How to Create Templates

Templates are optional PDF files used to define the starting point before 3D conversion. Various prepared templates are available in the Samples/templates folder. These are easily created, and this collection can be extended. When a template is specified during the conversion process, the PDF template is used as the starting point, containing any normal PDF document information when the new PDF output file is created. In fact, it can be a simple 1-page PDF, or a 100 page complex document.

There are several types of template: generic standard PDF files without any 3D, or "3D templates", where the page is prepared ahead of time with a dummy throw-away 3D model, such as a simple cube, or a placeholder layout PDF. If you use a 3D Template PDF file, then this file fully specifies the page layout and presets where the 3D view will be placed on the page.

If you use a generic 2D normal PDF as a template, then placement of the 3D view must be done externally, at 3D conversion time. The margin controls are used where measurements of the 3D view port margins from the edge of the page must be specified.

If a Placeholder layout template PDF is available a list of possible layout locations are specified by the input template document keyword properties, encoded in an XML string. The placeholders can be created using MS-Word, PowerPoint or EXCEL layout design plugins, or by images with specific Alt-Text values without any plugins.

Using MS-Word

Within almost any Word document (.doc, .docx) you can place and position a placeholder for a 3D view, and optionally a legend bar if the conversion will be generating a legend.

  1. Add samples/images/3D_placeholder.png into your document design. Any wrapping, resize and flow can be set. Specify the alt-text value to "PDF3D1".
  2. Further, add samples/images/legend_placeholder.png and add alt-text value "LEGEND1" if needed.
  3. Once ready, use Save-As and change file type to PDF. On the PDF saving "options" menu, make sure the option for "Document Structure Tags for Accessibility" is enabled.
  4. Then the PDF can be used as a placeholder just as described for the Office plugins below. If more than one, set the next images to 2,3,4... in sequence.

Using Acrobat

The following steps show how to create 3D Template PDFs:

  1. Start with a standard Report, where pages may already exist with simple illustrations with existing static images pasted into document. Page should already have good layout, annotations, header, footer, caption, etc.
  2. Open report Word/Excel/PowerPoint 2010, temporarily "cut" image from slide, leaving blank space for 3D, leaving all surrounding annotations in place.
  3. Save current slide/page as PDF. In Office 2010 there is built-in save-as PDF, if not available, then use any PDF print driver, or if available, use Adobe Acrobat Standard or Pro. Virtually any software that can produce a PDF can be used!
  4. Open single-page PDF in Acrobat Pro X.
  5. Navigate to Tools, Content, Multimedia, 3D, select 3D Annotations. Using mouse rectangle box selection, inserted "dummy.u3d" (found in Samples/u3d/ folder). Place Multimedia 3D file in centre of page blank area, save (edited) PDF.
  6. Start PDF3DReportGen, Select your input 3D file.
  7. Select Merge mode: "Replace Annotation". Enable template mode, browse to your previously saved template PDF with the dummy 3D inserted.
  8. Set various conversion parameters according to best practice recipe.
  9. Push "Convert" button, generating new 3D PDF output.

Without Acrobat

If you don't have Adobe Acrobat, then for steps above, then don't panic, you can use PDF3DReportGen itself to prepare your template, just takes a few more steps.

  1. Get a ruler, measure the location of your desired 3D view port as offsets from all 4 edges of the page (in Inches, mm or points).
  2. In PDF3DReportGen set these values on the PDF Layout margin fields. Select a simple input file, such as PDF3D samples/wrl/tetrahedron.wrl Make sure Security is disabled, no passwords or restrictions please. Select Merge mode: "At Page", enable "On Existing Page". Set output file name to be the same as your existing 2D template PDF. It will be edited with the new 3D view inserted. Push Convert, review your new template.

PDF3D with WORD, PowerPoint, EXCEL plugins

If the MS-Office plugin utilities are installed, then using the ribbon toolbar buttons a placeholder image can be added into the existing document at any location on any page. Multiple placeholders can be included in the document in a complex layout for report, brochure or technical document. Then using the export to PDF template button included in the plugins, a special PDF is created containing the layout information. By specifying this PDF as a template input, and using the "MERGE 5: At Placeholder" mode, the new 3D view layout is generated using the template location.