Customizing 3D Joystick Buttons

This task explains how to customize 3D Joystick buttons which allows you to assign (i.e. map) any given command or macro a device button.
This functionality is available for any application-supported hardware providing the necessary buttons, e.g. Space Mouse and the Space ball range of 3D input devices.

Please also read Customizing Buttons in the Infrastructure User's Guide

  1. Select Tools->Customize commands, choose the Commands tab then click the VR Customize button
    You can also access the Button Customize dialog box using one of the methods below:
    1. select the View->Commands List commands then select the VR Button Customize command
    2. type  c:VR Button Customize or  c:3Dx Button Customize in the power input field then press ENTER
    3. press button "1" of your Space Mouse or Spaceball (if you are using original settings).

     
    The Button Customize dialog box is displayed:
     

  2. Use the input device name area on top of the dialog box to select the desired device from the drop-down list in order to modify button mappings.
    In our example, the device is a Joystick3D.

  3. Map the desired device button to a particular command or macro using one of the methods detailed in Customizing Buttons

    For example, using the Drag and Drop capability from the Customize toolbar (still open)
    1. In the Categories list, select a category to map a command, or select the "Macros" category to map a macro.
    2. Select the command or macro to be mapped from the list of commands.

    3. Press and hold down the left-mouse button on top of the command or macro entry.

    4. Drag the icon to the top of the button drag-and-drop area.
    5. Release the left-mouse button.

    The command is assigned to the device button.

  4. Repeat step 3. as many times as needed to map your 4 device buttons.

    In our example, we assigned the following commands:

    Commands

    Buttons

    Wireframe:

    		Button1
    Shading Button2
    Zoom In Button3
    Zoom Out Button4
    Note that when entering the DMU Immersive Review workbench, the commands assigned to the first two buttons (button1 button2) are automatically deactivated
    If you wish to remove a button mapping, simply right-click the desired button drag-and-drop area then select the Delete contextual command. This will empty the button drag-and-drop area to indicate that no macro or command is currently assigned to this device button.

  5. Press the desired device button to activate the command you assigned to it.

    This is what you obtain if you press button1 and button2 successively:
    The help area in bottom part of the panel displays a help text for the corresponding mapped command
    when a device button is pressed (a red arrow identifies in the panel the button you press)