Adobe Acrobat 3D

Configuring 3D CAD Applications for Capture

Configuring 3D CAD
Applications for Capture
Preparing 3D CAD applications for capturing 3D models
When using Adobe Acrobat 3D to capture 3D models from CAD applications, do the
following:

Make sure that the 3D CAD application is set to use OpenGL. Note that some 3D applications do not support OpenGL.

Adjust the settings in the 3D CAD application to improve capture quality. Remove any
artifacts, such as compasses, product trees, or xyz coordinates from the 3D model. In
some cases, these artifacts are captured. In addition, disable backface culling and use a
plain background. Key settings for common 3D CAD applications are listed in this
document.

Adjust the settings in Acrobat 3D for unsupported applications (applications not tested
by Adobe).

Note: Due to the evolving nature of software applications, the steps and settings listed in
this document may not be accurate.

Changing OpenGL settings

When capturing 3D models in Microsoft Windows, Acrobat 3D creates a preset with the
correct settings for tested applications. When capturing from untested applications, you
may need to change OpenGL capture settings. These settings are located in the OpenGL
panel of the 3D Capture Settings dialog box. This dialog box appears when you attempt to
capture a 3D model.
Similarly, when capturing on a UNIX platform, you may need to change OpenGL capture
settings. These settings are located in the Acrobat 3D Capture Utility when you choose
Tools > Options, and then click Edit Settings.
Settings for Supported 3D CAD Applications
CAD Application

Frame Buffer Mode

View Transform Mode

4DNAV

Swap Buffer Event

No Matrix

CATIA V4

Swap Buffer Event

Last Matrix

CATIA V5

Swap Buffer Event

First Matrix

Deep Exploration

Swap Buffer Event

Last Matrix

DMU

Swap Buffer Event

First Matrix

I-DEAS

Swap Buffer Event

Last Matrix

Adobe Acrobat 3D

Configuring 3D CAD Applications for Capture

CAD Application

Frame Buffer Mode

View Transform Mode

Inventor

Clear Event

Last Matrix

NX 3.0

Clear Event

Last Matrix

Rhino 3D

Clear Event

Last Matrix

Solid Edge

Flush Event

Last Matrix

SolidWorks

Clear Event

Last Matrix

VisView / VisMockup

Swap Buffer Event

First Matrix

Settings for Unsupported (Untested) 3D CAD Applications

CAD Application

Frame Buffer Mode

View Transform Mode

3ds max/viz

Clear Event

No Matrix

ABAQUS/CAE

Swap Buffer Event

Last Matrix

AutoCAD and AutoCAD Mechanical

Swap Buffer Event

Last Matrix

AutoStudio

Swap Buffer Event

Last Matrix

eDrawings

Clear Event

No Matrix

Gocad

Swap Buffer Event

First Matrix

ICEM Surf

Swap Buffer Event

No Matrix

Maya

Clear Event

No Matrix

Mechanical Desktop

Swap Buffer Event

Last Matrix

MicroStation

Flush Event

No Matrix

Multiphysics

Swap Buffer Event

Last Matrix

PAM-CRASH

Swap Buffer Event

Last Matrix

Pro/Desktop

Clear Event

First Matrix

Pro/ENGINEER

Clear Event

Last Matrix

Revit

Swap Buffer Event

No Matrix

RobCAD

Swap Buffer Event

No Matrix

Unigraphics

Swap Buffer Event

Last Matrix

3ds max/viz
Verify that the following settings are correct in Autodesk 3ds max:
1 Choose Customize > Preferences.
2 Click the Viewports tab.
3 Under Display Drivers, click Choose Driver.
4 Select OpenGL, and then click OK.

Adobe Acrobat 3D

Configuring 3D CAD Applications for Capture

Capture limitations: Original orientation, origin, and scale are not preserved. Measurements may be incorrect.

4DNAV
No special 4DNAV settings are required.

ABAQUS/CAE
No special ABAQUS/CAE settings are required.

AutoCAD / AutoCAD Mechanical

Verify that the following settings are correct in AutoCAD or AutoCAD Mechanical:
1 Choose Tools > Options.
2 Select the System tab.
3 Under Current 3D Graphics Display, select Properties.
4 Under Acceleration, select Hardware Acceleration.
5 Under Select Driver, choose wopengl8.hdi.
6 Click Apply & Close, and then click OK.

AutoStudio
No special AutoStudio settings are required.
When capturing Alias AutoStudio models in Windows, Acrobat 3D creates a preset with
the correct settings. For capturing on a UNIX platform, you may need to change settings in
the OpenGL panel of the 3D Capture Settings dialog box. For Frame Buffer Mode, select
Swap Buffer Event. For View Transform Mode, select Last Matrix.

CATIA V4
No special CATIA 4 settings are required.

CATIA V5
Verify that the following settings are correct in CATIA 5:
1 Choose Tools > Options > General > Display.
2 Under Performances, set the following:

Occlusion culling enabled: off

Transparency quality: High

Enable back face culling for faces and surfaces only: off

Enable OpenGL local viewer lighting: on

3 Under Visualization, turn off the option to display all elements using Z-buffer depth.

Deep Exploration
For Right Hemisphere Deep Exploration versions before 4.0, the graphic mode must be
set to OpenGL Hardware T&L. Choose Display > Graphics Mode > OpenGL Hardware T&L.

Gocad
No special Gocad settings are required.

Adobe Acrobat 3D

Configuring 3D CAD Applications for Capture

I-DEAS
Verify that the following settings are correct in I-DEAS:
1 Choose Option > Preferences > Display.
2 Deselect Viewport Triad, Viewport Outline, Viewport Label, Origin display.
3 Deselect Enable Display Reduction.
4 Deselect Save Graphic Levels Of Detail Per Entity.
5 Select Display Off Screen Entities.

ICEM Surf
No special ICEM settings are required.
Limitations: Original orientation, origin, and scale are not preserved. Measurements may
be incorrect. You may experience color problems in the most advanced ICEM Surf
graphics.
Note: The original orientation, origin, and scale can be preserved by selecting First Matrix
instead of Ignore Matrix for View Transform Signal in the Acrobat 3D Capture Settings
dialog box. However, changing this setting may generate errors in the 3D model's
geometry.

Inventor
Verify that the following settings are correct in Autodesk Inventor:
1 Choose Tools > Application Options.
2 Click the General tab, and deselect Show 3D indicator.
3 Click the Display tab. Under Shaded Display Modes, deselect Active - Edge Display.
4 Under Display Quality, select Smooth.

Maya
No special Maya settings are required.
Limitations: Original orientation, origin, and scale are not preserved. Measurements may
be incorrect.

Mechanical Desktop
Autodesk Mechanical Desktop must be configured to use OpenGL.

MicroStation
Verify that the following settings are correct in MicroStation:
1 Choose Settings > Rendering > View Attributes.
2 Select Graphics Acceleration.
3 Under Display, select Phong.
4 Select All.
Limitations: Original orientation, origin, and scale are not preserved. Measurements may
be incorrect.

Multiphysics
No specific Multiphysics settings are required.

Adobe Acrobat 3D

Configuring 3D CAD Applications for Capture

Nx3
No specific Nx3 settings are required.

PAM-CRASH
No specific PAM-CRASH settings are required.

Pro/Desktop
No specific PTC Pro/Desktop settings are required.

Pro/ENGINEER
Verify that the following settings are correct in Pro/ENGINEER:
1 Choose View > Model Tree to deselect it so that the Model Tree isnt captured.
2 Choose View > Display Settings > Datum Display, and deselect all settings.
3 Choose View > Display Settings > System Colors, and deselect Blended Background.
Limitations: Original orientation, origin, and scale are not preserved. Measurements may
be incorrect.

Revit 5.1
No specific Autodesk Revit settings are required.

Rhino3D
Verify that the following settings are correct in Rhino 3D:
1 Choose Tools > Options.
2 Choose Rhino Options > Display.
3 Under Wireframe Viewport Options, set Display Wireframe Viewport to OpenGL.
4 Under Rendered Viewport Options, deselect all check boxes.
5 Choose Document Properties > Grid to select it.
6 Under Grid Properties, deselect all check boxes.
Limitations for all Rhino Display Modes:

DOT Entity is not captured.

Text Entity is not captured (The Rhino TextObject entity is captured.)

Bump mapping information is not captured.

Environment mapping is captured as a static texture map.

Wireframe lines and edges are captured, but they are not oriented correctly.

For Analysis Modes, Rhino analysis results displayed as interpolated color across surfaces
are not captured correctly (colors are all set to the first color in the gradient).

RobCAD
Verify that the following settings are correct in eM-Workplace (formerly Robcad):
1 Go to Display.
2 Select Viewing.
3 Click Open Graphics window.
4 Click Default.

Adobe Acrobat 3D

Configuring 3D CAD Applications for Capture

Limitations: Original orientation, origin, and scale are not preserved. Measurements may
be incorrect.

Solid Edge
Verify that the following settings are correct in UGS Solid Edge:
1 Choose Tools > Options.
2 Click the View tab.
3 From the Application Display pop-up list, select Graphics Card Driven or Backing Store.
4 Deselect Culling.
5 Click OK.

SolidWorks
No specific UGS SolidWorks settings are required.

Unigraphics
Verify that the following settings are correct in Unigraphics:
1 Choose Preferences > Visualization.
2 Click Edit Background.
3 Select Plain for all settings.
4 Click Apply, and then click OK.

VisView / VisMockup
Verify that the following settings are correct in VisView VisMockup:
1 Choose Display->Preferences.
2 In the General panel, deselect Backface Culling.
3 Click Apply, and then click OK.