PDF Week Boston 2025 - Key Takeaways for 3D PDF Users

PDF Week Boston 2025 kicked off at the historic Concord Colonial Inn, uniting PDF Association members and ISO delegates for a day of in-depth technical dialogue. Hosted by the PDF Association (PDFA), the week-long event focused on advancing all facets of PDF technology—from accessibility and forms to digital signatures, archival formats, and rich media and much more.

The key takeaways were from Day 1, which was especially relevant for those working with 3D PDF and its engineering and manufacturing applications. Anark, a member of the PDF Association and provider of best-in-class 3D PDF publishing software, participated in support of the continued evolution of PDF standards to meet the demands of technical data publishing and collaboration. 

3D PDF & Engineering Use Cases

During the 3D PDF Technical Working Group (TWG), experts explored the integration of 3D models into PDF documents, with a focus on practical engineering and manufacturing use cases. The conversation highlighted how 3D PDF serves as a bridge between complex CAD data and a wide variety of downstream users who need to view, interpret, or act on product information—without needing access to native CAD tools.

A key part of this discussion was the alignment of 3D PDF publishing with ASME Y14 standards, which govern the definition and display of Model-Based Definition (MBD) data, including how Product Manufacturing Information (PMI) is represented. Participants emphasized the value of visual response mechanisms—such as isolating, highlighting, or sequencing PMI in 3D views—to make critical tolerances, datum features, and inspection requirements immediately clear to viewers in engineering, manufacturing operations, quality inspection, and supplier roles.

Standardized 3D PDF documents, when combined with other standards such as STEP, QIF, glTF and more—can enhance communication and traceability across model-based workflows. When the right publishing tools are used, 3D PDFs are more than just viewables—they’re structured technical data packages that drive understanding, reduce errors, and accelerate manufacturing processes.

PDF Forms

During the PDF Forms TWG, participants reviewed the current capabilities of interactive forms in the PDF 2.0 specification. Key discussions focused on refining form field behaviors, enhancing accessibility, and ensuring consistent performance across platforms. The group also considered potential updates to improve user interaction and data validation.

This topic holds particular relevance for 3D PDF applications, as it may eventually offer alternatives to JavaScript-based functionality. However, such a transition remains a long-term prospect. In the near term, the priority is to define form requirements that align with the needs of engineering and manufacturing workflows—ensuring compatibility with the next generation of 3D PDFs. 

PDF Actions

In the context of creating interactive PDFs, especially 3D PDFs, Actions are predefined behaviors or scripts that execute when a user interacts with specific elements within the PDF. Actions were discussed to best support the ASME Y14 visual response requirements of 3D PDF for the foreseeable future. These interactions are important because they significantly enhance the user experience by turning static PDF documents into interactive and engaging 3D PDFs. In fact, the “i” in 3Di PDFs referenced in MIL-STD-31000B stands for “interactive”.

Deriving HTML from PDF

The TWG on deriving HTML from PDF explored the challenges and best practices involved in converting PDF documents into HTML. Discussions focused on preserving structural integrity, maintaining semantic meaning, and ensuring accessibility throughout the conversion process. The session emphasized the critical role of accurate tagging and metadata in enabling smooth transitions between formats.

While this capability offers significant potential—particularly for 2D PDFs—its application to interactive 3D PDF content remains uncertain. Basic 3D visualization in a browser may be achievable, but replicating the full interactivity that gives 3D PDF its value poses a substantial challenge. Fortunately, Anark offers a web-based solution that goes beyond traditional 3D PDF, enabling more advanced and scalable collaboration around engineering data.

ISO TC 171 SC 2 WG 7 (Engineering/3D)

The ISO TC 171 SC 2 WG 7 meeting focused on the standardization of 3D content within PDFs for engineering applications. The working group reviewed current standards, identified areas for improvement, and discussed the integration of formats like STEP and glTF to enhance interoperability and data exchange in engineering workflows.

Conclusion

PDF Week 2025 set a collaborative tone for 3D PDF, fostering meaningful dialogue among professionals dedicated to advancing PDF technologies. The sessions underscored the importance of innovation and standardization in ensuring that PDFs continue to meet the evolving needs of users across various industries.

For more information on how 3D PDF is applied to Engineering and Manufacturing, Contact Anark and ask about the eBook from the PDF Association we helped develop entitled "PDF in Manufacturing - The future of 3D documentation - 2020"