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Export to some 3d viewer (#3262)
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Bake  
#1 Posted : Monday, July 26, 2010 12:04:15 PM(UTC)
Bake

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I need to show a client some of my designs. The clients are not design professionals. What is the best option for 3d viewing? I would prefer a web based solution but any free viewer would work. I am using ViaCad on a Mac.
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NickB  
#2 Posted : Monday, July 26, 2010 12:34:26 PM(UTC)
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Best free viewer for ViaCAD files is ViaCAD.
In demo mode, it will open files, allow you to change layers, basically do everything but save. It feels weird to expose the tool to the client, but you can easily go in there and configure things to not show tools.
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ZeroLengthCurve  
#3 Posted : Monday, July 26, 2010 1:11:50 PM(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: NickB Go to Quoted Post
Best free viewer for ViaCAD files is ViaCAD.
In demo mode, it will open files, allow you to change layers, basically do everything but save. It feels weird to expose the tool to the client, but you can easily go in there and configure things to not show tools.


Showing the client THE tool might empower the client to *try* to become its own designer. Might cost Bake some work. OTOH, it'd be another opportunity for VC/VCP to make sales. Or, the client may be so impressed it gives Bake more work...
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posh.de  
#4 Posted : Tuesday, July 27, 2010 5:09:06 AM(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: Bake Go to Quoted Post
I would prefer a web based solution but any free viewer would work.

- "File > 3D Web Publish" (not sure what it does, not sure if avail of on the Mac)
- Export to VRML and embed in web page, needs VRML plug-in in browser, e.g. [URL="http://www.cortona3d.com/Products/Cortona-3D-Viewer.aspx"]Cortona[/URL].
- Export to Acis SAT or STEP and use viewers as e.g. the [URL="http://www.spatial.com/products/radf-3d-development"]Spatial RADF Viewer[/URL] (SAT only) or [URL="http://www.delcam.com/general/software/exchange.asp"]Delcam Exchange[/URL].
- use [URL="http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobatproextended/"]Adobe Acrobat Pro Extended[/URL] (trial avail) for capturing the OpenGL display output to a 3D PDF which can be viewed with recent Adobe Reader already avail on allmost every client system.

hth,
Norbert
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bmeissner  
#5 Posted : Monday, August 2, 2010 3:49:54 AM(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: posh.de Go to Quoted Post
- use [URL="http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobatproextended/"]Adobe Acrobat Pro Extended[/URL] (trial avail) for capturing the OpenGL display output to a 3D PDF


Norbert,

when using Acrobat 3D, OpenGL capturing is only made for 3D applications which don't export any of the formats Acrobat supports. Simply export to STEP or SAT, and import this file into Acrobat 3D (Pro Extended). Gives much better results than OGL capturing, and keeps assembly structures intact. Oh, wait, ViaCAD and Shark don't support exporting assembly structures anyway too bad ;-)

Bernd
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posh.de  
#6 Posted : Thursday, August 5, 2010 4:29:52 AM(UTC)
posh.de

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Originally Posted by: bmeissner Go to Quoted Post
OpenGL capturing is only made for 3D applications which don't export any of the formats Acrobat supports.

can be used of course with every OGL based application, even if the supported file formats are avail.

Originally Posted by: bmeissner Go to Quoted Post
Gives much better results than OGL capturing, and keeps assembly structures intact.

sure, but for a web based solution maybe neither required (quality) nor desired (size, rights protection).

Norbert
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bmeissner  
#7 Posted : Thursday, August 5, 2010 4:57:54 AM(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: posh.de Go to Quoted Post
can be used of course with every OGL based application, even if the supported file formats are avail.


Yes, can, of course :D


Originally Posted by: posh.de Go to Quoted Post
sure, but for a web based solution maybe neither required (quality) nor desired (size, rights protection).


Well, you can get ugly low-res files even out of perfect input formats, no problem there. I just made the experience that


  • OGL capturing sometimes simply gives false results. Problems to separate parts from each other, and problems with correctly capturing some geometries
  • successfully starting the capturing procedure is sometimes tricky. Depends on the 3D app.


But if you don't have those problems, simply use OGL capturing ad libitum :)

Bernd
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misterrogers  
#8 Posted : Sunday, August 8, 2010 3:05:15 PM(UTC)
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Not sure if this is what you're looking for, but as an iPhone user I use the app STL Viewer for quick, portable 3D viewing. It's not terribly sophisticated, but it shows surface, wireframe, shaded, and can rotate at any angle including one-click views of orthographic projections. VERY handy.
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mikeschn  
#9 Posted : Sunday, August 8, 2010 4:07:03 PM(UTC)
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From a customer perspective, I'd rather receive a 3D PDF.

I've taken files from ViaCAD, put them in Alibre, and exported a 3D pdf from there.

Mike...
ViaCAD Pro 12 on Windows; Viacad Pro 14 on Mac
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Jean-Francois Jacques  
#10 Posted : Monday, August 9, 2010 8:57:48 AM(UTC)
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I use acrobat 3D for 2 years, is very powerful, all user can see your 3D model in real time (with only acrobat reader). The bad things...is a bit expensive and is for windows only!!! (Mac user must have BootCamp). Look an example, one of my design for Trudeau Corporation, a big spoon.

Note the weight of the file...very lite.
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METEORE DESIGN / KEKO Stand
Jean-Francois Jacques, Industrial Designer
SharkCad Pro V14 B1653
Platform macOS 14 Sonoma
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Art  
#11 Posted : Thursday, August 19, 2010 7:44:53 AM(UTC)
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Has anyone had any luck with e-drawings? I have not tried in a couple years and they almost worked then.

My clients expect to see them.

I'm on a Mac.

Art
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Jean-Francois Jacques  
#12 Posted : Thursday, August 19, 2010 8:01:55 AM(UTC)
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e-Drawings (free) on Mac is perfect for SolidWorks files.
METEORE DESIGN / KEKO Stand
Jean-Francois Jacques, Industrial Designer
SharkCad Pro V14 B1653
Platform macOS 14 Sonoma
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Art  
#13 Posted : Thursday, August 19, 2010 8:12:23 AM(UTC)
Art

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I meant creating e-drawings from Shark (FX). I just tried viewing a dxf and dwg and they both crashed the mac version.

Art
OS 10.6 Shark FX 7.0
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Tim Olson  
#14 Posted : Thursday, August 19, 2010 9:50:12 AM(UTC)
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>>and they both crashed the mac version.

Try exporting as a R12 file. It will convert all the embedded ACIS surface/solid data as facets.

Tim
Tim Olson
IMSI Design/Encore
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Art  
#15 Posted : Thursday, August 19, 2010 10:17:12 AM(UTC)
Art

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Tim,

Thanks for the note. With R12 it did not crash, but I simply got a top 2d view (as shown below).

Did I export wrong?

Art
OS 10.6 Shark FX
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Jean-Francois Jacques  
#16 Posted : Thursday, August 19, 2010 1:37:00 PM(UTC)
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Same thing here!
METEORE DESIGN / KEKO Stand
Jean-Francois Jacques, Industrial Designer
SharkCad Pro V14 B1653
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Kevin Quigley  
#17 Posted : Friday, August 20, 2010 12:29:55 AM(UTC)
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As far as I am aware e Drawings does not read 3D DXF or DWG, just the 2D elements of them. e drawings is primarily for viewing files generated from within the CAD app like SolidWorks/Pro-E/CATIA etc.

The best long term solution here is for Shark to export to 3D PDF or .u3D directly - that is the way Adobe wants things to go in the future.

In the meantime have you tried Viewpoint export from Shark?
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jdi000  
#18 Posted : Friday, August 20, 2010 8:06:40 AM(UTC)
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Edrawings will do 3d dxf and dwg. Export just the 3d I have used dxf dwg version 2004 export works fine no exp with Mac version


Regards
Jason
Windows 11, 10
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Art  
#19 Posted : Friday, August 20, 2010 1:04:02 PM(UTC)
Art

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I exported dxf (2004 and 2010) and it would not open in the Mac e-drawings. I took the file and it opened great in the PC version (of e-drawings) but.....only one part of the 4 exported was shown.

Perhaps that is what Bernd was referring to...no assembly. I am downloading the trial of acrobat pro extended.

If my clients can't move parts I do not have a solution.

I downloaded the Viewpoint viewer but cannot get it to install (perhaps because I am on OS 10.6).

Does anybody know if Acrobat allows you to import and move around parts of assemblies? I am putting a demo of it on Fusion on my Macbook pro to give it a try. I know it is expensive, but so is not pleasing clients!

Art
OS 10.6 Shark FX 7
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Art  
#20 Posted : Friday, August 20, 2010 2:07:55 PM(UTC)
Art

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Wow!

First look, this is pretty great.

I exported 4 parts as .step. They imported quickly into Adobe 3D Reviewer. Exported it as a pdf and opened it in my Mac Acrobat. I can view shaded sections, take measurements, rotate in section view, "turn off" parts. The measurements looked about right and the whole thing was very intuitive. The fact that it is Acrobat is a big deal, everybody has it and the 3d tools pop up when a 3d drawing is opened.

So far, this looks like my answer, at least for now. I would like to hear what others think and what I am missing by not using e-drawings.

Art
OS 10.6 Shark FX 7

Tell me there is a chance that Shark will be able to export into this!
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