[3dem] PDF with 3D models

[Magali Cottevieille]

Hi Eduardo,

I didn't know this new feature of Acrobat, it's impressive. I wish it 
could be applied to scientific publications in biology. I don't think 
there is any viewer able to generate such figures, since Adobe is 
selling its own 3D pdf generator:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat3d/.
So you will probably have to pay  US$699 for the licence.
Another issue is even if you buy it, you have no insurance that you can 
use in input your usual material. Adobe says that the normal CAD formats 
are recognized... Maybe you could try to download the trial version...

Magali

> Today, I was reading a correspondence in Nature 
> (http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v453/n7194/full/453450d.html) 
> that talks about the PDF capabilities of displaying 3D models. It is 
> possible to rotate, and zoom in and out the 3D model from inside the 
> PDF viewer (you can see some examples here: 
> http://www.3dhh.de/3d-PDF/index-en.htm).
> I was wondering if there is any cryo-EM package that allows to save 3D 
> models in PDF format. I don't know if this is even possible. Maybe too 
> many vertex are necessary to represent accurately a cryo-EM 
> isosurface, and the final PDF file would be too big. How about atomic 
> coordinate models?
> I would like to open a discussion about the usefulness of this concept 
> in our field. Would you like to read a paper and be able to rotate, 
> zoom in/out the figures (I don't even know if there is possible to 
> include several 3D model in the same PDF and along with normal test). 
> I know that cryo-EM models and PDB files are always included as a 
> supplemental material, but sometimes it is difficult to display the 
> same area, you lose coloring, labels, etc. Superfluous, necessary, 
> imposible, the future? The end of stereographic images? More work for 
> authors?
> Your comments...
> _______________________________________________
> 3dem mailing list
> 3dem at ncmir.ucsd.edu
> https://mail.ncmir.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/3dem


-- 
Magali Cottevieille, Ph.D.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute,
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics,
630 W 168th St, P&S Black Building 2-221
New York, NY 10032 

Ph:  (+1) 212-305-9521
Fax: (+1) 212-305-9500

Email: mc3077 at columbia.edu
       magali.cottevieille at gmail.com