3D referenced graphic in an anchored frame

[ReneSteph]

I recently bought TCS5 after having TCS2, so I'm trying to come up to speed with the new features. One of the features I have seen lauded was the ability to use 3D graphics in FM files which output to PDF could provide an interactive 3D graphic in the PDF. Seems like I remember seeing RJ Jaquez demo'ing that a few years back, so I don't think it's quite a new feature; hopefully a more mature feature by now.

Where the proverbial rubber hits the road

Our onsite Mech Engineer uses SolidWorks for all the CAD drawings. He can give me a PDF that does indeed retain all the 3D interactivity when I open it in Acrobat XI. Cool. Sweet.

I have CorelDraw Technical Suite X6, because the PTB decided that was more affordable than CS6/AC. I can import a DWG or DXF into DrawX6, but it is a 2D bunch of vector lines; much is lost.

So, the shortest path to getting a 3D interactive graphic into FM would be to take the 3D PDF that SolidWorks generates and insert it in an anchored frame in FM as a referenced graphic, right? When I do this, nothing shows up in the anchored frame, even though I had just verified the 3D PDF in Acrobat. If I double-click the inserted referenced PDF object from the anchored frame, it does spawn in Acrobat as an interactive PDF. However, if I Save As PDF from FM, the PDF that comes out doesn't have the 3D image at all.

I checked the completely useless Adobe Online Help and can't find diddly about it. (I so wish that were a surprise; alas, some things still haven't improved.)

The bottom line

Can someone here please tell me what I'm doing incorrectly? How do I get a functional 3D PDF inserted in an FM doc that can be output to PDF retaining the 3D interactivity in the inserted graphic?

Thanks,

Rene

[Arnis_Gubins]

Rene,

You need to have U3d format files. Then you can import these directly into FM instead of the the PDF. Also have a look at the FM11 reviewer's guide, where there is some info on using 3D graphics. It's at: http://wwwimages.adobe.com/www.adobe.com/content/dam/Adobe/en/products/framemaker/pdf/FRAMEMAKER11_R...

Also, ensure that your Preferences have the 3-D Objects enabled for the "Embed in PDF" option.

[Winfried Reng · Accepted solution]

Hi Rene,

Everything is described in the FrameMaker online help. For FrameMaker 12

search for "3D", and you will get a bunch of pages where this is explained, e.g.:

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/framemaker/using/WSd817046a44e105e21e63e3d11ab7f768cd-7fa3.html#WSCAB027...

For FrameMaker 11 the search for 3D does not find the relevant pages:

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/FrameMaker/11.0/Using/WSd817046a44e105e21e63e3d11ab7f768cd-7fa3.html#WSC...

If your developer has SolidWorks, then he/she should be able to export the U3D format.

As far as I know CorelDraw Technical Suite X6 allows only to import 3D graphics and

manipulate them in Corel Designer. It cannot export U3D.

Best regards

Winfried

[ReneSteph]

Thank you, Arnis & Winfried! I was able to get the U3D file from SolidWorks imported into FM and working nicely in the PDF, client is happy!

However, I have another question about this. From what I'm reading in the links you two provided, I am thinking that the U3D file is supposed to have a view listed via 3D Menu > Show Existing Views for selection for each view available in SolidWorks (front, back, left, right, top, bottom, NE Iso, NW Iso, SE Iso, and SW Iso). But, there's only ONE view listed in the Choose a View window. I tried re-exporting from SolidWorks, got the same result. I know it's probably nit-picky, but my goal is to use the same 3D graphic in multiple figures, with a different beginning angle, as appropriate for the surrounding text.

Am I dreaming that this would be possible, or is it a limitation of SolidWorks, or does U3D just default to the start view being whatever you were viewing when you create the U3D?

Thanks for helping me learn this cool feature!

[Arnis_Gubins]

I'm not that familiar with the SolidWorks capabilities and whether the export preserves the Views. There is an open source tool that also allows U3D creation which may give you some additional capabilities for creating the views. See: http://meshlab.sourceforge.net/

[ReneSteph]

Thanks, Arnis. I did check into the Meshlab tool. However, SolidWorks outputs a solid drawing, which Meshlabs would convert to a mesh, which means sacrificing a huge amount of file space to approach the detail of a solid drawing. Another worker here who has a CAD background mentioned that SolidWorks might have an option to include current/selected view or to include all views. I'll follow up on that end, and if it doesn't work, I'll try setting a different view before exporting from SolidWorks. (I just wanted to update this string in case others might be reading.)

[Matt S - Tech Comm Tools]

Rene,

I'm not sure if this will help, but when you have U3D placed, you can generate (3?) tables containing links to views, animations, etc.

This allows you to use 1 figure, and rotate as needed in the PDF

[ReneSteph]

Matt,

Interesting. I have the U3D placed in an anchored frame. How can I generate tables containing links to views? I don't see that option on the 3D Menu when I right-click on the graphic in the anchored frame...

Rene

[Arnis_Gubins]

Rene,

It's not in the 3d-Menu, but rather in the Graphics > Create Link Table to Graphic...

You need to be in the text flow at the location that you wish to create the table. Then select that option.

Then from the Inset Multimedia Link Table window, you can select the "View" option from the Table type option:

[ReneSteph]

I'm beginning to think I'm finding a limitation of SolidWorks, the 3D rendering program that our ME is using, because when I import the U3D, all I get is one view. When I insert the Multimedia Link Table (as per above), ti's only populated with one view. And the ME tells me he can choose the view for export, so although the U3D graphic is ending up fully interactive in the PDF for all the rotation and zoom and pan your heart may desire, there's no way to set the default as anything other than the view the ME selects at time of export, and no way (that I can see) to create a point to which I can link from a multimedia link table.

Am I missing something, or is this really one of those "can't get there from here" situations where I need to instead attempt to scout down someone with AutoCAD?

Rene