Need help exporting a 3D PDF

[karl.trolenbergV2BMK]

I have an IPT file that I need to export as a 3d pdf. Is there a good online tutorial for doing this?

I need my model to have different colors on individual pieces, I also need to have an exploded view, possibly animated.

I have already exported my model to 3d pdf, but all the colors applied in Inventor go missing.

[Gabriel_Watson]

Exploded views are only for assemblies, I am not sure you can achieve that with a raw IPT before you derive solids into their own components and build an assembly from the pieces.

To export to PDF from Inventor, go to File > Export > 3D PDF. More info on specific settings on the link below. Surface appearances (colors) should show up in your export. Are you able to share what you have as model and export, or a sample/mockup with the colors missing after export?
https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/inventor/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2022/ENU/Inve...

For specifics on explode and animation you will need to use Inventor's presentation files (IPN), or Inventor Studio. For a quick and easy explode, use Inventor Viewer (https://viewer.autodesk.com) and maybe record it with a screencast or another video capturing tool.

[karl.trolenbergV2BMK]

I have attached the .ipt file and the .pdf created from that. As you will see it goes from full color in ipt to grayscale in the pdf.

Thanks!

[mcgyvr]

Could just be a "limitation" with 3D PDFs/meshes..

I'm seeing posts from other cad software too with the same complaint.

Did you try to convert those mesh bodies to solid bodies and see if color are then pushed to the PDF? (Its crashing Inventor for me with your model trying that right now)

Edit.. Yes convert those meshes to "base features" using the mesh enabler addin and then you can apply appearances that transfer to the 3d PDF.. Well.. Assuming you can keep Inventor from crashing.. I can only convert a few of those and the rest seem to crash Inventor. @Anonymous 

[Gabriel_Watson · Accepted solution]

As pointed out above, you have a mesh geometry file, which typically is a lower-class solid that is useful mostly for simulation. It apparently does not carry the surface appearance information when exporting to other formats, which is something the devs can probably see if they can implement, but meshes are never safe/accurate geometry to work with. Much less for presentations (outside of a simulation context).

@mcgyvr I was able to convert in a few seconds all of the mesh elements into solids and a couple of surfaces (with free edges and some issues). Maybe download the latest update as it says that it fixed a bug on 2022.2. I also forgot Rocky Zhang's user tag here for this forum, but he's the developer for Mesh Enabler.

See attached files below with converted IPT and PDF from it. The export retained the colors, but the mesh lines are also visible and grotesque over it.

[mcgyvr]

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@Gabriel_Watson wrote:

@mcgyvr I was able to convert in a few seconds all of the mesh elements into solids and a couple of surfaces (with free edges and some issues). Maybe download the latest update as it says that it fixed a bug on 2022.2. I also forgot Rocky Zhang's user tag here for this forum, but he's the developer for Mesh Enabler.

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@Gabriel_Watson  Updating Mesh Enabler took care of the crashes.. Thanks for the heads up..

[karl.trolenbergV2BMK]

Thanks y'all!

That worked to get the model colors to show up!

[nnomikos]

Can you export the .dwg underlay in the 3d pdf as well ?