3D PDF News and updates

[andrew_faix]

Hi gang,

First, updated and localized 3D PDF templates are available here.

These newer versions have significantly decreased in size (we had some bloat issues due to embedded fonts in the original).

Next (and this has already been posted in at least one other discussion thread), we have an new white paper that provides some more information on how to customize the 3D PDF templates.  It can be viewed / downloaded here.

Finally, we continue to make functional and performance improvements to our 3D PDF publishing solution and are releasing those updates regularly.  Please monitor for notifications for service packs and subscription updates and continue to report issues as they arise.

Thanks everyone,

-Andrew

[mdavis22569]

Are these Version 9.1?

Just verifying as I know there were some color issues in the prior versions and 9.1 .. 

Thanks,

Mike 

[mcgyvr]

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@andrew_faix wrote:

Hi gang,

These newer versions have significantly decreased in size (we had some bloat issues due to embedded fonts in the original).

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@andrew_faix

Can we get some more detailed information on these bloat issues and how to solve/prevent them when we customize our templates?

One of the first things I will do when customizing my templates (if I need to start from yours) is switch/add text with company specific fonts to match the current fonts specified in our company "graphical standards".

Is that going to cause a "problem" or is it simply an increase in file size?

Are there limitations to fonts that should be used?

Also.. Any plans to provide tutorials for users who wish to develop their own templates vs modifying the Autodesk supplied ones?

A quick tutorial on maybe importing a graphical layout from photoshop/illustrator and creating a few fields and creating the view port where the 3d PDF of the part will appear and more importantly how to ensure that it has the necessary code/functionality required by the Anark core included/tied to them for those fields to properly populate?

Our "graphics" department has given me the "base" files that they use to create our current datasheets and it would be MUCH..MUCH easier on me if I could just open them in Adobe Acrobat and simply add the fields to pull the iprops from Inventor vs having to spend HOURS modifying/adding those same graphical entities on your samples files to match our corporate look.. But I'm at a complete loss at how to do that as you have provided no information on that process..

[mdavis22569]

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@mcgyvr wrote:

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@andrew_faix wrote:

Hi gang,

These newer versions have significantly decreased in size (we had some bloat issues due to embedded fonts in the original).

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 What worries me ...is every time we get a new updated version ... I have to go and make new templates. I just can't update mine, I have download the new ones, and put in all my logos', custom boxes, parts list the way we want it, without the limits..

[mcgyvr]

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@mdavis22569 wrote:

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 What worries me ...is every time we get a new updated version ... I have to go and make new templates. I just can't update mine, I have download the new ones, and put in all my logos', custom boxes, parts list the way we want it, without the limits..

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huh? Thats a serious problem if true... 

Aren't "updates" just applied to the Autodesk Inventor software? Why would the templates ever need to be "updated"? 

I "assumed" that fixes due to errors (parts not showing up/wrong colors,etc..) during 3d pdf creation were NOT because of issues with the "Anark core" but instead just bugs in Inventor..

If my only option is to start with the Autodesk templates and modify from there I could easily have 20+ hours into it... And if I have to do that more than once I'm gonna be upset..

[andrew_faix]

Hi Mike,

I'm sorry, I don't know what version 9.1 refers to.  Updates to the templates were only done to address the file size.

This is the README for Inventor 2017 R2 and details the 3D-PDF-related fixes.  Do you have a specific issue in mind, I can investigate status.

[Curtis_Waguespack]

HI andrew_faix,

First, thanks for providing this information.

I would like to request that these things be properly documented in the Inventor help and Inventor API help (assuming the API is relevant), so that the information can be maintained and located going forward.

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

[mdavis22569]

@andrew_faix ..sent you a private message

I've worked on some of the ones related to files size ... Do you know if they fixed the color issue?   

edited to add ... yes my black issue has been fixed

@mcgyvr  

If we have to keep downloading them .. then yes we have to "remake" the templates.  I've figured out how to c/p and clean up the javascript when this happens... but not it's not an easy fix.

[mcgyvr]

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@Curtis_Waguespack wrote:

I would like to request that these things be properly documented in the Inventor help

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Absolutely.. Why was a PDF provided to customize a template vs a link to that information on the ADSK help website?

[Curtis_Waguespack]

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@mcgyvr wrote:

Absolutely.. Why was a PDF provided to customize a template vs a link to that information on the ADSK help website?

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 I would assume that andrew_faix (or someone else) created the PDF to get the information out to you "squeaky wheels" quickly, without having to wait for the slow gears of the Autodesk documentation machine to turn. Which seems reasonable as long as it gets properly documented as well.

I have some concerns about how help and API help files are going to be maintained as incremental updates are released, but time will tell if those concerns are valid.

For instance did any of the new features from the recently released 2017 update make it to the help files yet? Did those new features and options get exposed in the API? If so where is that documented? And so on...

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

[mcgyvr]

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@mdavis22569 wrote:

If we have to keep downloading them .. then yes we have to "remake" the templates.  I've figured out how to c/p and clean up the javascript when this happens... but not it's not an easy fix.

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So you are telling me the 6 hours I spent yesterday modifying the originally supplied "Autodesk" templates to my company needs was a 100% waste of time as that template cannot be used at all anymore?

I sure hope thats not the case...

Thats kind of what I was wondering about.. Is the Anark core not stable/future proof with changes/bug fixes with Inventor? Or is part of the "bug fixing" revolve around the javascript in the core and as such unless you rehack the new templates you will always be plagued with the issues? 

[mcgyvr]

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@Curtis_Waguespack wrote:

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@mcgyvr wrote:

Absolutely.. Why was a PDF provided to customize a template vs a link to that information on the ADSK help website?

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 I would assume that andrew_faix (or someone else) created the PDF to could get the information out to you "squeaky wheels" quickly, without having to wait for the slow gears of the Autodesk documentation machine to turn. Which seems reasonable as long as it gets properly documented as well.

I

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Seems more like the "square wheels" of that team made them months late for the party ... The rest of the 2017 help documentation has been complete/published for a while now..  ok.. I'll stop now.. My devil horns have gotten too long about this.. Time to push them back into the skull..

[mdavis22569]

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@mcgyvr wrote:

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@mdavis22569 wrote:

If we have to keep downloading them .. then yes we have to "remake" the templates.  I've figured out how to c/p and clean up the javascript when this happens... but not it's not an easy fix.

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So you are telling me the 6 hours I spent yesterday modifying the originally supplied "Autodesk" templates to my company needs was a 100% waste of time as that template cannot be used at all anymore?

I sure hope thats not the case...

Thats kind of what I was wondering about.. Is the Anark core not stable/future proof with changes/bug fixes with Inventor? Or is part of the "bug fixing" revolve around the javascript in the core and as such unless you rehack the new templates you will always be plagued with the issues? 

Do you want me to really answer this ...or do you know what I'm going to say ....  if no ..stop reading







If they fixed the black color I had, file size etc ..there would be an exe to fix the old ones  ...   instead of a download.

I've downloaded them, and I'm going to see if I can do a simple c/p and java update on the limit locks if they are still there.

[andrew_faix]

The original templates were using an embedded font (Tahoma) so all font references (in all of the text objects, fields, forms) were changed to Helvetica, one of the "built in" (to Adobe Reader) fonts which I believe include:

• Courier, Courier-Bold, Courier-Oblique & Courier-BoldOblique
• Times-Roman , Times-Bold , Times-Italic & Times-BoldItalic
• Helvetica, Helvetica-Bold, Helvetica-Oblique & Helvetica-BoldOblique
• Symbol
• ZapfDingbats.

If the file size is important to you, you'll need to consider using one of those.

Tutorial planned?  Yes.  I can't comment on estimated completion date at this time, but it is in the works.

[mdavis22569]

@andrew_faix      Black still needs some work

and it's still locked at 9 characters ... Not a problem I know how to fix that ..

[andrew_faix]

I appreciate your concern, but the update to the samples was only to address the file size.  The updates we're making are to the translation routine itself in Inventor and templates generally won't require an update to take advantage of those enhancements.

Famous last words, I know, but that's how things stand at this time.

[andrew_faix]

No, that is not the case.  Updates stripped out font only.  No changes to Anark core, no anticipated changes to Anark core.

[mcgyvr]

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@andrew_faix wrote:

Tutorial planned?  Yes.  I can't comment on estimated completion date at this time, but it is in the works.

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Thanks Andrew..

Thats a much better answer vs "put in an ideastation request and we can vote on doing that or not".. 

One would think that with a knowledgeable ADSKer that a tutorial shouldn't take more than a few hours to complete/record/upload,etc... 

[mdavis22569]

Ok ... so I did some testing with the original PDF's and the new ones available today.

Good news: You don't lose everything if you have to update to a new 3d PDF if bugs etc are fixed, additional features are added etc.

Bad news/ Annoying news: If you update, change, modify the javascript, you'll need to do it again in the new template.   For example if you changed the character limits in the parts list, you'll need to change them again.

[hosford]

Is there a way to output to 3D PDF without using any template?

All I want is a direct way to make the most basic 3D PDF, without all of the stuff that comes with the Inventor export.