Wiley Mastering Autodesk Navisworks 2012
Contents
1. FILEAGGREGATION 43 File Aggregation The building industry has expanded and become more technically diverse over the last few decades As a result there are a plethora of design and engineering applications aimed at solv ing their own small piece of the building puzzle Couple that with the fact that each of these applications has its own unique file format and you can quickly see how managing these files becomes a challenge This is where Navisworks shines by allowing the user to combine these disparate files into a composite model thereby removing the interoperability challenges of the numerous formats In this section we ll explore the concept of aggregating these various file formats and ways to automate the creation of the composite model As you read through this section think about a current or past project and start to identify the different file types or disciplines that make up the model Doing so will help you understand all of the moving pieces in most projects and will also make the exercises much more relevant and speed up your mastery of Navisworks Whether you re using a native NWC or NWD file or bringing in one of the numerous CAD formats opening files is the first step to creating your composite model Navisworks is an intui tive program so you ll notice that there is more than one way to accomplish most tasks By design this flexibility is designed to accommodate most users habits and keep the l2. Print Print Print Send byj NWD DWF FBX Google Image Rendered Animation Piranesi Preview Settings Email DWFx Earth KML Image EPix Print Send Publish Export Scene Visuals Navisworks will first save your file and then open a blank message from your current mail delivery application The Navisworks file will be attached to this message and ready to be sent off If you re working with NWF files the send feature will transmit just the NWF portion of your project Make sure all email recipients have access to the original source files when you send your project otherwise they won t be able to reference any of the geometry FILEAGGREGATION 53 RECEIVING FILES Receiving Navisworks files is similar to most types of email attachments Follow these steps to configure and open emailed files 1 Download the attached Navisworks file to a designated storage space on your computer 2 Double click the file icon to start Navisworks or open Navisworks and open the file using the Open command 3 If receiving an NWF file Navisworks will search for the referenced original source data files using the relative path that was saved in the original NWF file As a best practice consider using a common convention with the file hierarchy and drive letter on all proj ects Even without a server to distribute files Navisworks can still locate files based on the common naming conventions in the local folders 4 If Navisworks can t locat
3. 3 Now that your batch test is fully configured click the Schedule Command button toward the bottom of the Batch Utility dialog box Before configuring the schedule tasks Navisworks wants you to save your task file In the Save dialog box select your desired location and enter a name for this file Click Save The Scheduled Task dialog box opens and depending on your computer s security pro file it may ask for your login and password You can also change the task name to suit your own naming conventions Figure 2 25 FIGURE 2 25 E Schedule Task Scheduled Task login Name Task name Navisworks Batch Utility Task 1 Security Run as the following user User ADS admin Password OBJECTENABLERS 57 4 Once your login is validated Navisworks displays a separate window where you ll con figure the schedule 5 Choose the Schedule tab Click the New button to define a new task as shown in Figure 2 26 FIGURE 2 26 Navisworks Batch Utility Task 1 Click New on the Saal Scheie aa Schedule tab 1 At 9 00 AM every day starting 9 27 2010 New _Detete _ Schedule Task Start time Dat J som E Schedule Task Daily Every 1 al day s Show multiple schedules 6 Specify the times and frequency for the batch test runs and then click OK In addition to the standard Batch utility interface Navisworks allows you to use DOS comm
4. lar ecosystem The security features allow the file to be accessed only with the proper pass word and or for a designated timeframe before expiring and becoming useless Published files are only available as an NWD so there is no need to worry about your source files being mishandled In our collaborative environment published files are becoming an integral part of the design review process to help manage the multiple versions of documents By limiting the timeframe for access to these models you can greatly reduce the chance that users will accidentally refer ence an out of date model Also publishing files is an extremely useful procedure for periodic archiving of the project files to ensure that no changes are made to the project snapshot PUBLISHING OPTIONS Navisworks provides several options for users who want to publish their files Here are the basic steps 1 Select the green application icon in the upper left corner and from the drop down list choose Publish Alternatively you can access the Publish command from the Output tab in the ribbon as shown in Figure 2 17 FIGURE 2 17 E OG es ga Autodesk Navisworks Accessing the ya Home Viewpoint Review Animation View Vault o Publish command m from the ribbon a Cal a EN Co aa w lee Q Print Print Print Send by Preview Settings Email Send NWD DWF FBX Google Image Rendered Animation Piranesi DWFx Earth KML Image EPix Print Publish Export Scene Visual
5. a single file Historically Navisworks has been updated on a yearly cycle that also includes updating the file format While Navisworks can read older versions users who haven t yet updated to the newer release may not be able to open the most current file format To allow these users to view the newer files you need to save down to an earlier version Here s how 1 Select the green application icon in the upper left corner of the screen and choose Save As from the list 2 In the Save As dialog box choose the appropriate file type NWF or NWD and version Figure 2 16 FIGURE 2 16 Navisworks nwd r Navisworks File Set nw Navisworks for Navisworks 2011 nwd mats available for Navisworks 2011 File Set nwf z Navisworks 2010 nwd saving to Navisworks 2010 File Set nwA All Files 3 Enter the appropriate filename and location and choose Save 50 CHAPTER2 FILES AND FILE TYPES Publishing Files Periodically you may want to share your Navisworks file with others As an added layer of reassurance Navisworks has several security features that should put to rest any fears about your file falling into the wrong hands The publishing command in Navisworks allows users to embed additional document information including file password protection and file expiration Why You SHOULD USE THE PUBLISH COMMAND The Publish feature is primarily used when sharing files outside of an organization s regu
6. in your DWG file Default Font This option allows you to define which font you want to use for the converted text There is no predefined list for this option rather you need to type in the name of the font you wish to use Convert Point Clouds DWG files that have embedded point clouds entities will only dis play if this box is checked This option is separate from the laser scan point cloud readers Point Cloud Detail This option allows you to specify the density of the point cloud Values are between 1 and 100 where 100 is the maximum density To assist with performance issues NAVISWORKS FILE TYPES 39 when working with larger point clouds you might want to reduce this value to speed the conversion process Use Point Cloud Colors Certain point clouds contain native color coding of points Unchecking this box will ignore these colors and default to the color profile specified in AutoCAD DWG Loader Version When working with DWG files that utilize ObjectDBX this option allows you to specify which version to use when loading files This feature is useful when configuring certain DWG object enablers You ll learn more later in this chapter in the section Object Enablers Load Material Definitions Select this option to extract material definitions from DWG files Use ADT Standard Configuration This option converts geometry and materials in your DWG file using the standard display configuration Convert Hidden ADT Spaces In c
7. is resaved it will remember the new location for these files Also it should be noted that Navisworks uses a relative path structure when saving files If your project folder contains several subfolders for the various disciplines Architect MEP Engineer Structural Engineer etc you can share this project folder without breaking any of the links 34 CHAPTER2 FILES AND FILE TYPES FIGURE 2 2 Original Source Data files opened in Navisworks Typical project and converted to NWC file format workflow Architecture MEP Structure Civil Existing Revit DWG DWG DWG Scan file NWC NWC NWC NWC NWC a U Ss o gt 2 Ti A Master Navisworks File Published 2 NWF NWD 8 13 10 Published NWD 8 6 10 Published NWD 7 30 10 Published NWD 7 23 10 FIGURE 2 3 The Resolve Can t resolve external reference dialog box igate Demo Dataset MEP Services Meadowgate Services First Floor Ductwork dwd Ignore ignore All Cancel File Readers File readers allow Navisworks to open and append additional file types from a variety of design and engineering applications When you open a 3D model in Navisworks the appropriate file reader is loaded automatically and all model geometry and associated metadata is incorporated into your scene NAVISWORKS SUPPORTED FORMATS In addition to the native file formats NWD NWC and NWF Navisworks can read ov
8. list 5 In the area on the right select the appropriate DWG loader version or the file version of your DWG Here s an easy way to think about this Say the DWG file you re trying to load in Navisworks was created in AutoCAD MEP 2010 To open the file install the AutoCAD MEP amp Architecture 2010 Enabler In Navisworks set the DWG loader version to 2010 6 Before opening the model in Navisworks make sure that all previous NWC files that are referencing the DWG files have been deleted Remember Navisworks will load the NWC file if there are no changes to the DWG file In other words even if you have the object enabler configured properly Navisworks will ignore it as long as the NWC file is current Deleting the NWC files will force Navisworks to read the DWG file with the proper object enablers and re cache the NWC files The Bottom Line Understand Navisworks file formats Having a complete understanding of the different file formats is important The 3D files are the building blocks for any successful Navisworks project Take time to fully understand file formats before moving ahead Master It What are the three native file formats that Navisworks uses What is the ad vantage of using the NWF format rather than the NWD Open and append files Appending and merging files is the proper way to create highly complex yet intelligent 3D models Aggregating and sharing this information with a larger audience helps drive efficiency and in
9. nwc Meadowgate Services Ground Foor Ductwork Meadowgate Services Ground Floor Ductwork d Meadowgate Services Ground Floor Ductwork Meadowgate Services Ground Foor Pipework Meadowgate Services Ground Floor Pipework dy Meadowgate Services Ground Floor Pipework nv All Files C z Meadowgate Services Plantroom nwc gt lt Add File Spec Add Files E Documents NAVISWORKS Examples Legally Released Full Access Meadowgate Navisworks Mead E Documents NAVISWORKS Examples Legally Released Full Access Meadowgate Navisworks Mead E Documents NAVISWORKS Examples Legally Released Full Access Meadowgate Navisworks Mead E Documents NAVISWORKS Examples Legally Released Full Access Meadowgate Navisworks Mead E Documents NAVISWORKS Examples Legally Released Full Access Meadowgate Navisworks Mead lt m r Remove ltem Remove All Output The output area specifies where the completed file will be saved In Navisworks you have two options for this output The first the As Single File tab allows for a single file to be saved to specific folder as shown in Figure 2 22 This tab lets you save your file as an NWD file NWF file or a file list TXT FIGURE 2 22 Output As Single File out put options As Single File As Multiple Files Output to file list C Autodesk Meadowgate Completenwd W View file on out
10. to accept the changes or click Cancel to return to the Export Scene As dialog box FIGURE 2 6 Choose Navis works 2012 from the External Tools gt e panel in Revit Modify External Tools _ Select Navisworks 2012 Navisworks SwitchBack es Co EG S EXPORTER NOT FUNCTIONING If the Export button for the Navisworks exporter is not displayed properly in the Add ins tab check to make sure the NWC File Export Utility is installed correctly For an unavailable grayed out button make sure you have exited from all active commands in Revit Also make sure you re in a 3D model view The export feature will not work when you re viewing schedules quantities or other nongraphical data If you installed any AutoCAD based application after installing the NWC File Export Utility you need to update the exporter plug ins to reflect these changes To export NWC files from AutoCAD based applications the NWC File Export Utility installs ARX plug ins for any AutoCAD based product such as AutoCAD Civil 3D AutoCAD MEP AutoCAD Plant 3D or AutoCAD Architecture This utility is available for any AutoCAD plat form from the 2004 release on 42 CHAPTER2 FILES AND FILE TYPES FIGURE 2 7 Navisworks aT 5 F General onvert construction parts Options Editor for Merea Convert element Ids ode Revit 4 File Readers Convert element parameters Convert element properties Convertlinked
11. will require an object enabler to display the geometry properly This requirement tends to be consistent for most DWG files generated in applications other than standard AutoCAD Your scene statistics will also indi cate whether any object enablers are missing in your model You can access the Scene Statistics dialog box by doing the following In the ribbon navigate to the Home tab and in the Project panel select the drop down arrow as shown in Figure 2 28 Navisworks opens the Scene Statistics dialog box If object enablers are missing from the current scene they will be recorded in the list along with which file they are missing from Figure 2 29 FIGURE 2 28 Accessing Scene Statistics from the ribbon E Refresh ie Reset All B File Options M Project Append Locating and Configuring an Object Enabler Object enablers can usually be located from the appropriate software vendors For Autodesk products the object enablers can be found here ww autodesk com oe Selecting object enablers can be a little tricky When downloading the object enabler choose the enabler that best matches the program you wish to view the file with For Navisworks this will be vanilla or plain AutoCAD As you ll recall Navisworks can view DWG files without any custom objects so you want to create a translator that allows AutoCAD to view those files In turn Navisworks will also be able to view those files FIGURE 2 29 Missing object enabl
12. Chapter 2 Files and File Types Chapter 1 Getting to Know Autodesk Navisworks introduced you to the basics of the Autodesk Navisworks interface In this chapter we ll cover the principles of the various file types and the process of aggregating these disparate files together to create a single whole proj ect view of your model By bringing together geometry and data from multidisciplinary teams you can explore and review complex models in real time One of the most important things you can do to become proficient at Navisworks is get a firm grasp on file types and the process of how they are aggregated File aggregation is one of the core strengths of Navisworks and one that is the foundation for all the features you ll discover in the following chapters After all this is how you bring your project together Spend some time with these concepts and you ll be far more successful In this chapter you ll learn to Understand Navisworks file formats Open and append various files Configure object enablers Navisworks File Types The power of Navisworks rests in its ability to open files originated from a variety of design and engineering applications and its capacity to then share and coordinate these different file types into a single data rich intelligent model The composite model of aggregated files can then be selectively available or viewed by all parties involved to enhance the design review and coor dination process In a
13. Creating Visualizations with Autodesk Navisworks Embed Database Properties This option allows data from external databases to be acces sible in published files for users without access to the database For more on database linking see Chapter 13 Other Useful Autodesk Navisworks Tools Prevent Object Property Export This option masks the object properties of the file when published You can share model geometry without fear of disclosing sensitive metadata that might compromise your intellectual property Emailing Files Working in a collaborative environment sometimes requires that files be distributed to diverse groups Email is an efficient way to quickly reach out to external project teams and third party consultants who may not have access to a corporate network or server The Navisworks file for mat while useful for collaboration and security features is also ideal for email due to its small file size SENDING FILES In Navisworks you can send your current scene either NWD or NWF to a dispersed group very efficiently using these steps 1 Select the green application icon in the upper left corner of the screen 2 Choose Send By Email from the drop down menu You can also access this command in the Send area of the Output tab on the ribbon as shown in Figure 2 19 FIGURE 2 19 ke ae aS eA Autodesk Navisworks Choosing Send By an Home Viewpoint Review Animation View Vault o Emailin the ribbon A Q El O m w le Q
14. GGREGATION 45 OPEN via URL In addition to opening files from a local or network drive you can open files from a web server using the Open URL command Here s how 1 Select the Open command under the green application icon in the upper left corner Choose Open URL from the list 2 In the Open URL dialog box shown in Figure 2 11 enter the appropriate web server address and click OK A sample model is available for training purposes here http download autodesk com us navisworks Brewery nwd FIGURE 2 11 Open URL dialog box Currently this function only works with web servers that require no authentication so only unsecured files can be accessed via the URL command at this time Appending Files Complex models may consist of multiple files from a variety of file formats and disciplines The Append command allows you to build up your scene and create a composite model which will provide the whole project view of your plan The Append command functions almost identically to the Open command but instead of opening a new file all existing files remain open in Navisworks while the new model is added to the overall scene To use the Append command do the following 1 Start Navisworks and open a file 2 To append another file to this scene click the Append button on the left side of the Home tab Figure 2 12 FIGURE 2 12 Append menu Project v 3 In the Append dialog box select the appropriate file type f
15. Options gt Model gt Performance gt On Load To refresh the model click the Refresh button in the Project area of the Home tab as shown in Figure 2 15 or use the default keyboard shortcut F5 Navisworks will compare the original source files to the existing NWC files and update if the source files are newer FIGURE 2 15 Refresh menu O rer vy Reset All 7 File Options Project v 48 CHAPTER2 FILES AND FILE TYPES P Real World Scenario CREATING AN INTERNAL FILE AUDIT TRAIL Inevitably changes to designs will occur and require the master Navisworks model to be updated The question that arises is how to manage this process and what is the best practice for archiving the older files On one job a project team was receiving updated models from their subcontractors subs ona weekly basis Originally the subs were labeling their drawings with a date in the filename While this allowed us to identify the latest file easily it kept breaking the links to our NWF master file since Navisworks was looking for the absolute path to a particular file The workaround was to create a series of working folders with the name of each discipline e g Architect MEP Structural etc We asked that the subs drop the date from the naming convention on their models and provide all updates using the same filename as the original submission When they initially submitted their models we created a new folder named after their discipline an
16. XPORTERS When a new application is installed after the original Navisworks installation the file export ers for that application will need to be reinstalled They can easily be added afterward in a few simple steps Let s explore 1 Depending on what operating system you re using go to your Control Panel and select Add Remove Software or Uninstall Change Program 2 Select Autodesk Navisworks 2012 32 bit Exporter Plug ins or Autodesk Navisworks 2012 64 bit Exporter Plug ins from the list If you re running a 64 bit OS you may have both 3 Double click on the appropriate file exporter 4 Inthe Navisworks Exporter dialog box select Add Or Remove Features 5 Select the appropriate application to install an exporter as shown in Figure 2 5 6 Click Update Navisworks will install the new exporters for the selected applications 7 Select Finish to close the Exporter dialog box In addition to these steps you can use the Repair or Reinstall functions from the main Navisworks Exporter dialog box to install the file exporters When you re reinstalling Navisworks it may take longer than the Repair feature FIGURE 2 5 Navisworks 5 Export from other applications Feature description Exporter list O2 AutoCAD 2008 64 Bit Plugir C2 AutoCAD 2009 64 bit Plugir O AutoCAD 2010 64 bit Plugir w AutoCAD 2011 64 bit Plugir O2 AutoCAD 2012 64 bit Plugir O2 MAX 9 64 bit Plugin T2 MAX 2008 64 bit Plugin Plugins for other ap
17. also installs file exporters for AutoCAD based applications in addition to natively reading the DWG file format When Navisworks is initially installed it searches throughout your computer and identifies all com patible design and engineering applications If a valid installation is detected it installs the appropriate file exporter for that application Since the file formats for most applications are unique most file exporters are product and release year specific so you may have multiple file exporters for the same product family An example of this is having a Revit file exporter for the 2010 release in addition to one for the 2011 release 40 CHAPTER2 FILES AND FILE TYPES For users who do not have access to Navisworks another option to consider is the NWC File Export Utility a separate download which converts the model geometry and any relevant object intelligence into the NWC file format for Navisworks to display File exporters are also useful for individuals who want to publish their content to the smaller NWC file format for ease in shar ing and collaborating Furthermore certain CAD applications have custom objects and external referenced files which if not shared or configured properly can lead to missing geometry in your Navisworks model display The NWC File Export Utility removes all of these barriers and creates an easy and effective way to share your model data with other Navisworks users LOCATING AND INSTALLING FILE E
18. and line switches to convert files This feature will be discussed in Chapter 12 Collaborating Outside of Autodesk Navisworks Object Enablers Opening and appending different file types is fundamental to working productively in Navisworks As discussed earlier certain file types require additional translators to display properly In this section we will explore object enablers and review methods for configuring and modifying them Autodesk applications such as the AutoCAD platform Architecture MEP Civil 3D and Plant 3D and other software vendors use the ObjectARX AutoCAD Runtime Extension application to generate graphical and nongraphical custom objects such as piping and architectural civil elements that are saved in the DWG format While these objects can be viewed in the native authoring application they will not display properly in Navisworks unless an object enabler is installed to convert the custom objects into a format that Navisworks can read Exploring the Object Enabler Think of an object enabler as a translator that converts custom objects into a format that Navisworks recognizes Without this translation files may display as wireframe geometry bounding box or proxy graphic as shown in Figure 2 27 58 CHAPTER2 FILES AND FILE TYPES FIGURE 2 27 Proxy graphics view Anytime you load a DWG based file with custom objects Navisworks
19. creased project awareness Master It How can the Merge feature complement the design review process with an extended team Configure object enablers Not all files types are created equally Proper planning and understanding of the various file types will help you identify where object enablers are required and configure the proper setup to ensure uninterrupted access Master It How do you display a custom object in Navisworks
20. d Merged Master Navisworks File NWF FILEAGGREGATION 47 All unique items such as nonduplicated geometry redlines comments and viewpoints are merged into the single model For information on merging models with embedded TimeLiner schedules see Chapter 7 4D Sequencing with TimeLiner To create a merged file follow these steps 1 Open Navisworks with one of the original files 2 Click the drop down arrow on the Append button and choose the Merge command as shown in Figure 2 14 You can also use the default keyboard shortcut Ctrl M FIGURE 2 14 Merge menu 3 In the Merge dialog box select the appropriate file type from the drop down box 4 Select the appropriate file s and click Open 5 All files without any duplicated elements are successfully merged into a single file Refreshing Files Due to the collaborative nature of Navisworks it s possible that other users will be modifying the original source files during your current session If using an NWF file that is referencing the NWC design files you can refresh the model to update any changes made to the origi nal source files while your current Navisworks session is still open By default this setting is disabled To enable this feature you need to make sure that the Close NWC NWD Files On Load option is selected You can set this option by choosing Global
21. d placed their file in that folder When the file was read into Navisworks the generated NWC file was saved in the same file as the original data source As updated files were received from the subs we renamed the working folder with the date to designate the date it was archived This also became the date of the current model in the project The new models were then saved in the discipline named working folder thus the links in the NWF file remained intact When the NWF file was opened the new models were loaded and anew NWC file was generated and placed in the folder Any changes such as display overrides viewpoints and markups were retained and applied to the new models In addition to the archiving of the NWC files we made a weekly NWD file which was a snapshot of the project Since this was an archive of the project to date we used the date in the naming conven tion for easy identification Master Naviswork Original Data Source Files NWC ae ARCH MEP STRUCT CIVIL ARCH 8 18 10 MEP 8 18 10 STRUCT 8 18 10 CIVIL 8 18 10 NWD 8 18 10 a kee ee ae ae ARCH 8 11 10 MEP 8 11 10 STRUCT 8 11 10 CIVIL 8 11 10 NWD 8 11 10 e e ARCH 8 4 10 MEP 8 4 10 STRUCT 8 4 10 CIVIL 8 4 10 NWD 8 4 10 a N e I a I a ARCH 7 29 10 MEP 7 29 10 STRUCT 7 29 10 CIVIL 7 29 10 NWD 7 29 10 Archived m
22. ddition Navisworks converts and compresses most files up to 80 percent of their original size so sharing and collaborating is greatly improved This section will cover the numerous file types and explain the differences We will also explore some of the standard workflows and provide best practices for file sharing and aggregation Native File Formats Navisworks utilizes three native file formats NWD NWC and NWF This section will explain the differences and explore some of the various workflows NWD FILE FORMAT An NWD or Navisworks Document file is the basic file format that contains all geometry relevant object properties and clash tests as well as any markup comments and viewpoint information As the project evolves an NWD can be thought of as a snapshot of the model that 32 CHAPTER2 FILES AND FILE TYPES captures the current conditions or milestone events This also includes clash tests and 4D simu lations which will be covered in subsequent chapters The file size of most NWDs is consider ably smaller compared to the corresponding CAD format NWC FILE FoRMAT NWC or Navisworks Cache files are generated when CAD files or laser scans are opened merged or appended in Navisworks They can also be created by using a designated file exporter which we ll cover later in the section File Exporters NWC files are read only files and can be thought of as a transfer mechanism to convert CAD Autodesk Revit and other mo
23. del data into a format that Navisworks recognizes All geometry relevant object property information and display settings from the original source files will carry over with the NWC export Once the file is opened in Navisworks any changes made such as redlines markups viewpoints or display overrides cannot be saved back to this format When the native CAD format file is first brought in Navisworks creates a file with the same name but with the nwc file extension in the same directory as the original source file This is an important concept of a successful Navisworks project so keep in mind that good model man agement skills make this process easier When NWC files are opened merged or appended Navisworks compares the original data to the newly created NWC file and re caches the file if data in the original file is newer than the NWC This ensures that as changes are made to the project design they are reflected in your Navisworks project If no changes are detected Navisworks opens from the original NWC file resulting in quicker loading As a best practice consider standardizing on using the Append command instead of Open Doing so reinforces this concept of file aggregation which is an important part of the overall project coordination process NWF FILE FORMAT NWF files host no 3D geometry but rather contain links to the geometry from the original native source files see Figure 2 1 Besides the links NWF files contain such it
24. e Also if you lose or forget the password there is no way to recover it so select carefully Display At Password This option allows you to toggle on off the Publish dialog box when opening a password protected file If the box is left checked all users who do not have the password to open the file will only have read only access to the document properties This allows users to locate the resource that might assist with the password Expiration Date This option opens a calendar box and asks you to choose a specific expira tion date The expiration date can reference any future dates but once the date has passed the file cannot be opened May Be Re saved Check this option if you want to allow individuals to save changes to the published NWD file If this option is left unchecked users can only save changes as an NWF file Display On Open This option displays the Publish dialog box every time the file is opened The user has to acknowledge the message by clicking OK Clicking the Cancel button or clicking the X in the upper right corner of the window will cancel the loading of the file If 51 52 CHAPTER2 FILES AND FILE TYPES the file is password protected the user must successfully supply the password before the dia log box is displayed Embed Textures This option allows material assignments in the model to be embedded in the published file and available for other users Materials and textures will be discussed in Chapter 9
25. e the referenced files you can either manually browse for the ref erence files and update the NWF or save the NWF file in the same directory with all the reference files Navisworks will search for the reference files relative to the master NWF location Batch Utility The Batch utility allows you to automate the import and conversion process of standard Navisworks file formats such as appending multiple design files into a single NWD or NWF file Furthermore you can schedule these conversions to take place at a set time so as not to tie up resources during time of business This is one of the many exciting features in Navisworks that allow you to automate repetitive tasks EXPLORING THE BATCH UTILITY The Batch utility interface is made up of three distinct areas that will be used in different sce narios including creating model reports and automating the file conversion process In the ribbon navigate to the Home tab and select the Batch Utility from the Tools panel as shown in Figure 2 20 Let s explore this utility in greater detail FIGURE 2 20 F i i Presenter m Appearance Profiler e Batch Utility but ory B i gt O Animator Z Batch Utility ton in the ribbon Clash TimeLiner DataTools Detective B Scripter Tools Input The Input area as shown in Figure 2 21 lets you specify the files for inclusion in the Batch utility Select the appropriate drive and folder to navigate to the specific files Once select
26. earning curve minimal Opening Files We ll explore a couple of methods for opening files in Navisworks Navisworks will keep a list of your recently opened files in the Open dialog box By default this list is limited to 4 files how ever you can change this amount up to a maximum of 16 To override the default choose Global Options gt General gt Environment and adjust the value for Maximum Recently Used Files NEw FILES To open a new file follow these steps 1 Click the green application icon in the upper left corner 2 If your file is listed in the Recent Documents list select the file you want to open 3 If your file is not listed click the small arrow to the right of the open icon and choose Open File as shown in Figure 2 9 If you hover over the Open command the Recent Documents list will change to reflect the various open options 4 Select the appropriate file type from the drop down list see Figure 2 10 5 Navigate to the file location select the file and click Open You can also use the default keyboard shortcut Ctrl O to access the Open dialog box 44 CHAPTER2 FILESANDFILE TYPES FIGURE 2 9 Navisworks Open Append or Merge a Navisworks project o or compatible design file pen menu Open P Open an existing Navisworks project or any compatible design file Open URL ay Open an NWD file located on a web server Append l Add geometry and data from selec
27. ed notice how all applicable files are now shown in the field to the right To filter the file list by specific file formats choose the file selector drop down and select the appropriate format 54 CHAPTER2 FILES AND FILE TYPES When adding files to the Batch utility you can add the contents of the whole folder by select ing the Add File Spec button This option will add all files from the folder depending on which file type is selected from the File Type drop down If you want to choose specific files from the project folder highlight the individual files in the list and click the Add Files but ton If you need to remove a specific file highlight the file in the conversion list and click the Remove Item button Click Remove All to remove all files Note that the removal action only removes the files from the Batch utility and does not delete the files from their respective storage locations FIGURE 2 21 The Input area of File Help the Batch Utility Input i Se Meadowgate Fumiture Second Floor nwe a dialog box Damen Meadowgate Fumiture Second Floor dgn BE Meadowgate Fumiture Second Floor nwc E Documents Meadowgate Services First Foor Ductwork nw E3 NAVISWORKS Meadowgate Services First Foor Ductwork dwg Meadowgate Services First Floor Pipework nwc Sj Examples Meadowgate Services First Floor Pipework dwg Legally Released Full Access Meadowgate Services First Floor Pipework
28. ems as markup data viewpoints comments graphical overrides search selection sets TimeLiner and Clash Detective data We ll explore these topics in more detail in future chapters When working with the NWF file format you ll notice the file size for NWFs is extremely small as compared to the NWC NWD formats however remember the user must have access to the original source files to view properly As you work toward mastery of Navisworks consider using the NWF as the standard file format during your project While NWD files can be thought of static snapshots that capture specific milestones using the NWF workflow is dynamic and allows for easy updating of design changes from the original source files Later in the book you ll explore clash detection 4D simulation and other concepts so having a good grasp of the file formats is crucial FIGURE 2 1 Source files linked NWF to the NWF file format Laser Scan NWD DWG NWC DGN NWC nwe ee Original Source Data Files NAVISWORKS FILE TYPES 33 Using NWF and NWD Formats in a Typical Workflow Typical Navisworks workflows utilize a combination of NWD NWC and NWF files As a best practice it s recommended that during an ongoing project the NWF file format be utilized so that the original source files can be updated and re cached Remember the NWF format is strictly a container that links out to the different source files Graph
29. er 40 differ ent 3D CAD formats as shown in Table 2 1 Model entities contained in both 2D and 3D geometry and all associated object property data is typically supported Being able to work with such a wide range of file formats allows Navisworks to accommodate almost every design and engineering application Having this level of file compatibility in turn allows you to collaborate coordinate and communicate effectively For a complete list of supported formats and applications see Appendix B NAVISWORKS FILE TYPES 35 TABLE 2 1 Supported CAD formats FORMAT EXTENSIONS Navisworks nwd nwf nwc AutoCAD dwg dwf MicroStation SE J V8 XM dgn prp prw 3D Studio 3ds prj ACIS SAT Sat sab CIS 2 stp DWF dwf dwfx w2d FBX fbx IFC fe IGES igs iges Inventor ipt iam ipj Informatix MAN man cv7 JT Open Jt PDS Design Review dri Parasolids x_b Pro ENGINEER prt asm g neu RVM rym SketchUp skp STEP stp step STL st l VRML wrl wrz In addition to the CAD formats Navisworks is a powerful tool for viewing laser scan files sometimes referred to as point clouds These files are made up of millions even billions of geo referenced points that typically define the surface of an object The benefit is that existing conditions such as older building structures or civil site plans can now be captured easily and displayed inside Navisworks to compare against proposed designs Table 2 2 lists the suppor
30. ers listed in the Scene Statis tics dialog box Triangles Lines and Points 3028371 Bounding Box 247371 144060 12137 555808 260570 29600 Meadowgate Architecture dwg Missing object enabler for application LsObj 1 objects Processed 4 LINE Processed 4 POINT Processed 1179 FACE3D Processed 27 SOLID3D Processed 4 LWPLINE Processed 1177 GENPROXY Processed 116 LAYER Processed 18 VIEW Processed 19 GR_CIRCULARARC Processed 1180 GR_POLYLINE Ignored 4 GR_POLYLINE Processed 4 GR_POLYGON Processed 22522 GR_SHELL Processed 1 GR_TEXT Processed 2 GR_TEXT2 Meadowgate Civil dwa OBJECT ENABLERS 59 Missing object enabler for application AeccLand60 Product Desc AutoCAD Civil 3D Company Autodesk Inc WEB Address www autodesk com 34 objects Missing object enabler for application AeccNetwork60 Product Desc AutoCAD Civil 3D Company Autodesk Inc WEB Address www autodesk com 116 objects Missing object enabler for application AeccRoadway60 Product Desc AutoCAD Civil 3D Company Autodesk Inc WEB Address www autodesk com 11 objects Processed 5 LINE Processed 2 POINT Processed 67 SEQEND Processed 1 POLYLINE Processed 129860 VERTEX Processed 2 SOLID3D Processed 1 LWPLINE Processed 228 GENPROXY Processed 67 POLYFACEMESH Processed 566 LAYER Li te To locate the proper object enabler for Navisworks choose AutoCAD from the list of applica tions Choose the product year to ma
31. ertain modeling conventions objects such as floors or ceilings may be drawn without proper thickness and thus lack any true visible 3D geometry Select this option to display the hidden geometry Material Search Paths When files with applied materials are opened or appended in Navisworks the application will search for all material paths automatically If additional materials are defined you can manually specify the path in this field Be sure to use a semi colon to separate the paths Render Type These options define how the DWG file is displayed in Navisworks Automatic This option is selected by default and will read the DWG file with the set tings that were saved in the DWG file Rendered Shaded or Wireframe Use these options to override the original settings in your DWG file if the file is not displaying correctly We recommend that you save your DWG file with the proper display settings to avoid having to manually override these settings File Exporters File exporters allow you to create native Navisworks NWC files directly from your original source data files for applications that aren t read natively in Navisworks This section will explain why you need a file exporter where to locate these and the typical workflow to export NWC files to Navisworks Why You NEED A FILE EXPORTER Certain file types such as Revit RVT 3ds Max MAX and ArchiCAD PLN PLA are not recognized by Navisworks in their native format Navisworks
32. files Convertroom as attribute V ConvertURLs V Coordinates Shared X Export room geometry V Try and find missing materials V Units for Area Volume properties Feet To use the AutoCAD command line to export NWC files follow these steps 1 2 FIGURE 2 8 Navisworks General Convert Entity Handles Options Editor for Interface Convert Frozen AutoCAD Hae Type NWCOUT in the command line of your AutoCAD model In the Export To Navisworks dialog box specify the filename select the desired storage location and click Save To adjust the export settings type NWOPT at the command line in AutoCAD In the Navisworks Options Editor expand the File Readers hierarchy and select DWG as shown in Figure 2 8 Adjust the settings and click OK to accept the changes or click Cancel to return to the AutoCAD main window File Readers Convert Groups Convert Hidden ADT Spaces Convert Lines Convert Off Convert Point Clouds Convert Points Convert Snap Points Convert Text Convert Views ConvertXRefs v Default Decimal Units Millimeters v DefaultFont Courier New DWG Loader Version z Faceting Factor Line Processing Merge Lines By Color Load Material Definitions v Hap
33. ical overrides such as chang ing model element colors and transparency are captured and stored in the NWF file As a result when updated cache files are loaded Navisworks will remember your graphical settings and apply them to the updated files This principle is similar to the concept of external references Xrefs in AutoCAD whereas changes made to the original source files will update the NWF file Similar to the NWC format the NWD format includes all geometry and object property data but can save changes and graphical overrides to the model The primary difference is that NWD files do not update or re cache if changes have been made to the original source data Sometimes having a static representation of your model is useful if you need to archive specific milestone events Also since this format has all of the geometry baked into the file it is a perfect format to share with other users without worrying about supplying the accompanying source files Now that we ve covered the basic file formats let s look at a typical workflow The project coordinator opens Navisworks and appends the original source 3D data files from the spe cific trades on the project e g Architecture MEP Structure Civil or Existing Conditions Navisworks converts these files to the NWC format and places the NWC files in the same direc tory as the original source files Note that certain files types such as Revit RVT cannot be appended directly in Naviswor
34. ineer etc having access to the Navisworks composite data model becomes paramount Typically the most current Navisworks model is shared among the entire team as an NWF with the associated source files for the external design reviews Navisworks assists with the review process by providing markup tools such as redline and comments which will be covered in Chapter 6 Documenting Your Project Since the models all contain the same model geometry the only differences are any comments made by the different disciplines The Merge command allows these multiple reviewed models to be combined into a single file Any duplication of geometry is automatically removed so the final file contains one set of geometry and all of the markups and comments from the different reviewers It s important to note that this scenario only works with NWF files The Merge command will function like the Append command with NWD files and ultimately display duplicates Figure 2 13 shows a typical work flow where the master Navisworks file is shared with the various disciplines for the mechanical structural and architectural design reviews After any comments redlines and markup data is recorded the files are then returned to the project coordinator who merges the three files into the single NWF file Because all three files are copies and contain the same geometry all duplication is removed in the merging process and only the unique comments and markup data are preserve
35. ject file in Navisworks 2 In the ribbon navigate to the Home tab and click the Batch Utility button in the Tools panel 3 Select the files you want to use for your model report 4 In the Output section select Single File and click the Browse button 5 In the Save Output As dialog box select File List txt from the File Type drop down Specify the desired save location for the file 6 After saving the file click the Run Command button at the bottom of the Batch Utility dialog box After Navisworks processes this request you should be able to navigate to the file and get the listing of all the filenames and locations of the original data source files When you re sharing NWF files this type of information makes it easy to track down and locate files for collaboration AUTOMATING FILE IMPORTING CONVERSIONS In addition the Batch utility can append multiple design files into either a single Navisworks file NWD or NWF or separately as individual NWD files Use the following steps to create a single NWD file 1 Open a project file in Navisworks 2 In the ribbon navigate to the Home tab and click the Batch Utility button in the Tools panel 56 CHAPTER2 FILES AND FILE TYPES 3 9 10 In the Batch Utility dialog box navigate to your model location and select the files you wish to append Click the Add Files button to add them to the conversion list If neces sary use the File Type drop down to filter the result
36. ks but must be converted to an NWC file first This concept will be covered in the section File Exporters later in this chapter When the project coordinator saves the Navisworks session the project is saved as an NWF format which captures the link to the saved source and NWC files In the meantime the archi tect MEP coordinator structural engineer and civil engineer all make changes such as mov ing objects or adding removing components to their original 3D data files When the project coordinator opens the project saved as an NWF Navisworks will look for the linked files and do a quick comparison to determine if any of the original 3D data files are newer than the NWC files In our sample workflow all of these original data sources were modified so Navisworks re caches those files and overwrites the original NWC files with the new data Periodically the project coordinator will save or publish the model to the NWD file format to archive specific milestone events or share with external users who do not have access to the original source data files see Figure 2 2 In the event the original source files are renamed or moved Navisworks prompts you for their location as shown in Figure 2 3 If the accompanying NWC files are moved or deleted Navisworks automatically re caches the files and creates a new NWC file To manually locate the original data source files click the Browse button and navigate to the new location When the NWF file
37. o this issue has been addressed Once the object enabler is installed you need to configure Navisworks to recognize this file These next steps will guide you through the process of configuring for the DWG file 1 Open Navisworks but don t open any files just yet 2 Select the green application icon in the upper left corner click the Options button toward the bottom 3 In the Options Editor choose File Readers from the hierarchy and expand as shown in Figure 2 31 FIGURE 2 31 Options Editor ner Interface Model E File Readers 3DS ASCII Laser as 2 DGN DWF DWG DXF Faro FBX IFC Inventor Faceting Factor Max Facet Deviation ft 1 oft Oin Spit by Color V Default Decimal Units Merge 3D Faces s Line Processing Convert Off Convert Frozen Convert Entity Handles Convert Groups Convert XRefs y Merge XRef Layers i Convert Views Convert Points Convert Lines V Convert Snap Points Convert Text Default Font Convert Point Clouds y Point Cloud Detail Use Point Cloud Colors v DWG Loader Version Load Material Definitions v Use ADT Standard Configuration Convert Hidden ADT Spaces Material Search Paths Render Type Advanced Automatic v OK Cancel Help THEBOTTOMLINE 61 4 Select DWG DXF from the
38. odel files from each discipline Archived Master models FILEAGGREGATION 49 Deleting Files Occasionally you may want to delete files that are appended to your scene You can delete files as long as they meet the following criteria They are not saved or published into the NWD format They contain at least one file in the scene You must have at least one file To delete an appended file 1 Open your Navisworks scene and locate the file to be deleted in the selection tree For more on the selection tree review Chapter 4 Climbing the Selection Tree 2 Right click on the file to be deleted 3 Select Delete toward the bottom of the right click menu You can also select the file in the selection tree and press Delete on your keyboard If you make a mistake and accidentally delete the wrong file you need to reappend the file because the Undo command does not function in this mode Saving Files When you re finished with your Navisworks session you can save your work as either an NWF and maintain active links to your source files or save as an NWD to capture a snapshot of your project As you ll recall NWC files are read only and cannot be saved We recommend that you maintain the NWF format while the project is under way to facilitate easy updates to the model However if you need to share the model to users who don t have access to the source files you may want to consider saving as an NWD to lock the geometry into
39. p points Named views Layers Colors Blocks groups and Xrefs Text Attributes gt gt Object properties NAVISWORKS FILE TYPES 37 FIGURE 2 4 Options Editor Sa File reader s Options Editor 4 Faceting Factor 1 Max Facet Deviation ft Oft Oin Spit by Color Default Decimal Units Merge 3D Faces v Line Processing i Convert Off f Convert Frozen Faro Convert Entity Handles Convert Groups Convert XRefs Merge XRef Layers Convert Views Convert Points Convert Lines Convert Snap Points Convert Text Default Font Convert Point Clouds Point Cloud Detail Use Point Cloud Colors DWG Loader Version Load Material Definitions Use ADT Standard Configuration v Convert Hidden ADT Spaces Material Search Paths IFC p Inventor Render Type Looking at the DWG DXG file reader you can see a number of options that allow you to con figure the settings of this file reader Let s take a deeper look at these options Faceting Factor This option allows you to control the level of faceting The default value is 1 Greater values produce smoother results but add additional polygons and increase the file size Max Facet Deviation This option controls the maximum distance between the face
40. plications to export T2 MAX 2009 64 bit Plugin EE T oe these D y ja 5 4 need the other application installed a se cmon te oe m Plu Navisworks also reads most of the file formats from these applications O MAX 2011 64 bit Plugin directly a MAX Design 2011 64 bit Plu O2 MAX 2012 64 bit Plugin La O2 MAX Design 2012 64 bit Plu O Revit 2009 64 bit Plugin _ Ua Revit 2010 64 bit Plugin Kestore 4 r gt Defaults NAVISWORKS FILE TYPES 41 For users without Navisworks Autodesk provides the NWC File Export Utility free of charge for all users You can download it from the Autodesk website at www autodesk com navisworks Once you ve downloaded and installed the EXE file follow all onscreen instructions to complete the installation process This process will install the NWC File Export Utility on all relevant installed applications EXPORTING NWC FILES FROM SOURCE FILES To export NWC files from Revit based applications follow these steps 1 In Revit navigate to the Add ins tab and select Navisworks 2012 from the External Tools panel Figure 2 6 2 In Export Scene As dialog box specify the filename and select the desired storage location 3 To adjust the export settings select the Navisworks Settings button at the bottom of the Export Scene As dialog box 4 In the Navisworks Options Editor expand the File Readers hierarchy and select Revit as shown in Figure 2 7 5 Adjust the settings and click OK
41. put Overwrite output files Increment output file names The second tab allows you to save multiple design files as individual NWD files only Options for this output include saving to a specified folder or saving the NWD files to the same directory as the original source data files Figure 2 23 FILEAGGREGATION 55 FIGURE 2 23 pent As Multiple Files daSodaiiaj Mtie Fes output options Output to same directory as source files Output to directory CAtodesk Overwrite output files Increment output file names In addition Navisworks provides the option of overwriting existing output files or incre menting the files names You can specify these options by selecting the appropriate button at the bottom of the output section Log The Log area allows you to specify the location of a log file for reference as shown in Figure 2 24 You need to check the Log Events box to activate this feature Also there is an option to overwrite any log files with newer ones by checking the Overwrite Existing Log File check box FIGURE 2 24 Log Log output options eens C Autodesk Meadowgate Output log V Overwrite existing log file CREATING MODEL REPORTS The Batch utility allows you to create a list of all design files in use in the current model This list can then be saved out as a TXT file for future reference The fundamental steps are as follows 1 Open a pro
42. rom the drop down box 4 Navigate to the file location and select the file or hold down the Shift or Ctrl keys to select multiple files Click Open to append files into the existing scene Remember drag and drop does not append additional files but functions only as the Open command 46 FIGURE 2 13 Typical file merging process Architecture MEP Structure Civil Existing a mri Ss 3 S Master Navisworks File NWF wy asi 25 Mechanical Design Structural Design Architectural Design 29 Review Review Review n N a CHAPTER2 FILES AND FILE TYPES When files are appended into Navisworks the application will attempt to align rotate and scale the subsequent files to reflect the current coordinate system of the existing model This includes rescaling models with different units of measurement to match the current display However mod els that are designed in an entirely different coordinate system or view plane will not align prop erly For information on translating models see Chapter 6 Documenting Your Project Merging Files In the current geographically disperse environment it s feasible that multiple users will need access to the same Navisworks model at identical times for model review and coordination The Merge feature allows multiple copies of the same model to be combined without any duplication When model design reviews are conducted with the various disciplines Architect MEP Engineer Structural Eng
43. rt certain layers that are switched off in the DWG file When checked any file that contains hidden layers will be marked as hidden in Navisworks Convert Frozen Keeping this option checked will convert layers that are frozen in the DWG file Any file that contains frozen layers will be marked as hidden in Navisworks when open or appended Convert Entity Handles Keeping entity handles is an important aspect of object selection This option will attach entity handle information to the object properties in your Navisworks model Convert Groups This option allows you to retain your group settings in the DWG file Files that have this option enabled gain an additional selection level in the selection tree Convert Xrefs For those who want a seamless opening appending of their DWG file with all Xrefs this feature allows you to convert all reference files automatically If left unchecked you need to append the files manually Merge Xrefs Layers This option allows you to merge the layers in an Xref file with the main DWG file in the selection tree Convert Views Keep this option checked if you want to convert your named views in AutoCAD to viewpoints in Navisworks Convert Points This option will convert all points in your DWG file Convert Lines Select this option to convert lines and arcs in your DWG file Convert Snap Points This option will convert snap points in your DWG file Convert Text As its name implies this option will convert text
44. s 2 In the Publish dialog box fill in the appropriate settings as shown in Figure 2 18 The following options are available in the Publishing dialog box In the first eight sections on the list Navisworks will remember the last five entries for each of those fields Title Users can create a title for the document It can be different from the filename Subject Users can enter a subject for the published document Author Lists the author of the document Publisher Lists the publisher of the document Published For Lists who the document is published for FIGURE 2 18 publish The Publish dialog box Meadowgate FILE AGGREGATION Subject MEP Coordination Author S Johnson Publisher S Johnson Published For Meadowgate Copyright NW Designs Keywords MEP Office Comments Reissue 2 for review only Password Display at password V Expires 9 30 2010 May be re saved Display on open Embed Database Properties Prevent Object Property Export Coc core Copyright Users can list any copyright information Keywords Selection of words that can be used to help search the document Comments This field allows you to enter supplementary information about the published document Password The password field can contain any variation of letters numbers special charac ters and spaces You must confirm your password before publishing the fil
45. s Double click on the filename in the upper right queue to add to the output list or use the buttons to add or remove files from this list When all models have been specified select As Single File from the Output area and click the Browse button In the Save Output dialog box choose NWD from the File Type drop down box Select the desired location for the file output Click Save Check View On Output if you wish to view the appended model immediately after completion By default all outputs will overwrite any existing files with the same name If you want to maintain an archive of previous versions check the Increment Output File Names radio button Additionally you can create a log of your different batches for future reference Select the Log Events To button and browse to your desired location Click the Run Command button to execute the Batch utility To create an output of multiple files repeat the process but choose the As Multiple Files tab in the Output section Using the Batch utility is a great way to use tools already in Navisworks to perform automa tion of certain tasks such as creating model reports and file aggregation However you can further add value by scheduling batch runs to occur after hours so you re not tying up resources during business operations To do this set up your batch tests using the previous steps but before running the command configure the scheduling component Here s how 1 2
46. t and the actual geometry If the distance is greater than the specified value Navisworks adds more facets to meet this value If the value is set to 0 this function is ignored Split By Color Certain compound objects are displayed as one entity in Navisworks Checking this box will split these compound objects into individual components based on their color Examples include a door assembly that can be split into the individual door frame and door Default Decimal Units This option specifies the type of units used to open the DWG DXF file 38 CHAPTER2 FILESANDFILE TYPES Merge 3D Faces Occasionally some 3D models will have adjoining faces that consist of the same color layer and parent This option allows Navisworks to interpret those faces as a single object Line Processing When converting lines and polylines Navisworks provides three options for processing them Merge Lines By Color Navisworks will merge any lines on the same layer or proxy en tity that contain the same color This option is useful as it helps speed up navigation and overall conversion This option is checked by default As Provided With this option no additional conversion takes place All lines and polyline elements are displayed as they are specified in their native DWG file Separate All Lines Use this option if you want to split all line elements into their re spective nodes for each segment of the line Convert Off This option allows Navisworks to conve
47. tch up with your DWG file Then choose the appropriate operating system and download the enabler to your computer Once you ve downloaded the appropriate object enablers follow these steps to install and configure them 1 Unzip the file and double click to start the installation 2 When you arrive at the Object Enabler Setup page as shown in Figure 2 30 select the rel evant Navisworks products you wish to configure 3 When done selecting click Install FIGURE 2 30 Object Enabler Setup page Please select products to configure with AutoCAD Plant 3D 2011 Object Enabler ition Autodesk Inventor Professional 2011 Language Neutral Autodesk Revit Architecture 2011 x64 Language Neutral Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2011 64 bit Language Neutral Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2012 64 bit 2011 DWG File Read Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2011 64 bit 2011 DWG File Read oi Notes 60 CHAPTER2 FILES AND FILE TYPES INSTALLING ENABLERS Some object enablers have dependencies on other enablers therefore you must install them ina specific order This is the case with the older enablers especially the AutoCAD MEP 2009 enabler which was dependent on the AutoCAD Architecture 2009 enabler As a result you must install the AutoCAD MEP enabler after the AutoCAD Architecture enabler The 2010 versions and newer of the MEP Architecture enablers have been combined s
48. ted files to the current 3D model or 2D sheet Appending retains duplicate content Merge m Add geometry and data from selected files to the current 3D model or 2D sheet Merging removes duplicate content Open from Vault fa Open any compatible file type from Vault Server Append from Vault When opening multiple files at once you can use the Shift and Ctrl keys to access several files in the Open dialog box Also you can bypass the Open dialog box by simply dragging and dropping your file directly into the Navisworks model space window Be careful though if you have an existing file already open dragging a new file into Navisworks will close the old file without saving changes and open the new file Navisworks File Set u FIGURE 2 10 pares E CAR i 3D Studio 3ds prj p List of all file for ee ae mats Navisworks Autodesk RealDXF dxf PDS Design Review dr can read ASCII Laser asc bd MicroStation Design File dgn prp prw DWF dwf dwfx FBX fbx IGES igs iges Inventor ipt iam ipj Leica pts ptx Pro ENGINEER Files prt asm g neu RVM vm STEP stp step STL stl SAT sat CIS 2 stp IFC fc Faro fls fws iQscan iQmod iQwsp Informatix MAN man cv7 JTOpen jt Parasolid Binary x_b Riegl 3dd SketchUp skp VRML wd wrz Z F zfc zfs All Navisworks Files Ereg soose FILEA
49. ted laser scan formats 36 CHAPTER2 FILES AND FILE TYPES TABLE 2 2 Supported laser scan formats FORMAT EXTENSIONS ASCII laser file asc txt Faro fls fws iQscan iQmod iQwsp Leica pts ptx Riegl 3dd Trimble Native file not supported convert to ASCII laser file Z F zfc zfs CONFIGURING FILE READERS Configuring file readers is mostly automatic but there are times when you need to adjust set tings depending on the file type Navisworks provides a full menu for each native file reader Options vary depending on the file utilized but the more common file types DWG DXF and DGN have a robust menu with options to configure visibility settings Here are the basic steps 1 To access the native file reader s menu navigate to Global Options gt File Readers 2 In the Options Editor expand the File Readers hierarchy on the left as shown in Figure 2 4 3 Select the appropriate file reader and modify the settings as necessary 4 Click OK to return to the main Navisworks application Since the DWG file format is one of the most recognized file reader formats in Navisworks let s investigate these options in greater detail The DWG DxXF file reader uses Autodesk s ObjectDBX technology which is guaranteed to read all object geometry and information from all applications that utilize this framework A partial snapshot of the supported object entities includes the following All2D and 3D geometry Points and sna
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