3dRudder CAD Edition Lets You Navigate CAD Models With Your Feet

3dRudder announced the CAD Edition 3dRudder peripheral, which includes a plugin to let you use the foot-based controller in Simply Rhino’s Rhino3D 3D modeling application.

3dRudder promotes its foot-based input device as a companion for virtual reality experiences, but there’s no reason to limit its use to VR. The 3dRudder peripheral lets you interact with 3D spaces, which makes it suitable for navigating 3D modeling and CAD design software. 3dRudder’s latest update makes that functionality official.

3dRudder introduced the 3dRudder CAD Edition at Simple Rhino’s Rhinoceros 3D user group meeting in London. The new version of the hardware includes a plugin for Simply Rhino’s Rhino3D CAD software that lets you use the 3dRudder to move and zoom the camera, which frees up your hands to create objects.

The 3dRudder Rhino3D plugin enables five foot-based interactions within the software, including Orbit, Dolly, Pan, Vertical Pan, and Orbit Camera. By using the 3dRudder to control camera movement, you can shape and resize objects while you move around, which could, in turn, increase your productivity.

3dRudder is offering the 3dRudder CAD Edition for $279, which is $100 more than then VR Edition hardware. Both kits offer the exact same hardware, but the CAD Edition includes a license for the CAD plugin software. 3dRudder’s CAD plugin supports Rhino3D today, and support for more applications is in the works. The company said the plugin license includes one year of free updates, which would include that support for more apps.

The 3dRudder CAD Edition is available now from 3dRudder's website. If you already have a 3dRudder peripheral, 3dRudder will sell you the CAD plugin for $100.

 Kevin Carbotte is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware who primarily covers VR and AR hardware. He has been writing for us for more than four years. 

  • MatchstickMan
    Wow, this looks like a spaceball they use for CAD but even worse!!
    Reply
  • spoidz
    Hmm, so is that the next big course at engineering schools?

    Introduction to CADFoot operations 101, 3 Credits
    Reply
  • cryoburner
    What architectural design is like in VR using the 3dRudder:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgYzHV7Ftqc
    Reply
  • tntom
    A $100 for the software driver for a piece of hardware that costs $180. And only gets you less than a year of updates. No thanks.
    Reply
  • falchard
    There are a lot of tools for the hands that are effective for working with 3D models. There are also rudders for flight sim games that should work better.
    Reply