Communicate in 3D

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.

Author: Jess Maertterer

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

I’ve got a confession to make. At home my primary work machine is an iMac. And I am very happily running Acrobat 3D 8 Preview using both Bootcamp and Parallels under Win XP.

It is definitely a cool thing. For standard models that don’t absolutely need hardware acceleration for manipulation, performance under Parallels is very good. When I need to do something that mandates hardware acceleration or if I need to use 3D capture to bring in model formats that are not natively supported in Acrobat 3D 8, I switch to BootCamp (This enables me to use the built in OpenGL hardware needed for the 3D Capture application).

Why is this great? Beyond all of the industrial designers, 3D modelers, CAD developers and architects that primarily use a Mac, there are a huge number of technical writers/illustrators that are only Mac users. Since a Mac version of Acrobat 3D 8 has not been announced, the BootCamp or Parallel options makes the 3D PDF creation and editing technology available to an important audience.

As an aside, it also offers Mac users a very powerful CAD translator, letting them bring in almost any CAD or modeling file format and convert it to STEP, IGES, Parasolid or VRML.