Computer Graphics World

October 2008 32 ■ ■ ■ ■ Hardware ductive and effi cient when using 3Dcon- nexion's 3D mice (see pg. 28). A majority of the survey's respondents indicated that using a 3D mouse signifi cantly increased their productivity and design performance, and made it easier to identify problems, improving the overall quality of designs. e whitepaper, based on the fi ndings of Technology Assessment Group, an inde- pendent product consulting fi rm specializ- ing in product evaluation and productivity measurement, concludes: "User interface research by GE, IBM, and the University of Toronto suggests that substantial pro- ductivity gains should result from using well-integrated 6-degree-of-freedom de- vices for complex 3D applications such as 3D CAD." Future within Reach e complexity of 3D applications will only increase in the future and, in turn, amplify the need for more interactive navi- gation and increased control, beyond what can be attained with a traditional mouse, predicts Lomotan. "DCC applications will continue to evolve and push the limits of content creation. 3Dconnexion's goal is to continue to evolve our 3D mice to pro- vide greater comfort, increased control, and expanded performance with the latest technologies to continue to help designers interact more naturally and directly with their creative environments. 3D mice are fast becoming a 'must have' design tool for today's creative professionals." More and more DCC professionals are beginning to recognize the need for a precise instrument that will increase their productivity and effi ciency, reveals Kra- koff . "At the end of the day, using a more effi cient—but familiar—input device that is easily adjusted to has allowed many pro- fessionals to increase their effi ciency with little or no downtime in their work. As this pervades more of the general conscience, we will defi nitely see more DCC profes- sionals that appreciate a high-quality input device that performs measurably better than comparable competing products." Technology fi rms continue to push the state of the art in input devices. Wacom, for one, is working with key partners to look at ways that input devices can not only streamline the workfl ow, but also feel more comfortable and intuitive. After all, says Rawlings, "input solutions should be easy, natural, and intuitive." To that end, Wacom is investigating the benefi ts of touch input for DCC pros. "Apple is having a signifi cant impact on the industry with the iPhone and with new implementations of touchpads on Mac Pro laptops," Rawlings observes. " is is defi - nitely an area to watch, and it has the po- tential to impact DCC pros longer term, in ways yet unconsidered. Touch input is an evolving area, and many researchers are just now tapping the potential for how this might impact workfl ow in the future, but this will not obviate the needs for highly specialized and customized input solutions for animation and modeling." Krakoff , too, sees potential in a number of technologies, such as motion tracking and multi-touch screens, but "they are all either still in their infancy and require more work, or are much too expensive to be used on a wide scale." Even so, he recognizes that these options are "among many possible candidates that will revolutionize the indus- try, but only time can tell. e only thing I can say for certain is that whichever solution becomes prevalent in tomorrow's society, it will be a much more intuitive solution that will naturally mirror normal human mo- tion, tendencies, and ergonomics." Lewis, like other DCC professionals and enthusiasts, is grateful for innovators and innovations in the fi eld. "I want to thank the great folks who create these innovative input devices that make my job as a 3D artist so much better," he says. "Any input device is a tool, an extension of your cre- ativity into your work space. It should feel natural, it should be easy to use, but don't hesitate to try new things and give new devices a chance. Try things that weren't designed for work, such as programmable add-on game controllers and keypads; if you can assign a macro to it in your games, you can assign a macro to it for work. Find something that works for you; it doesn't have to be the most expensive thing, but it has to work for you." ■ Courtney E. Howard is a contributing editor for Computer Graphics World. She can be reached at cehoward@twitchcafe.com. Visit www.cgw.com for comprehensive information about groundbreaking input device designs introduced at SIGGRAPH 2008 in this year's New Tech Demos. The controller cap common to all 3Dconnexion devices is designed to deliver six degrees of freedom, as indicated by the arrows.

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