3D

Mice:
Large Enterprises

Beef Up CAD Efficiency

and Save Millions
by Robert Green

iStockphoto.com/HarriesAD

Navigation devices from 3Dconnexion

increase accuracy and productivity
of designers and engineers at major
companies, paying for themselves in a
few short weeks and saving millions of
dollars in a few short years.

From the editors of

Sponsored by

www.cadalyst.com

www.3dconnexion.com

3Dconnexion: 3D Controllers

We find ourselves in an environment

where $80,000 engineers who run $7,000
software suites on $6,000 workstations
struggle to visualize designs (worth untold
amounts of money) using a $45 mouse.

s 3D design/modeling software becomes more common,

all manner of design professionals from architectural detailers
to aircraft analysis engineers face
the same core problem: What is the
best way to manipulate and visualize a 3D design on a 2D monitor?
Because we dont live in a world
where we have access to Tony Starks
holographic 3D computing environment (as portrayed in the Iron Man

films), we tend to struggle collectively

with the answer.
Companies that develop 3D design
software have found ways to make
manipulating 3D geometry comprehensible using cube and slider analogies that work with a conventional
mouse. But, as a CAD trainer, Ive
observed countless users who struggle
to master how the programs work with
a standard mouse. In addition, every
program handles this differently. In the
end, users often experience less than
optimal work productivity after training. So, it seems we find ourselves in an
environment where $80,000 engineers
who run $7,000 software suites on
$6,000 workstations struggle to visualize designs (worth untold amounts
of money) using a $45 mouse. Think
about that for a minute and realize
how preposterous it really is.

Fortunately, a class of products is

available today that addresses this situation head on: 3D navigation devices.
Although pricey compared with their
basic-mouse cousins, these tools
deliver a productivity boost and return
on investment (ROI) that has them
paying for themselves in mere months
or even weeks. Multiply these benefits
across an enterprise-size company of
hundreds or thousands of CAD users,
and youre looking at an option you
cant afford to ignore.
ENTERPRISE PRODUCTIVITY
RETURN ON INVESTMENT
It is a hard and fast rule that companies invest only in technology that
pays back in savings. For computing
devices, savings can come in the form
of user or IT time (and therefore,
money) saved. For large companies,

Figure 1. Input numbers based on your employee metrics to compute savings and time to

payback.

Figure 2. The results graph clearly shows payback and accumulated savings over the life of

the device.

3Dconnexion: 3D Controllers

I . . . (now) navigate more efficiently around

our large and complex models. Also using the extra
buttons provided around the device offer more
commands for customized uses.
CHRIS CHAPIN, Product Designer at
Altec Industries, SolidWorks user.

the total cost savings must be high to

justify the IT time required to procure
and install new devices. So, for many
companies the question naturally
becomes, How can we quantify these
savings?
To help answer this question,
an ROI calculator is available from
3Dconnexion, a developer of 3D navigation devices. (For more on products,
see 3D Controllers on the next page.) The
calculator is based on some of the
metrics determined in the Technology
Assessment Groups Economic Payback of
3D Mice for Design Engineers report.
Select the 3Dconnexion device you
wish to analyze and proceed to the
input screen to input employee metrics
(figure 1). For most U.S.-based firms,
the average additional costs per year
can be assumed as 20% and the average productivity gain as 21%. Then,
simply input the average time per day
your users spend using 3D CAD to
obtain a savings result.

You can also use the calculator

to determine the ROI of the lessexpensive SpaceNavigator and SpaceMouse Wireless. Simply reduce the
unit purchase price accordingly.
The results may also be interpreted
as a graph (figure 2). By exploring
various cost scenarios in your departments you can quickly get a feel for the
financial impact of different products.
In our sample calculation well
assume 100 users with an annual
salary of $52,000 each and a standard
20% additional cost burden of $10,400
per user. The total annual cost for
employees is therefore $6,240,000.
The cost for buying all users a $299
3D controller comes in at $29,900.
By making the 100 users 21% more
productive during the 50% of the
day they use 3D CAD, the company
saves $52,000 a month on labor
which pays for the 3D controllers in
just 2.5 weeks. When compounded
over a year the labor savings totals an
amazing $1,842,100 over a three year

period. Now, do the math if you have

200 users, 300 users, or more.
What about other cost savings?
ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND
IT SAVINGS ACROSS THE
ENTERPRISE
In addition to reaping the productivity
benefits of 3Dconnexion controllers,
another financial payoff comes to light
in the form of training and IT cost
savings due to consistency of interfaces. This additional ROI isnt taken
into account in the ROI calculator we
examined in the previous section and
so deserves its own analysis.
To explain: Corporate CAD managers and IT departments face the
daunting task of supporting and training large numbers of users on a wide
range of software platforms. With 3D
CAD often consisting of multiple
disciplines (such as AEC, CAM, CAE,
and FAE), plus rendering programs
and animation software, it is typical
to deal with numerous 3D-enabled

software programs all of which have

different approaches to manipulating
and viewing geometry.
Needless to say, these differences necessitate different training
approaches a large investment of
time for the company and confusing
for the users. So, how can large companies benefit from using standardized
3Dconnexion devices for all their programs? The savings would come from
the following:
Decreased training time because all
users use the same device.
Less user confusion because the 3D
mouse provides a consistent navigation interface across applications so
users dont have to adjust each time
they change applications.
Less software configuration time
because IT can perform a corporate
wide rollout of drivers.
To compute the additional ROI
for these time savings, simply use an
average employee hourly rate and
multiply by time savings per employee,

There is no replacement for the amount

of control these (3D) devices bring . . . including the
placement of compontents inside assemblies . . . and
the ability to slowly rotate and evaluate models.
NICHOLAS SCHOEPS, Lead Engineer at
Motoczysz Motorsports, SolidWorks user.

3Dconnexion: 3D Controllers

3D Controllers
How do they differ from run-of-the-mill mice?
How They Work
3Dconnexion is the leader in the 3D controller market. Its product line, which delivers a consistent user
experience for most major 3D software, includes the
SpaceNavigator ($99), SpaceNavigator for Notebooks
($99), SpaceMouse Wireless ($129), SpaceMouse Pro
($299), and SpacePilot Pro ($399).
The common denominator in all the 3Dconnexion
devices is the patented joystick-style controller that
provides simultaneous six-degrees-of-freedom (6DoF)
navigation. This isnt just any joystick it can also
trigger panning along the x, y, and z axes, with the
z-axis controlled by pushing and pulling the joystick
(figure 1).
The benefits of working with 3Dconnexion devices
are principally noticed in the following three areas:

Increased user productivity. Users experience

average gains of 21% from simultaneously navigating, creating, and editing a model, according to
The Economic Payback of 3D Mice, a 2008 reportby
Technology Assessment Group.
Design performance. Whether youre working on a
sketch or a complex 3D model, the ease of using a
3D controller encourages levels of model exploration that are crucial to avoiding costly design
errors, according to the same report.
Enhanced comfort. Users reduce mouse movement and clicks by up to 50%, according to Reducing Physical Discomfort and Pain Among 3D Computer
Users, a 2005 report by VSI Risk Management and
Ergonomics.
Simply put, if you can reduce your clicks and picks
while more clearly viewing your models
instead of struggling with a standard
mouse, youll spend more quality time
designing.

Pan left/right

Pan up/down

Zoom in/out

Tilt

Spin

Roll

Figure 1. 3Dconnexion devices support traditional CAD functions

such as zoom and pan by translating the mouse in x, y, and z
directions while 3D manipulation of the object is performed with
Tilt, Spin, or Roll joystick-style functions.

On the Job
The most powerful application of 3Dconnexion devices can be obtained with the
SpacePilot Pro or SpaceMouse Pro units,
which combine the 6DoF controller cap
with programmable macro buttons that
allow command and task automation. With
these units, power CAD users can set up
frequently performed command sequences
to be executed with a single button click
substantially increasing software productivity and speed. By providing quick and easy
access to application commands, the 3D
controller becomes an integral part of the

Figure 2. The SpacePilot Pro in action. Users can set up

command sequences to be executed with a single button
click.

designers workflow and the conventional mouse is

used a lot less (figure 2).
For more casual 3D CAD users, the Space-Navigator or SpaceMouse Wireless can be used in the
non-dominant hand for 3D visualization tasks while
the conventional mouse in the dominant hand is used
to input commands and select menu items. In these
instances, users gain an intuitive ability to view their
designs in a way that isnt possible with a conventional mouse.
No matter how much you read about using a
3Dconnexion controller, you really must try it yourself
to understand how easy it is to spin, translate, or slide
up and down axes in a CAD model. To get a better
idea of how they work, watch this video on How to
Use a 3D Mouse.

3Dconnexion: 3D Controllers

then multiply by number of employees and then divide it all by the total cost of
3Dconnexion devices like this:

IT ROI =

Hours per employee Employee rate Number of Employees

Total Cost of 3Dconnexion devices

So if a large company could save an average of 6 hours training and configuration time per employee at an average labor rate of $40 per hour for their
400 person engineering staff what would the ROI be? For this analysis well
assume 200 users are full time CAD professionals using the $299 SpaceMouse
Pro while the other 200 are casual users utilizing the $99 SpaceNavigator. This
scenario computes like this:

IT ROI =

96,000 savings
6 40 400
= $
$
$
79,600 costs
(200 299) + (200 99)
$

= 121% ROI

At this additional 121% rate of return, the 3Dconnexion devices pay for
themselves in 10 months based on training and IT savings not even taking
into account the productivity savings the company will reap after users really
start taking advantage of their 3Dconnexion devices. For even larger compa-

Training took just a couple hours, mainly time

(was) spent to get the sensitivity settings established
to the most comfortable speed.
DAVID SELLINGER, CAD/CAM Support Specialist
at Oberg Industries, Siemens NX, PTC Creo,
SolidWorks, and AutoCAD user.

For one particular workflow in Inventor,

I was able to bang it out in half the time it took
one of my 2D navigating colleagues.
SCOTT MOYSE, Technical Specialist/Operations
Director at Design and Motion LCC,
Autodesk Design Suite, Siemens Solid Edge,
AlphaCADM user.

nies with many locations and more

CAD users the savings become even
more compelling.
SUMMING UP
From the improved user experience
to a better bottom line, the paybacks
of an investment in 3D controllers is
something companies cant afford
to ignore. Consider your user metrics, then use the ROI calculator to
measure how your company can
benefit. Large enterprise companies
can potentially save millions of dollars
by upgrading to 3D controllers from
3Dconnexion. No matter what the
size of your company, youll find the

www.3dconnexion.com

savings and productivity generated by

3Dconnexion devices as compelling as
your users find them easy to use.
ROBERT GREEN provides CAD implementation, consulting, and programming services for a variety of companies
throughout the United States and
Canada. He holds a degree in mechanical
engineering from the Georgia Institute of
Technology and is the author of Expert CAD
Management: The Complete Guide. Reach him
via his web site at www.cad-manager.com.
3Dconnexion, and all other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective
owners.
2014 Longitude Media, LLC. Reproduction
in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without
written permission of the publisher.