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CAD users as a whole have gone through a couple of different user-- input devices since design and drafting first came to PCs two decades ago. Users move either their mouse or puck and the crosshairs or cursor follow without resistance. Logitech's WingMan Force Feedback Mouse, however, changes that when combined with TouchSense for AutoCAD software from Immersion Corp. and may have a much larger impact on how you interface with CAD than the mouse and digitizer ever did.
Logitech's WingMan Force Feedback Mouse (with TouchSense technology licensed from Immersion) has been on the market for over a year now as a game device. Immersion, in conjunction with Engineering.com, is now selling the mouse bundled with the TouchSense for AutoCAD 2000 plug-in that provides force feedback (haptic is the term used by those in the know) during many editing operations. The first version of the software provides feedback for all of AutoCAD's object snaps as well as the polar snap feature.
Mav the Force Be with You
This device consists of a rigid mousepad-like base onto which is mounted a normal three-button mouse-constrained to move in a box about four inches square. When operated with the included software programs, the mouse provides a significant amount of resistance as the cursor runs into (or over) certain items or areas. The included Immersion Desktop software enables haptic operation with the Windows desktop, menus and dialog boxes. Using the mouse's default settings provides the feeling of a detent at each pulldown menu item, making it much less likely that you will accidentally select an item you don't mean to. The same type of sensation...