standard, Acrobat 9 Pro, and Acrobat 9 Pro Extended on Windows XP and Vista, as well as Acrobat 9 Reader and Acrobat 9 Pro on Mac OS X 10.4.6 or higher, including Leopard.

SpaceNavigator Personal Edition (MSRP $59), SpaceNavigator Standard Edition (MSRP $99), SpaceNavigator for Notebooks (MSRP $129), SpaceExplorer (MSRP $299), and SpacePilot (MSRP $399) are available from 3Dconnexion.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.