3D Mouse support is not available in all CityEngine versions.
Note that on Windows platforms, the settings made in the Logitech/3DConnexion system control panel are bypassed. To configure your 3D mouse for CityEngine, use CityEngine's builtin 3D Mouse preferences.
The 3D Mouse preference page lets you configure CityEngine related settings of your Logitech/3DConnexion 3D Mouse. The top of the preference page presents you all CityEngine user interface commands. You can assign any of these commands to the hardware buttons on your 3D Mouse. To assign a command to a button, just select the command from the list and press the button on the device the command should be assigned to. In order to simplify command selection, the list of commands may be filtered by typing the desired filter into the text field above the list of commands.
You can always restore the default command bindings for your specific device by clicking on the "Restore Defaults" button.
Settings
- Overal Speed: The overall speed (or sensitivity) of the 3D Mouse. Change this if you think your device responds to quick or slow.
- Reverse all Axes: Some people prefer to have the movements in helicopter or camera mode aligned with the mouse. You may reverse the axes with this option.
- Zoom direction: By default, zoom is mapped to moving the cap forwards and backwards. Some people prefer zoom on the up/down axis. You may select your preferred behavior with this option.
- Navigation mode: The preferred navigation mode (see below).
- Rotate: Enable rotation. If this option is not checked, the device will have no effect when you rotate the cap.
- Pan/Zoom: Enable pan/zoom. If this option is not checked, the device will have no effect when you move the cap.
Navigation modes
- Camera mode navigation is characterized by the user having the impression that they are moving around in the scene they are observing. This moves the user around and turns in the direction that the cap on the 3D mouse moves, and causes the objects displayed to move in the opposite direction. In camera mode the center of rotation is at the camera position.
- The main characteristic of object mode navigation is that the user has the impression they are holding the object in his hand. The center of rotation is the current point of interest, e.g. set to the center of the selection by framing.
- As the name suggests, this mode simulates a helicopter control mechanism. The device's pan axes control the movement in a plane parallel to the world's xz-plane irrespective of the applied tilt. The device's y-axis is used directly to control the height above the world's xz- plane. In this navigation mode pulling the devices cap up causes the height above world's xz-plane to increase, increasing the distance of the view point above the plane. Similarly, pressing the cap down causes the view point to get closer to the plane. Not only are the device's y-translation values applied directly to the world's up-axis, the same is true for the devices spin values: These rotations act as if the device's and the world's up-axis were coincidental.
3D Mouse menu
By default, button "1" on the 3D Mouse is assigned to the 3D Mouse menu. This menu allows you to lock translation and/or rotational movements as well as change the speed and navigation mode quickly.