Modeling
About Archicad's design tools, element connections, modeling concepts, etc.

Windows auto numbering themselves; Creating an Adobe 3d pdf

Anonymous
Not applicable
I saw a demo of the windows automatically numbering themselves, but can't seem to be able to do it myself. Can someone point me in the right direcrion?

Also saw a demo of saving a project as .u3d then opening it in Acrobat 8. Have Created both large and small files ad .u3d, created a layout, saved the layout as a pdf, the opened Acrobat 8 (CS2 version), opened the 3d tools, created the space and placed the .u3d object, then watched Acrobat crash.....every time.

What am I doing wrong?
9 REPLIES 9
Dwight
Newcomer
Hello Beverly:

Re: U3D:

Page 328 of the reference manual sez that u3d/PDf, etc is windows only.

Maybe this is the problem.

Will confirm.
Dwight Atkinson
Anonymous
Not applicable
Dwight wrote:
Re: U3D:

Page 328 of the reference manual sez that u3d/PDf, etc is windows only.
Nope. You can save U3D from the 3D view on Mac. I've done it often. It's cool. Just don't try it on really big models.

Re: Auto-numbering. I pretty sure the setting is in Options > Preferences, but I'm not sure which one (probably Miscellaneous), though it may have migrated to the Work environment. I think it is call "Automatic ID Increase" or something. It only applies to newly placed elements though. I don't know of any automatic tool for renumbering elements.
Dwight
Newcomer
Great news.
I'm on mac and the u3D file crashed both Acrobats and won't open in PHotoshop.

How do you do it?
Dwight Atkinson
Anonymous
Not applicable
Dwight wrote:
How do you do it?
Nothing special. Just "Save as..." from 3D and place the result in a PDF. You can't just open it directly. You have make a place for it using the 3D tools.

...but now you seem to have jinxed me. Acrobat is crashing when I try to just create a blank page and Safari is getting all wonky.

Time to quit and go to bed.
Thomas Holm
Booster
Archimamamia wrote:
Also saw a demo of saving a project as .u3d then opening it in Acrobat 8. Have Created both large and small files ad .u3d, created a layout, saved the layout as a pdf, the opened Acrobat 8 (CS2 version), opened the 3d tools, created the space and placed the .u3d object, then watched Acrobat crash.....every time.
To my knowledge there is no Acrobat 8 CS2. 8 is sold standalone and also distributed as a part of CS3.

I notice you don't mention what platform you're using. If you're in Windows, it should work, but this might simply be a bug in your U3D, a faulty object or such - try turning off all objects, then all SEOs etc.

The others assume you're working on the Mac. I've also had this work in Archcad 10 on a G4 Mac, in Acrobat7, CS2.

First guess is of course a bug in the U3D here too.

Second guess is: If you're using Acrobat 7, which is a part of CS2, on an Intel Mac, it runs in Rosetta PPC emulation. U3D in that environment might be unstable, CS2 apps often crash on the MacIntels.
To run natively on the Macintels, upgrade to CS3.

Another issue might be that Archicad doesn't create the layout PDF correctly on the Mac when it contains an U3D item. (I think this is what the manual that Dwight mentions refers to.) A workaround would be to export the rest of the layout (the 2D parts) by itself, then include the U3D using Acrobat. Seems to me this process is what you describe!

If that is the case, we're back at square one, a bug in your U3D, or maybe in Acrobat. I t mght also be a bug in Archicad 11 - I haven't tested ti there. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful!
AC4.1-AC26SWE; MacOS13.5.1; MP5,1+MBP16,1
Dwight
Newcomer
RE: U3D:

So finally i figured it out - just to see. Without Matthew, i would have given up. Thanks:

The way i did it with Mac was to:

• SAVE an Archicad 3D window as u3d
• SAVE a layout as PDF. I printed a blank page to PDF with Pages, altho it could be an Archicad layout saved as PDF.
• Open the layout in Acrobat Pro 8
• With 3D tools active, Click on the layout.
• in the dialog that comes up, specify the saved u3D file.
It places itself on the layout.
• SAVE the document.
• OPEN it and NAVIGATE in Acrobat Reader.
• EXPERIENCE delight in the different rendering methods.

No crashing whatever. yay.
Dwight Atkinson
Thomas Holm
Booster
Dwight wrote:
• EXPERIENCE delight in the different rendering methods.
AC4.1-AC26SWE; MacOS13.5.1; MP5,1+MBP16,1
Anonymous
Not applicable
i have tried everyone's solutions and Acrobat (V. 8.1.1) that came with CS3 just crashes every time. Any/all suggestions greatfuly appreciated


I am on INTEL Mac (OSX 10.5) 2x266 GHzDual-Core Intel Xeon, 8GB 667 MHz DDR2 FB-DIMM.
Dwight
Newcomer
Well, the phonetic beginning to the word "leopard" IS "leper."
Dwight Atkinson