Fierce competition in the global market has manufacturing enterprises scrambling to get an edge. These organisations are constantly on the lookout for tools to help them deliver better products faster.
Help, by way of Silicon Valley, arrived in January, when Adobe Systems released its eponymous Acrobat 3D software.
Users of the new desktop system can harness the ubiquity of the Adobe Reader program to quickly, securely and cost-effectively extend document-based, three-dimensional design collaboration to virtually any location worldwide.
They can now convert 3D models from a wide variety of major computer-aided design (CAD) format and embed these in a dramatically reduced size into Adobe PDF files - regardless of whether or not they have expensive CAD reader software.
That simplified process is a boon to design engineering, technical publishing and creative professionals in manufacturing industries, such as automotive, aerospace and industrial machinery. It also benefits the architecture, engineering and construction market.
But the capabilities of Acrobat 3D go much further. It allows users to enhance the interactivity of 3D objects in PDF documents by editing lighting, adding textures and materials, and creating animation. Various 3D models can be easily inserted into Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files.
That way, Acrobat 3D users can enable their suppliers, partners or customers - all using Adobe Reader - to participate in a more efficient document review process. This helps reduce the costs of slower and often error-prone methods of communication, including paper-based correspondence and viewing screen shots.