3DConnexion 3DX-700059 Spacemouse Compact 3D Mouse

I purchased this at the recommendation of a book author while learning CAD, and now I cannot imagine CAD design without it. Whenever I don't have my SpaceMouse with me, I feel like I'm designing without the use of one of my hands.The design is near perfect, and the functionality learning curve is steep but quick: the movement feels natural in quick order.There is a heft to it, with the weight keeping it firmly planted on the desk - this also adds to the already high quality feel of the construction of the device.The default sensitivity will be quickly outgrown by many, but it's fully adjustable. This is truly one of my favorite tools for CAD and 3D printing.I have also been pleasantly surprised by the software; it's super configurable and allows a lot of flexibility, allowing different settings on an app by app basis. One can even configure this tool for non-traditional apps like browsers and such!

I can't really think of anything negative about this - it doesn't have a ton of features, but it really isn't meant to. It's largely metal and very heavy (a good thing), but it's NOT a joystick - treating it like one will make your model fly away. You move it like you are holding the item (gently). It's simple, but very useful for what it is supposed to do.

I've spent the last 35 years using CAD systems for work and I've always considered space mouse/space balls as a must have. It allows you to utilize both your hands for model manipulation instead of just one hand using a standard mouse.It reduces having to memorize mouse button pushes for model panning, spinning and zooming for different CAD software. I was constantly switching between Catia and NX which did not utilize the same button operations on the mouse. Some of the NX mouse operations are awkward and would give me wrist tendon pain but I can avoid that by using a space mouse. I've been using this compact version since it's release. It's solidly built with less plastic than previous versions and doesn't take up much desk space.I'm now retired but wanted my own space mouse at home to use with Solidworks Maker when designing parts to print on a 3d printer. It works great with SW and I've also used it with FreeCad. An added bonus is that it also works with Cura which can be finicky when rotating the parts.I will note that every space mouse I've ever seen eventually develops a stick layer on the rubber portions of the mouse. I'm guessing it's a side effect of oils from people's hand. They usually get sticking when they haven't been used for months.

This 6DoF device has been a lifesaver for my work in Blender! It took a little getting used to, but very quickly it became second nature -- now I could not work in Blender without it. I find myself reaching for it even in other applications that don't support it, and suddenly I feel lost. It's so much better than just relying on RMB to pan, orbit, etc. in Blender.I bought the SpaceMouse because my right hand was starting to get tendinitis from having to hold the scroll wheel (I don't have a dedicated third mouse button) to pan, etc. I was hesitant to buy the SpaceMouse without ever having tried it, as I'm extremely picky when it comes to the feel of the peripherals I work with. It was a gamble, considering I could not try it out before purchasing, but it paid off! I absolutely LOVE this device, as it distributes the workload between my two hands so neither gets tired during my 8-10-hr+ days of Blender work.The wired aspect was also a point of hesitancy, as my desk is already crowded and I'm not fond of cables everywhere. I prefer a neat aesthetic, as clutter becomes distracting. While it would be nice to have the wireless version, the cord is not that obnoxious and it was definitely a good way to test the device to see if I liked it before spending more. I may get the wireless one in the future, though I may go for the fancier SpaceMouse Pro. At any rate, I will never do work in Blender or any similar 3D program without my SpaceMouse! It's practically become part of my left hand.