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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.
4DNAV
No Matrix
CATIA V4
Last Matrix
CATIA V5
First Matrix
Deep Exploration
Last Matrix
DMU
First Matrix
I-DEAS
Last Matrix
Adobe Acrobat 3D
CAD Application
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
First Matrix
3ds max/viz
Clear Event
No Matrix
ABAQUS/CAE
Last Matrix
Last Matrix
AutoStudio
Last Matrix
eDrawings
Clear Event
No Matrix
Gocad
First Matrix
ICEM Surf
No Matrix
Maya
Clear Event
No Matrix
Mechanical Desktop
Last Matrix
MicroStation
Flush Event
No Matrix
Multiphysics
Last Matrix
PAM-CRASH
Last Matrix
Pro/Desktop
Clear Event
First Matrix
Pro/ENGINEER
Clear Event
Last Matrix
Revit
No Matrix
RobCAD
No Matrix
Unigraphics
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
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.
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:
Enable back face culling for faces and surfaces only: off
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
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
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:
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
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.