What is your workstation setup for Cheetah?

What is your workstation setup for Cheetah?

I just found some time and can get back into cheetah.

I have often wondered how you more experienced guys set up your workstations for use with 3d programs. What type of input device do you use? Trackball, mouse, drawing tablet?? What resolution do you work in? What type of monitor? Any special positioning of the monitor to reduce eyestrain, or the keyboard and mouse for hand strain..


I suffer from carpal tunnel (Been a drummer for 15 years).. so I take ergonomics pretty seriously.

Just to get things started heres my setup:

Powermac G5 dual 1.8 Ghz OSX10.3.9 (soon to be tiger)
1.2 GB ram, 160GB raid disk array
ATI 9800 video

Logitech marble trackball, Older apple pro keyboard (black)
Samsung 17" LCD (1280X1024, 12ms refresh)
 
Hi.
First; sorry to hear from your carpal tunnel. Got that operated? If so, I hope you get well soon!
Answering this does not say I´m a prof. But your machine sounds like a dream to me. Nevertheless I´m using a beige Powermac, G3RevA with SonnetG4; 500Mhz, 768ram, 60gb ide drive, running 10.3.8 with xpostfacto, 15"LCD at1024x768 is the only limitation from time to time. An USB-3buttonScrollmouse is used with pleasure. Set some functions to keyaccess, for some speedup.
So far I believe Apple (and Martin of course) give us ergonomic respect, but sitting on a mean tripod at a low level overwhelmed desk with backlights or even no adequate lighting, will end in insignificance to your close attention on hardware conditions. (Aren´t there ergonomic tips from Apple, distributed with your G5 anymore? Next to my G3 layed a Apple handbook called: "Installation of the PowerMacintosh. Contains assignments for installation and extending of your PowerMacintoshG3 including important labourmedical information" Lost in translation.

with kindest regards

frank
 

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Thanks for the reply!

Frank,

Thank you for the reply! No, I have not had the surgery as my carpal tunnel has nor progressed that far yet. I have managed to keep it controlled by modifying the way I do things when I play, and the way I use the computer. I always use a wrist pad under my right hand when using the mouse.

As far as the ergonomics, I vaguely remember seeing something like the picture you attached. I'm pretty aware of how to properly setup the machine, but was more curious about any tricks people were using... Like using a pen tablet instead of a mouse, that type of thing. Also, I was curious what kinds of machines the other members have :)

How well does cheetah run on your G3? I guess I'm spoiled with my machine... It was my first new computer in years and I decided to go a little crazy so I spent a lot of time making sure I had everything I wanted. My wife has tod me I'm not allowed to get a new computer for at leat 5 years!! :)
 
I have a Wacom tablet which I use for drawing cartoons and the like, but I find it pretty useless for modelling or CAD. I have a fairly steady hand, but it's still not as easy to hit the mark exactly with a stylus as it is with a mouse. If anything, I think the tablet makes my wrist hurt more than the mouse. :?

I'm using the new Apple Mighty Mouse thing at the moment. It's rather nice, but I've had to change my grip so that I don't keep getting right clicks due to hitting the middle of the mouse button. I have a feeling that it'll get a bit more uncomfortable before I finally get used to it!

Hardware wise, I've got a G5 DP2GHz, 2GB RAM, 250GB HD, Radeon 9600 XT running Mac OS X 10.4.2.

I have monitors left over from previous computers, so I'm currently running a 22" CRT at 1920x1440@85Hz and another, older 19" CRT at 1600x1200@75Hz. Those resolutions are probably too high to be healthy, but I apparently prefer to have lots of screen space than working eyeballs. ;)

Hope your carpal tunnel works out, Escher. I think a lot of us are going to be dealing with this at some point in the future....
 
How well does cheetah run on your G3? I guess I'm spoiled with my machine... It was my first new computer in years and I decided to go a little crazy so I spent a lot of time making sure I had everything I wanted. My wife has tod me I'm not allowed to get a new computer for at leat 5 years!! Smile

So my wife did. :wink: That´s the reason for a second second-hand G3. But it´s a fine machine, with a pci radeon32mb-card and at least the better one; my wife worked with the same machine and a 19"Wacom digitizer for her 2d-work.

Cheetah3d is running very well so far, unless a project reaches half a million polygons. That´s a bit tricky but worth every second. (You can find a few examples scattered over the cheetah-forum by searching if you like. The beer-stuff in the tutorialsection for instance...) And if there´s something you like, remember it´s just an upgraded G3.

Back to ergonomix; Working as a traditional artist with an easel in front, a small workshop for real3d-jobs and a computer aside, I have lots of alternation. And no pc-manufacturer will accept any responsibility for sitting 12hs a day in front of a monitor, with rolling eyes and just chasing a mouse over a pad. That couldn´t be healthy at all. ( ...what I experienced) The worst thing is motionless computing for hours and hours, I guess.

frank
 
Hi,
you really scared me because of the carpal tunnel. Maybe I also have to care more about ergonomie. That's why I ordered a Mighty Mouse today. I never had problems with the old Apple Pro mouse. But when it got out of order I replaced it with a cheap mouse from the next electronic store. Since then I have some problems with my shoulder but I always hoped that I get used to the new mouse. But it is probably better to go back to a mouse forum factor with which I feel much more confortable. And the Apple Pro mouse did fit very well into my hand.

I've never tried a trackball or a tablet but a Wacom tablet is since quite some time on my wishlist. Especially since I know many people who trashed their mouse after they bought a tablet.

When it comes to CTR monitor refresh rates I think 80Hz is much to slow. People can tell me what they want but if I look at a 80Hz screen I see it flickering and my eyes start tearing after some time. But 100Hz and higher is fine.

I'm currenrly using a 2x2 GHz PowerMac, Tiger, ATI Radeon 9600 and an 17" CRT (my 22" died three weeks ago and I'm still waiting for the repair :cry: ).

By,
Martin
 
Hi,

I recently did some study in occupational health and safety and the the main points to come from that were;

Have you eyes level with the top of the monitor, this way you can easily look beyond the monitor and focus on something else in the distance to rest the eyes.

No matter how good a position you are in or how good your equipment is it is important to change positions, even the worst looking positions are fine as long as you swap into a different position often, even if you standup for a short time, just mix it up.

And as we all know you must get up and have a break as often as possible just to get away from the monitor and have a quick stretch.

Ofcourse Martin isn't helping by creating a great program that has us glued to our seats for hours.

Oh I almost forgot, make sure the monitor is straight infront of you, not to the side at all, even the slightest twisting can have bad effects on your lower back (the hip flexors), this one I know from experience.

Bye for now and safe modeling to all!
 
Hello,

The comments about having monitor directly in front is exactly right. A symmetrical body position with the keyboard and mouse as low as possible will create the least amount of body stress.

Years ago, while using CAD software, my right hand got so stiff I could hardly move it. Because of deadlines, I had no choice but to use the mouse with my left hand. It became as natural as with my right hand. Now I switch hands every few hours and have had no problems.
 
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