Lattice Technology, Inc., announced the availability of their latest release of Lattice3D Reporter™, v7.1. This software plug-in for Microsoft® Excel® allows the authoring of spreadsheets with embedded interactive 3D models and associated information such as work instructions and parts lists. After the PDF is created, it can be consumed by anyone using Adobe Reader.
This latest version of Lattice3D Reporter allows even non-CAD users to easily create rich 3D PDFs, containing interactive 3D models, directly from Lattice3D Reporter without any programming or script writing. Consumers of the 3D PDF merely need to click to open, using the free Adobe Reader they likely already have installed on their computer. The 3D PDF file contains the interactive model and associated “rich” 3D data. “Rich” means that the geometry for a part is bi-directionally associated with a part name, process steps and snapshots.
For example, a user can click on a part in the list (or a process step) and the corresponding part geometry is highlighted in the interactive model; or the user can click on the part geometry, and the part in the list is highlighted. The model is interactive within the 3D PDF, allowing consumers to rotate the model for optimal viewing and understanding.
“Our vision is to enable manufacturing companies to make better use of their 3D model data by leveraging this data into other parts of the organization and supply chain. Lattice3D Reporter is already broadly used by companies to create robust Microsoft Excel spreadsheets with embedded interactive models that provide unprecedented clarity and free access to anyone who has Microsoft Excel,” stated Bill Barnes, Lattice Technology general manager for Americas and Europe. “Version 7.1 extends this capability by including rich product data into a 3D PDF that is ISO approved and essentially accessible and free to anyone with a computer. Also, because Lattice Technology is committed to free and open sharing of information, we became a Founding Member of the 3D PDF Consortium–a community dedicated to standards definitions and the growth of 3D PDF usage.”
To see how easy it is to use and the communication power of a Lattice Technology 3D PDF, visit this page and download one of the 3D PDF files.
The process for creating 3D PDFs or Excel spreadsheets can be automated with templates or integrated with existing ERP, PLM or other IT infrastructure processes. Using Lattice3D Reporter, it is easy and simple to incorporate rich 3D PDFs with bi-directional associativity as part of a standard documentation package. The creation of rich, interactive 3D PDF files joins these other powerful authoring capabilities for embedding information into Microsoft Excel spreadsheets:
- Multiple bills of materials (eBOM, mBOM, sBOM)
- Animated step-by-step work instructions
- Assembly and disassembly animations
- 3D interactive snapshots
- Sectioning planes
Lattice3D Reporter is a Microsoft Excel plug-in for authoring Excel spreadsheets and 3D PDFs. It is available for purchase as a floating or node-locked license. Lattice3D Reporter Viewer is an Excel plug-in available as a free download from the Lattice Technology website.