Best setup for mobile use with Windows laptop

SteveBerry

Hi,
I'm new here, but have been using Sketchup in my business for the last year. I'm a landscape designer, and use sketchup to build models. For each design, I build the basemap in the field. This obviously causes issues, since Sketchup is so mouse-dependent, and I generally don't have a place to move a mouse around.

In the past, I've used a Windows laptop with a trackpoint (nub) to navigate and touch-type my commands. It has a button that you can use to Scroll (like the scroll wheel). This has allowed me a pretty reasonble speed for building models in the field, as I can quickly switch between the scroll wheel to zoom and the buttons for Pan and Orbit.

However, I am getting a new laptop, and I'm not sure it will have a trackpoint nub. I'm also pretty sure its going to be Windows, so I'm not going to able to use the Mac gestures for the trackpad. As such, I'm a little concerned about what my options are going to be in the field.

What are some of the setups other people use in the field? If I could set up on my car hood, a table, on top of a wall, or on my tailgate, all would be appropriate. Moving a mouse around isn't an option, but I could set something up next to me (like the 3dconnexion device) that was stationary. I've looked into touch-sensitive flat trackpads, but Windows doesn't seem to support multi-touch gestures in Sketchup the way that Mac does. Is this true?

Given all that, is anyone else using Sketchup in the field? If so, how? I will have a pressure sensitive tablet pc with a multi-touch capable screen, but I don't think that Sketchup takes multi-touch natively either. As such, I'm sort of at a loss.

Does anyone have any help or experience they could share? Thanks!

Box

I had a similar problem, walking about on ships always looking for somewhere to sit with a suitable surface for a mouse.....I now use a trackball mouse screwed to a monopod, and top it off with a Gaming glove for my keyboard shortcuts.
This allows you to drop the laptop almost anywhere, adjust the screen angle and away you go. Since you are outside, if you use one with a point you could just stick it in the ground and walk away to take measurements etc, a small tripod would work too.

SteveBerry

Ohhh, that's a useful concept! I'd been looking at "finger mouses" and "handheld mouses", but was trying to figure how I'd smoothly move between navigation/ selection and input on the keyboard if I had to keep setting it down. The simple idea of the monopod is a good one. How are you attaching the trackball mouse to it though? The pics I've found of the Logitech device don't show any mounts on the bottom. Are there some sort of "screw mount attachments" you can buy for things like the mouse? Or is there a threaded attachment that I just don't see? It would be nice to be able to use the same trackball mouse in the field as at home... .thought that's not essential.

Also, what's the difference between the 25$ Manfrotto monopod and the
80$ Manfrotto monopod? They look the same to me, but there must be a difference.

The gaming glove is an interesting idea as well. The goal is, I guess, that you don't need to use the keyboard much, if at all, yes? My concern is that its corded, though I see that the corded connection can come off easily enough. I move about a lot taking measurements though, on site. Do you do much of that? How has the glove stood to some outdoor use? I would need to use a tape measure, etc. I could imagine it might get (slightly) dirty with use.

I do digital art as well, and I've heard of people using wand-like gaming controllers such as this one by Nintendo, and then changing the buttons and joystick commands with other programs like xpadder. But either way, you'll still need to input numbers and whatnot. I imagine you're having to use the keyboard a bit too? It's all not perfect I guess, but I'm only building basemaps in the field-- the detailed stuff goes on at the office.

Box

I just glued a bit of wood with a nut in it onto the bottom of the mouse so that it screws onto the monopod fitting. Good strong industrial Velcro would probably be all you need. You could open it up and glue a nut inside so that you can screw it off and use it normally if you want.

I've no idea what the difference is, I simply picked the first link in google images for monopod. It's basically a telescopic stick. A length of broom stick would be just as good and a damn sight cheaper, but not as transportable and professional looking.

The glove is brilliant, I use it all the time. The connection is strong, easy to attach and detach. I felt the same about the cable at first then realised that, if it was wireless, every time I went to the kitchen to make a coffee or picked up a tape measure I would have to not touch my fingers together or my computer would be going nuts. It's a very good on off switch. It's very durable, washable and hasn't given me any problems. If you use lots of keyboard shortcuts with your digital art you will find it very useful. It's not cheap though.