Acrobat 3D Allows Use of 3D Info in PDFs by Non-CAD Users

By DE Editors

Acrobat 3Dis a new program from Adobe (San Jose, CA) that gives design engineersthe ability to publish and share 3D design information from theirnative CAD applications with anyone who uses the free Adobe Reader. Any3D designs can be converted to Adobe PDF files and then opened and usedby non-CAD users. These same design team members, whether suppliers,clients, or others, can then review and add comments directly tointeractive 3D objects embedded in the PDF.

The new program means these team members will be able to immersethemselves in the design process without the need for CAD software, asmany of them already have the free reader and don't have any real needto run a CAD program on their desktops.
3D CAD content can be published as PDF files by dragging the contentinto Acrobat, by choosing a conversion option from a pull-down menu, orby using a capture utility included with Acrobat 3D. The 3D files canbe combined with virtually any other type of file to createcomprehensive project documents.

When the ability is enabled bythe Acrobat user, Reader users can add comments directly to 3D objects,and users can define multiple cross-sections of objects for variousreasons. The creator of the document can add interactive illustrations,create exploded views, add multiple levels of security, and more.

Interactivedocuments created using Acrobat 3D extends the collaborative abilityfor multiple team members. The new software works on Windows 2000, XPPro, and UNIX systems. For more information, visit adobe.com.