Cadalyst - September 2007 - (Page 34)

cadlabsreview 12 NX series, and SolidWorks 2007. Adobe Acrobat 3D is regularly updated to include support for the latest versions of CAD file formats. New in this release of Adobe Acrobat 3D is the ability to display product manufacturing information (PMI) directly on the geometry and the assembly tree, which allows users to easily distribute 3D designs with dimensions, tolerances, and other annotations directly on the 3D model. Adobe PDF files now may be as much as 150 times smaller than the original CAD files, and users can export their converted CAD files in PDF to STEP and IGES. Acrobat 3D operations, such as converting large CAD assemblies and opening PDF documents, are faster, and CAD file-format support has been updated to reflect the latest versions of several applications. Users still can capture their CAD designs instantly in an Acrobat 3D PDF file from OpenGL-based applications running on both Microsoft Windows and UNIX systems. This feat is accomplished by capturing the 3D information from the system’s graphics card driver, which captures data from applications and file formats that might not be supported directly. Figure 4. Adobe Acrobat 3D allows you to create callouts for communication across a workgroup or design team. Plug-In Architecture One of the great strengths of Adobe products is their plugin architecture, and Adobe Acrobat 3D is no exception. By installing plug-ins, users can extend the functionality of the base product or automate processes that might otherwise take numerous time-consuming steps. In addition to providing the opportunity for third-party vendors to create plugins for standard operations, this capability also opens the door for vertical special-purpose applications related to automation and manufacturing. Adobe Acrobat 3D provides great feature depth right out of the box, but by opening the architecture for plug-ins, Adobe has created a much more flexible and malleable tool that can address numerous needs for both individuals and organizations. Some organizations are using Acrobat 3D for file conversions and for getting their design files into neutral file formats that can be used for various purposes. The requirement for available hard disk space is 1.6 GB, which includes cache for optional installation files. An NVIDIA or ATI graphics card with pixel shader support and DirectX 8.1 or 9 are required for video hardware acceleration, which is recommended for the best performance. The graphics card will need to provide at least 1,024 x 768 resolution. Finally, you’ll need a DVD-ROM drive and an Internet or telephone connection for product activation. Microsoft Office 2000, Office XP, Office 2003, or Office 2007 is required for 3D OCX and PDFMaker. Adobe Acrobat 3D is currently available in English, French, German, and Japanese. Adobe Acrobat 3D v8 is available either as a boxed product or via an electronic download (692 MB) and is priced at $995 for new purchases; upgrades start at $295, depending on which version of Acrobat you’re upgrading. The latest version of the free Adobe Reader is available for a wide range of platforms and supports the features, including mark up of 3D objects, enabled by this new release. You can get the Adobe Reader and find out more about Adobe Acrobat 3D by visiting the Adobe Web site at www.adobe.com. There you can download a number of 3D PDF files that can be opened in Adobe Reader to show many of the capabilities of Adobe Acrobat 3D. You’ll need at least Adobe Reader v8.1 to show all the features of Acrobat 3D v8. System Requirements The minimum system requirements for Adobe Acrobat 3D v8 for Windows are a PC based on an Intel Pentium III processor or equivalent running Microsoft Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4, Windows XP Professional, Home Edition, or Tablet PC Edition with Service Pack 2. Windows XP Professional x64 Edition also is supported, as is Windows Vista (32- and 64-bit) Ultimate, Enterprise, Business, Home Premium, and Home Basic. You’ll need Microsoft Internet Explorer v6 or later and at least 512 MB of RAM — although 1 GB is recommended. 34 September 2007 | cadalyst | www.cadalyst.com Power and Depth This latest release of Adobe Acrobat 3D builds on the foundation of its predecessor. It’s a major design and collaboration tool with a lot of depth. Based on the ubiquitous and user-friendly PDF file format, Acrobat 3D provides tools for industry that are both powerful and easy to use. Highly Recommended. c Ron LaFon, a contributing editor for Cadalyst, is a writer, editor, and computer graphics and electronic publishing specialist from Atlanta, Georgia. He is a principal at 3Bear Productions in Atlanta. http://www.adobe.com http://www.cadalyst.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Cadalyst - September 2007

Contents Editor's Window Techtrends: Resurrecting an Unforgettable Second Living Large UGS Solid Edge v20 Adobe Acrobat 3D v8 Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended CAD Manager: Managing 2D and 3D in the Same Office MCAD Modeling: Where is MCAD Going? AEC in Focus: Automated Estimating and Scheduling Using BIM CAD Cartoon Issue Indexes CADfidential

Cadalyst - September 2007

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