Commenting on 3D designs in PDFs

Comments added to a 3D object are associated with specific views that are defined when the comments are added. If the view is changed—for example, if the 3D object is rotated or moved—the comments are no longer visible.

You have three ways to add comments to a 3D object:

  • Using the 3D Comment Tool on the 3D toolbar to add comments to specific parts of a 3D model.

  • Using the annotation tools available in the secondary toolbar of the Comment tool to add a variety of comment types to a 3D view.

  • Converting a 3D measurement into a comment.

Note:

Adding comments to 3D model views requires version 7.0.7 or later of Acrobat or Reader.

When the view of a 3D object is changed, any comment associated with that object disappears (right)
When the view of a 3D object is changed, any comment associated with that object disappears (right).

Note:

If you don’t want a comment to be associated with a 3D view, add the comment outside the 3D object area.

Add a 3D Comment to an object

Comments created by using the 3D Comment Tool are like measurements in that they are associated with a specific part of the 3D geometry. When you add 3D comments to the default view of a model, a new view, called 3D Comment View is created. 3D comments added to other views are listed as components of that view in the Model Tree. You can edit and remove 3D comments the same way to edit and remove measurements.

  1. Click the Add 3D Comment tool on the 3D toolbar.

    Note:

    The 3D toolbar appears when you hover the cursor over the 3D model. If the Add 3D Comment tool is not visible in the toolbar, then right-click the 3D model and choose Tools > Add 3D Comments. You can also expand the default 3D toolbar by right clicking the 3D model and choosing Tools > Expand 3D Tools.

  2. Select a part of the model you want to add a 3D comment to.
  3. In the Enter Comment String dialog box, type your comment.

Add comments from the Comment toolset

When you add comments by using the tools on the Comment toolset, a new view is created in the Model Tree called CommentView.

Note:

Adobe Reader users can add comments to a PDF if the document author enables commenting for that PDF.

  1. Choose Tools > Comment.

    The Comment toolset is displayed in the secondary toolbar.

  2. In the secondary toolbar, select a commenting tool, and then click inside the 3D object area.

  3. Click inside the 3D object area to create a comment. A new view definition is also created in the Model Tree with a default name such as “CommentView1.”
  4. To add more comments, do one of the following:
    • To create an additional comment in a view, make sure that the commenting view you want is selected in the Model Tree. Then click inside the 3D object area.

    • To create an additional comment in a new commenting view, make sure that no commenting view is selected in the Model Tree. Then click inside the 3D object area.

Note:

If you delete one of these automatically generated commenting views, the associated comments are still available. You can view and select them in the Comments panel or in the Model Tree, where they are listed under the views. Selecting a comment switches the 3D model to the same viewing configuration it had when the comment was added.

Convert 3D measurements to comments

Individual measurements can be converted to comments, so that they can be reviewed and annotated like other types of comments.

  1. In the View pane of the Model Tree, right-click the plus sign next to the measurement view to display the list of individual measurements.
    Note:

    The measurement view is available only when you have added measurements by using the 3D Measurement Tool .

  2. Right-click a measurement name and click Convert To Comment.
    Convert Measurement to Comments
    Convert measurements into comments

Display comments for a 3D object

  1. Do one of the following:
    • In the Model Tree, select a view that contains comments.

    • Choose Tools > Comment, the comments are displayed in the comment list in the right pane.

    • In the View pane of the Model Tree, click Options and choose List Comments.

    List Comments
    Enable the List Comments option from the View pane of the Model Tree

  2. Double-click a comment to open its comment window.
  3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 to see other comments associated with other views.

When you select a comment, the 3D model appears in the same view it was in when the comment was added.

Get help faster and easier

New user?