Adobe 3D v8 set to spark another engineering collaboration revolution

The company says it’s listened to its customers and the result is significant change in three key areas. First is information sharing: the system now enables individual contributors at their workstations to share CAD data with the rest of the project team wherever they are. Second, is about easing access to and to distribution of PMI (product manufacturing information) type 3D data. And third is helping designers and management to reduce the cost while increasing the pace of development while also protecting their IP (intellectual property). Stephen Partridge, business development manager for Acrobat, believes this is a huge story for the industry. “Think about it: this system saves time and enables design collaboration in so many ways,” he says. “You can now take a CAD file with all the geometry data for CAD/CAM/CAE right into a PDF. Then the rest of the community can use our free reader to do markups, take measurement etc – and get properly involved. And yet, the person distributing the CAD file controls security, using all the usual Adobe features, throughout to whatever is the most appropriate level.” Looking at interoperability of CAD data, Partridge explains that Acrobat v8’s new power comes partly as a result of Adobe’s acquisition of Trade Technologies France. “When we bought them, we acquired a file format called PRC, which compacts geometry information and exports it in a neutral file format for use downstream for CAD, CAM or CAE.” Then on the cost- and time-saving front, he points to an evolution from Acrobat 3D v 7 – enabling, for example, files now to be repurposed for tech pubs and for users on the production floor. “In the past, engineers would have had to use jpg views, but now they can see real 3D models of what’s being designed,” says Partridge. “Adobe products are now being used wall-to-wall for collaboration in engineering design and production – and for marketing and providing the man machine interface on the production floor.” Looking in a little detail, one of the biggest changes is that: information in the CAD model is now captured. “You still need the CAD application to create the content,” explains Partridge, “but people wanting to look at the model downstream can now re-use the full geometry for production engineering, etc.” You’re looking at a system that handles data conversion and viewing, effectively usurping the role of some of the high-end CAD tools. “There’s a tolerance here: when I import a model into Acrobat, I’ve now got an extra file format for geometry information. So one of my options is a PRC file boundary representation, and I can set the level of detail. Also, on the geometry I can decide how much data compression I want – fit for purpose.” Which isn’t, on its own, a whole lot different to using existing viewers. “Except that no-one else can let you take high density, complicated CAD assemblies and share them with 90% of the world’s desktops using Adobe Reader – whether its from Catia, SolidWorks, whatever,” says Partridge. “Also, when you receive a PDF model with a CAD model inside it, you don’t have to learn a new application interface. It’s a PDF.”