Hello 
,
Does anybody author extensively in 3D?
I am trying to, but I am finding the experience ridiculously complicated, restrictive and slow.
I want to create manuals for companies which demonstrate certain instructructions in 3D and also provide a large overview of products that can be moved in a 3D space. Here are the problems I have that I want to ge toff my chest:
u3d
Most people haven't even heard of it, nobody uses it, and no programs convert to it, save for a few specific, off the shelf, £600, never going to get the boss to approve it in a million years efforts.
Security
Most companies I deal with want to protect their IP. They don't want people poking round the inner workings of their products. However, there is no way of making a solid 3D model and no-one, Adobe in particular, is bothered about fiding a way to.
swf/u3d/any Framemaker 3D files
They never work in a pdf. Ever.
The 3D angle is being pushed in the release of FM11, but to me it is almost unuseable.
2
Replies
> Most companies I deal with want to protect their IP.
Including 3D objects subject to arbitrary end user manipulations does seem to be giving away the farm on the object dimensions and relationships, if the objects can be saved from or extracted from the PDF.
PDF claims to have security, but if "password recovery" tools for it are still on the market, then it doesn't have credible security.
You could include a video of the manipulations you expect the user to perform, but then you'd have to get SWF import to work first 
. And you'll get it working just in time for Flash to be dead on the delivery platform (assuming that didn't just happen to you this week on Android).
Perhaps a link to a YouTube video is the answer, until we get saved by a web standard for 3D browsing under HMTL5.
This is a specific instance of the general problem of 3D CAD interchange standards being something of a mess, largely because too many key players don't actually want such a thing to be possible.
Error7103 wrote:
> Most companies I deal with want to protect their IP.
Including 3D objects subject to arbitrary end user manipulations does seem to be giving away the farm on the object dimensions and relationships, if the objects can be saved from or extracted from the PDF.
PDF claims to have security, but if "password recovery" tools for it are still on the market, then it doesn't have credible security.
You could include a video of the manipulations you expect the user to perform, but then you'd have to get SWF import to work first
Perhaps a link to a YouTube video is the answer, until we get saved by a web standard for 3D browsing under HMTL5.
This is a specific instance of the general problem of 3D CAD interchange standards being something of a mess, largely because too many key players don't actually want such a thing to be possible.
Without doubt, this is the most frustrating thing of all. Go on the 3D discussion forum on this very website and the resistance to change is frustrating to see.
I agree that youtube is currently the best solution, but with our manuals designed to be used in the field, this is often not a workable option.
Message was edited by: bowen192
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