PDF Output 3D Annotations

[todd_cannon]

So I have been investigating 3D PDF output from Inventor through Anark Core and the biggest issue I can see is that 3D annotations, doesn't matter what type, do not honor the orientation applied in Inventor. Inventor does a pretty good job at displaying the annotations and auto billboarding (flipping) the note as you rotate, but it doesn't persist through to PDF. I have also noticed that dwf output is about the same with no billboarding and some notes flipped backwards. Hasn't anyone from Autodesk noticed this difference? I have seen other PDF authoring software that provides options for "PMI always on top" and "allow auto billboarding" options at import. Is there a path to request the functionality, since Anark's a 3rd party addon application? Part of my investigation is to determine if we can use this functionality to produce MBD and this has been one of my sticking points.

Cheers,

Todd

[johnsonshiue]

Hi Todd,

If I understand the behavior correctly, this is actually a 3D PDF's limitation. The "auto-flip" behavior in Inventor is actually done by Inventor itself. It detects the view point changes and displays the text in the right direction. 3D PDF has static text (more like an image). When you rotate your camera, such flip will not occur.

Many thanks!

[todd_cannon]

@johnsonshiue you may be correct on this. I am reviewing ISO 32000 to see if I can decipher what the 3D annotation display capabilities are. If I get a better understanding, I will share it back here.

Cheers,

Todd

[todd_cannon]

@johnsonshiue , I have been investigating this issue and now I feel like I was right from the start. I have been discussing this issue with our IT, who is working with a different 3D PDF application vendor to improve their product and they have been able to accommodate this request. I also found out that if you place annotation in Adobe Pro, it gets the flipping behavior by default. The other vendor we use provides import options for how the PMI gets displayed. Options include always on top, normal (static), auto flipping and always viewable (with no flipping). I also noticed the version cited in the exported PDF has changed between Inventor 2022 and 2023, with no apparent enhancements. My original question was "How can we get Anark to update our options for export to include auto flipping of PMI when the model is orbited?". In order to get Inventor models to produce MBD style products, I feel this is a pretty important feature that is currently lacking. I'm sure at least the other vendor we use has heard this from many others as well, since they have provided that functionality already. I would prefer to see this ability straight out of the box though.

Cheers,

Todd

[johnsonshiue]

Hi Todd,

I could be wrong. I was not aware 3D PDF supports object flipping based on view direction. Do you have a 3D PDF example? I can work with the project team to investigate it further.

Many thanks!