While I was working on JavaScript events, I found a troubling element on the wheel event: the deltaZ member.

I understood what was deltaX as horizontal scroll (available with some devices like a touchpad) and deltaY as vertical scroll (that is what any standard wheel do) but for deltaZ, the documentation says:

The WheelEvent.deltaZ read-only property is a double representing the scroll amount along the z-axis

But still I cannot see what deltaZ refers to ? What kind of device can simulate a scroll on depth direction ? Even a joystick has only two axis, right ?

But as it is implemented on most web browsers, it has to have a meaning ? So which one ?

While I was working on JavaScript events, I found a troubling element on the wheel event: the deltaZ member.

I understood what was deltaX as horizontal scroll (available with some devices like a touchpad) and deltaY as vertical scroll (that is what any standard wheel do) but for deltaZ, the documentation says:

The WheelEvent.deltaZ read-only property is a double representing the scroll amount along the z-axis

But still I cannot see what deltaZ refers to ? What kind of device can simulate a scroll on depth direction ? Even a joystick has only two axis, right ?

But as it is implemented on most web browsers, it has to have a meaning ? So which one ?

• javascript
• dom-events
• mousewheel

Share Improve this question Follow edited Nov 27, 2020 at 21:52 Brian Tompsett - 汤莱恩 5,8937272 gold badges6161 silver badges133133 bronze badges asked Jun 16, 2015 at 8:38 AracthorAracthor 5,91766 gold badges3333 silver badges6161 bronze badges 3

• 1 A '3d mouse' would send these messages. They would in that case be scrolling the depth value. Here's one of many available: leapaust..au/3dconnexion-mouse – enhzflep Commented Jun 16, 2015 at 9:01
• What kind of movement do you do to scroll on Z-axis with this kind of mouse ? Is this handled by any game or any application ? – Aracthor Commented Jun 18, 2015 at 10:45
• 1 Well, you could make a 3d editor and use the z-axis scroll to move the camera along its look-at vector, while using the x and y ones to pan the camera. No idea if there are any html applications that utilize this particular property of the WheelEvent, sorry. :) (though, I'd assume there's something ) – enhzflep Commented Jun 18, 2015 at 13:16

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There are a class of relatively new devices known as 3d-mice. These devices function like a standard 3 button mouse in addition to having extra capabilities.

An example of the input provided by such a device is shown below in an image from leapaust..au/3d-connexion-mouse.

Such input is most monly made use of in 3d content-creation applications.