Exporting to 3D PDF

[Markvl]

Does anyone have much experience with exporting models out to a 3D PDF?  Good, bad, ugly?  Any tips or tricks?  Better software options for just viewing a model?

[zoomer]

I used it a lot from Microstation as file size was so astonishing small.

I tried after implementation in VW a few times but file size was huge.

So I stopped at that point.

 

The next attempts in VW 2017 I was not able to open these 3D PDFs in Acrobat Reader.

 

I think I should try again.

[Markvl]

I'm currently playing around with the settings such as Low, Medium or High to see how they act in adobe.

[Art V]

I wouldn't go below medium for quality setting. Depending on your model the file size increases with 50-60% for each higher quality setting relative to the previous quality setting based on the results of my 3D models (not architectural, more like digitalcarbon's models).

 

Another option to keep file size smaller is to disable the double side faces rendering, the downside is that if you view the model from a different angle than your initial render it may look like as if faces are missing (i.e. holes in your model). Adobe reader has a setting in the preferences-3D and multimedia turn on double sided rendering and generate the "missing faces" but that may not be on. Not all Acrobat users are aware of this setting so using double side faces is a bit safer, but it also increases the file size with 40-60% depending on the 3D model.

 

The quality can be quite good depending on the quality level you choose, but the file size can run into the hundreds of megabytes to around a gigabyte for large models (again depending on your 3D model).

But medium quality setting is a happy medium for render quality (no pun intended).

 

I did some models last year which the client showed during their presentation using 3D PDF and they told me they had to remind their audience a few times that it were concept 3D models and were not built yet, so I take from that comment that the quality can be quite good. (which was also my opinion, but it is nice to get that confirmed from the client).

 

Will it match C4D? (not sure if it can export 3D PDF) No, as that has quite a few more options for window dressing etc., but that applies to normal 2D renders of views as well.

 

A 250+ MB 3d PDF with medium quality setting can easily take a few minutes to load depending on whether you are loading it from a SSD or a HD and the amount of detail in the model. Once loaded navigating is good and when using acrobat reader (or another PDF viewer) people can create their own cross sections etc. from the model. If you want you can have the design layers and/or classes show up as layers in the 3D PDF so that they can show/hide parts of the model. That way they can create their own views to print instead of you having to go back and forth for each change.

Edited November 3, 2017 by Art V