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3d PDF export


Benson Shaw

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Wish - Add 3d PDF creation tools to VW.

Here are a couple examples:

http://www.pdf3d.com/gallery.php

This youtube video demos the 3dpdf about half way through.

I recently saw my first 3d PDF files. They open in standard Acrobat Reader (but not Apple Preview). Really easy and intuitive view control sets are added to the view window: spherical rotation, color and lighting, layer transparency, sequential explode/restore, etc, etc. Apparently, the various 3d creation softwares have varying capabilities for adding controls. Acrobat Pro, Alibre, NovEdge has a 3dPDF creation plugin for SKU, MicroStation V8i can covert dwg to 3dPDF, many others.

This topic is related to an earlier question of ap specific viewers. I haven't worked with VW Viewer much, but just downloaded the 2010 version. VW Viewer offers similar functionality to the 3dPDF, but users have to acquire it. It's a free download, but many are reluctant to get it. The 234 Mb size may be a slight barrier. The interface is not very intuitive - how to render for instance. A VW user would understand how to control the Viewer, but others would be in hunt/learn mode. Strangely, at least in my tests, VW Viewer does not display any textures, RW or custom even though they display in OpenGL in the source file. No textures is definitely a barrier. Or did I miss some render mode?

-B

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Thanks, AndyACD. But I totally understand:

Although 3dPDF is very convenient access to 3d info for the recipient with limited 3d software, this functionality is probably not highest priority on most VW users' wish lists.

This functionality exists by porting to other software. (but the cost! ouch!)

I'll just keep wishin'.

-B

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This functionality exists by porting to other software. (but the cost! ouch!)

I'll just keep wishin'.

-B

That's the thing isn't it and probably my BIGGEST Bugbear with ALL software CAD(or any 3D modeling/Animation product) Co"s. The Format. it really is time that these were standardised and they all made friends and worked together so you don't need an interpreter between one Co and another.

If a product is good the public will spend their hard earned cash regardless, without tying them down to a format.

yeah i know it's a 3D eutopian dream, but hey, we all have dreams.

:)

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Count me in on a request for 3D PDF export.

Acrobat 9 Pro Extended could turn 3DS files exported from VW into 3D PDFs but Adobe decided to drop the 3D conversion with Acrobat X and outsource it to a 3rd party plugin.

Having the ability to export it directly from Vectorworks should create better quality PDFs as well (I hope)

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Jim, Thanks for adding it to the list of requests.

One additional comment other than also expressing support for the 3D PDF export... can you also mention that the 3D PDF export should be able to export the Vectorworks document at one go if there are multiple design layers with different elevations?

Currently when I have to export into a 3rd party format (e.g. 3ds) I need to put all objects in a single layer (plus correcting for the elevations) before it can generate a correct PDF. It would be nice if this would not be necessary too for Vectorworks 3D PDF export.

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