Theorem Solutions' Publish 3D works with the latest version of CATIA. (Image Courtesy of Theorem Solutions)
Publish 3D's latest release, v19.3, supports Dassault Systèmes V6R2013x and 3DEXPERIENCE R2014x, R2015x, and R2016x software versions, giving the 3D PDF creation tool a wide berth of compatibility.
One of the talked-about trends in the contemporary CAD field is the move from manufacturing based on 2D drawings to a manufacturing paradigm that's directly informed by the 3D model. This shift has been given a few different monikers, but more likely than not, you've hear it called model-based definition (MBD).
Following the rules of MBD means that engineering teams will create models that contain all of a product's manufacturing information, including geometric dimensioning and tolerancing or functional tolerancing and annotation and any other information that might be vital to manufacturers.
With a fully defined model in place, users can then employ 3D Publish to build a 3D PDF, a document that contains model-based 3D content that can be used by third-party vendors in the manufacturing of products. What's more, 3D PDF can also be used by different departments within an engineering firm, even if they don't have a license of CATIA. With a 3D PDF, any 3D data can be shared via Adobe's free Acrobat Reader or any other PDF viewing tool.
Like its previous versions, Publish 3D v19.3 is “an interactive solution that is integrated in the CATIA 3DEXPERIENCE menu system, allowing the user to export the active assembly/part in PDF format using ‘Export’ PDF capability,” according to Theorem’s notice. “The application can also be run in batch mode to create 3D PDF data through the CATIA 3DEXPERIENCE product lifecycle management batch interface.”
Because of their close collaboration with Dassault Systèmes, Theorem’s engineers have been able to craft a 3D PDF creation tool that not only is lightweight, but also accurately preserves model geometry when building MBD documents.