Acrobat Gets 3D Dexterous

Acrobat 3D, the latest version of the highly familiar document creation and sharing software, breaks into the design and development world with tools that accelerate collaboration while extending visualization and publishing of 3-dimensional designs. Users can convert 3D models from a wide variety of industry-standard computer-aided design (CAD) formats and embed them into PDF files whether they have CAD software or not. These files are shareable with other members of a design team having just the Acrobat reader, which is available to anyone at no charge from the company's web site. The full version provides the ability to edit lighting effects, add textures and materials, create animations such as assembly and disassembly instructions, and more. An important feature, users can enable interactive functions for recipients. These include viewing design structure from all angles, the ability to add comments, and the use of measurement and cross-section tools directly on 3D objects. Available for Windows 2000/XP Professional/XP Home/Tablet PC, IBM AIX 5.2, HP UX 11.0, SGI IRIX 6.5, and Sun Solaris 2.8 and in English, French, and German with a Japanese version expected in February, price for Acrobat 3D is $995. Registered users of Acrobat 7.0 and 6.0 Professional can upgrade for $545 and $699, respectively. ADOBE SYSTEMS INC., San Jose, CA. (800) 272-3623.