Supporting Seamless Design Communication with 3D PDFs

Created: February 21, 2017
Updated: December 14, 2020

3d-pdf-design-documentation-adobe-acrobat

With the increasing complexity of modern PCB designs, effectively communicating design intent is a growing challenge that threatens both speed-to-market and overall production costs. In the race to bring quality products to market before your competition, information has to be shared quickly and efficiently while clearly conveying critical aspects of the design. But how can you go about doing that?

Leveraging Native 3D^™ PDF Exporting

One way of relaying design data is by sending screenshots to mechanical teams and vice versa. However, it’s difficult to effectively communicate design aspects using text and static images alone, and the potential risks of miscommunication are far too great to ignore.

The Altium^® 3D PDF export capabilities take advantage of the 3D format, as well as the ability to embed this format into PDF documents. This export format grants users the ability to share a fully-rendered, interactive, 3D view of their PCB designs, even with people outside the immediate design team.

3D PDF Viewed in Adobe^® Acrobat^® Reader

How to Create 3D PDFs

You can share 3D PDFs with external stakeholders, customers, fabrication or assembly houses. Communicating the design and design intent using 3D PDFs greatly enhances understanding. They also provide unique insights into the design’s actual structure, so that anyone with access to an up-to-date copy of Adobe^® Acrobat^® Reader can view the design, including its components and their associated mechanical.

Want to create your own 3D PDFs in Altium? Learn how by downloading a free white paper.

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Leveraging Native 3D^™ PDF Exporting
How to Create 3D PDFs

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