AutoCAD 2010/2011/2012 DWG Format

[#1]

Hi All,

I wanted to convert a 3D AutoCAD file to 3D PDF. Some one directed me to buy Adobe Acrobat X Pro and Tetra 4D.Now I downloaded both program but I still having difficuties to convert them.

Anyone outhere who already did this, please show me!

I have AutoCAD 2009 and AutoCAD 2011.

Thank you,

Dennis

[#2]

Hi,

just searched and found >>>this little tutorial<<<

HTH, - alfred -

[#3]

Might not be helpful, since Acrobat is now on version "X" and Adobe sold off their 3D PDF development work to the owners of Tetra 4D.  I remember there was a bit of a stink raised among the PDF community when the 3D generation side was removed from Acrobat.  They (Tetra 4D) produce a utility which can covert a wide variety of formats to 3D PDF (including Inventor files) but I don't see anything for basic, OOTB, plain old AutoCAD files.  I know at least one company which makes a third-party add-in for AutoCAD can create 3D PDF but its apparent they either purchased a development package from Tetra 4D or contracted out the module development.

[#4]

Hi - 

Jim Merry here with Tetra 4D.  I am sorry you are unable to use our product the way you hoped. Unfortunately we do not support 3D data from DWG currently. Our supported format list  has an entry for DWG in the 2D section but not the 3D section.  Please send an email to support@tetra4d.com with '3D DWG conversion' and we'll be in touch if/when we add the support. It is a feature request we are hearing about a lot and the more interest we can quantify, the quicker it will make it to the top of the R&D queue.

Here's some more background on what's happening:

Starting with Acrobat X Pro, Adobe no longer bundle the 'CAD to 3D PDF' converters or associated 3D technology with Acrobat Pro they formerly provided (starting with Acrobat 3D version 7 and up to Acrobat 9 Pro Extended.)  They decided to exit the CAD data translation business for several reasons and spun the development group out to Techsoft 3D who continue to develop the CAD data access technology and provide the technoloy as libraries for software developers to use.  As Techsoft do not address the end-user market, Tetra 4D was created by former Adobe and Right Hemisphere employees to address the need for delivering this 'CAD to 3D PDF' technology and our product, 3D PDF Converter, is a plug-in for Acrobat 10 Pro that enables the same CAD to 3D PDF workflows that Adobe provided wtih Acrobat 9 Pro Extended. 

The technology has been updated so that the most current versions of the CAD formats are now supported and some new ones have been added.  Unfortunately, 3D data from Autodesk formats like DWG, DXF, and DWF will require some further development work and we currently do not support them.  

There are few entries in Adobe's Acrobat X Pro FAQ that cover the changes they made in the area of 3D that include a discussion of Tetra 4D: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobatpro/faq.html#3d-geospatial

[#5]

Thanks for the update Jim.  While the continued lack of support for 3D DWG is disappointing at least we have some hard information on the subject.

[#6]

In case it may be helpful, there are other alternative systems to convert directly from DWG 3D, DWF 3D and DXF models to 3D PDF format, there is this third party software suite PDF3D (see http://www.pdf3d.com) such as PDF3DReportGen software. It’s not a direct Acrobat plugin like Tetra4D, but files can be loaded and edited in Acrobat after conversion. For Inventor, it’s also possible to export ZGL.

Hope this helps you!