Highlighting specific components in a graphic in a PDF

[Shlomo Perets]

Carla,

You wrote:

>Situation:
>- Maintenance Manual for a printer.
>- Framemaker 8 source files on WinXP.
>- 2-D exploded diagram graphics pulled from the CAD system. Each diagram
>has parts from multiple kits in it. Files created in CorelDraw and/or
>Illustrator.
>- Documents distributed via PDFs on a CD, although they are also
>formatted for print.
>- Currently using Acrobat 8 Pro.
>
>The product manager wants the writer (not me) to draw boxes around the
>various parts in the exploded diagram to highlight what's in specific
>kits. (Never mind that the components of each kit are called out in
>another section, with their own graphics..)
>
>Instead of doing this and crowding up a graphic that already has bunches
>of parts and lines, I'm thinking that there is a way to create a graphic
>that when we mouse over a legend indicating different kit numbers, the
>appropriate parts will highlight in the PDF.
>
>Any suggestions?


As Baruch indicated, Acrobat form fields or layers may be used with 2D 
graphics.

Another option (which may actually be simpler to implement) is to use 3D data
from the CAD system and integrate it as live 3D in the PDF.

In http://www.microtype.com/showcase/3DAsst/PartEmphasis-3d.pdf
(which happens to demonstrate a printer ink cartridge), clicking a name
in a list highlights the corresponding part.

In http://www.microtype.com/showcase/3DAsst/SearchPartName.pdf ,
clicking a part displays its name; searching for a part name (complete or
partial, eg "plate") highlights the matching part(s).


Shlomo Perets

MicroType, http://www.microtype.com
Training, consulting & add-ons: FrameMaker, Structured FM and Acrobat