page_title: 3Dconnexion
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: 3Dconnexion / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Logitec Spaceball 4000 FLX Deutsch: Logitec Spaceball 4000 FLX
context_page_description: 3Dconnexion manufactures a line of human interface devices for manipulating and navigating computer-generated 3D imagery. These devices are often referred to as 3D motion controllers, 3D navigation devices, 6DOF devices or a 3D mouse.
  Commonly utilized in CAD applications, 3D modeling, animation, 3D visualization and product visualization, users can manipulate the controller's pressure-sensitive handle to fly through 3D environments or manipulate 3D models within an application. The appeal of these devices over a mouse and keyboard is the ability to pan, zoom and rotate 3D imagery simultaneously, without stopping to change directions using keyboard shortcuts or a software interface. 3Dconnexion devices are compatible with over 100 applications including Autodesk Inventor, Solid Edge, Blender, Google Earth, Second Life, NASA World Wind, Virtual Earth 3D, Geomagic, Google SketchUp 6, Cinema4D, Maya, SolidWorks, T-FLEX CAD, Photoshop, and more
context_section_description: 3Dconnexion was formed in September 2001 by Logitech, combining LogiCAD3D, based in Europe, and Labtec’s 3D peripheral business, based in the United States. The two companies combined  have over 20 years of experience in 3D input devices. LogiCAD3D's product, the Magellan controller, was used in fields such as automotive design and aerospace. A NASA project used a Magellan product to control a robot in space. The SpaceBall also had a history in space, having been used to remotely drive the Sojourner robot on Mars.
caption: Spaceball 4000 FLX (fabricated in 2000)
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