Remapping mouse buttons

[Rachie5272]

I'm running into a rather bad ergonomics issue with Altium.  The default command to 3D rotate is to hold both shift and the right mouse button.  This is very difficult for me to do, and results in hand cramps very quickly.  Every other CAD package I work with uses the middle mouse button alone for rotation.  The middle mouse button in Altium is mapped to zooming, which is completely redundant with the scroll wheel.

How can I remap these buttons, and make the program much easier to use?  I'm using both Altium 17 and 18.

[T3sl4co1l]

Don't ask us here, ask them.  We've only been bothering them on their forums and bugcrunch for the last decade about usability features like this...

In the mean time, perhaps a hack can be made with AutoHotKey or the like.  If you can detect when the Altium window is in 3D view mode, and the cursor is over the viewport, then you can capture those inputs (middle click namely, but also to prevent shift+right if you like) and transmit new ones of your choice.

Tim

[David Hess]

Get a gaming mouse which allow remapping the mouse buttons per application to various functions.  I now use a Logitech G300 for this reason.

[Psi]

If you go into the mouse options in windows you can swap the left and right buttons around.
It's for left handed people.

Might be of some use?

[ajb]

I hate to be the guy whose answer is "throw money at it", but a 3D mouse is a huge help with Altium (and any other 3D applications).  3DConnexion's SpaceMouse series starts at like $125 and is top notch.  I really like the wireless one, because it also works wired, so you can leave the wireless receiver in your laptop and plug it in at your desk.

(In particular, you might notice that during certain 3D Body commands in Altium the Shift+Right Drag tool no longer works.  Combined with Altium's hideously bad handling of 3D snap selection (actually the 2D snap selection isn't anything to write home about either), this makes the process of getting complex 3D bodies lined up properly downright torturous.  A 3D Mouse continues to work during these commands, and renders the process merely painful.)

[free_electron]

on the risk of drawing out trolls : get a spacemouse and a CAD mouse   ( both from 3dconnexion)

https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwifg63d1NnfAhWD42QKHfEvD3wYABAHGgJwag&sig=AOD64_3zUaHu9IvMTOawKkRgig7XDpfmSw&ctype=5&q=&ved=0ahUKEwjYzqjd1NnfAhV0NH0KHVx3CjwQ9aACCEw&adurl=

https://www.3dconnexion.com/spacemouse_compact/en/

[cjurczak]

I am using a third party application call X-Mouse Button Control.  It lets you have different functions for mouse buttons on a per app basis.  So I can have a button do a different function in Altium, Word, and Inventor if needed.  It's not native support, but the best alternative I could find. 

[ddavidebor]

If you can afford it, buy a 3dconnexion mouse. The older ones work great and are 70 bucks on ebay.
I have bough it and felt like a idiot for not having done it sooner.

[cjurczak]

I've looked at this mouse several times, but I would miss having more buttons on my mouse.  I have undo/redo, delete, and interactive routing mapped to thumb buttons on my mouse. 

[cgroen]

I've looked at this mouse several times, but I would miss having more buttons on my mouse.  I have undo/redo, delete, and interactive routing mapped to thumb buttons on my mouse.

I use the 3dconnexion 3D mouse also. I have it placed to the left of my keyboard (I'm right-handed) and the "normal" mouse is to the right of the keyboard.
It is 1 million times easier to use the 3D mouse in Altium for 3D work, do yourself a big favor and get one

[Bud]

I've looked at this mouse several times, but I would miss having more buttons on my mouse.  I have undo/redo, delete, and interactive routing mapped to thumb buttons on my mouse.

You can still have your regular mouse.

[ddavidebor]

I've looked at this mouse several times, but I would miss having more buttons on my mouse.  I have undo/redo, delete, and interactive routing mapped to thumb buttons on my mouse.

[David Hess]

I've looked at this mouse several times, but I would miss having more buttons on my mouse.  I have undo/redo, delete, and interactive routing mapped to thumb buttons on my mouse.

You can still have your regular mouse.

That is what they said about my health insurance.  Never again!