The CAD Comfort ManualProven ways to reduce pain and strain while working in CAD0102 0405 03SECT I ON SECT I ON SECT I ON SECT I ON SECT I ONTable of ContentsThe Challenges of CAD ComfortThe Biggest Threat to Your CAD CareerHabits for Pain-Free Design SessionsTools for Improved Design ComfortAbout 3Dconnexion01The Challenges of CAD ComfortCAD professionals face tons of daily challenges. Solving complex design problems under pressure. Hitting deadlines while handling unforeseen production, manufacturing or client-facing issues.These challenges are critically important to your projects, career and company. Theyre also normal to face on the job. But there is one challenge that CAD professionals often face that they dont need to: pain and strain at the desktop. After long hours of repetitive clicking, scrolling and dragging the mouse, you experience pain or discomfort in your hands, wrists and / or arms. It may even get so bad you need to step away from your workstation.This isnt normal, even though far too many people think it is. And even occasional symptoms can have serious, long-lasting effects by causing repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) that damage your health and limit your potential.An uncomfortable working experience doesnt just affect the individual CAD user. It can have a ripple effect, disrupting productivity and creativity across whole teams and companies. This guide breaks down how seemingly innocent comfort issues can actually cause serious injuries, and how to make sure that doesnt happen. Its designed to help you beat pain and strain, regain your productivity and health, and start enjoying CAD work again.Pain and strain shouldnt come hand-in-hand with working in CAD. And they dont have to. Read on to nd out how to eliminate them for good.0102The Biggest Threat to Your CAD CareerPains and strains are annoying distractions during your work day. But they can turn into something far more sinister. Stiffness. Swelling. Aches and pains.These arent just run-of-the-mill consequences from a long work day. Theyre also indicators of repetitive strain injuries. Repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) are a collection of ailments caused when too much stress and pressure are put on the bodys muscles, nerves and tendons.Unfortunately, too many people believe these aches and pains are simply a by-product of everyday life. In reality, RSIs are serious health issues that often grow worse over timeleading to increased pain, lost productivity, even more serious conditions (like carpal tunnel syndrome) and, in some cases, forced retirement. This makes RSIs serious considerations for anyone who uses a computerand CAD professionals in particular. We love designing and the freedom of creating physical objects using only our imaginations and some killer technology. However, that takes time. A lot of time. According to a survey conducted by Technology Assessment Group, 41% of CAD design engineers surveyed spend 5 to 8 hours a day using CAD-related applications. A full 17% use CAD for 9 to 12 hours per day.Driving your workstation for that length of time can cause serious pain and discomfort issues for CAD professionals. According to a study by VSI Risk Management and Ergonomics, 46% of designers reported their pain was so impactful that it interfered with their job performance. 52% of survey respondents identied mild to moderate design-related pain.Pain in CAD is all too common. And it has real effects on 3D professionals.0203Take Nolan Farmer as an example. Nolan runs Farmer Plastics & Machining, which provides invention, product design and other production services out of Boulder, Colorado. Nolan spends a ton of time using CAD software, both for his job and his hobby of designing state-of-the-art scale-model motorcycles. But both his livelihood and his enjoyable side pursuit were under threat due to serious arm pain.My right arm was going out on me and running the mouse was getting to be excruciating, he says. These turned out to be early symptoms of RSIs. Nolan quickly found out that the pain affected both his physical health and the health of his business by: Stunting productivity. When youre in pain at work, performance suffers. And you may even miss days due to serious RSIs like carpal tunnel. Decreasing output quality. When you push through pain to work, errors and sloppy craftsmanship become more common. Stiing creativity. When CAD professionals consistently experience pain while designing, the less likely they are to unlock their full creative potential.Many CAD professionals who experience RSIs or chronic pain and strain have identied the culprits to be: Input devices Ofce space peripherals (such as the type of desk or chair used). Posture, body position or arm position. The nature of professional CAD (where you click all day, every day).Thankfully, Nolan prevented these issues from becoming the norm. Using some of the tips and tools in this guide, he alleviated and eliminated the arm painleading to design-lled, pain-free CAD sessions.0204Habits for Pain-Free Design SessionsReducing pain and strain in CAD starts with the habits you use every day. How your body moves, feels and is positioned during the day impacts your level of comfort.Thats why adhering to these easy, fast and effective habits is the rst step towards pain-free design sessions.0305Habit One: Stretch andTake Breaks Regularly03Breaks are also key. While its easy to get into the zone when designing in CAD, set a timer periodically to step away from the computer, perform a stretch or just stop clicking and dragging your mouse for a few seconds.For a good list of easy-to-learn stretches, check out this website. Sideways stretches. Upper arm stretches. Head tilts. Arm swings. Back stretches.And many more.Working long hours in front of a computer makes it easy to fall into a sedentary life-style, which is dangerous to your health. Sitting all day doesnt just cause pain and strain in CAD; it can even lead to an early death. Pain and muscle tightness are early indicators that youre sitting too long and your body is responding poorlyso stretch out the aficted areas as soon as you can.There are a number of stretches you can even do right in your ofce, including:06Habit Two: Turn Your OfceInto A GymTheres plenty of low-key exercises you can do right in your ofce to help keep your blood pumping. Try taking a lap around the ofce, doing bicep curls with a stapler (dont count on getting big guns) or tightening your abs in increments of 15 seconds. Also try: Taking the stairs, not the elevator. Tricep dips (all you need is a chair). Shoulder shrugs (just raise your shoulders towards your ears, hold, and repeat).The list of desk exercises you can do is nearly endless. Heres a full list of 33 work exercises to keep you on your toes.0307Habit Three: Correct Your PosturePoor posture runs rampant in ofceswhether youre slouching during a meeting or hunched over a computer screen. And studies have shown that it wreaks havoc on your health. Bad posture has been linked to depression and reduced energy levels. With side effects like fatigue and muscle pain, xing your posture is a no brainer. You can improve it instantly by: Uncrossing your legs. Pulling your shoulder blades together. Aligning your ears with your shoulders. And squaring your shoulders.In addition to poor posture, your body position at your desk causes muscle cramps and aches. For optimal positioning, ensure your arms meet the desk at a 90-degree angle, the top of your computer screen is at eye level, and your feet are planted rmly and at on the ground. Habits are just one piece of the puzzle. There are also specic tools that enhance comfort and reduce pain. Read on to learn exactly which ones can be combined with healthy habits to create a truly pain-free experience in CAD.0308Tools for Improved Design ComfortIf you work in CAD, chances are youre an expert at using advanced tools to solve painful problems. Why not do the same when it comes to your CAD-related pain and strain? With just a few key tools, you can optimize your workspace with ergonomic comfort in mind and reinforce the good habits youve already learned.04 09Chair & Desk ToolsFor many CAD professionals, most of the working day is spent at a desk. These tools are built to improve posture, increase productivity and reduce design-related pain.Once you have the tools, use this workstation planner to nd the right position for your workstation components.Lumbar Cushion Bad posture is often to blame for back and neck pain. A lumbar cushion aligns your spine while sitting and improves your posture. Youll still need to maintain good posture, but its much easier to do using a lumbar cushion. Pro tip: Dont want to buy a lumbar cushion? Try rolling up a blanket or sweatshirt and placing it between the small of your back and your chair.Exercise Ball Chair Dont be fooled by this chairs quirky appearance. The exercise ball chair strengthens your back muscles and your abs as you sit. The result is better posture over time as your core muscles grow stronger.Adjustable Desk Sitting all day can be terrible for your health. However, standing all day can be exhausting. The adjustable desk offers a happy medium. Its a workstation that adjusts to sitting or standing preferences quicklyall without interrupting your work.Wrist Support Pads Continuous typing and keyboard use put stress on your hands and wrist joints. Even basic wrist support pads help mitigate this pain, and are a cost-effective way to stop recurring wrist issues.Laptop Stand This handy little device props your computer up so you can view the screen at eye level. Keeping the screen at eye level is one critical way to maintain good posture and body positioning at your desk.0410The Ultimate Pain Reduction Tool: The Two-Handed WorkowNow that youve optimized your workspace, its time to optimize your design sessions.Good news: Theres one easy change you can make to your CAD workow that dramatically reduces pain and strain. Its called a two-handed workow, and using it is scientically proven to eliminate major RSIs and CAD discomfort issues.RSIs are most common in professionals who only use a regular mouse to click, drag and select items in their CAD software. The repetitive motions and tedious clicks quickly add up as almost all the input commands are being channelled through this single device.A two-handed workow solves this problem. Its the most sensible way to work in CAD and you can adopt it immediately.0411What Is A Two-Handed Workow?The most notable addition when adopting a two-handed workow is the use of a dedicated 3D input device, most commonly referred to as a 3D mouse. With a 3D mouse you have the extraordinary ability to simultaneously pan, zoom and rotate models while the regular mouse stays in its regular place. More advanced models also provide a built-in wrist rest for even higher levels of comfort and arrays of useful buttons for ngertip access to your favorite application commands.More recently, 3Dconnexion introduced a replacement for the regular mouse in direct response to requests from CAD users. Designed specically for CAD professionals, CadMouse features an intelligent ergonomic design, high-precision laser sensor and selection of smart software features that make working in CAD a much more enjoyable and rewarding experience.The 3D mouse and CadMouse work together in a balanced, cooperative workow. Muscle movements are distributed evenly across both hands, resulting in less clicks, reduced mouse travel and crucially, reduced strain on key body parts.The two-handed workow is proven to provide serious benets: 97% of users say using a 3D mousein tandem with a regular mouse reduces pain. 61% say a 3D mouse increases comfort and reduces pain within the rst monthof use. A 3D mouse reduces right- and left-hand motions by 66%, meaning you deal with dramatically less muscle fatigue.For more information on the 3D miceand CAD-specic mice that reduce painas part of a two-handed workow,visit the 3Dconnexion website.04CommandCommandCommandCommandCommandCommand+ Switch TimeBandwidth Increase+ Switch Time+ Switch Time1205Improve your CAD work with the 3Dconnexion Family of Devices13The 3Dconnexion FamilySpaceNavigatorThe 3D Mouse for EveryonePerfect for you if you want a more natural way to interact with your CAD content at an affordable cost. The SpaceNavigator is the entry-level 3D mouse, but it still packs a punch thanks to the patented six-degrees-of-freedom (6DoF) controller cap, the central feature of all 3Dconnexion 3D mice. SpaceNavigator for NotebooksThe Travelers Best FriendPerfect for you if you use 3D applications in lotsof different places. The SpaceNavigator for Notebooks offers the same 6DoF navigation and two buttons of the SpaceNavigator, but in a travel-sized package thats half the weight of its cousin and two-thirds the size. SpaceMouse WirelessFor Fans of Clean Lines andClutter-Free DesktopsPerfect for you if youre looking for a sleek, stylish and intuitive way to interact with digital 3D content. The SpaceMouse Wireless is the worlds rst wireless 3D mouse. Its 2.4 GHz wireless technology, cord-free design, one-month battery life and two buttons make this mouse a 3D designers best friend.14The 3Dconnexion Family (cont.)SpaceMouse ProThe 3D Mouse for the ProfessionalPerfect for you if youre a busy professional who spends more than a few hours per day working with 3D content. The SpaceMouse Pro offers 15 completely customizable buttons including four intelligent function keys and QuickView navigation keys so youre always in control of your designs. SpaceMouse Pro WirelessThe Wireless 3D Mouse forthe ProfessionalPerfect for you if youre a busy professional who spends much of the day working with 3D contentand appreciates the ner things in life (like a cord-free desktop). The SpaceMouse Pro Wireless offers the same professional features as its wired sibling with the added convenience of a cord-free workspace. Its 2.4 GHz wireless technology and two-month battery life offer a real-time, reliable and precise connection between you and your design. SpacePilot ProThe Mouse for the Elite DesignerPerfect for you if you need as many features asits possible to pack into a 3D mouse. With 10 intelligent key functions, QuickView navigation keys and full color LCD screen, youll spend more time in the zone and less time traveling back and forth to the keyboard.Recognize your true creative ability with the right tools at your ngertips. Equip yourself with a 3D mouse 05153Dconnexion Product Comparison ChartProfessional Series Personal SeriesRollover icons for more information SpacePilot Pro SpaceMouse Pro WirelessSpaceMouse Pro SpaceMouse WirelessSpaceNavigatorSpaceNavigator for NotebooksNavigation3Dconnexion 6DoF Technology Compact Controller Cap QuickView Keys 32 Views (10 Keys)12 Views (4 Keys)12 Views (4 Keys)Navigation Settings Keys Speed, Rotation,Pan/Zoom, DominantRotation RotationPerformanceIntelligent Function Keys10 4 4Total Programmable Keys 31 15 15 2 2 2Full Color LCD On-Screen Display Radial Menu ComfortAdvanced Hand Rest Keyboard Modiers(Ctrl, Alt, Shift, Esc) 3Dconnexion Wireless Technology AdditionalDimensions (LxWxH) 231 x 150 x 58 mm 9.1 x 5.9 x 2.3 204 x 142 x 58 mm 8 x 5.6 x 2.3 204 x 142 x 58 mm 8 x 5.6 x 2.3 78 x 78 x 54 mm 3.1 x 3.1 x 2.1 78 x 78 x 53 mm 3.1 x 3.1 x 2.1 68 x 68 x 46 mm 2.7 x 2.7 x 1.8 Weight 880g / 1.94 lbs 563g / 1.24 lbs 665g / 1.47 lbs 424g / 0.93 lbs 479g / 1.06 lbs 250g / 0.58 lbs Warranty 3 years 3 years 3 years 2 years 2 years 2 years1605The two-handed workow enabled by a 3D mouse delivers the best results when you use a CadMouse. CadMouse is a high-performance device used in your dominant hand to click, select and create in your software, while your 3D mouse in your non-dominant hand does the rest.Take a look at some of the extraordinary features that put CadMouse above and beyond any other mouse on the market. Dedicated, Full-Size Middle Mouse Button: Every CAD user knows how much they rely on the middle mouse button, but ordinary mice bury it under the scroll wheel. The CadMouse has a dedicated, full-size middle mouse button, so its no longer necessary to click the uncomfortable scroll wheel thousands of times per day. QuickZoom: Effortlessly zoom in and out of your models or drawings with a single click of a thumb button. Combine this feature with the 6-degrees-of-freedom navigation enabled by a 3Dconnexion 3D mouse for previously unseen levels of Two-Handed Power. Smart Scroll Wheel: Automatic scroll wheel performance depending on the active application. Precise click-to-click zooming in CAD applications or speedy scrolling in browsers and documents. Its a seamless experience that ordinary mice just cant provide. Advanced Laser Sensor: With 8200dpi and a poll rate of up to 1000Hz (responsiveness of 1 millisecond) youll click exactly where you need to, when you need to. The CadMouse has the level of precision CAD professionals demandand deserve. Optimally Shaped PTFE Feet:Because 3Dconnexion specializes in CAD, we pay acute attention to details like how materials and geometry affect friction. Its especially important when you consider that serious CAD users can be moving their mouse up to 1km per week. CadMouse has optimally shaped feet made from PTFE, a material with one of the lowest coefcients of friction against any solid, resulting in a near perfectequilibrium. The result? CadMouse moves exactly how you meanit toevery time. Gesture / Radial Menu Button:The CadMouses gesture button opens a context sensitive on-screen radial menu. Simply move the cursor left, right, up or down to activate the command.Learn more about CadMouse here Perfect for you if: You want the best possible experience out of your CAD software.CadMouse The Perfect Match For Your 3D Mouse17About 3Dconnexion3Dconnexion designs powerful, ergonomic hardware and smart, easy-to-use software that combine seamlessly to make working in the worlds most popular CAD applications fast, comfortable and fun. From our SpaceMouse 3D mice to the CadMouse, 3Dconnexion products provide a superior way for CAD professionals to interact with and experience the digital world.The 3Dconnexion SpaceMouse product line delivers natural, precise positioning of digital models or views that just isnt possible using any other input device. With a SpaceMouse you have the extraordinary ability to simultaneously pan, zoom and rotate models while the regular mouse stays in its regular place. Its a comfortable and efcient two-handed workow that feels good and enables you to achieve more in less time.We pioneered this two-handed workow, and then we perfected it with the release of the CadMouse. The CadMouse is the rst mouse used in your regular mouse hand that is built specically for CAD professionals. With a unique dedicated middle mouse button, Smart Scroll wheel and useful set of CAD-specic tools including the incredibly convenient QuickZoom, the CadMouse makes working in (and out) of design and CAD applications more comfortable, efcient and fun.When you pair a 3Dconnexion CadMouse with a SpaceMouse, the results are extraordinary. The SpaceMouse smoothly positions your object or view, while the CadMouse selects and creates with ease.Its a natural and comfortable work style that cant be matched. 3Dconnexion provides peace of mind to 3D professionals who design the buildings, machines and products that power our world. They take their work seriously, and so do we. Technology and build quality combine to deliver the performance that CAD professional demand and deserve.Stay up-to-date with all the latest company and industry news via:3Dconnexion Blog 05Learn more about how to reduce pain with 3Dconnexion products on our website 2015 3Dconnexion. All rights reserved. 3Dconnexion, the 3Dconnexion logo, and other 3Dconnexion marks are owned by 3Dconnexion and may be registered. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.WWW. 3DCONNEXI ON. COM