Converting AEC File Formats - Adobe Acrobat and PDF for Architecture, Engineering, and Construction - page 53

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Converting AEC File Formats
One critical factor in an AEC project's success is the ability to communicate efficiently with all
stakeholders involved in the project. As in many areas of modern business life, converting content to PDF
format is a fairly simple process. In other areas, such as the AEC world, in addition to conveying
information written, verbally, and numerically, one of the most important means of communication is by
use of technical drawings.
Although there are certainly other programs on the market, in this topic we concentrate on three
programs. This chapter describes how to create PDF files from AutoCAD, and Bentley MicroStation files;
Microsoft Visio is included in Chapter 4. In addition to using the drawings themselves, Acrobat also allows
you to convert and use the metadata content attached to the components of a drawing.
We are very pleased to offer content and projects written by noted authorities on Acrobat and PDF, and
are grateful for their participation. This chapter looks at converting files to PDF from AutoCAD. The
information is provided by Tim Huff, Acrobat's Business Development Manager in the AEC space.
We include information on producing PDF files in Bentley's MicroStation, as well as viewing and using
3D PDF files, contributed by Jo Terri Wright, the Publishing Specialist at Bentley.
In this Chapter
This chapter describes how to create PDF files in common AEC applications, the raison d'etre of this topic.
You will learn how to:
x Use the AutoCAD PDFMaker
x Use Bentley products to convert design files to PDF
x View and use U3D files
x Understand and manipulate layered files in Acrobat.
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