CAD tip # 9972:

You can use the following procedure to output 3D-PDF from virtually any 3D software - and get this generator for free. The resulting PDFs may not be fully optimized as for their performance and the style control is rather limited but ... it is a free toolset.

You will need these two free software packages:

• Meshlab (a 3D mesh processor)
• MikTEX (a TeX/LaTeX implementation), will automatically download "movie15" and a couple of other plugins on its first run

How to get a 3D .PDF file from your CAD model? Step by step instructions:

1. Use your usual favorite CAD/CAE tool to export your original 3D model to any of the following 3D mesh formats: OBJ, STL, VRML(WRL), PLY, X3D (you can get e.g. STL from the "3D Print" function in your CAD)
2. Start Meshlab and import the mesh file using the File > Import Mesh (Ctrl+I) function. Confirm "Unify duplicated" if prompted.

   

3. Export the loaded mesh with the File > Export Mesh As (Ctrl+E) function, select the output format "U3D File format" (.U3D). Choose a name without any spaces for the output filename!
   • If you process a color model, check the "Face>Color" option in the "Choose Saving Options" dialog (otherwise your PDF model will be grayscale only).
   • You can adjust "U3D quality" (compression ratio) to set the quality/size of your 3D PDF

   

4. Start MikTeX TeXworks, use File > Open (Ctrl+O) to open the just created TEX file (created automatically by Meshlab along with the U3D file), in the top left select box switch to "pdfLaTeX" a click the green arrow to convert the file to PDF.

   

5. That's all - you can now open the 3D PDF file in standard Acrobat Reader

NB: You can automate this proces using U3D-2-PDF (converts STL or WRL file directly to 3DPDF).

NB2: for Revit you may need to install the "STL Exporter" plugin (Exchange Apps)

NB3: for AutoCAD and Inventor you can use CADstudio VRML Translator to create WRL files from your 3D models