An interesting teardown …

I have often wondered how these were constructed:

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Edited By Michael Gilligan on 21/05/2023 07:21:29

Another breakfast treat from Michael, thanks. I've often wondered how mine works.

Knowing how they come apart is pure gold. I've broken several things that could have been repaired by forcing their mysterious casings at the wrong point.

Dave

Yes, that was interesting.

And it makes me wonder what input devices/setup folks here use for their CAD work?

I use the Logitech M510 mouse (with Forward/Back buttons) for my daily stuff, and then soon on my travels in to Alibre Atom 3D. I find the Logitech s/w to be a bit flakey at times.

[This chap surveys some input devices, but not specifically for Engineering .... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn3V3Wa23lI]

Ches

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As recently mentioned, I was delighted to regain the use of my Wacom digitising tablet on the Mac

[ the pen is mightier than the mouse! ]

MichaelG.

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Ref. __ https://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=186594

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 21/05/2023 09:51:18

Wacom digitising tablet on the Mac

Thanks. I have next to no experience of using input devices for CAD work.

I suppose, to some extent, the input device(s) chosen are what one is used to, what best fits that particular CAD s/w, whether it's for hobbyist/professional use and budget.

As someone on the first rung of the CAD ladder I will stick with my Logitech mouse for now, but if I climb further up then maybe I might consider an other input method.

Ches

I use my gaming mouse, although I hardly do gaming anymore thanks to Alibre

Alibre should target gamers, some spend literally thousands a year on kiddie games like World of Tanks

I run mine about on an ancient formica place mat

Edited By Ady1 on 21/05/2023 10:42:08

Until recently, I used a Logitech M185, and still do when I remote access Solid Edge from laptop whilst half-watching TV. It's fine.

More recently I switched to a Cherry MW3000 high precision mouse, which is ergonomically shaped and heavy. It has 6 buttons but I only use 3 (Right, Left, and Scroll/Middle). It also has a DPI button allowing the sensitivity of the mouse to be varied: I almost always run SLOW. Bit dearer than the Logitech but not top of the range. The extra weight makes it a notch easier to control compared with basic mice.

Chief problem I have is the surface mice run on. Their sensors struggle with too shiny, too white, too coarse, and dislike dirt. I'm using a commercial black foam mouse mat at the moment, which is much better than the vinyl tablecloth underneath. A4 printer paper, poor. Reversed wall-paper is almost as good as the commercial mat when new, but picks up dirt and goes off. Finding the perfect mouse-mat seems harder than finding a decent mouse!

For 3D-CAD, I also have a Space Mouse, driven left-handed to supplement my ordinary right-handed mouse. The ordinary mouse does most of the work. So the space mouse isn't essential, but it accelerates functions like Zoom and Rotate. It's brilliant for exploring and moving around a 3D model quickly. Quite expensive, need practice to get the best out of them and probably not worth buying for occasional modelling. They pay off once a model gets above a certain size and complexity. Mine is unjustified about 80% of the time because my models are mostly simple. Much appreciated when I do a big one though. I think a full-time CAD modeller would be unwise not to have a Space Mouse or similar; there are even smarter CAD devices about, £££.

Dave

Ady, Dave,

Thanks for the info.

Regarding mouse mats, I use an XXL sized one which the Logitech KB and mouse sit on....it is an Aukey 900mm x 400mm x 3mm, similar to this .... https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anpollo-900x400x3mm-Extended-Water-Resistant-Special-Textured/dp/B07NZLXHC8/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=aukey+mouse+pad&qid=1684662937&sr=8-3

It is about 6yrs old and has weathered well. I occasionally 'Hoover' it

Ches

I'm with S.O.D on this. I use F360 and use a SpaceMouse with my left hand and a Logitech M185 with my right.

Although the SpaceMouse is used only for CAD it is a great benefit with assemblies and complex models.

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Quite so, Ches

The first CAD system I used was Autocad 2.3 … which came on a set of floppy disks and ran under DOS

We bought an Olivetti PC specifically to run it … with a high spec [for the time] graphics card, and an 800x600 monitor [ Wow! ] … but the real gem in the system was the Kurta Series One graphics tablet.

**LINK**

https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_kurtaKurtabletUsersManual1984_1719750

When I set-up my own ‘workstation’ a couple of years later, I naturally chose a Kurta

Time passed and the Kurta was effectively obsolete [although I do still have it, and may one day find a way to use it for something], so I bought a Wacom Intuos2

**LINK**

https://101.wacom.com/productsupport/mac_manuals/IntuosUserManual.pdf

MichaelG.

Michael,

It sounds like you have evolved a system that works for you and does what you need. Can't ask for more

I've now watched a few tablet + CAD videos on YT eg .... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MrFuhv6mcE

I like the way it seems possible to roughly draw rectangles, squares, curved objects and the s/w can automatically convert those napkin sketches into regular shapes....but there does seem to still be a lot of button presses and drop-down menus rapidly coming and going behind the scenes.

In my ideal world the design, say a model steam engine, could roughly be sketched out on the tablet and then I press a single button and the s/w makes a best guess at what I want and turns it instantly in to a proper drawing. I can tweak dimensions etc - but most of the work is now done.

Anyway, back to reality....it seeems that Alibre is not that compatible with tablets, if at all. So I'll be sticking with my mouse whilst I begin my slow journey into the Alibre world.

Ches.

Sorry, Ches … perhaps I did not explain myself sufficiently well

All the sketchy stuff is certainly possible with a digitising tablet … but I was talking about using it as a precision pointing device [as a straightforward alternative to a mouse or trackball]

My Wacom can be set to absolute mode : in which case it is a scaled replica of the monitor screen

or in mouse mode : in which case the pen acts like a mouse

What you are describing is an aspect of particular software, not of the pointing device.

MichaelG.

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Edit: __ This is the flashy new Wacom, where tablet and screen are one device … but my old Intuos2 works in a similar fashion, with the tablet on the end of a USB lead: 

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 21/05/2023 18:31:28

precision pointing device

Ah, got it, thanks.

Thanks.

Ches