Thursday, May 3, 2007

3Dconnexion Navigation Devices Now Supported By Microsoft’s Live Search Maps Offering Advanced 3D Control and Navigation Delivers


Here is a new device that I believe will radically improve the experience of exploring 3D Worlds, building 3D models and working with other 3D applications. Anyone that has experienced the frustration of navigating 3D Worlds using only their keyboard should be excited by this new product. We will be looking into how this device can be used to improve the experience of viewing 3d walkthroughs, 3d renderings and 3d floor plans.
Company: 3Dconnexion,a Logitech company
Location: San Jose, CA, United States of America

Immersive Discovery and Exploration in the Virtual 3D World

SAN JOSE,CA–-3Dconnexion, a Logitech company, today announced its line of 3D navigation devices are now supported by the Microsoft Virtual Earth platform, enabling customers to fly through the Live Search Maps 3D world in a manner not previously possible with a mouse and keyboard alone. With 3Dconnexion’s SpaceNavigator™ device, geo-browsing enthusiasts can take advantage of the same powerful navigation control popular with 3D artists and computer-aided design (CAD) professionals.

3Dconnexion’s devices significantly enhance the Live Search Maps experience. When navigating 3D worlds with a mouse and keyboard alone, people must repeatedly stop to switch tools or toggle keyboard shortcuts to change directions. Using a 3Dconnexion device, people can fly seamlessly through the visually rich 3D world of Live Search Maps to learn, discover and explore by gently manipulating a controller cap. Within 3D mode in Live Search Maps, an online local search and mapping Web site powered by the Virtual Earth platform, customers can use a 3Dconnexion device to navigate through immersive 3D environments within a browser interface.

“The ease with which people can now navigate in Live Search Maps using a 3Dconnexion device is truly exceptional, and on top of that, it makes for an engaging 3D exploration experience,” said Aric Weiker, director of product management for the Virtual Earth platform at Microsoft Corp. “3Dconnexion’s devices dramatically change how our customers interact with both Virtual Earth and Live Search Maps.”

“The Live Search Maps high-quality graphics, coupled with impressive mapping functionality, provide an immersive visual experience,” said Rory Dooley, president of 3Dconnexion. “Our navigation devices further enhance the experience by connecting people to the content more powerfully, enhancing understanding and encouraging exploration.”

The SpaceNavigator device is a companion to the mouse and is held in the alternate hand. Users apply very slight movements to the device’s controller cap to simultaneously pan, zoom and rotate 3D objects. The entire 3Dconnexion product line is supported by more than 100 of today’s most popular 3D applications, including Adobe® Acrobat 3D, Adobe Photoshop® CS3 Extended and all of the top-tier 3D CAD applications.

Availability
Live Search Maps supports 3Dconnexion devices natively (without additional installation of a plug-in) on Windows® XP and Vista™ and is currently available free of charge at maps.live.com. 3Dconnexion SpaceNavigator Personal Edition (MSRP $59), and SpaceNavigator Standard Edition (MSRP $99) are available from major online resellers including Amazon, CDW and PC Mall as well as directly at www.3Dconnexion.com.

The SpaceNavigator Personal Edition license supports non-commercial use of the device and offers online technical support only. The SpaceNavigator Standard Edition license supports both commercial and non-commercial use and offers online, e-mail and phone technical support. Upgrades from SpaceNavigator Personal Edition to SpaceNavigator Standard Edition licenses are $40 and are available online at www.3Dconnexion.com.

About 3Dconnexion, a Logitech Company
3Dconnexion, a wholly owned subsidiary of Logitech (SWX: LOGN) (Nasdaq: LOGI), is the leading provider of 3D navigation devices for 3D design and visualization. 3Dconnexion devices support today’s most popular and powerful 3D applications by offering users a more intuitive and natural way to interact with computer-generated 3D content. 3Dconnexion’s award-winning devices serve a wide variety of industries and are used by 3D designers, animators and artists worldwide. 3Dconnexion is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., with European headquarters in Seefeld, Germany and offices worldwide.

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