Desktop Engineering has posted word that UGS (the big CAD/PLM software company) is joining with Adobe (you know who they are) to get 3D files out and about via their PDF format. From the UGS press release:

PLANO, Texas and SAN JOSE, Calif. – UGS Corp., a leading global provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services, and Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced a technology partnership to enable manufacturing organizations worldwide to tap into the industry’s vast reservoir of 3D digital product models – stored in the widely adopted JT data format – and publish them as Adobe® PDF files.

“Widely adopted JT data format”? Maybe in some industries, but I don’t often hear of it. Guess I need to investigate this a little more, because I know how often people use the .pdf format to communicate long distance. Interesting development.