Add a Space Mouse Camera
Note: this page is just a guide. You do not need to add a Space Mouse controlled camera to your project for it to run in the Data Arena, but you may find it helpful.
3DConnexion Space Mouse
The Data Arena has a wireless Space Mouse that we use mostly to fly through 3D environments. It has six degrees of freedom (3 translate and 3 rotate), and 2 digital buttons.
We've created two Blueprints in the Cameras folder of DA Assets to help you add a Space Mouse controlled camera to your project. Below are some video demos of how to use them.
If you're working on our lab computers with the wired Space Mouse devices, make sure to enable these two options in the Details panel when you add a camera Blueprint to your project:
- Use VRPN Input: enables camera control from the device instead of keyboard input
- Drift Protection: fixes an issue where wired devices may continue moving when you let go
SpaceMouseCamera
This Blueprint add a "free-fly" style camera to your project, so you can move and turn freely through your level. Drag and drop the SpaceMouseCamera Blueprint into your level and set the starting location and rotation.
SpaceMouseOrbitalCamera
This Blueprint add an orbit-locked camera to your project, so you can move around a specific object or area of interest. Drag and drop the SpaceMouseOrbitalCamera Blueprint into your level and set the starting location and rotation. The Details panel also has the following options unique to this camera:
- Distance from Centre: sets the initial distance between the camera and its orbit location
- Minimum Distance: prevents the camera from moving closer than this value to the orbit location
Sensitivity Adjustments
In the Details panel for both of these Blueprints, you'll see a Camera Settings section with various sensitivity controls. Experiment with these to change how fast you'd like the camera to move in response to the Space Mouse. Each of the 6 axes can be adjusted. The Friction variable will let you adjust the easing/smoothing effect (from -1 to 1). A lower value (e.g 0.1) will feel very smooth, while a higher value will feel faster and more responsive.