ZBrushCentral

SpaceMouse plugin

hi. i want to write a plugin to use the spacemouse from 3dconnextion.com.
i wrote an interface in c/c++ where i can get all the properties now. can anyone help me “translate” this values into zbrush scripting values?

(or other said: how to set the camera position and rotation in zscript, using variables from a .dll?)

regards, ben0bi

Will somebody help this guy out, at last someone has seen the the light of a 3Dconnexion space pilot thingy & ZB3…

Good luck to you Beb0bi… :sunglasses:

The Command Reference and Wiki docs have all the available zscript info:
http://www.zbrush.info/docs/index.php/ZScript_Command_Reference#TransformGet

Hi there ben0bi!..

I also really hope that you find someone or something that can help you succeed in making a functional Spacemouse plugin for Zbrush!!.. :+1:

I’m afraid that I don’t know anyone that can help you as of now,
but I sure hope that your effort will eventually make zbrush spacemouse enabled!

I’ve been wanting this for a long time!

To be able to have the same navigation in all my 3D platforms and being able to configurie the same button assignment on the spacemouse in all apps would be a tremendous workflow enhancement for me!

I’m still waiting for support in modo, which is also a part of my assets…

Seems like the demand for hardware in some apps are quite weak!.. :frowning:

Good luck and keep up the work!!!

/Daniel

i must say, my interface is not done yet even for c++
the documentation for the API is crap, and it does not even run if i copy/paste the sample code.

(there i read, i have to register a COM server with the .NET environment. but how, this is not descripted. the code itself works fine (initializing, deinitializing) but there is no input from the mouse now. its all set up but i need to do this COM server registering…:frowning: if anyone knows how to do this, this would be helpful)

but i am on it…:wink:

Hi again!.. Sounds good! :slight_smile:

I really hope that you get a hang of it eventually!..

We are ordering two of the new more simple “Space mouses” - the SpaceNavigator today for our director/vfx supervisor.
They will use it in Max for setting cameras in our projects.

I want the SpacePilot, but I’ll wait with my order until Zbrush and/or Modo also works with it…

However, if/when you need help in beta-testing your plugin, I’d love to help you as soon as we get our SpaceNavigators!! :wink:

Keep it up!! :smiley:

/Daniel

I would also be very intersted in helping you with a beta. I have just purchased the space pilot for my work (structural and mechanical CAD and 3D MAX) and I really hope you get this working.

Can you please give us an update?

Thanks

as long as zbrush doesn’t have an SDK, i am not working on this stuff and so there will be no updates…sorry.

Connexion emailed me and I posted it here a few months ago, that they were themselves willing to do a driver for zbrush, but also couldn’t get an sdk from pixologic.

Could be that pixologic is just concerned others will duplicate their technology.

I would imagine that only a very minimal SDK would be required in order to implement Pan/Zoom/Rotate.

This is a real shame. The space pilot is a great tool when working in 3D and you would think Pixologic would more cooperative with 3D Connexion or the user community for that matter.

I use my space navigator in poser, and even photoshop, and love the hell out of it.

that’s a great shame i use my space pilot with 3dsmax and it’s VERY useful,…so we now hove to hope that pixologic add this themselves in a zbrush 3.x or 4.0 update…maybe we’ll hear more at siggraph this year?

yeah, I would also love to see a plugin for 3d connexions devices but from the sounds of it, not going to happen anytime soon. On the brighter side of things, Mudbox’s next release is supposed to support it (hopefully)

Hi Ben0bi,

I used to be a moderator on the technical support forums for 3DConnexion for about a year. I even got a free SpaceExplorer for helping out.

Some of the information you are looking for may be in their forums. There is a developer section where you can post specific questions like this. The 3DConnexion engineering staff themselves are the moderators for that section of the 3DConnexion forum so you can get info directly from the very individuals who design the devices. They work closely with many software companies and may have information available from them that might be useful to you.

On the 3DConnexion website there is a toll free number to call their phone tech support. The people at that number won’t be able to help you directly with an SDK issue, but if you tell them up front that is what you need assistance with, they will put you in touch with someone who can get you in contact directly with a specific engineer who may have the information you need. It has been awhile since I did some work for them but if it is the same person, then the tech support people will likely get you in direct contact with Ken Denton, one of the vice-presidents there who coordinates all that. I think I still have his phone number somewhere but I’m not sure where at the moment. Anyway, it is easy enough to ask the phone support people to get you in touch with him if he is still the one in charge of that.

I recall they were investigating it back just before Z3 came out but I never heard anything more definite after that. In most cases they provide the SDK to software developers and 3rd parties to develop the support in their software for 3DConnexion’s hardware. A smaller percentage are done internally by their engineers in partnership with certain software developers like Autodesk.

Let me know if this helps as I would LOVE to be able to use my SpaceExplorer in ZBrush someday. It is such a huge timesaving device, I don’t know how I would manage in Max, Sketchup and Photoshop without it.
Thanks