Is it possible to import a 3D PDF into Autodesk Inventor?

[Anonymous]

Hello,

Is it possible to import a 3D PDF to Inventor? I have a .stp of 75 megs that is only 1 megs when translated to PDF.

Tx

Andre

[mcgyvr]

No

We can't even export as 3d pdf..

[Anonymous]

How was the 3D PDF created?  If the file was created in Tetra 4D's 3D PDF Converter product, it can be in the PRC data format, which is a highly compressed BREP data format stored with the PDF.  With 3D PDF Converter, you can then export the 3D PDF as a STEP file which can then be imported into Inventor.   www.tetra4d.com.  You can send the file to sales@tetra4d.com, and they will assist you with assessing the workflow.

[Anonymous]

Hello, Many thank for your answer. The PDF was created with Tetra. The STEP of 75megs is converted in 1meg PDF and I was hoping to be able to load it directly into Inventor. My problem is that my mechanical designer is not happy to put 10 printed circuit board Step file of 75 meg for a total of 750 meg into a 10 meg assembly enclosure. And I understand him. What can I or he do to be able to minimize the size of my step to allow him to work? Or can he creates a footprint of my board? How do you manage with PCB designer sending you their PCB. IDF files, Step? Andr? L'H?rault C.I.D. S.r. PCB Designer Mobile: 011-254-738-707-300 Skype: aleropcb@yahoo.ca

[mrattray]

If it's just a cicuit board, can you get away with using a substitute "dummy" model?

[Anonymous]

You mean create a entire solid from the step file? Quickly what is the best way to do it? Andr? L'H?rault C.I.D. S.r. PCB Designer Mobile: 011-254-738-707-300 Skype: aleropcb@yahoo.ca

[mrattray]

I meant just drawing a simple model from scratch that simply shows the space envelope of the board and any mounting provisions for your designer to work with. I don't know if it's appropriate for your application or not, but it's what I would do.

[jim_merry]

Hi - If you used the default settings to convert the STEP file to 3D PDF with tetra4D's 3D PDF Converter, you are only moving over a small subset of the STEP file's data: the surface tessellation, product structure,  and metadata to be specific. You can then additionally compress the file afterwards to reduce the size of the PRC data inside the 3D PDF more. That's why you are seeing such a reduction in size. This data can be extracted as PRC or U3D and ingested into other programs like Inventor but Autodesk needs to provide that as a feature or a 3rd party plugin could do that.

3D PDF Converter provides several export options  but I am not sure they are currently going to work for your workflow. E.g., today if you export to STEP from 3D PDF you push that surface tessellation back into a B-Rep description which balloons  the file size back up to 75 mg. STEP AP 242 adds a tessellation primitive for shell data that we'll be able to use to efficiently export surface data in the future, i.e., you will be able to go STEP (B-Rep) --> 3D PDF (B-Rep + Tessellation) --> STEP (Tessellation) and have a STEP file that's much closer to the size of the 3D PDF than the original STEP (or any native CAD for that matter). 

STL in theory could work. If you regenerate the 3D PDF from your original STEP data you can control the surface tessellation using the 'Controlled Precision' Surface Triangulation controls on the Optimize tab of the 3D PDF Conversion settings: This will enable you to reduce the triangle count and thus control the size of the file generated with a subsequent STL export.  I tested this STL export using the 3D PDF you posted and it generated a 371Mg file. I am not sure you'll be able to reduce its size with the controlled precision to make it small enought to matter for you.

The only export option that exists today that actually reduces the size relative to the original STEP file is U3D which you can access from the 3D Reviewer application included as part of 3D PDF Converter. The U3D file it generates is about 8Mg in size. My guess is that Inventor does not read this file either...

_Jim Merry

tetra4D

[mcgyvr]

Did you try IDF? I believe its the industry standard way to exchange info between a pcb program and a 3d program..

Heck mentor graphics and solidworks work both ways even.. You can change stuf in solidworks and it will update in mentor pcb.. (Another leg up for solidworks)

I do a bunch of through hole boards and I simply export a dxf from my PCB program and then simply extrude it the thickness of the PCB.. Then create an assembly and constrain the through hole parts. I've done the same for SMT boards too. You can even bring in traces if you want and extrude them..