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Nine best mice for CAD software users

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Recently I asked many CAD software users regarding their

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opinion of the best mouse for CAD software  and which
one they themselves use or prefer to use and I got some
really thoughtful responses.

Recent Blog
Although I am not an expert when it comes to technical
Posts
aspects of a mouse but on the basis of speci cations,
reviews, responses from CAD users and my own opinion I
am listing nine best mouse for CAD software users.  Introduction to
AutoCAD blocks

Overview and why you should

use them
I have noticed that large mouse which ts properly in your
hand is comfortable to work with. Dedicated keys for Pan,  Finding centre of
Zoom, and other functions is an added advantage but too gravity using

many dedicated keys generally become an overkill unless AutoCAD

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you really like a programmable mouse with lots of
 Noteworthy CAD
dedicated keys.
Product Design
Trends you should
Resolution or sensitivity is another parameter on which
know
quality of a mouse can be judged but so far all mice offer
an acceptable value of resolution or DPI and I believe that
 Rotate one object
this parameter can be ignored when considering a good
to match another
mouse.
unknown angle in
AutoCAD
Lets now have a look at some mice which are used by
many CAD professionals and which came as a good
 All about Point and
recommendation from them.
Point style in
AutoCAD
3D connexion space pilot pro

This device is best suitable for 3D cad users who need to

navigate in 3D space frequently. The device offers six
degrees of freedom which is great for navigating in 3D
space and for positioning cameras. It also comes with
wrist rest pad which can be comforting for most CAD
users.

The pre-con gured quick view keys offer additional

advantage which can facilitate quick view changes. This
device also comes with programmable keys that can be
customized according to your need.

The 3D connexion Space pilot pro is not a replacement for

a standard mouse, it is designed for navigating in 3D
space and it is best used in conjunction with a standard
mouse.

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This device was suggested by  Emmanuel Garcia, Adjunct
Professor at LA Trade Tech College. He loves to work with
a multi-button mouse and this mouse offers exactly that,
dedicated and programmable keys for an easy work ow.

BUY FROM AMAZON

3D connexion space navigator

Once again this device is suitable for 3D modeling users

who want intuitive 3D navigation with better and precise
camera control. Just like space pilot pro this device also
offers navigation in six degrees of freedom with fewer
features compared to Space Pilot Pro.

This device can be best used with CAD mouse, the task of
precise navigation can be controlled with this space
navigator whereas other tasks can be done with CAD
mouse or standard 3 button mouse.

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This device was suggested by  Paul Munford from
CADsetterout.com. He prefers this mouse with Autodesk
Inventor although, for AutoCAD he prefers a simple 3
button optical mouse but, for specialized needs related to
uidic navigation in 3D space he prefers space navigator.

This is what Paul says about the device “For Autodesk

Inventor work I supplement with a Connexion 3D space
navigator mouse. It’s ideal for manipulating a 3D CAD
model on screen. It saves hours spent ddling with the
view controls and makes 3D modeling a far more intuitive
experience.”

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3D connexion CAD mouse

This mouse can be designated as an all-purpose CAD

mouse which is ergonomically designed to give you the
comfortable grip and better navigation control. This
mouse also comes with a dedicated middle mouse button
which is an alternative to pressing mouse wheel. There
are also dedicated zoom keys near your thumb and you
can also use the standard mouse wheel for zooming in
and out of your geometry.

BUY FROM AMAZON

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Logitech MX Master 2S

This Logitech mouse is new in the MX master series of

mouse offering a high precision of 4000 DPI and
according to Logitech, it works even on smooth surfaces
like glass. The ergonomic design is quite comfortable on
hands and its seven dedicated buttons including the
button for fast scrolling and horizontal scrolling add to the
comfort.

This mouse comes with a rechargeable inbuilt battery that

lasts quite long on a single charge and it can be charged
again by using the micro USB cable. The most remarkable
feature of this mouse is its three computer support, so
basically you can connect this mouse with up to three
computers using Bluetooth or USB receiver and share
information (like copy paste) between the connected
devices.

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Logitech wireless trackball M570

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This is once again a new type of mouse with a thumb
controlled trackball, the main advantage of this mouse is
its trackball which allows you to keep your hand stable
while using this mouse. You can simply control mouse
movements without any wrist movement and the trackball
precision can also be controlled to give you better
accuracy over navigation. It also has programmable
buttons which can be used for assigning dedicated
common tasks.

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TeckNet M002 Nano Wireless Mouse

This mouse can be called as a close competitor of 3D

connexion CAD mouse. This manufacturer promises a
smooth navigation from this mouse even on smooth and
re ective surfaces like glass and polished metal or wood.
The mouse has an ergonomic design for easy and
comfortable grip and it comes with dedicated zoom keys
near the thumb.
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It can also be used wirelessly with the Nano receiver
directly on your workstation without any software
installation. The mouse is also very inexpensive and its
price is similar to the price of a simple 3 button wireless
mouse.

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Razer DeathAdder Chroma

This one is another impressive special purpose mouse

which is marketed as gaming mouse by the
manufacturers. This mouse features a very ergonomic
design and rubber side grips. This mouse also boasts a
resolution of 10000 DPI which is the highest resolution
among the mouse compared here. The mouse also has
ve programmable keys which are again good for
enhancing your productivity manifolds.

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This mouse is also one of the favorites of Melinda
Heavrin, CAD manager at Norton healthcare and a regular
AUGI contributor. This is what Melinda says about the
mouse “I am currently looking to get a Razer.  Several CAD
users I know are using the Razer DeathAdder and they
absolutely love it.  That’s why I’m leaning towards getting
it.”

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Kensington Expert Wireless Trackball

Mouse

This mouse is also similar to the Logitech M70 wireless

trackball but in this case, you have less wrist comfort
when compared with the Logitech thumb trackball mouse.
This mouse also promises great precision tracking due to
the large size of its trackball.

One of the biggest advantages that this mouse has is its

ambidextrous design which can be used by both left
handed and right handed person. The mouse can be
connected to your workstation with a standard USB Nano
receiver or with Bluetooth.

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 BUY FROM AMAZON

Standard 3 button mouse

Although we now have many options to choose from

when it comes to CAD mouse still I see many CAD users
using the old school 3 button mouse.

Most of the CAD veterans whom I asked about their

preferred choice of CAD mouse said they are happy with a
simple 3 button optical mouse mostly Logitech.

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Brian Myers, BIM Manager at Alberici Constructors and
Lynda.com Revit course author said he has a preference
for the large and quiet mouse but he is not specially
aligned towards any speci c brand or product model.

Sam Lucido, CAD Services Manager at Haley and Aldrich

and also a regular AUGI world magazine contributor
prefers a standard 3 button wireless Logitech mouse, he
also prefers to keep a backup mouse always with him
whenever he is traveling.

Michael E. Beall owner of CAD Trainer Guy, LLC and Edwin

Prakoso Senior Application Engineer and owner of CAD-
notes.com both have a preference for a simple and
comfortable 3 button mouse with scroll wheel, preferably
Logitech.

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Your opinion matters

Although I have compiled a list here based on responses I

got from CAD software users but your response is of
utmost importance. I would love to know which mouse is
your preferred choice for CAD-related tasks and don’t
forget to let us know why you love it.

Learn AutoCAD from

basics to a
professional level VIEW DETAILS

with our self-paced

online courses.

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 About the Author: Jaiprakash Pandey

I am a mechanical engineer and I have

worked with Design, Manufacturing and
Training industries but now SourceCAD
is my full-time work and I use it to train students all
over the world. I also train corporate clients and help
them develop the skill set of their workforce.

I am Autodesk AutoCAD Certi ed Professional and

an Autodesk expert elite member. I am a regular
contributor of AUGI World magazine and apart from
SourceCAD I also develop AutoCAD video courses
for Pluralsight and other E-Learning businesses.

32 Comments

G.G.Khan November 14, 2017 at 12:14 pm - Reply

Hi, Jaiprakash
I’m Design engineer working with CAD
software’s 12 hours a day. (AutoCAD,
Microstation, Promis*e etc. ) I mostly work with
2D software’s. end of the day I’m feeling pain in
my right hand. So I want to shift some of my
right hand moments to left hand means looking
for a 2 piece mouse can be operated with 2
hands. or a programmable keypad for left hand.

I bought 3D Connexion CAD mouse but its for

my right hand only.
please Suggest.

Jaiprakash Pandey November 30, 2017 at 5:18 pm -

Reply

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 I would suggest Logitech wireless
trackball M570 because it helps you in
eliminating wrist movements completely
and all the navigation can be controlled
simply by the use of the thumb. If you are
using 3D connexion space navigator along
with it then it would really make your
work ow uidic.

Anonyme September 20, 2017 at 7:46 am - Reply

“but too many dedicated keys generally

becomes an overkill unless you really like a
programmable mouse with lots of dedicated
keys.” Perhaps I’m one of them who love many
programmable keys.

I’m using Autocad everyday and my favorite

mouse is Logitech G502. This mouse moves
smoothly, accurately, and most important, its 11
progarmmable buttons often help me avoid
searching keys in keyboard. With its built-in
scripting system I now has registered over 20
cad commands frequently used on my G502,
which are accessible via one-click or two keys
combo. Not to mention some re-position of keys
improves the operating experience a lot, i.e. set
the pan function to the thumb button (or “DPI-
Shift” key by Logitech) feels much better than
pressing on the wheel.

I’m not saying that the more buttons, the better.

I’ve tried some models with more buttons like
G600 from the same manufacturer, which has
20 buttons but they are two crowed and too
easy to mis-touch. Competences from other
brands hardly have a similar scripting system
95 which can vastly broaden button functions.
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 In all, with this mouse (and assistance from
other softwares, like AutoHotkey, etc) I now
operate much faster and more comfortable in
Autocad, and I’m rather satis ed.

Jaiprakash Pandey November 30, 2017 at 5:12 pm -

Reply

Thanks for your inputs, Logitech G502 is

certainly a great mouse but a bit pricey.

Jeremy July 20, 2017 at 11:37 pm - Reply

I’ve been using a Performance MX for years now

too, Love it. The rotated hand position is great
for preventing a sore wrist (not as good as my
old Logitech that died after 9 years service
but…). It’s also wired and wireless for on the go
or when the work space gets crowded.

Jaiprakash Pandey July 21, 2017 at 12:04 am - Reply

Thanks for your inputs Jeremy

Jason June 22, 2017 at 7:41 am - Reply

I’ve been a Cad user for almost 20 years. My

preferred mouse is a Logitech dual optical
mouseman. It was a $50 mouse purchased
around 2001-02 and is unfortunately starting to
die on me. That is what has brought me to this
article as I am looking for a suitable
replacement. I have used two different Logitech
wireless mouses since and I have not been a fan
of either one.

Rodrigo Salas May 2, 2017 at 2:02 am - Reply

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 Hi

I have the space navigator for notebook, I draw

in autodesk inventor, and this mouse is the best
buy I ever made… with six axes is very useful for
design 3D.

Greetings

Jaiprakash Pandey May 4, 2017 at 7:00 pm - Reply

Thanks for your feedback Rodrigo

Nate Racine March 3, 2017 at 1:25 am - Reply

Hello

I have the used the Logitech Performance MX

mouse for a few years now and it works great. It
should probably be in your list.

Anonymus February 24, 2017 at 6:45 am - Reply

http://product-images.www8-
hp.com/digmedialib/prodimg/lowres/c03113123.png

I nd the mouse above very suitable for CAD.

But I cannot nd it at any reseller. I didn-t know
his name either.

Trevor Low February 16, 2017 at 4:22 am - Reply

Just a clari cation here. The 3D connection

devices are not a replacement for the mouse.
They are a tool for your left hand when using 3D
software. Basically it runs your view (rotates /
manipulates the 3d object), while you are free to
work with your cad tools as usual with the

95 mouse. I can tell you that as a Solidworks user, I

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 can’t imagine not using a 3d mouse device for
view control.

Think of it like peeling an apple, where your

mouse is the peeler (using a CAD tool), and the
3D control is like your left hand manipulating the
apple. It is an absolutely incredible time saver.

Now think about peeling an apple without your

left hand. Grab peeler, peel, drop peeler, rotate
apple, grab peeler, peel… repeat… That’s life
without the 3d mouse.

Jaiprakash Pandey February 16, 2017 at 2:48 pm - Reply

Yes Trevor, you are correct the 3D

connection navigation devices are not an
alternative for a mouse rather they are
supplementary devices which should be
used in conjunction with the standard
mouse.

Robin Capper January 20, 2017 at 3:48 am - Reply

I’ve settled on the Microsoft Sculpture set. The

mouse looks oddly spherical but I nd really
comfortable. What I really like is the separation
of the number input which I put on the left and
use for number entry. It saves that stretch to
enter on the usual r/h or top line numbers.

https://www.microsoft.com/accessories/en-
nz/products/keyboards/sculpt-ergonomic-
desktop/l5v-00027

Jaiprakash Pandey January 20, 2017 at 1:21 pm - Reply

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 It looks great! Thanks Robin for your
inputs.

Stephen Rothermel February 1, 2017 at 12:24 am -

Reply

I’ll second the Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic

Mouse! I have tried many advanced
controllers and gaming mice, but with over
30 years of CAD work I need the most
comfortable mouse possible for my
injured (R.S.I) wrist and this is the only
mouse I can use over 10 hours. Only
complaint is a tired index nger using the
center, scroll-wheel button.

Brian August 4, 2016 at 7:17 am - Reply

I prefer the basic mouse for CAD

Jaiprakash Pandey January 17, 2017 at 3:15 am - Reply

Thanks Brian for your input

Jonathan August 3, 2016 at 1:45 am - Reply

I love my Logitech M70’s, it’s great for large

drawings and the precise movement you can get
from your thumb over your whole hand is great, I
use it in conjunction with a Logitech G510
keyboard set up with hotkeys for my most
common commands. I run the same setup in the
o ce and at home but I concede the trackball
throws most people and they struggle at rst
after using mice for most of their lives.

Jaiprakash Pandey August 3, 2016 at 11:48 am - Reply

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 Thanks Jonathan for your inputs

Gert August 2, 2016 at 12:48 am - Reply

I recently got myself a Red Dragon (cant

remember the exact model name) 5 button
gaming mouse and I love it.

The feel of the mouse is what I love most of it,

but the speed and sensitivity is something to get
use to.

Only the thumb buttons are programmable but I

have not yet assigned any commands to them
for I use my keyboard shortcuts.

I have been working with a standard 3 buttom

Microsoft optical wired mouse (always wired
because getting stuck without batteries in the
middle af a deadline is a pain) for almost
10years befor I got the new one and I have to
say there is nothing wrong with the old fashion 3
button, infact I have seen some people draw
some amazing stuff using the 3 button grandpa
mouse.

A mouse is an awesome investment but like my

granddad told me, “it is not the tools but the user
that makes an expert”.

Jaiprakash Pandey August 2, 2016 at 11:27 am - Reply

Thanks Gert for your input.

Austen July 29, 2016 at 6:22 pm - Reply

ive been using a razer naga for the past…2 years

at least (its the gaming mouse with a 12 button
95 # pad on the side) I actually wouldnt reccomend
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 it for CAD use, at least not for long periods. The
middle mouse button and texture of the mouse
leave my ngers feeling raw. The numerical
keypad has been very helpful but I dont use it
enough to compensate for the uncomfortable
texture. Plus it has a high price tag, I think it was
100.00 my company bought one for me ( only
reason I still use it :/ )

Jaiprakash Pandey August 3, 2016 at 11:47 am - Reply

Thanks Austen for your inputs

Anonymous July 28, 2016 at 7:33 am - Reply

Chek out the e-blue or 3-blue mice for gaming.

Ive purchased multiples of their products. Great
form factor and you may easily adjust DPI. I
have owned them for 5 years now and utilize
AutoCAD every day. 3-blue is great and
affordable!!

Jaiprakash Pandey August 3, 2016 at 11:47 am - Reply

Thanks for your input

David Cain July 27, 2016 at 6:15 pm - Reply

I have been using the Logitech M70 wireless

trackball for quite a few years for CAD as well as
a 3DConnexion Space Navigator. I have been
using a trackball setup since the “original”
Logitech TrackMan Marble FX, Which I dearly
miss. I nd the control of the ball gives me the
accuracy I need for my work. Don’t forget to
clean your trackball at least every week if not
daily to remove the oils and dirt buildup.
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 Jaiprakash Pandey August 3, 2016 at 11:47 am - Reply

Thanks David for your inputs

ERNEST UZOMAH July 27, 2016 at 12:49 pm - Reply

Good day Jaiprakash,

I am not an authority in CAD business. I have

always used HP wireless mouse x4500; Model –
MORFG8UL and it has lived up to expectation.

Best Regards,

Ernest.

Jaiprakash Pandey August 3, 2016 at 11:49 am - Reply

Thanks Ernest for your inputs

Anonymous July 27, 2016 at 6:52 am - Reply

Bog standard 3 button mouse; however I’m lost

if I don’t have my 3Dconnexion Spcemouse Pro
for navigating in any 3D CAD space – NX,
Inventor, Solidworks etc.

Jaiprakash Pandey August 3, 2016 at 11:49 am - Reply

Thanks for your input

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