This document describes the Meridian source file viewing capabilities. Meridian integrates with Oracle AutoVue to provide functionality for source documents such as viewing, text content indexing, annotations, PDF rendering, and hotspots. For information about AutoVue 3D support, see the AutoVue 3D FAQ.
Meridian is currently available as a cloud (SaaS) offering as well as an on-premises application. This document only relates to on-premises installations of Meridian. Since Meridian Cloud does not include AutoVue support, Meridian Cloud is not affected.
AutoVue has become a significant limiting factor within our customer’s IT landscape due to a number of reasons:
- AutoVue relies on Java, which:
- is not available in many customers’ desktop deployments
- limits the web browsers that customers can use (Internet Explorer only)
- complicates requirements for multiple specific versions of Java with AutoVue and other 3rd party desktop products (if Java is allowed at all)
- increases total cost of ownership (TCO) due to the additional desktop client installation requirements, maintenance, and support
- Oracle has discontinued Java SE 8 public updates for "Business, Commercial or Production use." The only way to continue to receive updates is to enter into a commercial license agreement directly with Oracle. For complete details, see Java Download, Oracle Java SE Licensing FAQ, and Oracle Technology Network License Agreement for Oracle Java SE.
- A significant number of support issues are being raised around the technology.
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- AutoVue often lags behind in its support for current versions of CAD authoring applications.
This document explains how Meridian will provide high quality alternative options for viewing, rendering, content indexing, annotations, and support for hotspots to our existing and new customers with PDF viewing capabilities.
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These statements are being made as of September 5, 2019, and we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist or change after the date on which they were made. If this article is reviewed after September 5, 2019, these statements may no longer contain current or accurate information.
What is the situation today with Meridian 2018 & earlier releases?
Meridian Enterprise customers have implemented AutoVue with either a desktop deployment or a client/server deployment. Desktop deployment involved the installation of the AutoVue client (32-bit only) on the same workstation as the PowerUser client. This allowed the 32-bit PowerUser to display source documents utilizing the locally installed AutoVue. The desktop deployment of AutoVue does not support 64-bit PowerUser nor the web clients, PowerWeb and Meridian Explorer. The client/server deployment of AutoVue was used to support the 64-bit PowerUser and web clients. Note that the web clients supported this integration through ActiveX controls, hence only when using Internet Explorer. In this deployment, AutoVue is a Java applet within the Java runtime on the local workstation that displays documents that are rendered by an AutoVue servlet (a component on a remote Java server, such as Apache Tomcat). All Meridian clients utilize the Java applet to view or render documents with both desktop and client/server deployments of AutoVue.
What will happen with Meridian 2019?
Starting with the Meridian 2019 release, AutoVue 2D Professional will no longer be included in the Meridian setup program. Meridian will continue to support the integration of AutoVue as a pluggable viewer in PowerWeb when used with Internet Explorer and with PowerUser. This applies to new customers.
For existing customers that have used a previous Meridian release(s) that included AutoVue and desire to continue using AutoVue with Meridian 2019, a separate installation package named AutoVue Setup for Meridian is available. Customers and partners are able to download this installation package from the Accruent portal along with installation instructions.
How will this impact new Meridian 2019 customers?
New customers that purchase Meridian 2019 for on-premises deployment will not receive AutoVue software with their Meridian installation package. If the customer needs AutoVue as a viewer for source files, then the customer will need to purchase the AutoVue software and licenses directly from Oracle. Meridian 2019 will maintain the integration capabilities so that AutoVue may be integrated by customers on their own. The customer will be responsible for the installation and configuration of AutoVue.
Note that as of January 2019, Oracle is beginning to charge a fee/subscription for use of Java Runtime on user’s workstations and for the AutoVue Java server applet. This is in addition to the cost of AutoVue.
Since AutoVue is a 32-bit application and uses ActiveX components, this integration is available for the web clients when using the Internet Explorer browser, PowerWeb client, and Meridian Explorer web client, as well as the 32-bit version of PowerUser. Please recall that the PowerUser has been deprecated and may not be supported in the future.
Situation for Meridian 2021 R3 and later
The AutoVue 2D and AutoVue 3D integration implemented in Meridian 2021 R2 will remain available but we no longer test or maintain it.
How will this impact existing customers with Meridian 2018 & earlier?
Existing Meridian on-premises customers that already have AutoVue 2D Professional licenses as part of their previous Meridian purchase or have previously purchased additional AutoVue 2D/3D licenses from Accruent, will be able to continue using AutoVue software as before. Note that the usage of AutoVue that has been acquired from Accruent is only available for use within a Meridian client.
For customers that have licensed Meridian 2018 (including 2018 R2) or earlier, Accruent will continue to deliver new versions and patches of AutoVue that are compatible with Meridian.
Before upgrading from 2018 R2 and earlier releases of Meridian, we recommend that customers save proof of their AutoVue licenses they purchased from Accruent in case this information is required by Oracle:
- Make a screenshot of the Licenses page in Meridian Enterprise Administrator that is described in Viewing current license usage.
- Make a copy of the file C:\Program Files\BC-Meridian\Program\AM-Meridian.lic and store it in a safe place.
When upgrading from 2018 R2 and earlier releases of Meridian, customers and partners may download a separate setup package that includes only AutoVue. This separate setup package (AutoVue Setup for Meridian - MSI installation of Oracle AutoVue 2D for use with Meridian) can be found in the customer and partner portal. Installation of AutoVue is described in Installing AutoVue and needs no additional licenses to function within Meridian.
AutoVue may be used for viewing documents with the Meridian clients and also as a rendering engine with Meridian Enterprise Server. For an overview, see Integrate AutoVue with Accruent products and also Configure the AutoVue rendering module options.
Please note the following limitations of AutoVue:
- AutoVue is a 32-bit application and with the desktop deployment uses ActiveX components. This integration is available for the PowerWeb client and Meridian Explorer client when using the Internet Explorer browser as well as the 32-bit version of PowerUser. AutoVue may also be deployed on a server without using ActiveX but it still needs Java.
- PowerUser has been deprecated and may not be supported in the future.
If customers are using AutoVue in a client/server deployment, Oracle now charges a fee/subscription for both the Java Runtime on user’s workstations and for the AutoVue Java server applet, and this additional cost for using AutoVue should be considered.
Can existing customers add AutoVue licenses?
| Before upgrade | After upgrade | Additional AutoVue licenses required |
|---|---|---|
|
|
0 |
|
|
20 |
|
|
0 |
|
|
20 |
|
|
0 |
|
|
20 |
|
|
0 |
|
|
20 |
When existing customers add Meridian licenses, is AutoVue included?
Existing Meridian customers may add to their number of Meridian licenses. Some of the Meridian licenses, such as PowerUser and Publisher, have historically included a license of AutoVue. With the change in the agreement with Oracle, AutoVue licenses will no longer be included when existing customers purchase additional Meridian licenses. Customer may arrange with Accruent to add Meridian licenses, but licenses and maintenance for any additions to existing AutoVue software will need to be purchased by the customer directly from Oracle. If customers are using AutoVue in a client/server deployment, Oracle now charges a fee/subscription for both the Java Runtime on user’s workstations and for the AutoVue Java server applet, and this additional cost for using AutoVue should be considered.
What happens when Oracle updates AutoVue?
Updates and patches to the AutoVue software by Oracle will be made available via the Accruent Community Portal to existing Meridian customers that were previously supplied AutoVue. These AutoVue updates and patches will need to be downloaded, tested and installed by the customer (as was previously the case).
What is the future vision for viewing engineering documents?
Accruent is committed to the improvement of Meridian for all users. Meridian for on-premises customers will continue to provide the best-in-class, engineering-focused document management solution with benefits for users from all parts of the organization; from maintenance and operations, to engineering and design, to contractors and EPCs. Meridian will continue to provide PDF viewing built into the various clients.
With more and more customers adopting web and cloud applications, the development focus is on providing a solution to view engineering documents using modern and generally accepted technologies which do not require installed components.
Meridian now includes the PDFTron technology for viewing PDF renditions for all users, from internal maintenance and operations using the Meridian Explorer web client, to designers and reviewers using the PowerWeb client, to external contractors and EPCs using the Meridian Portal web client. Meridian will continue to provide high quality PDF viewing going forward.
The Meridian users that need to reference engineering data prefer to view and interact with the PDF renditions of these complex engineering documents. The PDF rendition becomes the document of record. There are many technical benefits to using PDF renditions such as consistent viewing and printing across platforms and browsers; the PDF format has a long history and is maintained which provides value now and reliability in the future; the PDF format is often much smaller than the source file; and many more.
The users that need to interact with the source CAD files, such as designers and engineers, already have robust CAD tools to create, modify and display the original CAD files. Designers and engineers will continue to utilize these tools to interact with the native CAD files. Meridian also makes the viewing of PDF renditions available to this group of users.
What is the future vision for rendering engineering documents to PDF?
Meridian will continue to provide excellent PDF rendering capabilities going forward. Meridian now includes several technologies in Publisher to render various source file formats, including CAD, to PDF renditions. Meridian will continue to provide quality PDF rendering tools going forward for the file formats that are most important for our customers.
Accruent Research and Development is looking into other ways of generating PDF renditions, including cloud options, which allow for dynamic workload scaling during peak times such as project handover or bulk imports. In addition, hotspot support for PDF renditions is actively being researched. This functionality will be of great value to users in the field. For example, while looking at a PDF rendition of a P&ID, the user will be able to click on a pump and see all the relevant documentation. We are also investigating the 3D PDF capabilities that are expected to be forthcoming in the PDFTron technology.
Our customers are telling us that they are receiving and using BIM models more than ever. Accruent is now investigating IFC viewing, which has become the de-facto standard in the BIM world. Options for displaying the source file are still being researched and may leverage cloud resources.
Summary
Below is a summary of how each of the following features relate to different releases of Meridian.
|
Feature |
Meridian 2018 & earlier releases |
Meridian 2019 & future releases |
Future Vision |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Viewing of native 2D CAD files |
AutoVue 2D software was supplied and licensed with Meridian PowerUser and PowerWeb licenses only. |
AutoVue software and/or licenses are not included with Meridian. Existing customers can continue to use legacy AutoVue as an add-in with restrictions. For existing customers, the AutoVue Setup for Meridian is available from Accruent as a software download. |
Cloud technologies being considered for viewing of Office and 2D models. Potential for partners to add/integrate additional viewers.
|
|
Viewing of native 3D CAD files |
AutoVue 3D was not included with Meridian. Going forward, AutoVue 3D can be purchased by customer from Oracle and integrated with Meridian on-premises clients. |
AutoVue 3D will not be included with Meridian. AutoVue 3D can be purchased by customer from Oracle and integrated with Meridian on-premises clients. |
Cloud technologies being considered for viewing 3D CAD and BIM models. Potential for partners to add/integrate additional viewers.
|
|
Viewing of PDF Renditions |
PDFTron viewer. |
PDFTron viewer.
|
PDFTron viewer. Based on market input, we are looking to expand viewer capabilities with measuring and layer support.
|
|
Compare PDF Rendition |
AutoVue and PDFTron supported PDF compare. PDFTron viewer compares files side-by-side. |
PDFTron viewer to compare files highlighting deleted & added items.
|
PDFTron viewer to compare highlighting deleted & added items.
|
|
Creating PDF Renditions |
AutoVue PDF rendering supported for existing customers. Teigha for DWG & DGN. Pluggable rendering engines can be added, such as authoring applications (customer licensed). |
Teigha for DWG & DGN. Pluggable rendering engines can be added, such as authoring applications (customer licensed).
|
Add Document Pipeline (Publisher in the cloud) functionality which supports rendering of multiple formats including 2D and 3D CAD files, MS Office.
|
|
Content Indexing |
AutoVue supported content indexing. Meridian-provided content indexing for DWG & DGN. Customer supplied iFilters. |
Meridian-provided indexing for DWG & DGN. Customer supplied iFilters. For new customers, AutoVue indexing supported as customer purchased & licensed plug-in. Existing customer can use their current version of AutoVue.
|
New search capability with source formats supported as default.
|
|
Annotations |
AutoVue and PDFTron annotations supported. |
PDFTron annotations are default. AutoVue annotations supported as customer licensed plug-in for Meridian.
|
PDF annotations for 2D CAD. Other technologies being considered for 3D CAD.
|
|
Hotspots |
AutoVue supported hotspots. |
AutoVue supported hotspots as customer licensed plug-in.
|
Full PDF hotspot support. |
|
Layers |
AutoVue supported CAD layers. |
PDFTron to support CAD layers in future release. |
PDFTron to support CAD layers in future release.
|
|
Measuring |
AutoVue supported measuring in 2D and 3D CAD files. |
PDFTron to support measure in future release. |
PDFTron to support measure in future release.
|
