What is 3D PDF?

3D PDF is a PDF file with 3D geometry inside. Using any 3D PDF enabled viewer, rotation, zoom and part selection is available within the 3D view. This is often used for documentation, sharing and collaboration. 3D PDF is just like a normal PDF (Portable Document Format) file, which contains a 3D view somewhere on some page. Just like a PDF containing an embedded image, except when you put the mouse over it, you can rotate, zoom, pan and explore the scene in 3D (three dimensions). The file actually contains a 3D geometric representation of the scene, not just images from different viewpoints. Not all PDF viewers support 3D. If in doubt, use the Adobe Reader for viewing 3D PDFs. PDF itself is ISO32000 a published ISO standard used by many vendors and industries. It is a container, wrapper for many types of content, most often text and images within a document. It can also contain rich media, interactive content, including full 3D view ports. A special type of 3D PDF called PDF/E is used for long-term preservation. The 3D portion within the PDF can be composed of either a U3D or a PRC encoding type.