Welcome to TVPaint Community forums !

got this wee beasty on it way for use with 3dsmax.
and seeing as there's a very cheap version now well...could be a cool tool
for tv paint.

have look at the video...

http://www.3dconnexion.com/products/3a1d.php

and the compatibility chart to se if your app has a driver
http://www.3dconnexion.com/solutions/cad/2aa.php

has a driver for photoshop...any chance in future for a driver
for tv paint for zoom pan and rotate of the canvas?

I'm not sure but if i understand well, you cannot assign keystrokes like with a Powermate... a limitation for this device imo, though it looks cumfortable and fun and last but not least, it's pretty cheap !
It might be worth it to look at the SDK (meaning that we'll look at it if the schedule allows it :p)

the powermate looks nice but as i read it on the website its just a rotary knob like a volume control...

the space navigator has much more contollers...

you can push forward, back, left, right, press down and pull up...
plus rotate left and right...much like an analogue joystick but with much more finess and it fits your hand comfortably...plus there's 2 assinable buttons on eitherside too...

at £35 plus p+p it's a real bargin and is well built with a heavy metal base.

if tv paint could:-
forward back left right....pan around the canvas
push down, pull up...zoom in zoom out..
rotate left rotate right...turn/spin the canvas

anyway...it works really well with 3dsmax which i what i bought it for and also works with google earth too!

you can map the 2 bottons to any keys or combination of keys.
but the analogue controler needs a 'driver'