good mouse for CAD work?

[matt3o]

I find myself doing a lot of parametric CAD lately and I find "standard" mice to be tiring in the long run. Basically what most mice do is placing the middle button under the wheel and that switch is generally a little stiffer. Totally fine in day to day usage but a little upsetting after 6 hours of middle-clicking. I've tried a few trackballs with little success... pain shifted from thumb/index to ring/pinky fingers.

Do you have any experience and suggestions with cad-friendly mice? Please I'm not looking for uber complicated consoles or dedicated devices like connexion stuff. Thanks!

[Tias]

I use CAD on a daily basis at work, and I totally get your problem regarding the middle mouse button. If you have a mouse with uncomfortable placement of the middle mouse button you can really feel the strain in your hand after a whole day of for example using the middle mouse button to pan in models. I myself use a really basic G500s and before that I had a MX500. The thing I like best about the G500 is that it fits my hand perfectly (its a rather large and bulky mouse), as well as it of course having the middle mouse botton in the wheel itself rather than as a dedicated button below the wheel. I also have a MX Anywhere, which I use whenever I'm on the go, but doing extensive modelling with that mouse is a real PITA because of the akward placement of the middle mouse button.

Dunno if its relevant but I also have a standing desk, and it has really helped me to get rid of my old habit of "leaning" forward and putting more strains on my wrist.

Some of my co-workers use the Evoluent Verticalmouse, and that would imo also be a really good candidate as well. There are certainly many more and better alternatives that maybe some other people could recommend, but these are just the ones I'm familiar with

[Findecanor]

The Contour Unimouse is another vertical mouse with proper three buttons and a scroll wheel, the buttons being programmable. I have the wireless version which I find to be a bit too heavy b/c of its battery, but there should be a wired version also.
It has adjustable lateral inclination, so you don't need to hold it as vertically as the Evoluent, but both are quite long in the hand through, forcing you to hold them straight which many people don't like.

[Lbibass]

I use an MX Ergo, and the button weighting is amazing. I can use that mouse all day. I would stay away from the Elecom Deft for CAD, as the middle click button is about as heavy as a brick. It's absurd and completely unusable.

[matt3o]

thanks for the suggestions guys.

The G500 seems hard to find (possibly it's end-of-life) but there are a few on ebay.

I'm not very comfortable with thumb trackballs honestly @Lbibass

Any impressions on the Cconnexion CadMouse Pro?

[Tias]

The G500 seems hard to find (possibly it's end-of-life) but there are a few on ebay.

Yes, I've had my G500 for quite awhile and it has certainly been replaced by never and improved models.

I also forgot to mention that its really that particular style of mouse that I find perfect for my needs, and I'm sure I could be equally happy using a different brand/model of mouse, but as long as it has got the same style and characteristics. Hope that that makes more sense.

[sypl]

Would a drawing tablet like a Wacom be suitable for CAD work? I've seen designers use them exclusively over a mouse, and it seems like it'd be a very natural way of creating a CAD file. One of the buttons on the stylus set to middle click, that's gotta be pretty comfortable right?

[kps]

Logitech C7

[matt3o]

Logitech C7

that's a Mr. Mouse

[Cattus_D]

I realise that the original post was made a while ago, but if you are still looking for a mouse which makes repeated middle-clicking less frustrating I can recommend IBM's old Scrollpoint Pro mice. A seller on E-Bay still has them in stock, albeit in the ball-mouse variety (new old stock, the rubber on the sides is a bit sticky but that can be resolved with surgical spirit/rubbing alcohol).

The Scrollpoint Pro places the middle mouse button under your thumb, and replaces the mouse wheel with a trackpoint-style pointing stick which allows you to scroll to the left and right in addition to up and down.

[matt3o]

The Scrollpoint Pro places the middle mouse button under your thumb, and replaces the mouse wheel with a trackpoint-style pointing stick which allows you to scroll to the left and right in addition to up and down.

yeah I'm still looking, at the moment I replaced the middle button with one of the many buttons my mouse has (one on the thumb actually). It's definitely better, but still looking for alternatives.

The IBM scrollpoint pro looks like a solid mouse! Thanks

[gipetto]

I have the same issue and get painful aches in my middle click finger so I went for a zowie fk which uses a 3 pin middle click switch. then i replaced it with a D2F-01FL, which is half the force of the original switch. i still get the aches but not as bad, and i swap between two fingers.

[davkol]

Just in case anyone is looking for a simple three-button mouse, I've stumbled upon Elecom 3DCAD mouse (wired M-CAD01UBBK and wireless M-CAD01DBBK).

• Omron switches
• 600/1200 dpi BlueLED sensor
• weight: 87 g (wired) or 63 g + battery (wireless)
• dimensions: 7.1×11×3.8 cm
• $35 (wired) or $45 (wireless)

[matt3o]

no wheel?!

[chibo]

Logitech G600 the best

3DConnexion CadMouse - just rubbish, don't waste your money

I have a video, after I edit it I can upload it to YT

I also buyed this one, have a look

https://aliexpress.com/item/40000047856 ... 33edInFxzW

[SneakyRobb]

Logitech G600 the best

Nice mouse, but its like the watch calculator of mice

[NeK]

In my experience, the best mouse for any accurate and long hours work would be... a top gaming mouse. I know it sounds silly but it really isn't, because those mices have came a long way in their design and especially their material quality. They are built with the best sensors for extremely and overkill accuracy, they have excellent glide (usually the hand gets tired because of the friction and heavy friction mouses are the worst) and they are unbelievably lightweight excellent for multi hour use.

I recommend the Razer Viper which is a very good choice and its middle mouse button has a light and soft click, definitely not tiresome. Same goes for the CoolerMaster MM710 which is even lighter in weight (54gr !!!), this one will feel like feather to your hands.

[ArnoldKMB]

In my experience, the best mouse for any accurate and long hours work would be... a top gaming mouse. I know it sounds silly but it really isn't, because those mices have came a long way in their design and especially their material quality. They are built with the best sensors for extremely and overkill accuracy, they have excellent glide (usually the hand gets tired because of the friction and heavy friction mouses are the worst) and they are unbelievably lightweight excellent for multi hour use.

I recommend the Razer Viper which is a very good choice and its middle mouse button has a light and soft click, definitely not tiresome. Same goes for the CoolerMaster MM710 which is even lighter in weight (54gr !!!), this one will feel like feather to your hands.

Absolutely agree, most of the really good gaming mouses are made with long gaming sessions in mind and active using of your hand- swiping etc. so your best bet is to get a good one and use it, just get the right one for your hand size and other specifics.

[Hypersphere]

@NiK: I agree. I notice that the Razer Viper is a current favorite of "Rocket Jump Ninja", who reviews gaming mice. I do not game at all, but I have always purchased gaming mice for my work. My own favorite is still the Logitech G403. However, although I seldom need to use a middle-click, this one is a bit stiff. On the other hand, the scrolling function is excellent and not noisy.

[webwit]

Haha, I use a Razer myself, the Razer Ouroboros. It was the only mouse I could find that was ambidextrous (I like to switch hands) and had serious functionality. Hate its stupid juvenile looks though, ffs it looks like a baby sci-fi toy. And its battery consumption, and the software. Yeah I'm not one for the "Razer experience"... but in the end the thing does a pro job.

[matt3o]

Haha, I use a Razer myself, the Razer Ouroboros. It was the only mouse I could find that was ambidextrous (I like to switch hands) and had serious functionality. Hate its stupid juvenile looks though, ffs it looks like a baby sci-fi toy. And its battery consumption, and the software. Yeah I'm not one for the "Razer experience"... but in the end the thing does a pro job.

I'll be damned if I get another razer mouse. I got one a while back --don't remember the name, Orochi maybe?-- it was decently shaped and wireless. Battery life was like 6-8 hours (duuuuh) and at the time I couldn't configure it on linux. I bet now things are better but gosh I can't stand the LEDs on a mouse

[NeK]

razer has probably the best material quality of all. I still have a heavily used Deathadder from 2009 or so, it is still as smooth and glides well just as new. It's incredible, really, how resilient they are. Almost all other mouses deteriorate quickly after 1-2 years, especially their feet and their buttons.

Also, keep away from wireless mouses, with two exceptions: Logitech G Pro wireless and Razer Viper Ultimate (the wireless version and 3 times the price). all else have issues. Cords are not bad, especially if they are soft braided, they are almost like wireless in their glide.

[matt3o]

I have to change devices position often (keyboard+tablet+mouse), having cords become really problematic

[Findecanor]

I just got a used ContourMouse, mostly to try it out, but also because it has three buttons. Unfortunately, I find pretty much right away that I can't recommend it.

It is great that it has three buttons. It does also have a scroll-wheel, which is horizontal above the thumb-rest on the side. Below the thumb-rest is a rocker for Back/Forward. However, everywhere on the top of the mouse is rubberised which feels icky (... unless you're into that kind of thing ...).
The model is available in several sizes and for both left and right. I got the right-handed XL which is almost too large for my regular man-hands, and I suppose a smaller version would have been better, (but this was the right-handed that was on auction, and was inexpensive)

From pictures, I thought it would be somewhat semi-vertical, but it does actually not lean that much. Because I'm used to semi-vertical and this is also the wrong size for me, I can't really evaluate the shape, but I don't think it would be much better as small either.
Two things are completely apparent when you use it and feel it, that are different from what you would expect just by looking at it:
1) The thumb-rest looks like it would be a button, but it is just a moulded shape in the plastic shell. 2) That the silver-coloured coating has a rubber finish ... Silver rubber... WTF...

[andrewjoy]

That mouse looks odd.

I have a rollermouse red plus and love it to bits , but i would never use it for cad work.

When i need a mouse ( games etc) i use a Ducky Secret. Its very well built , had a very nice sensor and all settings can be changed from the mouse itself , no silly software. It does have LEDs but you can fully disable them.

I had the original MX master and was honestly , unimpressed , did not like it at all. I had a very quick go on a colleagues desk with the MX master 3 and its night and day how much better it is than the old one, but cannot give you full opinion as i don't have one.