Hi,
I recently placed a Yahoo map api (flash format) inside a 3d model. The Yahoo map worked fine and even displayed longitude and latitude coordinates (I did not know that placing flash files inside 3D model canvases was possible until I saw the Using Flash as a 3D material video. So, thank you Dave Merchant).
So, would it be possible to create a 3D geospatial PDF of sorts by placing two flash videos inside a 3D model? One of the flash videos would have two text boxes that would display cursor coordinates for the x, y values. The second flash video would be placed on the front of a 3D object that is perpendicular to the horizontal plane. This flash video would have one text box to get a z value, which would actually be the y value of the cursor.
I am not necessarily asking how to do this (Any such explanation would be way over my head - I don't really know how to write code. I do know some math, which is why I can write regular GeoPDFs with a text editor. I am really just altering the projection and current transformation matrix of existing GeoPDFs and adding a map view or two). I am just not knowledgeable enough to know how bad such an idea really is. So, how bad is this idea?
Also, the Yahoo map api I placed in the 3D model was not exactly normal. It used rich media annotation. The Yahoo map inside the 3D model was adding buttons to the PDF media box area located outside of the 3D canvas, when I clicked to mark a location on the map. And the mouse up event of the buttons that were created in this manner would move the Yahoo map back to the location that was on the Yahoo map screen when the button was created. (I did not create this Yahoo map. The original version of the map is at http://pdfdevjunkie.host.adobe.com/example_yahooMap.shtml)
Thanks
Create a 3D Geospatial PDF with Flash?
2011-04-27 03:14:32
Answered
My Product Information:
Acrobat Pro Extended 9.4.3, Windows
Acrobat Pro Extended 9.4.3, Windows
2011-04-27 11:54:43
#1
I just placed a .swf file that tracks cursor movements onto one of the 3D object's surfaces. The .swf file will track cursor movements as long as there is not a 3D object between the cursor and the .swf file.
2011-04-27 12:45:11
#2
Accepted Answer
Indeed - a SWF within a 3D scene can receive MouseMove events but only when it's at the top of the display stack. In theory you could devise a way to simulate geospatial readouts within a 3D scene, though it'd be a lot easier if the display element of the whole thing was outside the 3D scene, for example a form field on the PDF. Passing data out from a 3D material to the parent SWF is very simple in comparison to talking between two materials, and as we don't have billboards in 3D scenes, an in-world display would be difficult.
2011-04-27 15:10:02
#3
Thanks for the quick response. I agree with the display area being outside the 3D area in a form. I believe this is what the TerraGo 3D GeoPDFs do. I had been looking for a way to display the flash coordinates inside a form field outside the 3D area on the PDF, but I am not much of a programmer (graphic designer) and I had a bit more luck making a flash movie that displays coordinates than a form field in the PDF that did the same.
I have been drawing 2D cave maps in Illustrator and then exporting these maps as PDFs. I then open an existing, blank GeoPDF that has no images or layers with a text editor. Since I have the default units in Illustrator set to points, I know how to change the bounding boxes, transformation matrices and registration information in the blank GeoPDF to match the GIS information that corresponds with the Illustrator cave map.
So, I make the appropriate changes and save the GeoPDF text file. I then open the GeoPDF text file with Acrobat. Next, I either add the Illustrator cave map as a layer to the GeoPDF or I replace the GeoPDF page with the Illustrator cave map pdf. Either way, the geo-registration information remains intact. Using this method, I can do everything that the comparable TerraGo product does (I would argue that I can even do more). Of course, it takes me a lot more time. However, I have complete control of the process.
I just thought that it would be nice to add a 3D cave view to these 2D maps. I thought about editing an existing 3D GeoPDF in the same way with a text editor, but I don't feel that such a method is really feasible from a practical standpoint and I admit that I don't exactly understand how the 3D GeoPDFs are encoded.
P.S. Although, I do accept UVSAR's response as being the correct answer, I am going to go ahead and leave this post as being unanswered for awhile. I am just curious to see what others will post about either regular GeoPDFs or 3D GeoPDFs.
I have been drawing 2D cave maps in Illustrator and then exporting these maps as PDFs. I then open an existing, blank GeoPDF that has no images or layers with a text editor. Since I have the default units in Illustrator set to points, I know how to change the bounding boxes, transformation matrices and registration information in the blank GeoPDF to match the GIS information that corresponds with the Illustrator cave map.
So, I make the appropriate changes and save the GeoPDF text file. I then open the GeoPDF text file with Acrobat. Next, I either add the Illustrator cave map as a layer to the GeoPDF or I replace the GeoPDF page with the Illustrator cave map pdf. Either way, the geo-registration information remains intact. Using this method, I can do everything that the comparable TerraGo product does (I would argue that I can even do more). Of course, it takes me a lot more time. However, I have complete control of the process.
I just thought that it would be nice to add a 3D cave view to these 2D maps. I thought about editing an existing 3D GeoPDF in the same way with a text editor, but I don't feel that such a method is really feasible from a practical standpoint and I admit that I don't exactly understand how the 3D GeoPDFs are encoded.
P.S. Although, I do accept UVSAR's response as being the correct answer, I am going to go ahead and leave this post as being unanswered for awhile. I am just curious to see what others will post about either regular GeoPDFs or 3D GeoPDFs.