PDF 2.0 adds glTF model support
A new ISO extension to PDF 2.0 adds PDF support for the Khronos Group’s glTF 3D format.
On April 1, 2024 the ISO published Technical Specification ISO/TS 32007:2004 Document management – Portable Document Format – RichMedia annotations conforming to glTF assets adding a new PDF 2.0 extension providing glTF 3D model support to PDF 2.0.
BUSINESS NOTE
glTF (WebGL for transmission formats) is a modern file format for 3D scenes and models that is now standardized by ISO for use in PDF 2.0 files. This capability allows the many industries that use glTF as their preferred format to integrate this technology with standalone documents, including for long-term preservation.
BUSINESS NOTE
glTF (WebGL for transmission formats) is a modern file format for 3D scenes and models that is now standardized by ISO for use in PDF 2.0 files. This capability allows the many industries that use glTF as their preferred format to integrate this technology with standalone documents, including for long-term preservation.
glTF is an open, royalty-free 3D asset delivery format designed and managed by the Khronos Group, a Standards Developing Organization (SDO). glTF 2.0 was published as the ISO/IEC 12113:2022 International Standard.
PDF 2.0 therefore now supports four 3D formats:
- U3D, as defined by ECMA-363, Universal 3D File Format, 3rd Edition (U3D), June 2006
- PRC, as defined by ISO 14739-1:2014 Document management — 3D use of Product Representation Compact (PRC) format — Part 1: PRC 10001
- STEP AP 242, as defined by ISO 10303-242, Industrial automation systems and integration — Product data representation and exchange — Part 242: Application protocol: Managed model-based 3D engineering
- glTF 2.0 as defined by ISO/IEC 12113:2022 Information technology — Runtime 3D asset delivery format — Khronos glTF™ 2.0
All four interactive 3D visualization model formats utilize PDF 2.0’s RichMedia annotation framework, but for PDF 1.6 and PDF 1.7 files only the U3D format is available for use with 3D annotations.
If your organization or documents could benefit from adopting glTF models in PDF then be sure to speak with your PDF vendor to confirm their support schedule for ISO/TS 32007.
Draft specifications for extensions to PDF 2.0 are available to members of the PDF Association through our Category A liaison with ISO for review and comment by technical developers. Developers can also discuss these extensions in the PDF Association's 3D PDF or RichMedia Technical Working Groups.