yang686526

solidworks and adobe 3d pdf?
has anyone used the adobe 3d pdf.
does anyone have any thoughts on the security of the data?
if i send a native solidworks file to a customer they can do anything they want with it. if i send a step or iges they could still go behind my back and get tools made from the files and send it to china. if i send them screen shots it is hard to get the true design intent.
could this be the best of both worlds? a 3d representation of the data without the ability to directly steal it?
i know all about non-disclosure agreements, patents, and engineering integrity... but you know as much as i do that customer steal. i just want to protect my company's interests as much as possible.

if the customer just needs an overall external view of the product, do a save as on the assy and select part as the type, with the external faces only option. that way none of the internal components are accessible.

with adobe, or with edrawings, you have the option to allow, or not allow, measuring.
jeff mirisola, cswp, certified driveworks ae
3d pdf also allows you to add sheets of other data. you can put the drawing and the 3d model in the same file, for example.
matt lorono
cad engineer/ecn analyst
silicon valley, ca
i just looked at some 3d pdf samples and found it view much faster and smoother than edrawings. i wish edrawings was that smooth.
we have seen just the opposite. edrawings was smoother and faster than the pdf version. although both were created by a pro e user.
hello jake,
in solidworks when you do a save as 3d pdf there are no settings to disable measure or to disallow file exports (like you have in edrawings).
my advice is get a free trial of adobe acrobat. here is the link: