Space Navigator

[Habious]

I got mine installed in the car last night! Just the coolest thing in the world! So much better than the mouse pad!

I completely disassembled it (I needed it to be as low-profile as possible so it wouldn't interfere with the transmission lever) and mounted it to my center console.

The RBC9 driver software is some POWERFUL stuff. Took me a couple of hours to figure it all out and make it work properly but, once you get it set up right, wow.

I've got a short turn clockwise to be the down arrow, long turn to be down arrow repeating...same with turning it counterclockwise being the up arrow....so I can easily scroll through lists (songs, SatRadio channels, etc.)

Short push is "enter"...long push brings up the Phone.

Short pull up takes you to the main menu (helps if you get lost or confused). Long pull up is the "Tab" button (useful when you need to change the "focus" of what you're scrolling through).

Short roll left - Sat Radio. Long Roll Left - HD Radio
Short roll forward - Media - Long roll forward - Playlists
short roll back - voice command
Short Roll right - DVD

There are a few things I'd like to add to it but, there currently aren't shortcut keys assignable to them. I'd like to be able to quickly bring up my Gauges plug-in and I'd like a shortcut to the Videos folder (with the thumbnail icons).

But, with the arrow buttons and enter key, I can scroll through the main menu and select anything I want, as before.

My only complaint with the RBC9 driver is, unlike the OEM driver, there's no option to turn the VERY bright blue LED's off (at least I couldn't find it). But, if that's the only complaint I can find, I'm pretty happy.

I'm also considering putting some thin foam up inside the unit itself; it's a little "light" with the control... A little "bobble-headed". That kind of sensitivity makes sense when you're drawing something in SolidWorks but, I'm pretty much just using it as a keyboard (you're hitting the button or you're not).

[gs-ireland]

I forgot all about this. I need to dig it out and install it.

Any chance you could share your bind file?

[Cabrio Bob]

Bought me one spacenavigator also, great tool this is !

with the RBC9 drivers I configured it this way (enlarge picture)

full resolution image:
http://www.bobhome.nl/varia/ict/spacenavigator.png

Also noticed some things :

- spacenavigator for notebooks doesn't work with the RBC9 drivers (even after altering the "PID_C626" into "PID_C628" in the RBC9-SpaceNav.inf file)
- original 3dware drivers / software are not needed after installing RBC9 drivers
- can't disable the LED's without the 3Dware software
- set the global "deadzone" at least to level 50 because movement of the car will trigger movement of the spacenav.
- Centrafuse : there are no hotkeys available for radio preset up and down, so can't be used with this device.
- Centrafuse : no hotkey's available for 3rd party plugins.
- RBC9 doesn't have shortcuts combinations like CTRL+button and ALT+button

@habious : how did you disassemble the spacenav ? I need that modification also

I've attached my BIND file below.

Greetzz

[Habious]

Cabrio Bob,

Nice to see another convertible driver around here!

Instead of going into detail as to how I disassembled it, here's a link to a thread on another board where someone did it (this is how I knew how to do it), with pictures and everything!!

Inside the space navigator - MP3Car.com

On mine, I've removed the heavy aluminum base, the black plastic bezel, and I desoldered the blue LED's (because you can't turn them off using the aftermarket drivers (you can with the factory drivers but, it won't work in CF with the factory drivers). Once you have it this far apart, you'll see a translucent blue plastic ring with 4 tabs sticking out for screwing it into the base...I cut off these tabs and stuck the assembly to my console with double-sided tape. This makes a VERY low-profile controller.

I did discover that you need to glue the translucent blue piece to the circuit board or it WILL come apart when you try to "pull up"...and CF gets UGLY when that happens!!!

I also took a thin piece of flat craft-foam, cut it into the shape of a rectangle and slid it up inside the controller knob itself (the free area where the knob moves around). This makes the knob stiffer to move...which makes it a lot easier to use in a moving car (it's a hair too sensitive by factory standards...moves around waaayy too easily without the foam).

[GKRAMER]

Well guys... it sounds like it would be a good time for me to try the device. Thanks to you guys for sorting out all the testing ; )

[Cabrio Bob]

At the 3dconnexion forums somebody made a software-adjustment to be able to use the editor in 800x480 mode.
He also managed to use the RBC9 drivers with the spacenavigator for notebooks.

Link : click (post of "Ilia")

@Habious : Thanks for the info ! I disassembled the device succesfully, but recently I switched to the spacetraveler (because of the addition of 6 more buttons and smaller size). I only can't figure out how to disassemble this one, it doesn't have the 3 screws on the bottom, in fact, no screws at all

[Habious]

Originally Posted by Cabrio Bob

At the 3dconnexion forums somebody made a software-adjustment to be able to use the editor in 800x480 mode.
He also managed to use the RBC9 drivers with the spacenavigator for notebooks.

Link : click (post of "Ilia")

@Habious : Thanks for the info ! I disassembled the device succesfully, but recently I switched to the spacetraveler (because of the addition of 6 more buttons and smaller size). I only can't figure out how to disassemble this one, it doesn't have the 3 screws on the bottom, in fact, no screws at all

I'll have to try out those drivers! Being able to access the driver program on the CarPC would be great.

That Space Traveler looks interesting but, it's nearly 4 times the price of the Space Navigator!!! Wow.

I don't even use the 2 buttons that the Space Navigator has so, I think I'll stick with what I've got.

[unitX]

Originally Posted by Cabrio Bob

- RBC9 doesn't have shortcuts combinations like CTRL+button and ALT+button

Yes, it does...

here one fast configuration from me.. mouse and centrafuse bind files..
(mouse, so when centrafuse process is not running to use the spacenavigator as mouse)
the bind file for centrafuse based on orginal cf hotkeys, no configuration needet so far..
i have put the orginal cf hokeys.xml too for those who has changed them..
-install rbc9 spacenavigator
-create cf and mouse layot and with right click imort the 2 bind files for each one, mark for centrafuse layout app auto switch with (centrafuse.exe) and make mouse default loyout..
-turn autoswitch on in the tray..

[rb26r32]

anyone else having problems downloading the rbc9 files?

[javiveras]

Originally Posted by rb26r32

anyone else having problems downloading the rbc9 files?

ME!! :-S

I just received the SN today and it seems to be awesome! what a build quality... I'm really looking forward to testing it with the RBC9 driver...