New release

Cortona3D RapidAuthor 2506: a new approach to creating composite illustrations, enhanced customization of PDF documentation, further integration with Teamcenter, and more

05 September 2025

Cortona3D is pleased to introduce the latest version of its technical documentation software suite, RapidAuthor 2506, which is targeted at the creation of high-quality 3D animated and traditional 2D technical documentation for manufacturing and after-sales support.

RapidAuthor 2506 introduces a lot of improvements in S1000D and DITA authoring, new publication features, and further integration with Teamcenter. As always, each new release offers a wide range of new time saving features. Several improvements are aimed at successful reuse of existing data, such as 2D illustrations and S1000D data modules originated from other authoring tools.

Data preparation: improved import of large CAD models

RapidAuthor 2506 introduces new settings for improving import performance of very large CAD models.

DITA Authoring: Further customization of PDF publications

We continue to work on expanding customization capabilities for the look & feel of PDF publications. New improvements allow you to define properties of multi-column pages, even and odd pages, and control illustration size and alignment.

*A sample of a two-column page customized using the rules.xml file*

S1000D authoring: New time saving features and support for ISO entities

Two frequently performed actions now take less time than before – creation of unique identifiers for data module elements and editing the forms containing references to a data module.

Existing data modules containing ISO character entities (Greek, Cyrillic, Math, etc.) can now be attached to RapidAuthor projects. Previously such data modules were not supported.

*A new command Assign Tag ID for quick generation of a unique ID.*

General authoring: Quick project search and protection from simultaneous editing

Projects can now be searched by name in the Open Project dialog, so you do not need to scroll through the project list any longer.

Projects are now protected from simultaneous editing in multiple instances of the authoring tools. This prevents data loss when multiple users work on the same project in a shared network workspace.

*Searching by project name in the Open Project dialog.*

Publishing: A new method for creating PDF publications

You can now select project illustrations for inclusion in the PDFs and define their order (applicable to RapidCatalog, RapidIllustrator, and Generic Procedure specification in RapidManual). Previously, all illustrations from the RapidAuthor project were included in the PDF document. Now you can create illustration, for example, a composite one, that will appear only in the PDF but not in the interactive HTML publication.

PDF parts catalogs can now contain separate tables for each illustration, making them easier to use (applicable to Generic IPC in RapidCatalog). Previously a single cumulative table was generated at the end of a PDF catalog.

Other improvements in publications include selection of appropriate rendering mode for background objects and improved zoom and rotation algorithms.

*A new checkbox indicating whether the image should be included in the PDF publication.*

2D Authoring: A new approach to creating composite illustrations

The composite illustrations functionality has been completely redesigned in this release and now offers greatly enhanced usability and features. A new approach allows you to combine, edit and update images much easier than before.

The raster editor now includes a simple multi-line text editor and brightness and contrast adjustment functions.
The new release makes it easy to reduce the number of points in polylines, helping to minimize file size.

We’ve also improved handling of 2D images from other authoring tools, adding support for 'no pen line' when importing illustrations from IsoDraw and a quick option to fit picture extents to the bounding box of visible geometry.

*A new Composite Image window for creating composite illustrations.*

Integration with Teamcenter: numerous authoring improvements and new time-saving features

The key improvements in the integration of RapidAuthor with Teamcenter are as follows:
RapidAuthor client: Clone functionality for DITA and generic content.
RapidCompiler: Scheduling import, update, distribute and other operation using workflow tasks. Notification in Active Workspace for completed tasks
Improved RapidAuthor Client launch mechanism without downloading a temporary file, resulting in a faster and more seamless startup experience.
Active Workspace: Improved dialog for creating Cortona3D S1000D items to align with the behavior and structure of the Rich Client. The new interface minimizes user errors and ensures consistency in object naming and ID generation.

*Improved dialog window for creating Cortona3D S1000D items.*

For more detailed information, you can explore the full release notes and download the new version of RapidAuthor 2506.

Cortona3D invites you to attend a special webinar where the team will dive deeper into the new features and capabilities of RapidAuthor 2506. The team will demonstrate how these enhancements can benefit your organization and answer any questions you may have. Don't miss this opportunity to explore the latest advancements in technical documentation software. The exact date and time of the webinar will be announced soon. Stay tuned!

For more information about the product

Full list of new features →
Request evaluation version of 2506 →