topic Re: What to do with your left hand... A Very Strange Device in Installation & update

What to do with your left hand... A Very Strange Device

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Dec 2004 17:11:27 GMT

This I got to share!

I have been using a Wacom pen for 4 years now, instead of a mouse (the pen is, after all, mightier than the mouse...)

This I teach at architecture classes at the university. Students groan at the beginning, but once they get used to the pen (about 1 or two sessions) they never look back.

Now I had this long time problem: What to do with my left hand!
As I tend to work very fast, and 75% of my time at the computer is spend with AC, I had to use keyboard shortcuts.
I hate thos ctrlsomething shortcut. You get a dislocated wrist sooner or later. AC9 lets you use single key shortcuts (I used Fkeys on earlier versions) but still they are not easy to find. Most of the time you have to look at the keyboard, with obvious loss of time.

So I have been searching from some time for a keyboard substitute. What I found in the net (forget computer shops) was not adequate.

This xmas I was looking for some Ps2 games for my kid, and stumbled on something quite unique. This comes into the category of A Very Strange Device.

Microsoft produced a SideWinder companion in the late 90s, called Sidewinder Strategic Commander. This was obviously designed for games, of the complex sort, those that have a lot of keyboard shortcuts.

But wait! If it works for the fast paced games enviroment, could it also work for ArchiCAD?

I bought it straight away (some 40€, a bargain), rushed to my office, and began right away fiddling with it.

After unpacking, this Very Strange Device presented itself as a heavy object, perfectly fit for your (not so ) idle left hand.

There are a number of buttons - 2 for each fingers and 3 for your thumb - wich work in coordination, allowing you to program some 29 separate shortcuts.

If you ever owned a Microsoft hardware piece, you know that they are really good at this (OS and software is another story...)

The working is smooth, bugfree, easily programable... a dream come true!

There are no drives for WXP, only 98, but they work fine. My guess is this Very Strange Device got discontinued early, for lack of public interest.

They are probably hard to find (saw some at ebay), but boy are they useful.

Well, I had to share this with you folks. As soon as I managed to program the right keys for ctrl, alt, del, shift, move, rotate, mirror, split, intersect, adjust, undo, redo, upstory, down story and some zooms, and played around with it for one or two hours, I started to wonder how I could possibly have managed without it.

It almost made me cry of joy.

With this two Very Strange devices (pen and SSC) I look like someone out a Klingon ship. But I don't care. Mouse and keyboard never again for me!

Have fun

Re: What to do with your left hand... A Very Strange Device

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Dec 2004 17:24:40 GMT

Ah, and I forgot to tell you:

It has a button at the bottom, which lets you switch instatntaniously between 3 preprogrames settings. So if you ussually work with other programs, like Artlantis or some other fancy rendering program that requires shortcuts, you can switch settings with a flick of your finger.

I think this Very Strange Device is so cool (and usefull) that I am afraid this forum has not enough visistors. Maybe some host will allow me to post it at another more visited forum.

Re: What to do with your left hand... A Very Strange Device

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Dec 2004 17:30:33 GMT

Can it work for Mac platform in any form, any possible driver for it? It sounds great.
Joseph

Re: What to do with your left hand... A Very Strange Device

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Dec 2004 17:34:12 GMT

Joseph wrote:
Can it work for Mac platform in any form, any possible driver for it? It sounds great.
Joseph

Dunno, but I doubt it very much. After all, it is a Microsoft gizmo...

Re: What to do with your left hand... A Very Strange Device

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Dec 2004 17:44:04 GMT

Krippahl wrote:
Joseph wrote:
Can it work for Mac platform in any form, any possible driver for it? It sounds great.
Joseph
Dunno, but I doubt it very much. After all, it is a Microsoft gizmo...

Could you elaborate on how you use the PEN for AC?
thanks,
Joseph

Re: What to do with your left hand... A Very Strange Device

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Dec 2004 19:03:46 GMT

Joseph wrote:
Could you elaborate on how you use the PEN for AC?

A (graphic pad) pen works pretty much as a mouse. Some people say that it might give you loopy wrist sooner than other devices - but googling Shakespeare & Carpal didn't give me too many results, so I guess its ok to use a pen?

Most pens have at least two programmable buttons. I don't think there are any out there with a scroll wheel yet (??)

So basically it is just 'different' to a mouse. If you have (got used to and) used one, you might find it very difficult to use a mouse again. I'm very happy typing (10 fingers) with a pen in my right hand - it also means that I don't 'lose' my mouse. I would guess a trackball might offer some of these advantages?

Ok - so in Archicad we don't get the possibility of adjusting wall thicknesses according to pen pressure (Karl?!) but for many Graphic Pad users the ergonomics suit them fine.

But there is a 24-hour (?) learning curve...

My 2 lira's ...

- Stuart

PS. Working primarily off a lap top (no rhs 'ctrl' key) Krippahl's idea is great. Must find something 'similar' to experiment myself!

Re: What to do with your left hand... A Very Strange Device

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Dec 2004 22:41:14 GMT

StuartJames wrote:
Joseph wrote:
Most pens have at least two programmable buttons. I don't think there are any out there with a scroll wheel yet (??)

So having 5 buttons is out of question? I am on Mac so the MS SideWinder is out of question.
Thanks,
joseph

Re: What to do with your left hand... A Very Strange Device

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Dec 2004 22:44:20 GMT

Krippahl wrote:
This I got to share!

I have been using a Wacom pen for 4 years now, instead of a mouse (the pen is, after all, mightier than the mouse...)

This I teach at architecture classes at the university. Students groan at the beginning, but once they get used to the pen (about 1 or two sessions) they never look back.

Now I had this long time problem: What to do with my left hand!

Since you teach architecture and "require" the use of a pen instead of a mouse, I thought you might be interested in my experience with using a wacom pen.

I'm not sure why, but I learned to mouse with my right hand even though I'm left handed. Several years ago I bought a wacom tablet and installed it on my computer. I stumbled onto the curious little idea that I could use the pen with my left hand and mouse with my right hand simultaneously. It was a pretty cool technique - sort of a "right brain" to left hand with a pen and a "left brain" to right hand with a mouse sensation - I guess you have to experience it to appreciate it.

Its been several years since I've done this because I swapped platforms from Mac to PC and never set it up on the PC. now that you've reminded me of I think I'll give it a try again.

Re: What to do with your left hand... A Very Strange Device

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Dec 2004 23:02:53 GMT

Dan wrote:
[Its been several years since I've done this because I swapped platforms from Mac to PC and never set it up on the PC. now that you've reminded me of I think I'll give it a try again.

Thanks for the idea, I will try it on my Mac, by the way I moved from PC to Mac 2 years ago! I could not be happier. Still I wish I could get this MS Sidewinder on the Mac.
Thanks,
Joseph

Re: What to do with your left hand... A Very Strange Device

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Dec 2004 09:22:48 GMT

Sorry 'bout the delay Harouni.

About the pen - see new topic I posted "the pen is mightier than the rat".

About the very strange device: No questions there? I guess this is a too far out idea... Like, say, why don't you use a 3d architectural software instead of, say, AutoCAD? Too radical, no use all the effort of change

Re: What to do with your left hand... A Very Strange Device

Thomas Holm — Tue, 04 Jan 2005 22:10:54 GMT

The strange device would work on the Mac if it has a USB interface. If it has, you could use a third-party driver like UsbOverdrive (www.usboverdrive.com) to program it. This program works with almost any USB pointing device.

Re: What to do with your left hand... A Very Strange Device

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Jan 2005 13:56:19 GMT

Usb 1

Re: What to do with your left hand... A Very Strange Device

Thomas Holm — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 08:09:37 GMT

Re: What to do with your left hand... A Very Strange Device

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 20:47:06 GMT

Thomas wrote:
The strange device would work on the Mac if it has a USB interface. If it has, you could use a third-party driver like UsbOverdrive (www.usboverdrive.com) to program it. This program works with almost any USB pointing device.

Does UsbOverdrive work with USB1? I could not find the developer of UsbOverdrivesemail.
Thanks,
JOseph

Re: What to do with your left hand... A Very Strange Device

Thomas Holm — Thu, 13 Jan 2005 12:32:44 GMT

Web site: http://www.usboverdrive.com/

Support: http://www.usboverdrive.com/contact.htm

Distributor: http://www.senlick.com/

Developer: http://www.montalcini.com/

Do pay the shareware fee before you expect any extended support. The program works with any variant of USB, and handles several USB input devices simultaneously and individually, if required. I'm not sure it will do everything you want with this device, but chances are it's OK.

Before you contact the developer, do a Google search and check also out the Versiontracker and Macupdate pages on this software. There is much info available.

Re: What to do with your left hand... A Very Strange Device

Anonymous — Thu, 13 Jan 2005 15:40:50 GMT

Although ppl seem interested in this device, the most common setback is that it is no longer in the market.
So, after a quick search, I found Nostromo SpeedPad n52
http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=&Section_Id=2071&pcount=&Product_Id=157024

The same principle. A left handed programmable keyboard developed for gaming, but very adequate for us CAD users.

check this review:
http://www.insidemacgames.com/reviews/view.php?ID=453&Page=1

apparently it is Mac compatible

Re: What to do with your left hand... A Very Strange Device

Anonymous — Fri, 14 Jan 2005 20:22:35 GMT

Krippahl wrote:
Although ppl seem interested in this device, the most common setback is that it is no longer in the market.
So, after a quick search, I found Nostromo SpeedPad n52
http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=&Section_Id=2071&pcount=&Product_Id=157024
The same principle. A left handed programmable keyboard developed for gaming, but very adequate for us CAD users.
check this review:
http://www.insidemacgames.com/reviews/view.php?ID=453&Page=1
apparently it is Mac compatible

I just can back from MacWorld in San Francisco, saw another wonderful hand inputing device which actually uses the USBOverdrive software, it is for MAC & WINDOS platform, and it is capable of doing many number of grouping for all available keys and more....
Check it out at http://www.contourdesign.com/shuttlepro/
Thanks for the wonderful ideas.
Joseph

Re: What to do with your left hand... A Very Strange Device

aahatimo — Tue, 01 Feb 2005 16:20:10 GMT

has anyone tried a 'frog pad'? http://www.frogpad.com/
they now have a bluetooth model.

Re: What to do with your left hand... A Very Strange Device

aahatimo — Tue, 01 Feb 2005 16:25:38 GMT

has anyone tried a 'frog pad'? http://www.frogpad.com/
they now have a bluetooth model.

Re: What to do with your left hand... A Very Strange Device

Stephen Dolbee — Tue, 01 Feb 2005 18:06:39 GMT

I bought the Nostromo Speedpad n52 after reading comments from Krippahl a few weeks ago. I love it. It is a time saver and keeps me from looking down at the keyboard too much. Very comfortable palm-rest, too. After programming the keys for AC and going to save the configuration, it even asked what "game" I would use this config. for-"Archicad.exe?" I highly recommend it and according to the installation CD, works on the Mac, too.

Steve

P.S. The best price I found was at Buy.com for $24.95 and free shipping.