Single-hand input method for SketchUp
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Hello.
Over the holidays I broke my left arm when I fell off from my skateboard.
As a result, I re-discovered SIRI and am really impressed with its capability (I'm writing this post with it).
However, when it comes to CAD, thing are not so easy.
So far, the best one-hand input method for SketchUp is a programmable mouse (Logicool G400).
I assigned modifier keys (ctrl, alt, shift...) to its four buttons and that helped me a great deal.
I only wish if my mouse had 27 more buttons...
So my question is, what is the best CAD input method (or device) for a person with only one working hand?
Is 3Dconnexion SpaceMouse good in my case? Looks like it still needs a separate mouse.
How about Siri? Can it be used with SketchUp in anyway? Maybe a Wacom pen-tablet?
Any suggestions are welcome! -
Voice control certainly works with SU but it has it's limitations, it doesn't work well in a noisy environment and you often need to spend a long time training the computer to understand you.
One of the simplest things is to use an onscreen keyboard, this lets you hit crtl, alt etc as needed and change tools easily. would work well with a wacom.
I think a combination of voice and onscreen keyboard with either a mouse or tablet would get things moving quite well. -
@unknownuser said:
I fell off from my skateboard.
After 16 years it's like a suicide to use this!
After it's depend if it's your regular hand who is broken! 1/2 luck!
So use Moment of inspiration with a tablet or wacom is a sugar candy because it was created at start for work with only one hand!
@unknownuser said:
Pen-tablet friendly user interface.
MoI features a unique user interface that integrates particularly well with a pen tablet. Unlike most programs, you don't have to constantly tap the Shift, Alt, or Control keys, so you don't have to hover over the keyboard when using MoI. Also right-clicking tends to be awkward with a pen. MoI provides simple left-click methods for view manipulation functions that require right-clicking in other CAD programs.And you have at the end the export SKP format!
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Sorry to hear this! You could check out Razer gaming mice. Some are covered with buttons. I only use their 7 button models myself and they are good mice in general. My main one I've had for YEARS. I just never got the hang of using all the buttons when I still have use of my left hand.
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You could try to use a mouse gesture program, I´ve used stroke it with great sucess you just have to spend some time creating the gestures and getting used to it.
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Thanks everybody for insightful tips.
@box said:
One of the simplest things is to use an onscreen keyboard, this lets you hit crtl, alt etc as needed and change tools easily. would work well with a wacom.
I didn't even know such a thing as on-screen keyboard existed.
This method is easy and has no learning curve. However it's not as fast as keyboard shortcuts (basically the same as using icons to send commands), and takes too much onscreen real estate.Pilou;
But, that is not sketchup! (but but, I love MOI too. A lovely prog.)pbacot;
Woah, don't they burn your hands?
@jaceguay said:
You could try to use a mouse gesture program, I´ve used stroke it with great sucess you just have to spend some time creating the gestures and getting used to it.
Tell me you are not a genius and I won't believe you!
What I really liked about this method is that all my original shortcuts are directly translatable to mouse gestures.
What I mean by this is:Command >> Gesture
G >> G
Alt + G >> Reversed G
Ctrl + G >> g (lower case)"Reversed T" does not mean "mirrored" or "upside down", but T drawn backwards, as in counter-clockwise O to clockwise O. As soon as these rules were established, I had a whole keyboard under my command, literally.
There was no learning curve, since I kept the same, old, time-tested and beloved shortcuts; all of them.
I even added some new shortcuts because now key-combos as "Alt + P" or "Alt + L" are just as easy to type as "Alt + C"!
What is really amazing is after half a day of mouse gesturing, I'm already back to my previous speed, if not faster.
I have a feeling that I will be using mouse gestures even after my left arm comes back to business.
I cannot thank you enough, jaceguay! One more thing, I found that Strokeit was kind of obsolete as the last release was in 2010.
There is a good substitute program called Strokeplus, its last update was last month. It has easy-to-use GUI and an extensive help file too.
http://www.strokesplus.com/ -
I'm using a Razer Naga 2012 and I'm verry happy with it, all the buttons have a function in skecthup, the lowwer numbers are the ones that I use the most. For a 2 handed person is it a dream to use this in combination with a spacenavigator.
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