August 2007

Acrobat 3D featured in new podcast

We recently posted the first AcrobatUsers.com podcast—for direct download or free subscription through iTunes. In the four-minute-long video clip, Jonathan Bowman of Adobe Systems shares his top five features in the latest release of Acrobat 3D Version 8:

New PRC format with precise geometry
Extreme file compression
Export to STEP and IGES
Support for PMI data
Enhanced import translators

The new podcast is just one part of the user community site's efforts to highlight the high-end version of Acrobat that's aimed primarily at the engineering, IT professional and business markets. Our continually updated Acrobat 3D Corner includes a wealth of information about the latest release of the product, including the new "Adobe Acrobat 3D Version 8 Classroom in a Book" resource from Adobe Press, which also includes a DVD. A sample chapter titled "Introducing Acrobat 3D and the Acrobat 3D Toolkit" [PDF: 4.7 MB] is available for download. (AUC members can get a 35 percent discount on the book; log in and go to the Member Benefits page for details.)

In the Acrobat 3D Corner, you'll also find links to relevant news articles and blog posts (including our Communicate with 3D blog), a direct link to our Acrobat forums—including one for Acrobat 3D—for you to ask questions and share insights, numerous 3D PDF samples, tutorials, case studies, training opportunities, seminars and much more.

If you're new to Acrobat 3D, a great place to begin is the "Getting Started" page, which includes a Flash-based feature tour.

We also welcome you to participate: Send or let us know about other Acrobat 3D-related news items, tell us about your company's applications, submit a tutorial or case study, or contribute samples to our expanding 3D Gallery.

As you'll discover, Acrobat 3D Version 8 provides a new perspective on the world of PDFs!

Best Regards
~ Kurt, Editor, AcrobatUsers.com

Recertification exam is latest tool for evaluating Acrobat 8 expertise
Adobe Systems now offers a shorter proficiency exam for Acrobat 8 for qualified users that can be taken online to earn the 'certified expert' designation for Acrobat 8. Unless you've passed the Acrobat 7 ACE exam, you need to take the full-blown exam in a monitored test environment. Check out some sample questions and answers provided by Jim Mendes, Adobe's certification manager.

A sampling of certified Acrobat 8 experts
A small cross-section of Acrobat 8-certified experts share their reasons for taking the examination, explain the perceived benefits and share suggestions for others who are preparing to take the product proficiency test.

Disabling (graying-out) form fields
Disabling form fields is a common feature in software applications, but missing from Acrobat and LiveCycle forms. The closest you can get with built-in features is either hiding a field or setting it to read-only. Each of these is useful in its own way, but neither is satisfactory for the situation where the user needs to see options only available under certain circumstances, as Thom Parker explains.

Starting fresh: Creating a new PDF file
In the past, people developed their own favorite techniques for creating a blank PDF file to use for building on in Acrobat. Throw those workarounds away! Donna Baker shows how to start from a fresh, new PDF page in Acrobat 8.

Tips from the Acrobat Dirty Tricksters
Download a compilation of more than 30 Acrobat tips that were featured in a recent online seminar hosted by Rick Borstein and Tim Huff of Adobe Systems.

FedEx Kinko's button in Acrobat 8.1, Reader 8.1 triggers backlash
Executives from Adobe Systems recently met with a number of printing industry representatives, who offered several recommendations for resolving a dispute over the company's partnership with FedEx Kinko's. They want Adobe to remove the button in Acrobat 8.1 and Reader 8.1 that allows users to send printing jobs directly to FedEx Kinko's.

Recently answered Ask an Expert questions

NEW: We’ve added the capability for others to add comments to expert answers! See an example, then add your own!

See a listing of all questions
Log in and submit a question

Recent AUC blog posts

Thom Parker
"So what is the difference between AcroForms and XFA?”

Kurt Foss
"Adobe resolves FedEx Kinko's controversy, will remove links"

Communicate in 3D
"Extracting and sharing manufacturing information embedded in a 3D model for 3D-only collaboration"

Ted Padova
"Bryan Tamayo's Thinking Outside the Page"

Duff Johnson
"The first PDF Reference Committee Meeting"

Heard in the AUC Forums

Visit the forums
Read the user guidelines
Read the introduction to the forums

Tell a friend

Forward this newsletter to a friend
Pass it along

AUC RSS feeds

Easy way to track articles and blog posts

Upcoming chapter meetings

Check the latest schedule

Nebraska: Thursday,
August 23, 9 a.m.

Nebraska: Thursday,
August 23, 5:30 p.m.

Scotland: Tuesday,
August 28, 5:45 p.m.

Dallas: Tuesday,
August 28, 6 p.m.

Upcoming events

Online Event: Acrobat 8 eSeminar: Easier applications and task management, August 15

Online Event: Acrobat 8 eSeminar: Create more dynamic presentations, August 22

Online Event: Acrobat 8 eSeminar: Creating Intelligent Forms with Acrobat Professional, August 23

News