Tetra4D 3D PDF Products Now Support 3D Printing Workflow, Enhances App-like Functionality of PDF
The Tetra4D 2017 portfolio enables the creation of data rich 3D PDFs that provide an even more interactive and richer experience, functioning like an application
February 6, 2017 – Bend, OR USA – Tech Soft 3D, leading provider of software development tools and native 3D PDF technology to the engineering industry, today announced the Tetra4D 2017 portfolio of products – Tetra4D Converter, Tetra4D Enrich and Tetra4D Automate. The enhancements made to Tetra4D Converter and Tetra4D Enrich result in the data-rich 3D PDF’s generated functioning like an application, which provides an even more interactive and richer experience for those consuming them. Improved support for import and export formats, and new workflows focused on 3D printing demonstrate the valuable role 3D PDF plays in helping companies to improve communication, save time and money.
“Our customers start using 3D PDFs for particular workflows, and quickly realize how they can expand the use of 3D PDFs in other processes and workflows throughout the organization,” said Lionel Vieilly, product manager for Tetra4D. “The Tetra4D 2017 portfolio is loaded with feature enhancements including support for new export formats such as the 3MF, the ability to search within a 3D PDF, and many more improvements that help to address ever-expanding roles that 3D PDFs can play in streamlining manufacturing processes.”
Enhanced Format Support
The 2017 Tetra4D portfolio now provides support for the industry standard JT 9.5 export, which supports interoperability and archiving workflows, as well as a new standard format – the 3D Manufacturing Format (3MF), a 3D printing format that allows design applications to send full-fidelity 3D models to a mix of other applications, platforms, services and printers. The 3MF format supports multiple types of information including colors, materials, etc. and allows companies to focus on innovation, rather than on basic interoperability issues, and it is engineered to avoid the problems associated with other 3D file formats. As 3D printing becomes more and more prevalent in the industry, being able to support 3D printing workflows is important for manufacturers, especially for prototyping processes.
Tetra4D 2017 products provide updated CAD readers that support the latest versions of major CAD formats, including NX11, SolidEdge ST9, and SolidWorks 2017. In addition, the STEP reader and writer have been enhanced to support the validation properties features (STEP AP242) that enable users to validate a CAD data translation process..
Tetra4D Enrich Gets More Interactive and Dynamic
Tetra4D Enrich helps people create interactive 3D PDFs easily and quickly. A Tetra4D Enrich document functions more like an application than a standard 3D PDF, and the enhancements made to the 2017 version add to the interactivity and app-like functionality found in Tetra4D Enrich-created PDFs.
The new search capability can be inserted in the PDF document to enable search operations based on the 3D information that exists in the document. The available search criteria can be set by the author of the PDF document in order to control what kind of Search will be accessible to the consumer of the document (e.g.: Attributes: The search will be performed on all the attributes that are linked to the parts from the 3D annotation).
The new “Search” feature in Tetra4D 2017 products can be inserted in the PDF document to enable search operations based on the 3D information that exists in the document
Another new capability allows customers to define how text fields present in the PDF document are populated. It is, for example, easy to define how a title block (having several different text fields) will be populated when the 3D CAD information is added into the document, e.g.: from 3D file attributes, from CAD model attributes, from imported information (via an XML file). It is also suitable for template documents, since the text fields that have been assigned with a specific way to populate those fields will be updated when new 3D content is added into the template.
Another new capability allows users to control how the results of a search are displayed in the 3D scene, and how the parts corresponding to a selection in a table are emphasized. Search results can be emphasized by color, color and opacity or through isolation.
 With Color and Opacity |
 With Isolate |
 With Color |
When it comes to adding 3D attributes to the 3D PDF, enhancements have been made to easily manage errors through the automatic creation of a log file which provides the user with detailed information about the imported attributes and mapping errors (if any).
And finally, to help users get the most out of their Tetra4D Enrich experience, a new help menu has been added to redirect the user to various resources related to templates and how-to guides to create the templates, and getting started videos.
The complete Tetra4D portfolio of 3D PDF solutions – Tetra4D Automate, Tetra4D Converter and Tetra4D Enrich – can be purchased through our global network of authorized resellers (https://tetra4d.com/resellers) or directly from www.tetra4d.com.
About Tetra4D
Tetra4D (www.tetra4d.com) provides best-in-class solutions for integrating 3D PDF into engineering, manufacturing, technical publication, medical/dental, heavy construction, and AEC workflows. Users of Tetra4D solutions make 3D and related data accessible and more valuable to all disciplines and areas, both internal and external to their organization. Working with ISO, AIIM, the 3D PDF Consortium, and others, Tetra4D is a partner in driving the development of PDF, PDF/E and the PRC data formats as open standards. As an Adobe Gold Level Technology Partner, Tetra4D is the leading provider of 3D PDF technology to Acrobat users. Follow us on Twitter at @tetra4d, Facebook at www.facebook.com/tetra4d, or see our products on YouTube.
About Tech Soft 3D
Tech Soft 3D is the leading global provider of development tools that help software teams deliver successful applications, as well as the creator of the PRC format that is part of the PDF standard. Established in 1996 and headquartered in Bend, Oregon, Tech Soft 3D also has offices in California, Ohio, France, England and Japan. The company’s toolkit products power nearly 500 unique applications running on hundreds of millions of computers worldwide, while the Tetra4D brand of end-user products are used by many of the top manufacturing and construction firms for converting CAD data into 3D PDF. For more information, visit http://www.techsoft3d.com and https://tetra4d.com.
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