In just a few minutes of your time, you could be entered to win a Dell laptop, iPhone, 3D mouse, iPod or Acrobat 3D Version 8. Simply take an existing CAD assembly, industrial design model, architectural model, 3D model, or CAD technical pub, that you own and use Acrobat 3D Version 8 to convert it to a 3D PDF - it’s that simple.
The Acrobat 3D section of Adobe’s website has undergone a complete overhaul. In addition to rearranging the navigation tools and existing content to make it easier to find the information and resources from the old site, there’s a lot more new content available.
Doug Halliday has a nice write up on how to better extend your 3D CAD assets outside of engineering and integrate the product development process across the extended enterprise using Acrobat 3D.
While there is definite overlap between Acrobat 3D and other CAD viewers (ie. the ability to distribute 3D geometry and 2D drawings with a no cost viewer), where Acrobat 3D is totally unique is the ability to combine all relevant project information from spreadsheets to proposals to 2D/3D geometry into one unified and archivable document. Doug’s write up goes through a simple how to scenario that makes this clear.
Everything you do in engineering a product is part of a workflow. This is the case whether you have a finely tuned system of processes or a desktop and file cabinet spewing forth sheets of documents. They both (eventually) get information from one point to the other. “Eventually” is what we want to work on. One product in particular can save you time and improve how you communicate along the winding road that is the Engineering process.
The Power of a Model
In the world of 3D CAD we have a unique method of communicating our design that is seldom used. Our model. We’ll make views in a drawing and add screenshots to an email when there’s an issue to resolve. Eventually (there’s that word again) our ideas are communicated and our questions are answered.
The methods to get the answers and complete a project are typically set for how change has been communicated in the past. It’s not very smooth and we want to change that with a quickness. Here’s how to do it by adding Acrobat 3D to your workflow.
The Workflow
Typically, an Engineering process may look like the following:
Review relevant design information
Outline the proposed entire assembly structure
Resolve preliminary design issues
Create assembly, sub-assemblies, and details
Resolve modeling construction issues
Create preliminary drawings
Perform preliminary model review
Submit to check
Refine model
Submit for review
This may be more or less complicated than what you have, but the general idea is there. It’s a process that seems to follow piece-meal approach to engineering with little collaboration. What we want to do is refine the above and get review up front. A 3D PDF makes this easy. Here’s the new workflow.
Outline the rough assembly structure
Create preliminary model from design information
Create 3D PDF and send to design, check and review
Incorporate feedback from PDF
Create preliminary drawings
Submit for review
The Benefits
A lot of the detail and items that slow down progress on design can be eliminated by creating the 3D PDF up front and making it a key component of the review cycle. You don’t have to completely restructure your system either. Try adding it at different places to see what works best. In the end you find a much smoother process. Here are the benefits you’ll see in a nice short list.
Allows design review up front
You’re moving ahead on the modeling and ahead on creating PDFs, instead of waiting till the end and using them to capture document revisions.
Allows reviewer to add comments and mark-ups to the design
The reviewer are getting an electronic document that has mark-up and commenting capabilities. While it takes a little getting use to, it becomes much easier than printing out a bunch of paper you have to scan and email back. Show people how to use it to make it easy for them.
Adds a record of the design iterations you may go through
Since it’s up front in the design, you’re capturing the changes you’re going through. It can be created at any point of the design so you don’t have to wait till drawing view are created or mess with copying and pasting screenshots.
It’s a real model
It can be measured, rotated and exported. You can control what’s allowed, but if you working with a company that needs a concept, you can send a small file they can view and use in their models.
Supplies useful data when design is complete
Instead of going back and forth to create special views for technical publications, brochures etc., you can send this to the right people and they can create the views and sections they need. And of course you will have a nice archive of your model in 3D PDFs right up to the end.
The Acrobat User Community and Adobe are hosting their first PDF contest. The purpose of this contest is to create a library of example 3D PDFs that expose the capabilities of Acrobat 3D and 3D PDF. The 3D contest is geared towards CAD and CAE developers, AEC designers, Industrial designers, 3D modelers, and CAD technical publishers.
Entry is simple and fast and a complete no brainer if you already have 3D PDFs or 3D models you can share. There are three basic ways to create an entry - each in almost less time than it takes me to write this blog entry:
- Share your existing 3D PDF files. In other words, just upload what you already have!
- Use the free trial version of Acrobat 3D to convert your existing 3D models into a 3D PDF. The most time consuming part of this will be downloading and installing the trial copy of Acrobat 3D. Converting your model is a snap.
- Embed a 2D or 3D CAD model into a PDF as part of a technical publication. If you’re a technical publisher, then this one should not require much work at all.
What can you win? The prizes (1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each of two categories) include a Dell Precision M4300 laptop, Apple iPhones, Apple Video iPods, 3Dconnexion navigation devices, Acrobat 3D, PhotoShop CS 3 E, and the Technical Communication Suite - not a shabby list at all.
3D intent information goes by a number of names : “Functional Tolerance and Annotation” (FT&A), “Geometric Dimension and Tolerance” (GD&T) and “Product Manufacturing Information” (PMI) .
But regardless of the abbreviation, the basic concept is to define multiple views of a 3D CAD model that attaches feature dimensions and tolerance specifications to specific part of the product geometry. This information can be used by a manufacturer for costing, inspection and conformance validation.
Doug points out that this kind of manufacturing specific information is typically problematic to extract from most CAD systems with proprietary formats. (i.e. PLM vendors generally are not too eager to give easy access as this undermines their ability to leverage their format as a tool to sell the post-CAD downstream applications to their CAD customers.)
Acrobat 3D Version 8 does includes the ability to extract PMI information from the main high-end CAD systems. So Doug proposes that this poises Acrobat 3D to be the defacto tool to move to a 3D-only communication workflow across the supply chain.
One of the most compelling new features in Acrobat 3D 8 is the portable PRC format. This is the magic that allows for large assemblies, high compression that stores exact geometry, and the tolerances necessary for export to STEP or IGES for manufacturing. Specifically it enables:
assemblies and parts
tree of 3D entities : coordinate systems, wireframe, surfaces and solids,
exact geometry representation
tessellated (triangulated) representation
markup
regular compression : enables to represent DIRECTLY CAD data without loss or transformation from the originating CAD system.
high compression : enables to store very small files, which are at a given physical tolerance from the originating shape. Tolerance is typically 0.001 mm for exact geometry and 0.01 mm for tessellation.
This means that developers can start building Acrobat 3D 8 plug-ins to manipulate PRC files or CAD and 3D Modeling developers can create applications that read and write PRC format files and Acrobat 3D 8-compatible PDFs.
Acrobat 3D 8 is definitely cool as a format for distributing 3D models for collaboration (or using PRC, for production). But where PDF becomes even more compelling is in the ability to combine multiple document types and easily navigate between them.
Take architecture as an example: Architectural plans usually consist of site plans, project data, floor plans, elevations, terrain maps, BOM, cost estimators, etc. as well as 2D renderings of the exterior and interiors produced from 2D/3D CAD software. It’s a lot of paper produced from a variety of software packages.
Now no one is going to rush out to change their basic workflow. They will still use their drafting/design package such as AutoCad, Bently, ArchiCAD , etc. They will still use their costing applications. And they will still use their 3D modeling applications.
But with Acrobat 3D they can combine the results from each of the individual applications, into a cohesive and easily navigated document - containing all relevant information, all in one place.
Of course there are other advantages to using v8 3D PDFs as the primary architectural document such as:
- Document security and control
- Selecting objects directly from the model tree panel
- Selecting objects directly from the model area
- Ability for project stakeholders to comment or collaborate in real-time.
In this way, Acrobat 3D 8 is essentially just a vehicle for communication and collaboration. It can take the best features from a blueprint and architectural software and make them more accessible and more understandable, all at lower costs and faster.
Check out this very simple example that combines blueprints, elevations, cross sections, 3D and interactive walkthroughs for a 2 story house design.
As part of a recent case study, HNTB Architecture shared several quotes that are relevant here.
“Acrobat 3D Version 8 software enables us to generate and present engaging 3D models that give our clients and partners instant, clear insight into designs. Many clients are not skilled at reading architectural drawings on paper or 3D models on screen. With Acrobat 3D Version 8, we offer everyone the flexibility to view and experience designs up close and from all angles using only free Adobe Reader software.”
“The on-demand, web conferencing capabilities in Acrobat 3D Version 8 revolutionize architectural design collaboration. Recently, we worked with a consultant who was having difficulty integrating a lighting plan into a room with an oddly shaped roof. When we sent her a 3D model in Adobe PDF and walked her through the model via an Acrobat Connect web meeting, she instantly understood the structure. Misunderstandings that went on for over four months were eliminated in seconds.”
Believe It Or Not!Engineer converts 347 MB SolidWorks Assembly into 2MB PDF and can use the resulting PDF to machine the parts
If I told you that I could take an ordinary 49 MB Photoshop file and compress it down to 125 KB without data loss, ready to create 4 color print separations, you would probably find it a bit hard to believe (must be a trick file).
Similarly hard to believe: Take a 49 MB Solidworks assembly file and convert it down to 125 KB fully interactive PDF, with a precision level that can be used to machine the parts. Sounds like the kind of thing you would read in Ripley’s Believe it or Not!
Well while the Photoshop scenario might be wishful thinking, the CAD to PDF scenario is reality. Check out the 3D samples gallery for Acrobat 3D 8 files (they have the little 3D 8 tag). Several of the files show the original CAD file size along with the lossless compression factor. Note: you will need to download the Acrobat 3D 8 trial to view these models as they use they new PRC format.
With Acrobat 3D 8 and its support for PRC, you can have bigger, smarter, but smaller models with accuracy tolerances sufficient for manufacturing or iterative editing.
Tuesday May 29, 2007 is the official release of Acrobat 3D Version 8. This is the first time that people who weren’t involved in the beta program can actually try out the product and test the compressions levels.
Regardless of your field of interest - CAD, 3D modeling, Architecture, Industrial Design, CFD - the ability to convert your 3D files into email-size friendly interactive 3D PDFs, without having to sacrifice precision, is truly exciting.
My strong advice: Take the trial version out for the 30 day test drive. For simple previews and animations, try creating U3D models. For precision, import as PRC. And if you create a 3D PDF model that you would like to share in the Gallery, be sure to send us an email (acrobat3d[-at-]acrobatusers[-dot-]com)
Also if you would like to write about your experience using the new Acrobat 3D 8 in real world production (fun or professional), let us know.
First a bit about me: I started in 1980 as a toolmaker and learned industrial manufacturing from the ground up. I worked with CAD and CAM from its early days, then studied Industrial Design. Since 1990 I run my own company with clients that include Mercedes, Villeroy & Boch, Nokia, Ferrero, Fuksas, and Frank Gehry. One unique aspect about my company is that we deliver designs ready for production.
Developing a good design is mostly a problem of communication. You cannot discuss or decide anything if you are not sure that everyone is looking at the same thing. I have successfully used Acrobat 7 to communicate design solutions and let authorized people sign the reviews. My principal CAD application is Rhino3D, but many of my clients and partners use CATIA and SolidWorks. Translating the files has always been a significant problem. It costs time, a lot of money and inevitably leads to many errors.
For example right now I’m working on another architectural project for Frank Gehry. I’m doing the construction design of all complex curved metal parts and I have to ensure that everything can be built exactly the way I’ve designed it. As you can imagine there is lot of potential conflict with all involved parties. Here you can see a previous project: http://www.rhino3.de/design/modeling/developable/architecture/ (click the images for bigger pictures).
Previously we have never been able to make a viewable file that includes all components. The process of creating image files for reviews required a tremendous amount of work and usually forced a big loss of information. However, using Acrobat 3D 8 Preview, I have imported the entire CATIA 250 MB assembly and ended up with a 5 MB 3D PDF file that I can even navigate with my notebook. Unbelievable - I mean this is something I would not even have dreamed possible.
When I export the 3D data to STEP I get perfect solids, no naked edges, clean surfaces and trims. Even the object attributes are still there. Over the years I worked with many (pretty expensive) file converters, but none comes close to the quality Acrobat 8 produces. So it looks like Adobe made a good investment by acquiring TTF. Acrobat is worth the money if it is just used as 3D file converter, but don’t hesitate - actually this is just a very tiny spot of the whole Acrobat universe.
Congratulations! Acrobat successfully made the shift from 2D to 3D.
My wish list of what Acrobat 3D still needs:
I think you have a rough picture of my very positive experience with Acrobat 3D 8. There are also some multimedia projects where we are experimenting with Acrobat but for now I’ll focus on the PRC / 3D aspect.
When we are working on big CAD/Design projects we always make a “Master Model”. This model contains everything from the project. We use Rhino 3D for the master model because it has a robust NURBS kernel and is the most flexible modeller for the price. It can handle 2D and 3D and has a wide range of supported file formats for import and export.
I would like to see Acrobat 3D fill the role as the host for the Master Model. PRC already has the core potential to do that. To be able to be a Master Model and fit the workflow of our 3D project management it needs:
Optionally link (not embed) various 3D files / formats.
Update changed files (Version Cue functionality)
Export selected / visible objects only
Export to separated files (original assembly structure)
PRC Support for Rhinoceros 3DM format
