With the release of PDF3D Version 2.23, new and unique features and improved capabilities of 3D PDFs are added, such as embedded file attachments, enhanced security, new platforms and improved performance.
Leading 3D PDF tool provider PDF3D, a PDFTron company, releases the V2.23 major update demonstrating continued support for 3D technical publishing. The release includes new SDK builds on Linux platforms, improved performance of Panoramic 360, new JavaScript security options and a new feature to add Attachments to PDFs.
To take advantage of these improvements, we would encourage all customers on active maintenance to upgrade as soon as possible, please contact [email protected] if you require assistance.
We’re pleased to announce these major changes in V2.23 in more detail, to see the full list, please visit our changelog.
New Linux Platforms for SDK Pro and pdf3d.io
SDK Pro users can now take advantage of new platforms.
PDF3D SDK and pdf3d.io have been successfully built and tested on CentOS/Redhat 8.2, SLES 15 SP1 and Ubuntu 20.4.
If you wish to have a discussion about your platform support requirements, please get in touch at [email protected]
Embedding Files as PDF Attachments
With PDF3D, it is possible to attach files to 3D PDF documents. These files are completely embedded within the 3D PDF and can be accessed using the free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.
For archive and documentation purposes, it may be beneficial to your workflow to embed the original file used to generate the 3D PDF generation or any important supplementary documents. In the PDF specification, there are no file restrictions or attachment size limits.
As the software necessary to view 3D PDF documents continuously evolves, it is recommended that original data is preserved to mitigate cases where future viewing updates may alter the 3D PDF scene.
As with any 3D PDF generated, the attachments feature may also be used in conjunction with our security settings, allowing a password to be set to protect original data.
The simplest method of embedding your file as an attachment is to use the ‘Attach’ option in the Input/Output tab:
Once enabled, this check box will add your input file (and other corresponding files such as textures) as an attachment to your 3D PDF. To check this, you should now be able to see this file in the ‘Attachments’ menu in the ‘Advanced’ tab.
To add/remove files, use the +/- options in the ‘Attachments’ settings.
Using Adobe Acrobat Reader, it is possible to export your attachment from your newly generated 3D PDF. In Acrobat Reader v2022, a paperclip symbol is used to denote attachments:
For further guidance on attachments within the PDF viewer, please refer to the latest user manual for your current viewer version.
Panoramic 360 Performance Improvements and Limit Controls
In Version 2.23, improvements have been made to Panoramic 360, resolving some issues reported with zoom in panoramic where zoom may become detached from the scene.
We have added new option which allow users to impose limits on Pitch angles, Azimuth angles and Field of View. These limits may be enabled/disabled through a simple checkbox or xml flag.
When working with the play/pause widget, it is now possible to store and save enabled spin states in Adobe Acrobat Viewer. No additional steps are required in PDF3D to achieve this, and when closing Acrobat Viewer, a prompt will appear to save state:
Other changes in Panoramic 360:
- Mouse button zoom now goes to the full available FOV span by moving 1 full screen height vertically
- Scroll-wheel zoom uses 60 lines for full zoom in/out (20 scroll wheel steps with default mouse settings)
- Scroll-wheel zoom can be slowed with Ctrl key and sped up with Shift key.
- Spin behaviour improvements to correct un-even movement
- Isometric camera support improvements.
Please note that in Version V2.23, the definition of azimuth and pitch angles have changed. In previous versions, azimuth and pitch were defined from the perspective of the cameras and zoom was unconstrained. In the current version, these are now defined relative to the viewport borders (i.e. nothing outside the limits set can be seen) and zoom is constrained.
This change means that saved state files created before V2.22, with limits on pitch angle and initial azimuth display, may need to be adjusted to recreate the same case.
In Panoramic 360 pre V2.22
Current panoramic >= V2.23
Other Changes
Many other improvements have been made and this release includes many bug fixes. Some changes which have been made include:
- Corrected gLTF export failure for textured mesh cases
- Corrected .vtk loading problems in MacOS
- Corrected widget display problems encountered when using 3D annotations
- Improved interface to avoid conflicts when using Simplification Options & Optimized Mode (Color Options)
- Upgraded Teigha libraries (now known as ODA Platform) to 2022.7 from 2021.11
- Corrected license utility bugs relating to indefinite hang and client-side server connections issues on Linux platforms
- Corrected errors shown in JavaScript Console of Adobe Viewer in some resultant 3D PDFs
- Corrected abrupt failure encountered when loading some STEP files
- Added the functionality to customise font when adding title, caption and watermark annotations
- OEM customers will need to apply a new API key.
A full change log is provided with V2.23 installers.
Getting V2.23
Customers on active maintenance are entitled to an upgrade to Version 2.23 today. To discuss continuing or resuming maintenance, please inquire to [email protected] for next steps.
