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Revu can be now used to view 3D PDF files. Any PDF containing U3D model data should be
visible within Revu. You can very easily use the mouse navigation controls to zoom, rotate
and pan the 3D model. The hover bar lets you switch from one built-in view to the next
within Revu, as well as it can be used to play some pre-defined animation styles: rotating,
as well as cycling from one view to the next. The view transition settings can be controlled
by going to the Edit / Preferences and setting the appropriate time values, to either speed
up or slow down the transition time. Also using the hover bar, you can set the different
visibility modes or rendering modes. So, as an example, instead of being a solid rendering,
you wanted to have a transparent rendering of the model, or a solid wireframe, you can
control these settings as well as several different other render modes. Additionally,
you can control the different lighting methods for viewing the model, as well as you can
control the background color of the 3D model space.
The 3D Model panel is broken up into two main areas: the Views, as well as the 3D Model
Tree. The Views lets you move by selecting here. You can choose to go from one view to
the next. And this is also the location where you can add and edit new views. As an example,
let’s go quickly add a view to another area of the model. I’ll turn on my perspective
view here… so that… by defining the view, perspective mode, background color, mode visibility….
Now that I’ve added this, called “View #2,” Revu will remember this so that I can
easily go from one pre-defined view to the next.
Another thing you can do is select – by holding down the shift key, you can select
multiple items within a particular view here, and notice as I’m selecting those, in the
Model Tree those items are selected – and you can set visibility settings. So as an
example, say that I wanted to make these selected items transparent. By right-clicking, I can
select Transparent, such that now when I look at this, certain items are solid, other ones
are transparent. When I create a view, and I keep the Node Visibility, this gives me a very handy way of being able to quickly
go from one view to the next.
One other thing I can do is I can, by choosing a part, I can isolate that part such that
everything except for that part is turned off. Now, using the Model Tree, I can go Reset
All Parts… or Show All Parts actually, so that everything is back on again. But this
gives me a handy for… say I need to look at a set of parts, by holding down my shift
key, I’m going to choose numerous parts here, you’ll see those highlighted here
on the right-hand side. Now when I right-click, and I’ll say Isolate just those parts, everything
that I selected is still visible, but everything else is turned on. So this gives me a really
nice way of being able to very quickly get to all the parts or as few of the parts as
I need to in a few mouse clicks.
Another thing that I can do, too, is… say that I’m looking at a fairly complex model
here, I’m not sure exactly where this component is. By right-clicking in the Model Tree, I
have the option to Zoom to Part, and this will take me in the model view where that
part is. So that Model Tree, working in conjunction with selecting parts, being able to turn on
and off parts and set visibility, gives me some very sophisticated ways for working with
this 3D model.
So that was a brief overview of some of the features and functionality that are now available
in Revu regarding viewing 3D models.