Communicate in 3D

Adobe has announced Acrobat 3D 8. The obvious big feature that makes all the news is real-time 3D communication using Acrobat Connect, essentially Flash-based screen sharing & conferencing for the masses (based on Macromedia’s Breeze). This will be of benefit to 3D users as much as if not more than for other applications. There is also PDF packages, shared review, conversion of DWG files to PDF without AutoCAD and general performance enhancements.

But there are other features that are specific to Acrobat 3D V8 that are worth more than a footnote in a press release! Here is a quick rundown - the top 4 being the PMI view, export to STEP, smaller files (and thus easier file sharing) and enhanced overall performance:

1. View PMI* in the assembly tree
   Directly view detailed product manufacturing information (PMI) in the assembly tree while simultaneously viewing the 3D geometry and metadata.

   *Product manufacturing information is used to convey information such as geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, annotations, dimensions, and other specifications directly on the 3D model. It is imported from CATIA V5, I-DEAS, UGS NX, Pro/ENGINEER and JT formats.

2. Export to standard 3D formats such as STEP and IGES
   Export precise manufacturing data from PDF files into standard 3D formats, such as STEP, IGES, and Parasolid for use in CAM and CAE applications.
3. Produce smaller 3D PDF files
   Acrobat 3D v8 will publish highly compressed, high-resolution PDF files to accelerate the distribution and exchange of 3D designs. It will include support for TTF’s PRC format, which will dramatically shrink the size of the resulting PDF files (up to 100x smaller than the original CAD file, according to Adobe). The product continues to support the U3D format, and its compression has been improved also (files reportedly up to 3x smaller than produced by the current version).
4. Open and View PDF documents faster
   Improved reading performance allows you to open and view PDF files containing 3D designs more rapidly.
5. Convert from CAD to PDF more quickly
   The enhanced conversion engine accelerates rendering of CAD to PDF.
6. Faster rendering for large assemblies
   Improved rendering performance enables smoother and more rapid interaction with 3D designs, including large assemblies.
7. Updated support for popular CAD formats
   Support for the latest versions of formats for standard CAD applications, such as SolidWorks, CATIA, UGS, and Pro/ENGINEER.
8. Enhanced navigation tools
   Improved navigation tools to more rapidly zoom, pan, rotate, and analyze 3D designs.
9. All the basic features of Acrobat 8 Professional
   Use all the features of Acrobat 8 Professional to create, combine, and control PDF documents for easy, more secure distribution, collaboration, and data collection.

Acrobat 3D v8 remains targeted primarily at MCAD users, with conversion support for SolidWorks, CATIA V4 and V5, UGS NX and Pro/ENGINEER files. However, it can also be used by AEC professionals or 3D modelers who need to communicate and share 3D designs.

With the ubiquity of 3D CAD and industrial design software, it is the rule rather than the exception that new products are designed and validated in 3D and then only later converted to a 2D blueprint.

Besides simply being more intuitive, 3D makes it possible to quickly and easily perform stress analysis, check interference and tolerances, perform motion simulations, and even tool path generation for milling.

A blueprint is generally still required thought as a simple and inexpensive way to mass distribute dimensions and design tolerance to everyone in the manufacturing chain. It is also considered the “long-term data storage” format required so that a product can be manufactured over the course of the product life cycle. This blueprint remains valid even if the company that makes the 3D CAD software goes out of business. You can always read the blueprint even if you can no longer read the 3D model!

However when the design originates in 3D, a blueprint as the sole or even primary means of communication seems kind of weak. First, software or humans need to convert the 3D to 2D blueprints. This is not a trivial task, and can certainly be the source of manufacturing errors. More importantly, the design intent is often lost. A flat 2D representation gives little clue as to how a 3D product actually works or moves.

It goes without saying that Acrobat 3D can come to the rescue of the 2D Blueprint.

1. You can annotate tolerance information needed to manufacture the model, directly on the 3D model. So with Acrobat 3D, your dimension and tolerance information can be built right into the 3D model itself (see this example”)
2. PDF is a long term format that will last long beyond any individual CAD software company. So it has the longevity just like a blueprint (just how long are DVDs now supposed to last?)
3. You can include the blueprint (the 2D representation) in the same PDF along with the 3D model. So you don’t actually have to abandon the blueprint. You can just make sure that the 3D intent information accompanies the blueprint.
4. Unlike a hardcopy blueprint, using Acrobat 3D, you can comment and query directly on the 3D model - in other words, anyone in the manufacturing chain can be enabled to give feedback and obtain clarifications, BEFORE a model actually goes into production
5. Blueprints are difficult to understand! They require taking 2D information and in your head, manipulating it into a 3D representation. With annotated CAD models in Acrobat 3D, that “internal” 3D visualization step is now external. Anyone can understand the 3D model and see the critical annotations without actually having impressive mental 3D abilities
6. For manufacturing purposes you can export your 3D model in the vendor neutral STEP format and attach this to the PDF (not really a blueprint issue - but one that companies need to consider - always save your data in a format that can live beyond your software vendor.) Also note: STEP export will be included in Acrobat 3D 8.

Obviously the blueprint has not outlived its useful. But a blueprint is just a vehicle for communication. Acrobat 3D is also essentially just a vehicle for communication and collaboration. It can take the best features from a blueprint and make them more accessible and more understandable, all at lower costs and faster.