Welcome to Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 software is a complete review solution for design and construction management professionals seeking powerful insight and predictability to improve productivity and project quality. 3D design data, both geometry and information, can be combined, regardless of authoring design tools or file size.
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2 | Part 1 Welcome to Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010...
NOTE If you are installing the product on a 32-bit operating system the 64-bit install options are inaccessible. User Interface Changes to the Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 interface more closely align the product with Autodesk standard interface and navigation toolsets. ViewCube. The ViewCube is an on-screen widget, shaped like a cube, that rotates as you orbit your 3D scene and provides you with feedback about your current camera viewing angle in relation to the model world.
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Button menus. In Autodesk Navisworks, some toolbar buttons exist in mutually-exclusive groups of which only one at a time can be selected. These buttons are now grouped under drop-down menus to improve accessibility and decrease screen clutter. Artificial horizon. You can now place your model against a fixed artificial horizon so that it appears more realistic and does not float in mid air.
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When measuring an area, Autodesk Navisworks now displays a dotted line to indicate the closure path for the area. See “Measuring” on page 212. Sectioning Improved support for quick and accurate analysis of models using the sectioning toolset. Create a user-defined section box to display only geometry within the defined section box.
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Project and Site Folder Paths (optional)” on page 40. Upgrades to the Autodesk Navisworks rendering engine (LADS) provide improved support for PNG transparencies and improved rendering consistency. Improved Revit support for: shared coordinates, rebars, True North, views, and viewpoints exported from Revit 9 and later.
Internet in order to deliver content and information. Each time Communication Center is connected, it sends your information to Autodesk so that you receive the correct information. All information is sent anonymously to Autodesk to maintain your privacy.
General. Your current locations, how often to check for new online content, and maximum age of the displayed articles. Autodesk Channels. Channels to display in the Communication Center panel as well as the number of articles to display for each channel.
2 In the Options Editor, expand the General node, expand the Communication Center node, and click the Autodesk Channels option. 3 On the Autodesk Channels page, select the Subscribed check boxes for all channels you want to display. 4 Click OK.
Allows you to perform a search for a phrase when the phrase is enclosed in double quotes. Displays a ranked list of topics that contain the word or words entered in the keyword field. Arranges the results alphabetically by title or by location if you click on the Title and Location column headings.
specified, AND is used. For example, the query spacing border printing is equivalent to spacing AND border AND printing. Search for Example Results Both terms in the same "tree view" AND palette” Topics containing both the topic words "tree view" and "palette" Either term in a topic viewpoint OR animation Topics containing either the...
Local support. Check with your dealer or Autodesk country/region office. Learn the Product Training programs and products from Autodesk help you learn the key technical features and improve your productivity. For the latest information about Autodesk training, visit http://www.autodesk.com/training or contact your local Autodesk office.
The Autodesk Developer (ADN) program for ADN members provides support for full-time, professional developers who want to build software based on Autodesk products. As an ADN member, you will receive the business, software, support, and training you need to be successful. If you are a developer, visit http://www.autodesk.com/adn.
Manage Files with Autodesk Vault If you are a subscription customer, you have access to Autodesk Vault, a file management tool that provides a repository where documents and files are stored and managed.
If you participate in the Customer Involvement Program (CIP), specific information about how you use AutoCAD is forwarded to Autodesk. This information includes what features you use the most, problems that you encounter, and other information helpful to the future direction of the product.
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To turn the CIP on or off 1 Click Help Customer Involvement Program. 2 In the Customer Involvement Program dialog box, click a level of participation, and then click OK. 16 | Chapter 2 How to Get Assistance...
Installation This chapter provides information about installing and activating Autodesk Navisworks on a workstation, as well as deploying Autodesk Navisworks from a network location. Quick Start to Stand-Alone Installation This section provides step-by-step instructions about how to prepare, and then install Autodesk Navisworks.
You do not need to have domain administrative permissions. See your system administrator for information about administrative permissions. To run Autodesk Navisworks, you do not need administrator permissions. You can run the program as a limited user. Locate Your Autodesk Navisworks Serial Number and Product Key When you install Autodesk Navisworks, you are prompted for your serial number and product key in the Product and User Information page.
NOTE You must install at least one language pack for each product. It is possible to add additional language packs to Autodesk Navisworks products later. You can manually install the required language packs by double-clicking on the language pack .msi file.
NOTE Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 ships on a single DVD. Insert the Autodesk Navisworks DVD in your DVD drive to start the installation process. Follow the prompts to complete the installation. As long as the DVD is in the drive, you can access documentation by clicking the documentation link.
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3 Select the products and the languages for the products you want to install: On a 64-bit version of Windows, you can install both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Autodesk Navisworks, 64-bit version of Autodesk Navisworks Freedom, and both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of exporter plugins.
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3 Select the products and the languages for the products you want to install: On a 64-bit version of Windows, you can install both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Autodesk Navisworks, 64-bit version of Autodesk Navisworks Freedom, and both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of exporter plugins.
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5 On the Products and User Information page, enter your serial number, product key, and user information. Review the Privacy Policy from the link at the bottom of the dialog box. After reviewing, click Next. IMPORTANT The information you enter here is permanent and is displayed in the Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 window (accessed by Help About) on your computer.
You can also launch Autodesk Navisworks in another of the supported languages. How to Launch Autodesk Navisworks in Another Language To run Autodesk Navisworks in another of the installed languages, you need to add one of the language selector arguments to the desktop shortcut.
Indicates a feature that was not originally marked for installation, but was added to the installed feature list. Indicates an installed feature that is chosen for removal. NOTE If you need to revert to the Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 features that you selected in your original installation, click Cancel. Click Next.
5 When informed that the product has been successfully uninstalled, click Finish. NOTE Even though Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 is removed from your system, the software license remains. If you reinstall Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 at some future time, you will not have to register and re-activate the program.
Autodesk Navisworks. You can choose which versions of Navisworks will be installed. NOTE Both the 32-bit version and 64-bit version of Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 can be installed on a 64-bit version of Windows, but the 64-bit version of Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 cannot be installed on a 32-bit version of Windows.
The main advantage is that you can install Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 on more systems than the number of licenses you have purchased (for example, purchasing 25 licenses but installing on 40 workstations).
1 In the Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 Installation wizard, click Install Tools and Utilities. 2 On the Select the Products to Install page, select Autodesk Network License Manager and click Next. 3 Review the Autodesk software license agreement for your country or region. You must accept this agreement to proceed with the installation.
By default, the service name is FLEXnet Service 1. If FLEXnet is managing other software on your computer in addition to Autodesk, you can change the service name to avoid confusion, for example, you can rename FLEXnet Service 1 to Autodesk Server1.
A network share is an installation folder that you make available to users' computers on a network. You point users to this location to install the program. Create a network share that will be used by the Autodesk Navisworks Deployment wizard during the creation of a client deployment.
Windows Vista computer that is part of a Windows 2003 Server Active Directory environment. Autodesk products are designed to be installed on a computer so that any user who logs on to the computer can run the software. If you attempt to assign this program for a specific user rather than a computer, you may encounter problems when a second specified user tries to install or uninstall a copy of the program.
Deployment Checklist You know how you’re going to personalize the pro- grams during registration. Using consistent registration data is very important. You have identified the location (such as a shared folder) where deployments will reside for each program you plan to deploy. You have closed all other programs and disabled anti- virus software.
NOTE To get a copy of your settings, select the Copy to Clipboard button. If you do not wish to make configuration changes on the Review - Configure - Create Deployments page, click Create Deployment. Your Deployment Choices When you create a deployment, you will make several choices during the process to create various client deployment images and deployment types.
Check the log file for errors that may occur in the event of installation problems. Customer Involvement Program (CIP) If you choose to have your clients participate in the Customer Involvement Program, Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 will automatically send Autodesk information about system configuration, what features you use most, any problems that you encounter, and other information helpful to the future direction of the product.
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Select a License Type (optional) When you set up your deployment, you choose the type of installation to deploy based on the type of software license you purchased: stand-alone or network. You also select the network license server model you want to use to distribute product licenses.
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1 During the deployment, on the Select the Installation Type page, select Typical as the type of installation that you want. 2 Enter the path on the client workstation where you want to install the program, for example C:\Program Files\<Autodesk product>. The Disc Space Requirements chart lets you review available drives and disc space. 3 Click Next.
1 On the Project and Site Folder Paths page, Project Folder box, click the Browse button to select the directory that contains the Autodesk Navisworks settings specific to a project group. 2 In the Site Folder box, click the Browse button to select the directory that contains the Autodesk Navisworks settings standard across the entire project site.
NOTE You can only select one language pack for each product for deployment. It is possible to manually add additional language packs to Autodesk Navisworks products later by double-clicking on the language pack .msi file. Alternatively, you can set up and run scripts to install additional language packs.
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For a 64-bit version of Windows, you can install both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Autodesk Navisworks, 64-bit version of Autodesk Navisworks Freedom, and both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of exporter plugins.
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Autodesk Navisworks Freedom, and both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of exporter plugins. b On a 32-bit version of Windows, you can install 32-bit version of Navisworks, 32-bit version of Autodesk Navisworks Freedom, and 32-bit version of exporter plugins.
Final Review and Complete Setup To complete your deployment setup, confirm the settings you selected. You have created an Autodesk product deployment with precise options that are specific to your group of users. You can now use this deployment to install the program.
5 When informed that the product has been successfully uninstalled, click Finish. NOTE Even though Autodesk Navisworks is removed from your system, the software license remains. If you reinstall Autodesk Navisworks at some future time, you will not have to register and re-activate the program.
Autodesk Navisworks examines the current user profile and the all users profile on the local machine, and then checks the settings in the Project Directory and the Site Directory. The files in the Project Directory take precedence.
Product Activation wizard is displayed for 30 days from the first time that you run the program. If after 30 days of running Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 in trial mode you have not registered and provided a valid activation code, your only option is to register and activate Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010.
Where can I check if service packs are available for my software? To find out if a patch or Service Pack is available for your product, visit the Autodesk Product Support page at http://support.autodesk.com. How do I choose between 32-bit and 64-bit deployments? You have a choice of selecting 32-bit or 64-bit deployment.
When you choose to activate the software, Internet Explorer makes this process much faster. Once you entered your registration data and submit it to Autodesk, an activation code is returned and you are not prompted again during startup.
If I choose to create a log file, what kind of information does the log file contain? There are two types of log files that can be generated that monitor information about deployments and installations. The Network log file keeps a record of all workstations that run the deployment. The log lists the user name, workstation name, and the status of the installation.
Do I need my original disk to reinstall my software? When performing a reinstall of the product, you do not need to have the original DVD on hand. Installation data is cached locally on your drive and that data is reused when reinstalling. When I uninstall my software, what files are left on my system? If you uninstall the product, some files remain on your system such as files you created or edited.
Quick Start This chapter helps you get up-to-speed with the Autodesk Navisworks interface. Start and Quit Autodesk Navisworks Once you've installed Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010, you can start it from the Windows desktop or from the command line. To start Autodesk Navisworks, do one of the following from the...
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NOTE Click No, if you don’t want to recover your work, or if you want to manually load a different backup file. To manually load a backup file into Navisworks 1 Start Autodesk Navisworks. If you are prompted to reload the last file you were working on, click No. 2 Click File Open.
You can use command line switches to specify several options when you start the program. For example, you can run Autodesk Navisworks in another language, perform additional memory checks, load and append files, output error reports. With command line switches, you can also set up several program icons, each with different start-up options.
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To start the program with a command line switch 1 Right-click the program icon on the Windows desktop. Click Properties. 2 In the Autodesk Navisworks Properties dialog box, Shortcut tab, in the Target box, edit the parameters for the switch using the following syntax: , where [switches] are the valid “drive:pathname\roamer.exe”...
This section briefly describes the main interface components. The Autodesk Navisworks interface is intuitive and easy to learn and use. You can adjust the application interface to match the way you work. For example, you can hide toolbars that you rarely use, so they do not clutter the interface.
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Option Description Open Displays the Open dialog box. Open URL Displays the Open URL dialog box. Append Displays the Append dialog box. Merge Displays the Merge dialog box. Save Saves the currently open Navisworks file. Save As Displays the Save As dialog box. Publish Displays the Publish dialog box.
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This menu contains a set of commands that affect the current viewpoint, including model appearance, navigation and sectioning. Option Description Saved Viewpoints Enables you to use saved viewpoints. Look From Enables you to look from a preset view- point. Parts of Autodesk Navisworks Interface | 59...
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Renumber Tag IDs Renumbers all tag IDs, making them unique to the scene. Tools Menu This menu contains commands for advanced model analysis and reviewing, and also commands for customizing Autodesk Navisworks. Option Description Clash Detective Toggles the Clash Detective tool window.
Displays the File Options dialog box. Customize Displays the Customize dialog box. Global Options Displays the Options Editor. Help Menu This menu provides access to the Autodesk Navisworks online reference system. Option Description Help Topics Opens the Help system. Communication Center Opens the Communication Center dockable window.
Some toolbar buttons enable you to choose a program mode. For example, to look around your model, you need to be in look around mode. To rotate the model, you need to be in examine mode and so on. Autodesk Navisworks remains in the selected mode until instructed otherwise.
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This toolbar provides access to the selection commands, plus enables you to hide geometry objects. Button Description Turns on select mode. Turns on select box mode. Toggles required mode for selected items. Toggles hidden mode for selected items. Toggles hidden mode for unselected items. Navigation Mode Toolbar Parts of Autodesk Navisworks Interface | 63...
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This toolbar includes nine modes and six SteeringWheels for interactive navigation around your 3D models. Button Description Selects the wheel. Turns on walk mode. Turns on look around mode. Turns on zoom mode. Turns on zoom box mode. Turns on pan mode. Turns on orbit mode.
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Toggles the Properties control bar. Toggles the Clash Detective tool window. Toggles the Presenter tool window. Toggles the TimeLiner tool window. Toggles the Animator tool window. Toggles the Scripter tool window. Controls workspaces. Model Views Toolbar Parts of Autodesk Navisworks Interface | 65...
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This toolbar controls the views in the Scene Area. Button Description Splits your active scene view vertically. Splits your active scene view horizontally. Adds title bars to all custom scene views. Sectioning Toolbar This toolbar enables you to create a limited volume of your model. Button Description Enables you to link two opposing section...
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Toggles the display of the translation gizmo. Toggles the display of the rotation gizmo. Toggles the display of the scale gizmo. Enables you to apply color override. Enables you to apply transparency override. Enables/disables snapping. Navigation Tools Toolbar Parts of Autodesk Navisworks Interface | 67...
This toolbar enables you to control the camera during interactive navigation. Button Description Dollies and pans the camera so that the entire model is in the Scene View. Zooms the camera so that the selected item fills the Scene View. Puts the Scene View into focus mode.
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To split your active scene view horizontally, click View Scene View Split Horizontal. To split your active scene view vertically, click View Scene View Split Vertical. Toolbar: Model Views Split Horizontal and Model Views Split Vertical Parts of Autodesk Navisworks Interface | 69...
To make custom scene views dockable Click View Scene View Toggle Title Bars. All of your custom scene views now have title bars. Toolbar: Model Views Toggle Title Bars To delete a custom scene view 1 If your scene view is not dockable, click View Scene View Toggle Title Bars.
Status Bar The Status bar appears at the bottom of the Autodesk Navisworks screen. As this is not a toolbar, it cannot be customized or moved around. The left-hand corner of the Status bar is used to display short instructions on how to use the Autodesk Navisworks features.
Autodesk Navisworks, then the web server changes to red, indicating a bottleneck. Memory Bar The field to the right of the icons reports the amount of memory currently being used by Autodesk Navisworks. This is reported in Megabytes (MB).
The workspaces can also be shared with other users. You could, for example, create separate workspaces for occasional and power Navisworks users, or setup your own corporate standard. Autodesk Navisworks comes with several pre-configured workspaces: Safe Mode - selects the design review layout with the minimum features.
3 Click Open. Default Keyboard Shortcuts Keyboard shortcuts are keyboard alternatives you can use to initiate commands normally accessed with the mouse. For example, to open the Selection Tree, you can press CTRL + F12, to open the Find Comments dialog box, you can press SHIFT + F4, and so on.
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Default Keyboard Shortcut Description CTRL + 8 Turns on examine mode. CTRL + 9 Turns on fly mode. CTRL + A Displays the Append dialog box. CTRL + D Toggles collision mode. You must be in appropriate navigation mode (that is, Walk or Fly) for this keyboard shortcut to work.
SHIFT + F10 Opens a shortcut menu for the active dockable window. Customize the Toolbars You can customize the appearance and contents of the Autodesk Navisworks toolbars by using the Customize dialog box. To add a custom toolbar 1 Click Tools Customize.
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5 Close the Customize dialog box. To rename a custom toolbar 1 Click Tools Customize. 2 In the Customize dialog box, Toolbars tab, click your toolbar. 3 Click Rename. NOTE You can only rename custom toolbars. 4 Enter the new name for your toolbar. 5 Click OK.
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Drag the command from another menu or toolbar onto your toolbar or menu. This moves the command from its original location into a new place. Hold CTRL and drag the command from another menu or toolbar onto your toolbar or menu. This creates a copy of the command, and does not remove the command from its original location.
There are two types of options: File Options and Global Options. File Options For each Autodesk Navisworks file (.NWF and .NWD), you can adjust the model appearance and the speed of navigation around it. File options are stored with Autodesk Navisworks files (.nwf or .nwd), and reloaded each time you open these files.
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2 Use the File Options dialog box to customize various file settings. 3 Click OK to save the changes. See also: “File Options Dialog Box” on page 401 To configure global options 1 Click Tools Global Options. 2 In the Options Editor, expand the desired node, and click the option you want to configure. 3 Click OK to save the changes.
3 In the Open dialog box, browse to the folder containing the settings file, select it, and click Open. 4 Click OK to close the Options Editor. Environment Options You can adjust the number of recent file shortcuts stored by Autodesk Navisworks. To configure environment options 1 Click Tools Global Options.
Global Options. 2 Expand the General node in the Options Editor, and click the Locations option. 3 In the Project Directory box, browse to the directory that contains the Autodesk Navisworks settings specific to your project group. 4 In the Site Directory box, browse to the directory that contains the Autodesk Navisworks settings standard across the entire project site.
When you open CAD and laser scan files, Autodesk Navisworks reads the file units directly from the files. If this is not possible (for example, the file is unitless), Autodesk Navisworks uses the default file units configured for that file type in the Global Options whenever possible.
4 Click OK. Search Directories Autodesk Navisworks searches for a variety of configuration files in subdirectories of three standard directories. These files can be overridden on a per user, all users or per installation basis. The search directories are: Application Data\Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 within the current user profile. For example, C:\Documents and Settings\user\Application Data\Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 where user is the name of the current user.
Work with Files In Autodesk Navisworks you can open files originated from a variety of CAD applications. You can combine these files together, and create a single Autodesk Navisworks file with a whole-project view of your model. This file brings together geometry and data created by multi-disciplinary teams, and enables you to explore and review complex models in real-time.
DWG, DXF, 3DS UHP Process Piping x-plant DWG, DXF, 3DS Supported CAD File Formats See the following table for the native CAD file formats you can open in Autodesk Navisworks without having the CAD applications installed on your machine. Format Extension Autodesk Navisworks .nwd, .nwf, .nwc...
IMPORTANT The DWG/DXF/SAT file formats are supported when you run the 64-bit version of Autodesk Navisworks on a 64-bit version of Windows, or when you run the 32-bit version of Autodesk Navisworks on a 32-bit version of Windows. They are not supported when you run the 32-bit Autodesk Navisworks on a 64-bit version of Windows.
DWG file format also affect files from AutoPLANT. AutoPLANT Object Properties can be stored in external database MDB files. By default, Autodesk Navisworks also supports these files through the DataTools functionality, and looks for Equipment, Nozzle and Piping datatools links.
CIS2 File Reader The CIS2 file reader supports CIMSteel Integration Standards (CIS/2) adopted by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) as their format for data exchange between steel related CAD software. Supported Entities Assembly_design Assembly_design_child Assembly_manufacturing Analysis_model_3d Part_derived Part_prismatic_simple Part_sheet_bounded_complex Part_sheet_bounded_simple Section_profile_compound...
‘shaded’ view. NOTE The file reader supports files from all products based on AutoCAD 2010 and earlier. IMPORTANT The DWG/DXF/SAT file reader is not supported when you run the 32-bit Autodesk Navisworks on a 64-bit version of Windows. Supported Entities All 2D and 3D geometry, including arcs, lines, polylines with non-zero thickness, ACIS objects (regions and solids), polygon and polyface meshes, 3D faces and surfaces.
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Autodesk Navisworks. NOTE Occasionally, an OE is already installed, but does not support non-AutoCAD-based applications, like Autodesk Navisworks. In such cases, the OE is reported as missing in the Scene Statistics dialog box. 96 | Chapter 5 Work with Files...
How do I know if I need to use an Object Enabler with Autodesk Navisworks 2010? When a DWG file is opened in Autodesk Navisworks 2010, and the objects are displayed as wireframe geometry, it usually means that an Object Enabler is missing.
Options” on page 422 DGN File Reader Autodesk Navisworks can read 3D DGN and PRP files from Bentley's MicroStation, but does not support CEL files or 2D DGNfiles. Referenced files and instances of cells are respected, and the Selection Tree reflects this file structure.
Faro Scan File Reader The file reader supports files from all Faro scanners. Combined iQscan files must be located in a folder called ‘Scans’ in the same directory as the associated iQmod and iQwsp workspace files. See also: “Faro Scan File Reader Options”...
The file reader supports IPT (part), IAM (assembly) and IPJ (project) file formats. IDW (drawing) file format cannot be read. The reader supports files from Autodesk Inventor 2010 and earlier. Later versions should also work, but haven't been tested. Autodesk Inventor 5...
Geometric transform attribute Material attribute XT B-Rep segment Properties Unsupported Entities Point set shape Polygon set shape Wire harness set shape Pyramid primitive shape Tri-prism primitive shape PMI manager meta data Models with facet-based or primitive-based color and normal Texture HSV color model B-Rep CAD tag Line style attribute...
In Autodesk Navisworks, MicroGDS renderer materials are shown in their flat-shaded colors in shaded mode. In full render mode, or with Presenter rendering, the full shaders are used. Only the standard LightWorks shaders are available. The shaders which are unique to MicroGDS are not available inside Autodesk Navisworks, and are converted as follows:...
If Autodesk Navisworks cannot read the native CAD file format. Currently, the following native file formats are not supported: VIZ, MAX, ArchiCAD, Revit. If Autodesk Navisworks has converted the native CAD file, but some geometry is missing, for example, and you want to improve the file quality.
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To add the ARX plugin to Exporter Plugins installation 1 In the Control Panel, double-click Add or Remove Programs. 2 In the Add or Remove Programs dialog box, click Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 Exporter Plugins, and then click Change/Remove in Windows XP or Uninstall/Change in Vista.
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NOTE For AutoCAD 20xx based applications, this file is located under C:\Program Files\Common Files\Autodesk Shared\Navisworks\2010\NWExport20xx\lwnw_export.mnu. So, for example, for AutoCAD 2004 based applications, this file is located under C:\Program Files\Common Files\Autodesk Shared\Navisworks\2010\NWExport2004\lwnw_export.mnu, and so on. 5 Click Open. 6 In the Load/Unload Customizations dialog box, click Load.
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Button Description ically. Click this button every time you want to navigate around the latest model. Changes the current AutoCAD view to the view in the Navigator window. Changes the view in the Navigator window to the current AutoCAD view. Selects walk mode and enables you to walk through the model on a horizontal plane.
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Button Description LEFT ARROW and RIGHT ARROW keys spin the camera left and right respectively. Holding down the SHIFT key speeds up this movement. Holding down the CTRL key rotates the camera around its viewing axis, while still moving forward. Selects turntable mode.
The higher the value, the higher the load on your graphics card, as more MB in memory is required to render textures. Revit File Exporter Autodesk Navisworks cannot read native Revit files directly. Use the file exporter to save your files in NWC format, which can be open in Navisworks. See also: “Revit File Exporter...
NWC file format. NOTE If you installed the Autodesk Navisworks software with exporter plugins, and you install MicroStation software after Autodesk Navisworks is installed, you need to update your exporter plugins installation with the appropriate ARX plugins before you can use them.
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To use the key-in command line to export files 1 Click Utilities Key-In to open the Key-In dialog box. 2 To export an NWC file, type nwcout. NOTE To export the current design file quickly, you can use the batchnwcout command. The exporter replaces the design file extension (usually .dgn) with .nwc when exporting the file.
4 Click OK to save the changes. Viz and Max File Exporter Autodesk Navisworks cannot read native Viz/Max files directly. Use the file exporter to save your files in NWC format, which can be open in Navisworks. The file exporter is available for Viz versions 4 to 2008 and Max versions from 5 to 2010.
NWC files from Viz and Max applications. ArchiCAD File Exporter Autodesk Navisworks cannot read native ArchiCAD files directly. Use the file exporter to save your files in NWC format, which can be open in Navisworks.
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2 In the Save As dialog box, select Navisworks 7 (*nwc) in the Save As Type field. 3 Enter the name for the Navisworks file, and browse to the desired storage location. 4 Click Save to begin the export process. 5 In the Export dialog box adjust the file exporter options: Export GUIDs - select this check box to attach a Globally Unique IDentifier as a property to each item in the model.
NOTE If the chosen file is a CAD or laser scan file, Autodesk Navisworks automatically uses an appropriate file reader to open it, provided this file format is supported. Autodesk Navisworks keeps a list of recently opened files (by default, up to 4 files are shown). You can open any of these files by clicking Files Recent Files.
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Enter the file name, use the Files of Type box to select one of the native Navisworks formats (NWF or NWD), select the location for the file, and click Save. TIP If you need to open your file with an earlier versions of Autodesk Navisworks, save it as that version type. Toolbar: Standard...
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3 Click Save. To publish an NWD file 1 Open the file that you want to publish (NWD or NWF). 2 Click File Publish. 3 Use the Publish dialog box to enter the document information, and specify the required document protection. 4 Click OK.
Complex Models You can use Navisworks files to build complex models. When you bring files from different sources into the same scene, Autodesk Navisworks automatically aligns rotation and origin of models, and rescales the units in each file to match display units.
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To change file units in a loaded file 1 Click the desired file in the Selection Tree. 2 Click Edit File Units and Transform. 3 In the File Units and Transform dialog box, select the required format in the Units drop-down list. 4 Click OK.
6 Click OK. Refresh Files When working in Autodesk Navisworks, it is possible that others may be working on the CAD files you are currently reviewing. For example, if you are coordinating various disciplines on a project, then you may have an NWF file referencing numerous design files.
This is useful if a team is on a local network and the files can be found using the Universal Naming Convention (UNC). TIP A team not sharing a server can organize a project using the same file hierarchy and drive letter, and Autodesk Navisworks can find the files this way.
Explore Your Model Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 enables you to walk through a scene in real time. View Scene Statistics Scene statistics display information about the current scene. Scene statistics list all files contributing to the scene, and the different graphic elements that make up the scene, along with which of these have been processed or ignored when loaded.
'points'. Autodesk Navisworks reads the data necessary to map which way is ‘up’ and which way is ‘north’ directly from the files loaded into your scene. If this is not possible, by default, Z is treated as ‘up’ and Y is treated as ‘north’.
3 Click OK. Navigation Modes There are nine navigation modes available from the Navigation Mode toolbar to control how you move around the Scene Area- six camera-centric modes and three model-centric modes. In a camera-centric mode, the camera moves within the scene, whereas in a model-centric mode, model moves inside the scene.
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Mode Description Look Around. Enables you to look around the model from the current camera posi- tion and gives the effect that you are moving your head around. Zoom. Enables you to zoom into and out of the model. Cursor up zooms in and cursor down zooms out.
3 To glide, hold down the CTRL key as you drag the mouse. The camera glides left and right and up and down. As walk mode is camera-centric, this mode differs from the normal pan mode in that the camera is moved rather than the model.
Zoom Box Mode In zoom box mode, you can zoom in to an area of the model by dragging a rectangular box around the area you want to fit in the Scene Area. To zoom in to an area of the model by specifying box 1 Click Zoom Box on the Navigation Mode toolbar.
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To orbit a model 1 Click Orbit on the Navigation Mode toolbar. 2 To rotate the camera around the model, drag the left mouse button, or using the cursor keys. NOTE Holding down the SHIFT key, or spinning the mouse wheel, temporarily enables normal zoom mode. 3 To glide the camera, hold down the CTRL key as you drag the mouse.
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To use fly mode to move through the model 1 Click Fly on the Navigation Mode toolbar. 2 Hold down the left mouse button to move the camera forward. As in a flight simulator, the left mouse button banks left/right when dragged left or right and tilts up/down when dragged up or down. NOTE Holding down the SHIFT key speeds up this movement.
SteeringWheels SteeringWheels are tracking menus that follow your cursor, and from which you can access diferent 3D navigation tools from a single tool. Overview of SteeringWheels SteeringWheels, also known as wheels, can save you time by combining many of the common navigation tools into a single interface.
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big wheel is larger than the cursor, and labels are shown on the wheel wedges. The mini wheel is about the same size as the cursor, and labels are not displayed on the wheel wedges. Mini Full Navig- ation Wheel Big Full Naviga- tion Wheel The size of a wheel controls how large or small the wedges and labels appear on the wheel;...
4 Click OK. To control the startup placement of a wheel 1 Display a wheel. 2 Right-click the wheel, and click SteeringWheels Options. 3 In the Options Editor, the SteeringWheels page under the Interface node, select the Always Show the Pinned Wheel on Startup check box.
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Quick Reference The Wheel menu has the following options: View Object Wheel. Displays the big View Object wheel. Tour Building Wheel. Displays the big Tour Building wheel. Full Navigation Wheel. Displays the big Full Navigation wheel. Advanced Wheels. Displays the mini View Object, Tour Building, or Full Navigation wheel. Go Home.
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Big View Object Wheel The big View Object wheel wedges have the following options: Center . Specifies a point on a model to adjust the center of the current view or change the target point used for some of the navigation tools. Zoom .
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Big Tour Building Wheel The big Tour Building wheel wedges have the following options: Forward . Adjusts the distance between the current point of view and the defined pivot point of the model. Clicking once moves forward half the distance as far as the object you clicked. Look .
Big Full Navigation Wheel The big Full Navigation wheel wedges have the following options: Zoom . Adjusts the magnification of the current view. Rewind . Restores the most recent view. You can move backward or forward by clicking and dragging left or right.
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Control Navigation Realism You can use collision, gravity, and crouching with the Walk tool. This allows you, for example, to walk up and down stairs and walk under low objects. You can also use the third person view with SteeringWheels to enhance your navigation experience. However, the avatar is only shown when you use the Walk tool, and the Pan tool to prevent cluttering of the screen.
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Forward Tool You use the Forward tool to change the magnification of the model by increasing or decreasing the distance between the current point of view and the pivot point. The distance that you can move forward or backward is limited by the position of the pivot point.
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In addition to using the Look tool to look around a model, you can also use the tool to pan the current view to a specific face on the model. Press and hold the SHIFT key before selecting the Look tool on one of the Full Navigation wheels.
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Orbit Tool You use the Orbit tool to change the orientation of a model. The cursor changes to the Orbit cursor. As you drag the cursor, the model rotates around a pivot point while the view remains fixed. Specify the Pivot Point The pivot point is the base point used when rotating the model with the Orbit tool.
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To orbit a model with the Orbit tool 1 Display one of the View Object or Full Navigation wheels. 2 Click and hold down the Orbit wedge. The cursor changes to the Orbit cursor. 3 Drag to rotate the model. NOTE Use the Center tool to re-center the model in the current view, if you are using one of the Full Navigation or View Object wheels.
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5 Click and hold the Orbit wedge. The cursor changes to the Orbit cursor. 6 Press and hold the SHIFT key to display the roll ring. Drag to roll the model. 7 Release the button on your pointing device to return to the wheel. To start the Orbit tool with the middle mouse button 1 Display one of the wheels other than the big View Object or Tour Building wheels.
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Rewind Tool As you use the navigation tools to reorient the view of a model, the previous view is saved to the navigation history. The navigation history holds a representation of the previous views of the model along with a thumbnail. A separate navigation history is maintained for each window;...
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To change the elevation of a view 1 Display one of the Full Navigation wheels or the Tour Building wheels. 2 Click and hold down the Up/Down wedge. The Vertical Distance indicator is displayed. 3 Drag up or down to change the elevation of the view. 4 Release the button on your pointing device to return to the wheel.
To use the Walk tool to move through the model 1 Display one of the Full Navigation wheels or the mini Tour Building wheel. 2 Click and hold down the Walk wedge. The cursor changes to the Walk cursor and the Center Circle icon is displayed. 3 Drag in the direction you want to walk.
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NOTE When you start the Zoom tool from the Full Navigation wheel, incremental zooming must be enabled in the Options Editor in order to use CTRL+click and SHIFT+click. Zoom Constraints When changing the magnification of a model with the Zoom tool, you cannot zoom in any further than the focus point or out past the extents of the model.
Center tool. If you press CTRL before you click the Zoom wedge, the Center point does not change. Camera Autodesk Navisworks offers you a number of prefixed options to control the camera position and orientation during navigation.
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Camera Projection You can choose to use a perspective camera or an orthographic camera during navigation. NOTE Orthographic cameras are not available with walk and fly navigation modes. To use a perspective camera Click Perspective on the Navigation Tools toolbar. Menu: Viewpoint Navigation Tools Perspective...
Predefined Camera Views In Autodesk Navisworks, you can align a camera to one of the axis, or select one of six predefined face views to instantly change the camera’s position and orientation in the scene. When you align the camera position along one of the axis: Aligning with X axis toggles between front and back face views.
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When you display the ViewCube, it is shown in the top- right corner of the Scene Area over the model in an inactive state. While the ViewCube tool is inactive, it provides visual feedback about the current viewpoint of the model as view changes occur. When the cursor is positioned over the ViewCube tool, it becomes active; you can switch to one of the available preset views, roll the current view, or change to the Home view of the model.
3 Click OK. To control the inactive opacity of the ViewCube 1 Right-click the ViewCube tool, and click ViewCube Options. 2 In the Options Editor, the ViewCube page under the Interface node, select an option from the Inactive Opacity drop-down list. 3 Click OK.
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Perspective. Switches the current view to perspective projection. Lock to Selection. Uses the selected objects to define the center of the view when a view orientation change occurs with the ViewCube tool. NOTE If you click Home on the ViewCube tool, the view returns to the Home view even if Lock to Current Selection is selected.
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Switch to an Adjacent Face When the ViewCube tool is active while viewing a model from one of the face views, four orthogonal triangles are displayed near the ViewCube tool. You use these triangles to switch to one of the adjacent face views. Front View You can define the Front view of a model to define the direction of the face views on the ViewCube tool.
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To use animated transitions when reorienting a view to a preset orientation 1 Right-click the ViewCube tool, and click ViewCube Options. 2 In the Options Editor, the ViewCube page under the Interface node, select Use Animated Transitions When Switching Views. 3 Click OK.
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The left roll arrow rotates the view 90 degrees counterclockwise; the right roll arrow rotates the view 90 degrees clockwise. To define the front view Right-click the ViewCube tool, and click Set Current View as Front. To restore the Front view Right-click the ViewCube tool, and click Reset Front.
Thumbnails are useful to get an overall view of where you are in the whole scene and to quickly move the camera to a location in a large model. There are two types of thumbnail views available in Autodesk Navisworks: Section thumbnail...
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The thumbnails show a fixed view of the model. By default, the section thumbnail shows the view from the front of the model and the plan thumbnail shows a top view of the model. Thumbnail views are displayed inside the control bars. A triangular marker represents your current viewpoint. This marker moves as you navigate, showing the direction of your view.
Lock Aspect Ratio Instructs Autodesk Navisworks to match aspect ratio of the thumbnail to that of the current viewpoint in the Scene Area. The matching is done even when you resize the control bar with the thumbnail.
Focus Hold When you navigate around a model in Autodesk Navisworks, it is possible to "pick up" or hold selected items and move around with them in the model. For example you may be viewing a plan for a factory and would like to see different configurations of machine layouts.
To toggle gravity In walk navigation mode, click Gravity on the Navigation Tools toolbar. Menu: Viewpoint Navigation Tools Gravity Command entry: CTRL + G Crouching NOTE This function only works in connection with collision. When walking or flying around the model with collision activated, you may encounter object that are too low to walk under, a low pipe for example.
To add and use a custom avatar IMPORTANT Autodesk does not recommend or support usage of the custom avatars. 1 Open the file you want to use as your avatar (.dwg, .skp etc.) in Autodesk Navisworks. 2 Click File Save As.
Head-up display elements are on-screen displays that provide information about your location and orientation in the 3D world. In Autodesk Navisworks, you can use the following head-up display (HUD) elements: XYZ Axes - shows the X, Y, Z orientation of the camera (or the avatar’s eye if the avatar is visible). The XYZ Axes indicator is located at the bottom-left of the Scene Area.
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To toggle ViewCube Click View Head-Up Display ViewCube. 166 | Chapter 6 Explore Your Model...
(such as background) you've applied. In Autodesk Navisworks, you can use four render modes to control how the items are rendered in the Scene Area. The spheres below demonstrate the effect that the render modes have on model appearance.
Hidden Line Add Lighting In Autodesk Navisworks, you can use four lighting modes to control how the 3D scene is lit. The spheres below demonstrate the effect the lighting styles have on them. In order from the left, these are full lights, scene lights, head light and no lights.
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No Lights This mode switches off all lights. The scene is shaded with flat rendering. To turn off all lights Click No Lights on the Rendering Style toolbar. Menu: Viewpoint Lighting No Lights Head Light This mode uses a single directional light located at the camera that always points in the same direction as the camera.
Full Lights Select Background Effect In Autodesk Navisworks, you can choose a background effect to use in the Scene Area. Currently, the following options are available: Plain - the background of the 3D scene is filled with the selected color. This is the default background style.
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Plain background Graduated - the background of the 3D scene is filled with a smooth gradient between the two selected colors. Graduated background Horizon - the background of the 3D scene is split across the horizontal plane giving the effect of a sky and the ground.
4 Select the second color from the Bottom Color palette. 5 Review the new background effect in the preview box, and click OK. To set an artificial horizon background 1 Click Tools Background. 2 In the Background Settings dialog box, select Horizon in the Mode drop-down list. 3 To set a graduated sky color, use the Sky Color and Horizon Sky Color palettes.
Points Points are real points in the model, for example, the points in a point cloud in a laser scan file. You can toggle the rendering of points in the model. You can also change the size of drawn points by using the Options Editor. To toggle the rendering of points Click Points on the Rendering Style toolbar.
1x1 pixels in size are discarded. Backface - by default, only the front face of every polygon is drawn in Autodesk Navisworks. Sometimes, during the conversion process the front and back face of polygons get mixed, in which case, you need to adjust the Backface option.
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5 Click OK. Autodesk Navisworks automatically controls the position of near and far clipping planes to give you the best view of the model. To constrain the position of the clipping planes manually 1 Click Tools File Options. 2 In the File Options dialog box, click the Culling tab.
This customizable frame rate is guaranteed by default, but can be turned off, if necessary. Items that Autodesk Navisworks does not have time to render are dropped out. These dropped items are rendered when navigation stops.
3 On the Display page, Acceleration area, select the Hardware Acceleration check box. This allows Autodesk Navisworks to utilize any available OpenGL hardware acceleration on your video card. NOTE If your video card drivers do not function well with Autodesk Navisworks, clear this check box. 4 Click OK.
“Presenter Page” on page 436 Stereo Rendering Stereoscopic viewing in Autodesk Navisworks allows the viewing of the 3D model through stereo-enabled hardware, including active and passive stereo viewing glasses in conjunction with both CRT screens and dedicated projectors. IMPORTANT Using stereo rendering requires the host computer have an OpenGL graphics card with stereo support.
Select Objects With large models it is potentially a very time-consuming process to select items of interest. Autodesk Navisworks makes this a much simpler task by providing a range of functions for quickly selecting geometry both interactively and by searching the model manually and automatically.
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Autodesk Navisworks uses this hierarchical structure to identify object-specific paths (from the file name down to a particular object). By default there are four tabs: Standard. Displays the default tree hierarchy, including all instancing. The contents of this tab can be sorted alphabetically.
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An instanced group, such as an inserted block from AutoCAD or cell from MicroSta- tion. If in the imported file the instance was unnamed, Autodesk Navisworks names the instance to match its child's name. An item of geometry, such as a polygon.
Icon Description A composite object. A single CAD object that is represented in Autodesk Navisworks by a group of geometry items. Saved selection set. Saved search set. Selection Modes There are two selection modes available from the Selection Tools toolbar to control how you select geometry.
Set Selection Resolution When you click an item in the Scene View, Autodesk Navisworks doesn't know what level of item to start selecting at - do you mean the whole model, or the layer, or the instance, or group, or just the geometry? The default selection resolution specifies a starting point for the object path in the Selection Tree so that Autodesk Navisworks can locate and select the item.
First Object. Makes the object path start at the highest level of objects below the layer node, if applicable. Last Object. Makes the object path start at the lowest level of objects in the Selection Tree. Autodesk Navisworks looks for composite objects first, and if none are found, the geometry level is used instead. This is the default option.
6 If you selected Tinted in the Method box, use the slider to adjust the Tint Level. 7 Click OK. Hide Objects Autodesk Navisworks provides tools that can be used to hide and display objects or groups of objects. Hidden objects are not drawn in the Scene Area. Hide Selected Objects You can hide the objects in the current selection so that they are not drawn in the Scene Area.
NOTE In the Selection Tree, the items appear gray when marked as hidden. To make selected objects hidden 1 In the Scene Area, select all items you want to hide. 2 Click Hidden on the Selection Tools toolbar. The selected objects are now invisible. TIP Clicking Hidden again displays the invisible objects.
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(for example, all objects that do not use chrome material). Each category and property name has two parts - a user string which is shown in the Autodesk Navisworks interface, and an internal string which is not shown, and is mainly used by the API. By default, the items are matched on both parts, but you can instruct Autodesk Navisworks to match only on one part, if necessary.
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important, especially if you choose to negate some statements. For example, "(A AND B) OR (C AND NOT D)". When search conditions are evaluated, NOT is applied before AND, and AND is applied before OR. To toggle the Find Items window Click Find Items on the Workspace toolbar.
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Quick Reference Search Options Category Selects the category name. Only the categories that are contained in the scene are available in the drop-down list. Property Selects the property name. Only the properties in the scene within the category chosen are available in the drop-down list.
Command entry: To use Quick Find: CTRL + F. To Find Next: F3 Create and Use Sets of Objects In Autodesk Navisworks, you can create and use sets of like objects. This makes it easier to review and analyze your model.
items for later retrieval. There is no intelligence behind this set - if the model changes at all, the same items are selected (assuming they are still available in the model) when recalling the selection set. Search Sets Search sets are dynamic groups of items, and work in a similar way to selection sets, except that they save search criteria instead of the results of a selection, so that you can re-run the search at a later date as and when the model changes.
To change the sort order on the Selection Sets window 1 Open the Selection Sets window. 2 Right-click any item in the list, and click Sort. The contents of the tab is now ordered alphabetically. Quick Reference The Selection Set shortcut menu has the following options: New Folder.
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2 Click the Find All button to run the search. All items that satisfy your criteria are now selected in the Scene Area and the Selection Tree. 3 Open the Selection Sets window, right-click, and click Add Current Search. 4 Type a name for your search set, and press ENTER Menu: Edit Select Selection Sets...
You can also use this feature to investigate the differences between two versions of the same model. During the comparison, Autodesk Navisworks starts at the level of each item, and recursively travels down each path on the Selection Tree, comparing each item it comes across in terms of the criteria you requested.
You can use the Properties shortcut menu to create and manage custom object properties, and links. You can also bring more object properties into Autodesk Navisworks from external databases, and show on the database-specific tabs in the Properties window.
Rename Tab. Renames the currently selected custom property tab on the Properties window. Custom Properties Property information brought into Autodesk Navisworks from a CAD application cannot be edited, with the exception of color, transparency and links. You can, however, add your own custom information to any item in the model scene.
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2 Select the object of interest in the Scene Area or on the Selection Tree. 3 Right-click the Properties window, and click Add New User Data Tab. The new property category is added for the currently selected object. By default, the tab is called User Data. To rename a custom property tab 1 Open the Properties window.
On selecting an object, if the database is available, and there is data associated with the object, Autodesk Navisworks adds an appropriate database tab to the Properties window, and displays the appropriate data.
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2 If you want to add a database link globally: a Click Tools DataTools. b In the DataTools dialog box, click the New button. 3 In the New Link dialog box, enter a Name for the new link, for example, 'Service Information'. This is the name of the tab that will appear on the Properties window.
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NOTE If you haven't added any links yet, click the New button, and follow the procedure for adding database links first. 2 To configure a global database link: a Click Tools DataTools b In the DataTools dialog box, click the link you want to configure in the DataTools Links area, and click the Edit button.
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, and enter the selection statement, for example: SELECT SELECT * FROM tblBoilerData WHERE "NWUniqueID" = %prop("Entity Handle", "Value"); This statement instructs Autodesk Navisworks to select all columns from the table, whilst tblBoilerData requiring that the column called matches a category/property pair called...
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2 To delete a global database link: Click Tools DataTools. 3 In the DataTools dialog box, click the link you want to remove in the DataTools Links area, and click the Delete button. 4 Click OK. To activate a database link 1 To activate a file-based database link: a Click Tools File Options.
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4 Click Save. 5 Click OK to close the File Options dialog box. To import a database link 1 Click Tools File Options. 2 In the File Options dialog box, DataTools tab, click the Import button. 3 In the Open dialog box, browse to the folder containing the required datatools file, select it, and click Open. External Database Links | 203...
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Navisworks names. The benefit of using internal names is that they are not language dependent. This is advanced tag suitable for users familiar with the Autodesk Navisworks API. File and Path Tags %sourcepath This tag represents the full path and filename that the currently selected object comes from.
%prop("EntityHandle", "Value") Manipulate Object Attributes In Autodesk Navisworks, you can manipulate objects’ transforms (translation, rotation, and scale), and also change color and transparency of objects. All object manipulation is carried out in the Scene Area. Any changes that you make to object attributes are considered to be global, (as if they’d been changed in the original CAD model), and can be saved with Navisworks files.
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When you use gizmos, you can adjust snapping to control the precision of your operations. Using Measure Tools to Transform Objects You can use the Measure Tools functionality to move and rotate the currently selected objects. To move an object with the translation gizmo 1 Select the object you want to move in the Scene Area.
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4 Click OK. To move an object with a measure tool 1 Select the object you want to move. 2 Open the Measure Tools window, and click Point Line 3 Click the selected object to create the first point. This is the start point from which the repositioning will be calculated.
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Once the rotation gizmo is positioned correctly, place the mouse over one of the curves in the middle, and drag it on the screen to rotate the selected objects. The curves are color-coded, and match the color of the axis used to rotate the object around. So, for example, dragging the blue curve between the X and Y axes, rotates the objects around the blue Z axis.
3 Use the slider to adjust how transparent or opaque the selected object is. Menu: Edit Override Item Override Transparency Snapping Snapping gives you control when measuring, moving, rotating, and scaling objects in Autodesk Navisworks. Change Color and Transparency | 209...
An edge is found to snap to. Geometry in Autodesk Navisworks is tessellated with triangles, and therefore, the cursor snaps to edges that may appear to be in the middle of a face. Consider viewing the model in hidden line mode to clarify which vertex or edge the cursor is snapping to.
To reset transform for all objects in your scene Click Edit Reset All Reset Transforms. Measure Tools Measure tools enable you to measure between points on items in the model. All measurements are made in display units. Using measure tools is mutually exclusive to using navigation modes and SteeringWheels, so that when you are measuring you cannot navigate and vice versa.
Button Description Calculates an angle between two lines. Calculates an area on a plane. Measures the shortest distance between two selected objects. Clears all measuring lines in the Scene Area. Enables you to move or rotate an object. Converts the endpoint markers, the lines, and any displayed measurement values into redlines.
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Dimension Labels For distance-based measurements, the dimension label is drawn for each line segment. For accumulative measurements, the dimension label shows the totals, and is drawn for the last line segment. The text is positioned relative to the center point of the line. For anglular measurements, an arc indicator is shown inside the angle, with the centre of the text positioned on the invisible line bisecting the angle.
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2 Click the start point, and the first end point to be measured. A measuring line is displayed between two points. 3 Click to register the next end point to be measured. 4 Repeat this to measure additional end points if required. The Distance box, and the optional dimension label always display the last measured distance.
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2 Click the start and end points of the first distance to be measured. 3 Click the start and end points of the next distance to be measured. 4 Repeat to measure more distances if necessary. The Distance box, and the optional dimension label display the sum of all point-to-point measurements.
Menu: Review Measure Measure Shortest Distance To clear measuring lines Open the Measure Tools window, and click Clear Menu: Review Measure Clear To convert measurements into redlines 1 Open the Measure Tools window, and take the desired measurements, for example, distance between two points.
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any necessary modifications are made to the drawing files, these can be reloaded into the *.nwf file, and the tag status can be changed accordingly. You can review this latest version of the NWF file, ensure all tags have been resolved and finally 'approve' them.
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To add a comment to a selection or search set 1 Open the Selection Sets window. 2 Right-click the desired selection or search set, and click Add Comment. 3 In the Comments window, type in your comment. By default, it is assigned New status. 4 Click OK.
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Icon Description Redline tag Timeliner task (no attached items) Timeliner task (with attached items) Timeliner task (synchronized link) Timeliner task (old or broken link) Redline Tools Window The Redline Tools window is a dockable window with a number of buttons at the top enabling you to mark up viewpoints with redline annotations.
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4 In the Add Comments dialog box, enter the text to be associated with the tag, set the tag Status from the drop-down list, and click OK. Menu: Review Redline To add text 1 Open the Viewpoints window, and click the viewpoint that you want to review. 2 Open the Redline Tools window, and click Text 3 In the Scene Area, click the location where you want to place the text.
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Menu: Review Redline Freehand To draw a line 1 Open the Viewpoints window, and click the viewpoint that you want to review. 2 Open the Redline Tools window, and click Line 3 Click in the viewpoint at line start and end points. Menu: Review Redline Line...
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To draw an ellipse 1 Open the Viewpoints window, and click the viewpoint that you want to review. 2 Open the Redline Tools window, and click Ellipse 3 Click and drag a box in the viewpoint to outline the ellipse. 4 Release the mouse to place the ellipse in the viewpoint.
Menu: Review Redline Erase To view redlines 1 Open the Viewpoints window. 2 Click the desired viewpoint. All attached redlines (if any) are displayed in the Scene Area. Quick Reference Button Description Adds text to a viewpoint. Adds a redline tag to a viewpoint. Enables you to draw freehand in a view- point.
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Three tabs on the top enables you to set up the search criteria. Pressing the Find button runs the search. Any found results are displayed in a multi-column table at the bottom of the window. You can use the scroll bars at the right and at the bottom of the tab to move through the comments.
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Quick Reference Comments Tab Use this tab to restrict your search based on the comment data. If the boxes on this tab are left empty, the search returns all comments within the criteria set on the Date Modified and Source tabs. Text The exact text to search for in all comments.
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3 Click OK. You are automatically taken to the appropriate viewpoint. To navigate through redline tags 1 Open the Comments window. 2 Click Review First Tag. The tag comment is shown in the Comments window, and the Scene View displays the viewpoint with the first redline tag. 3 To navigate through the tags in your scene: Click Review Tags...
This means, you can examine them in the Properties window. You can also use the Find Items window to search for them. All links are saved with Autodesk Navisworks files so that as the model changes, the links remain there for you and others to view.
When you add a link, you can assign a user-defined category, hyperlinks category, or tag category to it. The rest of the categories are automatically assigned by Autodesk Navisworks when it generates correponding links. Display Links You can switch links in the Scene Area on and off. You can also toggle the display of each of the link categories.
Customize Links You can customize the default appearance of links in Autodesk Navisworks. In particular, you can draw them in 3D, and you can add leader lines (arrows) pointing to the attachment point on the items. You can also choose how to represent each link category (as an icon or as text).
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4 Click OK. To customize appearance of standard links 1 Click Tools Global Options. 2 In the Options Editor, expand the Interface node, expand the Hyperlinks node, and click the Standard Categories option. 3 On the Standard Categories page, use the Icon Type box to specify how you want a link to be drawn for each of the available categories.
Links are an extremely useful review tool to allow you to access non-graphical information through the graphical interface of Autodesk Navisworks. The links converted from the native CAD files, and the links added by Autodesk Navisworks users are treated as object properties. This means, you can examine them in the Properties window.
You can edit original links that have been converted from the native CAD files. If you do this, then save the changes in an .nwf file, then change the hyperlink in the original CAD file, and reopen the .nwf file in Autodesk Navisworks, then your edit ‘overrides’...
You can choose whether to hide caterory names in smart tags or not. NOTE When you move your mouse over an object that doesn't have the requested property, Autodesk Navisworks searches up the selection tree for a parent object that contains that information, and displays it instead, thus maximising the useful information you get.
You can use the SwitchBack functionality to send the current view of the currently loaded file back to AutoCAD (version 2004 or later) or MicroStation-based CAD products (/J and v8). IMPORTANT The native CAD package must be installed on the same machine as Autodesk Navisworks for SwitchBack to work.
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6 Select an object in the Scene Area, and click Review SwitchBack. The current Autodesk Navisworks camera view is taken back to the CAD package, and the same object is selected. Selection of objects is done by entity handle. NOTE If a Clash Detective tool is available, you can click the SwitchBack button on the Results tab.
Use Viewpoints and Sectioning Modes Viewpoints are an important feature of Autodesk Navisworks. They not only allow you to save and return to views of the model which are of importance, but they can also be used for design review audit trails, and for setting up animations of the model.
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can jump to preset viewpoints without having to navigate each time to reach an item. The Saved Viewpoints window is a floating window that enables you to jump to preset viewpoints without having to navigate each time to reach an item. Viewpoint animations are also saved with the viewpoints, as they are simply a list of viewpoints treated as keyframes.
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All shortcut menus share the Sort option, which sorts the contents of the window alphabetically, including folders and their contents. IMPORTANT Any changes that you make cannot be saved, and will apply for the duration of your Autodesk Navisworks session.
Add Copy Creates a copy of the selected viewpoint animation in the Saved Viewpoints window. The copy is named the same as the selected viewpoint animation, but includes the version number in brackets. For example, View1(1), View1(2) and so on. Add Comment Adds a comment regarding the selected viewpoint animation.
2 Right-click an empty space in the Saved Viewpoints window, and click Save Viewpoint. 3 Type a new name for your viewpoint, and press Enter. Toolbar: Viewpoint Saved Viewpoints Save Viewpoint Recall Viewpoints You can return to any of previously saved viewpoints. On recalling viewpoints the navigation mode that was active when the viewpoint was created will be re-selected.
Options Editor. NOTE When you modify the default viewpoint settings, your changes do not affect the currently opened Autodesk Navisworks file. They are used as soon as you open a new Autodesk Navisworks file, or start a new Autodesk Navisworks session.
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2 In the Options Editor, expand the Interface node, and click the Viewpoint Defaults option. 3 On the Viewpoint Defaults page, click the Settings button. 4 In the Default Collision dialog box, select the default options you want Autodesk Navisworks to initialize with. Default Viewpoint Options | 243...
5 Click OK to return to the Options Editor. 6 Click OK to save the changes. Share Viewpoints You can export saved viewpoints from Autodesk Navisworks into an .xml file, and share them with other users. For more information, see “Export Viewpoints”...
To open the Sectioning toolbar Right-click anywhere in the toolbar area of the screen, and click Sectioning on the shortcut menu. Toolbar: Workspace Sectioning Enable Section Planes To view cross-sectional cuts of your model, you can enable up to six section planes. Only one plane is active at a time, but it is possible to link two section planes together to form slices.
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2 If it’s not already enabled, click 3 Select one of the six pre-fixed directions from the alignment button menu, for example, Align Right Autodesk Navisworks updates the position and alignment of the section plane. To align a section plane to line 1 On the Sectioning toolbar, select the plane you want to align in the drop-down box.
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Autodesk Navisworks updates the position and alignment of the section plane, so that it is placed at the point you clicked. To align a section plane to surface 1 On the Sectioning toolbar, select the plane you want to align in the drop-down box.
Link Section Planes In Autodesk Navisworks, you can link any two section planes together, so they move as one. Doing this enables you to quickly slice your model in real time. The slices can be used in viewpoints, viewpoint animations, and object animations.
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4 In the Set Box Size dialog box, enter the X, Y, Z values to define the box, and click OK. Autodesk Navisworks creates the sectioning box in the center of the model. 5 Click the Step Size button.
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250 | Chapter 9 Use Viewpoints and Sectioning Modes...
Record and Play Animations In Autodesk Navisworks there are two types of animation: viewpoint animation and object animation. Viewpoint Animation Viewpoint animation is a quick and efficient way of recording both your movement through the model and views of the model. There are two ways to...
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While the above method is useful for creating quick viewpoint animations on the fly, sometimes you need more control over the viewpoint camera. To do this in Autodesk Navisworks, you need to set up several viewpoints and add them to an empty viewpoint animation. When playing back the animation, Autodesk Navisworks will then interpolate between these viewpoints.
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the viewpoints will become frames at the end of the animation, but you can drop the viewpoints anywhere on the expanded animation to put them where you wish. 5 At this point, you can use the Animation Position slider on the Animation toolbar to move backward and forward through the viewpoint animation to see how it looks.
You can play back both pre-recorded object animation and viewpoint animation in the Scene Area. The viewpoint animations play in real time; this means that the Autodesk Navisworks engine is still attempting to maintain the guaranteed frame rate so some drop-out may still occur, just as in real-time navigation.
Work Within a Team Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 enables multiple users to participate in a single design review session across a Local Area Network (LAN). This utilizes the shared program features of Windows NetMeeting, available to all Windows users. Collaborate Toolbar The Collaborate toolbar contains the collaboration tools necessary to run collaboration sessions.
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NOTE The first time Windows NetMeeting initializes, a Setup wizard will take you through the setup process. You will need to enter your name and email address. When using NetMeeting on a LAN you do not need to log onto a directory server, as these will not be available to you. To place a call, inviting attendees to join 1 Having initialized Windows NetMeeting, click the Call button in the NetMeeting dialog box.
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2 Upon clicking the drive button, all other users in the call will receive a message advising that you are requesting control. They will have to answer Yes to this message if you are to drive Autodesk Navisworks on their machine.
Share Data Print You can print a hard copy of the current viewpoint to any printer or plotter. Print Preview Before you print out a copy of the model you are working on, you may wish to see how it will appear. To preview model before printing 1 Click File Print Preview.
Print Current Viewpoint When the print option is selected, Autodesk Navisworks prints the current viewpoint scaled to fit and centered on the page. NOTE If you would prefer to export an image for printing, see Export an Image” on page 267 for more information.
3 Click Open to import the PDS data. PDS Display Set Files Display sets from Intergraph PDS contain detailed criteria, defining item selections. When imported into Autodesk Navisworks, .dst files create Search Sets in the Selection Sets window. See also: “Selection Sets...
Viewpoints Files Viewpoints can be imported into Autodesk Navisworks via an .xml file, enabling you to bring viewpoints into the current scene from another model file. For example, if you are working on different versions of the same model, you can save viewpoints in one version of the file, export them and then import them into the other version.
3 Click Open. Search Set Files Search sets can be imported into Autodesk Navisworks. This will populate the Selection Sets window with pre-defined search sets. Selecting an imported Search Set will define the current Find Items criteria and search the current model accordingly. See “Find Items...
4x is adequate for most situations. 5 Click Save. Clash Test Files Clash tests can be exported from the Clash Detective tool for use by other Autodesk Navisworks users. For more information, see Export Clash Tests on page 382.
2 In the Export dialog box, enter a new filename and location, if you want to change from those suggested. 3 Click Save. Google Earth KML Format Google Earth KML files can be exported from Autodesk Navisworks. The exporter creates a compressed KML file with the extension .kmz and supports the export of: Triangles...
5 The Origin position values are the first pair of reference points on the Google Earth surface, and must always be defined. The Autodesk Navisworks reference point will always be positioned to exactly overlay the Google Earth reference point.
Export Images and Animations Export an Image To export an image as a bitmap, .png, or .jpeg file 1 Display the view you want to export in the Scene Area, and click File Export Image. 2 In the Image Export dialog box, select the Format of the image you want to export. 3 Use the Size and Options area to set the image size.
Once the viewpoint data is exported to this text-based file format, it can either be imported into other Autodesk Navisworks sessions, or it can be accessed and used in other applications. For example, you may want to set up the same viewpoints in your CAD application.
Search Set Files Saved search sets can be exported from Autodesk Navisworks as an .xml file. These can then be imported into other Autodesk Navisworks sessions and re-used. For example, if you have a number of generic searches that you perform on all of your projects, this feature allows you to specify the searches once and use them on all projects.
Animate Objects In Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 you can animate your model and interact with it. For example, you could animate how a crane moves around a site, or how a car is assembled or dismantled, and so on. With a few mouse clicks, you can also create interaction scripts, which link your animations to specific events, such as ‘On Key Press’...
Overview of the Animator Tool The Animator and Scripter windows are the two dockable windows that are used to create and edit object animation in Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010. Animator Window Use the Animator window to create animated objects in your model.
Control Purpose Takes a snapshot of the current change to the model as a new keyframe in the timeline view. Enables/disables snapping. Snapping only comes into effect when moving objects by dragging the gizmos in the Scene Area, and has no effect on numerical entry or keyboard control.
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You can quickly copy and move items in the tree view by dragging them. To do this, click the item you want to copy or move, hold down the right mouse button, and drag the item to the desired location. When the cursor changes to a black arrow, release the mouse button to display a shortcut menu.
Icons Icon Purpose Opens a shortcut menu that enables you to add new items to the tree view with commands such as Add Scene, Add Cam- era and so on. Deletes the currently selected item in the tree view. NOTE If you made a mistake, use the button on the Standard toolbar to restore the deleted item.
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TIP You can also zoom in and out with mouse wheel while hovering over the timeline. Another way of changing the timescale is to use the Zoom box. For example, type in '1/4', and press Enter to quarter the visible area. The value you enter is halved when you zoom in, and doubled when you zoom out. You can return to the default timescale by clearing the box, and pressing Enter.
Shortcut Menu Right-clicking the timescale bar opens a shortcut menu that allows you to adjust the sliders. Move Time Here - moves the time slider into the current cursor position. Move Scene End Here - moves the end slider into the current cursor position. NOTE This option is not available until you select the Manually Position Endbar option.
Color Color This check box indicates whether or not clicking the Capture Keyframe button will record color change in the keyframe. Clearing this check box resets the color back to its original state. By default, Navisworks clears this check box every time you create an animation set. Within one and the same animation set, once this check box is selected, it stays selected, until you manually clear it.
Shortcut Menu You can display a shortcut menu for any item in the tree by right-clicking the item. The following commands are available on the shortcut menu whenever they are applicable: Command Purpose Add New Script Adds a new script to the tree view. Add New Folder Adds a folder to the tree view.
Icon Purpose Adds timer events. Adds key press events. Add collision events. Adds hotspot events. Adds variable events. Adds animation events. Moves the currently selected event up in the events view. Moves the currently selected event down in the events view. Deletes the currently selected event in the events view.
Icons Icon Purpose Adds play animation actions. Adds stop animation actions. Adds show viewpoint actions. Adds pause actions. Adds send message actions. Adds set variable actions. Adds store property actions. Adds load model actions. Moves the currently selected action up in the actions view.
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Use it to configure the behavior of events and actions in your scripts. Events Properties Currently, there are seven event types in Navisworks. When an even is added, the properties view displays the properties for that event type. The event properties can be configtured immediately, or at a later time. On Start You don't need to configure any properties for this event type.
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Hotspot Type Position The position of the hotspot point. If the chosen hotspot is Sphere on Selection, this field is not available. Pick Enables you to pick the position of the hotspot point. If the chosen hotspot is Sphere on Selection, this button is not available.
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See also: “Event Types” on page 296 Actions Properties Currently, there are eight action types in Navisworks. When an action is added, the properties view displays the properties for that action type. The action properties can be configured immediately, or at a later time. Play Animation Animation Selects the animation to play.
Types” on page 297 Create Object Animations An animation is a prepared sequence of changes to the model. The changes you can make in Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 are: Manipulating geometry objects by modifying their position, rotation, size, color, and transparency. This type of change is referred to as an animation set.
Quick Reference The Animator window is a floating window that enables you to add animations to your model. Menu: Tools Animator Toolbar: The Animator button on the Workspace toolbar The Animator window contains the following components: toolbar, the tree view, the timeline view, and the manual entry...
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NOTE Deleting a scene also deletes all of its components. If you made a mistake, use the button on the Standard toolbar to restore the deleted scene. To organize scenes into scene folders 1 If the Animator window is not already open, select Tools Animator from the menu bar.
3 To move a subfolder, right-click it, and click Cut on the shortcut menu. Right-click the new location, and click Paste on the shortcut menu. 4 To rename a folder, click it, and type a new name. TIP Use names that can help you to identify your scene components in future. Work with Animation Sets An animation set contains a list of geometry objects to be animated, and a list of keyframes that describe how it is to be animated.
To update an animation set based on current selection 1 If the Animator window is not already open, select Tools Animator from the menu bar. 2 Select the desired geometry objects in the Scene Area, or from the Selection Tree. 3 Right-click the scene name, and click Update Animation Set From Current Selection on the shortcut menu.
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The corresponding geometry objects are highlighted in the Scene Area. TIP To get a better view, change the way the objects are highlighted. 3 Click the Capture Keyframe button on the Animator toolbar to create a keyframe with the initial object state.
3 Right-click the desired scene name, and click Add Camera From Current Viewpoint Animation on the shortcut menu. Autodesk Navisworks automatically adds all necessary keyframes to the timeline view. To capture camera viewpoints 1 If the Animator window is not already open, select Tools Animator from the menu bar.
2 Select the desired camera in the Animator tree view. 3 Click the Capture Keyframe button on the Animator toolbar to create a keyframe with the current viewpoint. 4 In the timeline view, move the black time slider to the right to set the desired time. 5 Use the buttons on the Navigation Mode toolbar to change your current viewpoint.
New keyframes are created by clicking the Capture Keyframe button on the Animator toolbar. Every time you click this button, Autodesk Navisworks adds a keyframe of the currently selected animation set, camera, or section plane set at the current position of the black time slider.
To adjust the scene playback 1 If the Animator window is not already open, select Tools Animator from the menu bar. 2 Select the desired scene in the Animator tree view. 3 Use the Loop, P.P., and Infinite check boxes to adjust the way the scene plays: If you want the scene to play back continuously, select the Loop check box.
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Each script can contain the following components: One or more events One or more actions Your model can have as many scripts as you want, but only the active scripts are executed. You can group the scripts into folders. This has no effect on their execution, except that the contents of a folder can be easily activated/deactivated to save time.
Work with Events An event is the occurrence of an incident or a situation, such as a mouse click, key press or collision, which determines whether your script is run or not. Your script can have more than one event in it. However, the way you combine all event conditions in the script becomes very important.
The brackets and logic operators can be added by right-clicking an event, and selecting the option from the shortcut menu. Alternatively, you can click in the corresponding field in the events view, and use the drop-down button to select the desired option. NOTE If you have more than one event in your script, by default the AND operator will be used.
You may find it useful if you want to present a selection of animated scenes contained in a range of different model files. To add an action 1 If the Scripter window is not already open, select Tools Scripter from the menu bar. 2 Select the desired script in the tree view.
Create Photorealistic Visualizations You can use the Presenter tool to apply texture materials, lighting, Rich Photorealistic Content (RPC), and background effects to your model. Overview of the Presenter Tool Presenter Window The Presenter dockable window is used to set up materials and lights in your scene and render it with more realism and effects.
Model Appearance While Presenter can be used for photo-realistic renderings, it can also be used for OpenGL interactive rendering. Once you've set up the scene with Presenter, you can view the materials and lights in Autodesk Navisworks in real time.
3 To save a user archive to disk, right-click it, and click Save Archives on the shortcut menu. This saves any modified archives. NOTE You will also be prompted to save any modified archives when you close Autodesk Navisworks. 4 To remove a material, light, effect or render style from the respective user archive, right-click the item to be removed, then click Delete on the shortcut menu.
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5 Set the Size of the rendered file. NOTE If you choose Use View as the Size of the image file, then Autodesk Navisworks will save any existing render in the Scene Area, without having to render again from scratch.
Presenter uses Autodesk Navisworks selection resolution to decide which items to apply the material to when dragging from an archive or palette onto the main view. When hovering over any item in the main view, the proposed selection will turn the selection color (blue by default).
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You can also apply materials to items by selecting the items in the Autodesk Navisworks Selection Tree or Scene Area and then right-clicking the material in the palette and clicking Apply to Selected Items on the shortcut menu. Rules can also be used to apply materials to items automatically based on their layer or color or selection set names, for example.
The material palette is where you edit and manage your materials for your scene. Materials are taken from the archives into the palette where they are edited. You can then save the palette into a Autodesk Navisworks Palette file (.nwp) for use in other scenes too.
Installed archive materials cannot be edited whilst they are in the archives, but you can edit materials in the scene's palette. Edited materials will be saved with the Autodesk Navisworks model in an NWD or NWF file, or in an NWP palette file, or they can be added to your user archive, called My Materials.
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OpenGL interactive preview of the material on the standard ball against checkered background. This is updated interactively while you change the parameters and will resemble the quality of material shown in Autodesk Navisworks during navigation, but will not be as high a quality as the photorealistic render.
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The Texture tab contains parameters that specifically affect a texture material's texture mapping properties, such as its rotation, offset (origin) and S- and T- (sometimes called U- and V-) scales. These parameter values are applied in relation to an origin point, (see “Advanced Materials”...
3 Browse to the location of and select your image file, then click Open. 4 You may then need to adjust some of the texture parameters of the new material, for example its scale, rotation, offset or reflection (if it's back to front). These may all be edited in the Texture tab. See “Edit Presenter Materials”...
(see ). The Autodesk Navisworks API is included with Autodesk Navisworks \API\COM\documentation\shaders.chm Manage 2010; it’s an optional feature in the installer, and is installed by default into the API subfolder in the Autodesk Navisworks installation folder. Use Presenter Lights Lighting Tab...
Add and Position Lights Lights and light studios can be taken directly from the archives and applied to the model by simply dropping them into the palette. These can then be repositioned as you need. The Recommended archive contains five lights (Ambient, Distant, Eye, Point and Spot), a Standard Light Studio, an Environment Light Studio, an Environment folder containing two Environment lights utilizing HDRI-based light sources (see “Image-based...
“Selection Page” on page 410 for more information). NOTE Autodesk Navisworks does not allow you to pick a point in empty space so you must pick a point on the model. 4 Lights can be positioned interactively. The 3D wireframe sun icon, representing the light, has six bars extending out along the X- axis, Y- axis and Z- axis.
2 Release the left mouse button to drop the lighting effect into the folder. NOTE You can also copy lighting effects between the folders on the left pane by either dragging and dropping them, or using the Copy and Paste options on the shortcut menu. To manage palette lights 1 Right-click a light in the right hand pane of the Lighting tab (the palette).
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). The Autodesk Navisworks API is included with Autodesk Navisworks Manage \API\COM\documentation\shaders.chm 2010; it’s an optional feature in the installer, and is installed by default into the API subfolder in the Autodesk Navisworks installation folder. Each light type has its own parameters, and the editor for a Point Light is shown here: Point, distant, spot and projector lights have a Location parameter.
Shadow Casting Selecting Shadows check box in the Light Editor of a light that supports shadows (point, distant, spot, sky, sun, projector and goniometric) results in the selected light casting shadows in the scene. Shadows will only be visible in photorealistic renders; unless you are using a Hardware accelerated OpenGL 1.5 compliant graphics card, in which case you can preview interactive shadows.
Soft Shadows Presenter includes shadows generated from pre-calculated shadow-maps for each shadow casting light source. The use of shadow maps enables rapid rendering of shadows with soft or graduated edges. The shadow resolution can be controlled to balance performance and image quality. Soft shadows are only suitable for use with small models, and are disabled by default.
Use a solid color shader set as density shader for simulation of density variations in the medium. Decrease the Error Bound parameter, if image appears spotty outside shadow areas. Increase the Min LOD parameter, if areas with volumetric shadows appear spotty. For fast previews, set the Error Bound parameter high, and the Min LOD parameter small.
3 Drag the Environment Light Studio into the palette on the right. This replaces all lights that were in the palette with an Ambient and an Environment light containing a High Dynamic Range Image. 4 Click the Render button to render the scene using the default image contained in this Environment light. This type of render can take slightly longer than traditional lighting methods, but the results are worth the extra time invested.
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The key benefit to using RPC content is that it only takes a short amount of time to fill a scene with realistic content, and it adds very little to the rendering time. NOTE Whilst navigating through the scene, RPCs will always turn to face the camera. If the RPC is 3D or 3.5D right-clicking it in the Scene Area, and clicking Refresh on the shortcut menu will set it to the correct frame based on the current camera position.
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5 In the Open RPC File dialog box, locate the required RPC file, and click Open. Autodesk Navisworks has a small selection of free example RPC files in the resources area of the product CD. You can use them to make up a simple scene with some people, plants, and trees.
Autodesk Navisworks API (see ). The Autodesk Navisworks API is included \API\COM\documentation\shaders.chm with Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010; it’s an optional feature in the installer, and is installed by default into the API subfolder in the Autodesk Navisworks installation folder. Background Effects Background effects affect the background of the image when rendered and include plain colors, graduated colors, procedural clouds and image files (tiled or scaled).
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NOTE If the Presenter profile in the Options Editor (see Presenter Page” on page 436 for more information) is set to Advanced, the dialog box will include the full list of parameters and allow you to change the type of background. In the Background Editor, click the Browse button (...) next to the File Name field to display the Open Image File dialog box.
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Environment backgrounds are images wrapped around the model. The recommended images to use are vertical cross maps. These images are automatically placed on the inside of a cube that then surrounds the scene. Due to the nature of the feature, edges and corners become indistinguishable. A wide variety of environment maps are available for purchase on the internet.
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4 Click OK. To add an environment background 1 Open the Presenter window, and click the Effects tab. 2 In the left-hand pane, expand the Recommended archive, open the Environments subfolder, and then open the Panorama folder. 3 Drag the Sky effect over to the palette on the right. The background is not yet visible in the Scene Area.
Foreground Effects Foreground effects affect the foreground of the image when rendered, and include fog and snow effect. None of these effects are available as an interactive preview and can only be seen when a full render is done. To set up a foreground for your render, simply drag your chosen foreground onto the palette on the right hand side of the tab.
(see ). The Autodesk Navisworks API is included with Autodesk Navisworks \API\COM\documentation\shaders.chm Manage 2010; it’s an optional feature in the installer, and is installed by default into the API subfolder in the Autodesk Navisworks installation folder. Rendering Styles Rendering styles affect the way that the scene is rendered when a full photorealistic render is done (by clicking on the Render button).
You can save an edited rendering style for use in other scenes by simply dragging it onto the My Render Styles user archive. Predefined Rendering Styles The Recommended archive contains three predefined rendering styles: High Quality. Choose this rendering style for the highest quality rendered output. This includes all reflections and transparencies and anti aliasing on edges, reflections and shadows.
Use Presenter Texture Space Texture space describes the way in which a texture is applied to an item. For example, applying a cylindrical texture space to a pipe will cause textures on the pipe to be rendered more naturally. An item's texture space may have been assigned from the original CAD application and brought through from the native CAD file, or set up within Presenter with the options of Box, Plane, Cylinder, or Sphere.
6 Click the Ortho button if you want Autodesk Navisworks to align the texture space with the nearest axis. 7 Click the Fit button if you want Autodesk Navisworks to fit a single repeat of the texture to the item. This is of particular use when you are mapping an image to the exact size of the item it's being applied to.
All materials can be saved in a Autodesk Navisworks “palette” (.nwp) file, which allows you to set up a palette of materials once for a project and re-apply them to a model as it evolves, or to another model in the same project that has been set up with the same layer names, colors, selection sets and/or properties.
Selection Sets by Name rule enables you to apply a material to selection sets. See “Create and Use Sets of Objects” on page 190 for more information on setting up selection sets. If a material has the same name as a selection set in the model, then all items in this selection set receive this material from the palette when you select the rule Selection Sets by Name, and click Apply Rules.
Examples\Gatehouse in the Autodesk Navisworks installation directory. Let's assume, you want to apply window glass material to all gatehouse items with material property of AutoCAD Color Index 9, and red brick material to all gatehouse items with material property of AutoCAD Color Index 32.
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NOTE The name of the Presenter material must match the name of the material as it comes through from the original CAD file. You can view the material properties on the Properties control bar, or on the Properties tab of the Selection Tree. 5 Go to the Rules tab and select the check boxes for the Color Index 9 and Color Index 32 rules.
TimeLiner will automatically update the simulation if the model or schedule changes. You can combine the functionality of TimeLiner with other Autodesk Navisworks tools: Linking TimeLiner and Object Animation together enables the...
TimeLiner Window The TimeLiner dockable window enables you to link items in the model to project tasks, and simulate project schedules. To toggle the TimeLiner window Click TimeLiner on the Workspace toolbar. Menu: Tools TimeLiner To set TimeLiner options 1 Click Tools Global Options.
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The keyboard can then be used to edit and set each entry where necessary. The Task Hierarchy Autodesk Navisworks TimeLiner supports a hierarchical task structure, as brought through from a link to your scheduling software, for example Microsoft Project “Links...
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Actual end date before Planned start date. Actual start date after Planned end date. Actual start date before Planned start date and Actual end date after Planned end date. Actual start date before Planned start date and Actual end date equals Planned end date. Actual start date equals Planned start date and Actual end date after Planned end date.
Append Selection - appends the currently selected items in the scene to the items already attached to the selected tasks. NOTE See Select Objects” on page 179 for more information on how to select items in Autodesk Navisworks. Attach Search - attaches all items selected by the current Search to the selected tasks. See “Find Objects” on page 186 for more information on searching.
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The Link View The links are shown in a multi-column table. The columns show link name, source (for example, Microsoft Project ), project (e.g. , and link status. Any further columns (there maybe none) identify the my_schedule.mpp fields from the external schedule which specify the task type, unique id, start date and end date for each linked task.
Rename - enables you to rename the link to something more appropriate. When the text field becomes highlighted, enter the new name, then press Enter to save it. NOTE Tasks in the external schedule will be ignored if they do not include both start and end dates, with the start date being less than or equal to the end date.
Right-clicking in the Appearance Definitions table opens a shortcut menu that enables you to manage appearance definitions: Add - adds a new appearance definition. Delete - deletes the selected appearance definition. Rename - enables you to rename the selected appearance definition. The Default Simulation Start Appearance This drop-down box specifies a default appearance to apply to all objects in the model at the start of the simulation.
Step Back will step back a single step size. See “Simulation Settings Dialog Box” on page 346 for more information. Reverse Play will play the simulation backwards. Pause will pause the simulation at the time you press it at. You can then look around and interrogate the model, or step forwards and backwards through the simulation.
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The Field Selector Dialog Box for importing data from an external scheduling software. The Field Selector Dialog Box for importing CSV data Options CSV Import Settings Row 1 Contains Headings Select the Row 1 Contains Headings check box if you want the first row of data in your .csv file to be treated as column headings.
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NOTE If one or more date/time-based columns are found to contain fields where the data cannot be mapped to a valid date/time value using the manually-specified format, TimeLiner will 'fall back' and attempt to use the automatic date/time format. The Field-Mapping Grid The field-mapping grid is a grid containing, in the left column, all the columns from the current TimeLiner schedule and, in the right column, a number of drop-down menus enabling you to map the incoming fields to the TimeLiner columns.
H The hour in 24-hour clock format. Single digit hours will NOT have a leading zero. HH The hour in 24-hour clock format. Single digit hour will have a leading zero. m, %m The minute. Single-digit minutes will NOT have a leading zero. mm The minute.
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Font Type, Style and Size by clicking on the contained Font button. You can add animation to an entire schedule, so that during the TimeLiner sequence playback, Autodesk Navisworks will also play the specified viewpoint animation or camera.
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Planned. Choose this view to simulate the Planned schedule only (that is, only use the Planned Start and Planned End dates). Planned (Actual Differences). Choose this view to simulate the Actual schedule against the Planned schedule. This view will only highlight the items attached to the task over the Planned date range (that is, between Planned Start and Planned End.
Overlay Text Dialog Box You have the option to define the text overlaid in the Scene Area during simulation, by clicking Edit in the Simulation Settings Dialog Box. By default the date and time are displayed using the format specified in Control Panel Regional Settings.
Ctrl+Enter Type Ctrl+Enter to insert a new line into the overlay display text. %% Percent sign. Get Started To get started 1 Load a model into Autodesk Navisworks in the usual way (see “Open Files” on page 117 for more information), and then click Tools TimeLiner.
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2 Create some tasks, each having a name, start and end date and a task type. You can add tasks manually. Alternatively, right-click within the task area on the Tasks tab to open the shortcut menu, and create an initial set of tasks based on layer, item, or selection set names. TimeLiner defines some default task types for you (Construct, Demolish and Temporary), or you can define your own task types on the Configure Tab.
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AVI. 7 Keep up to date with changes in your project. Save your project as a Autodesk Navisworks .nwf file. Open the .nwf and Synchronize Tasks with Project Changes.
3 By default, Autodesk Navisworks preserves the task hierarchy during the sorting process, that is tasks are sorted first by container, then by container contents. If you want to turn this option off, right-click any column header, and click Sort Maintain Hierarchy.
To add a task manually 1 Load your model into Autodesk Navisworks (see Opening Files if you need help). 2 Click Tools TimeLiner, and click the Tasks tab in the TimeLiner window.
To add tasks based on the Selection Tree Structure 1 If the TimeLiner window is not already open, click Tools TimeLiner. 2 In the TimeLiner window, the Tasks tab, right-click in the Task View, and click Tools on the shortcut menu. 3 Click Add Named Task for Each Topmost Layer if you want to create tasks with the same names as each topmost layer in the Selection Tree.
Use the left and right arrow buttons at the top of the calendar to move backwards and forwards a month, respectively, then click on the day you require. 3 To change the start or end time, click the time unit you want to modify (hours, minutes or seconds), and enter the value.
Tasks can be attached to the current selection in the Scene Area, or any of the selection sets, or any of the search sets. You can view the type of attachments in the Attached column. By default, this column is located after Task Type, but you can move it, for example, in front of the Start column.
To attach multiple tasks to a current selection 1 If the TimeLiner window is not already open, click Tools TimeLiner. 2 Select the desired geometry objects in the Scene Area, or on the Selection Tree. 3 In the TimeLiner window, the Tasks tab, hold the CTRL or SHIFT key to select all required tasks. 4 Right-click the task selection, and click Attach Selection on the shortcut menu.
NOTE If you choose not to enter a name, upon selecting a rule template the name of that template will be used. 3 From the Rule templates list, choose a template from which your rule will be based upon. NOTE The Attach Items to Tasks template is the one used for the first three pre-defined TimeLiner rules, that is, Items, Selection Sets and Layers By Task Name.
TimeLiner. Supported Scheduling Software Autodesk Navisworks TimeLiner supports a variety of scheduling software. NOTE Some of these may only function if the relevant scheduling software is installed.
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On connecting to PPM 4 and 5 within TimeLiner, a logon dialog box allows the source link to be selected (a warning occurs if none are present). The user name and password are not stored in the Autodesk Navisworks file, and will be prompted for each time.
Once connected, a dialog box allows the user to select which project to open. A check box determines if all sub-projects are opened. By default, TimeLiner brings through Start, End, Planned Start, and Planned End as Start, Finish, BL Start and BL Finish respectively.
4 Use the standard Open dialog box to locate the desired project file in .csv format, and click Open. 5 In the Field Selector Dialog Box, use the CSV Import Settings area to specify how your data should be imported into TimeLiner. NOTE The CSV import settings, including field mappings, are remembered by the system and pre-populated when the dialog box opens.
One of the benefits of linking the model to an external project schedule is that any changes to the schedule can be easily updated in TimeLiner. To synchronize tasks 1 Make changes to the project in the scheduling software, and save it. 2 Load your model into Autodesk Navisworks (see Open Files if you need help). 3 Click Tools TimeLiner, and click the Links tab in the TimeLiner window.
Model Appearance - the items attached to the task will be displayed as they are defined in the model. This may be the original CAD colors or, if you have applied color and transparency overrides in Autodesk Navisworks or materials in Presenter, then these will be displayed.
2 In the Default Simulation Start Appearance drop-down list, select the appearance option, which you want to use to start your simulations. Export You can export a static image at any time during a simulation by using one of the standard Autodesk Navisworks image exports, whilst the Simulation tab is active. See “Export an Image”...
Overview You can link object and viewpoint animations to your construction schedules, and enhance the quality of simulations. For instance, you can start your simulation with a camera showing an overview of the whole project, and then, as the tasks are simulated, zoom into specific areas for a detailed view of the model. You can also play animation scenes as the tasks are simulated.
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5 Click OK. To add a camera animation 1 If the TimeLiner window is not already open, click Tools TimeLiner. 2 Click the Simulation tab, and click the Settings button. 3 In the Simulation Settings dialog box, click the drop-down arrow in the Animation field, and select the desired camera animation, for example Scene1 Camera.
4 Click OK. Add Animation to Tasks The animation that you can add to individual tasks in TimeLiner is restricted to scenes and animation sets from the scenes. By default, any added animation is scaled to fit the task duration. You also got an option of playing an animation at its normal (recorded) speed, by matching its start or end point with the task.
3 Click the drop-down arrow in the Animation field, and select a scene or an animation set from a scene. When you select a scene, all animation sets recorded for this scene will be used. 4 Click the drop-down arrow in the Animation Behavior field, and select how the animation will play during this task: Scale - the duration of the animation is matched to the duration of the task.
You can use Clash Detective to conduct clash tests between traditional 3D geometry (triangles), and laser-scanned point clouds. You can combine the Clash Detective functionality with other Autodesk Navisworks tools: Linking Clash Detective and Object Animation together gives you the ability to automatically check interferences between moving objects.
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To toggle the Clash Detective window Click Clash Detective on the Workspace toolbar. Menu: Tools Clash Detective To set Clash Detective options 1 Click Tools Global Options. 2 Expand the Tools node in the Options Editor, and click the Clash Detective option. 3 On the Clash Detective page, use the View in Context Zoom Duration (seconds) box to enter the required value.
6 Use the Dimming Transparency slider to specify the level of transparency of items not involved in clashes. NOTE This option is only applicable when both the Dim Other and Transparent Dimming check boxes are selected on the Results tab of the Clash Detective window. 7 Click OK.
Select Tab The Select tab enables you to refine your clash test by only testing sets of items at a time, rather than the whole model against itself. Use it to configure the parameters for the clash currently selected on the Batch tab. TIP To run all tests in your batch, use the Update button on the Batch tab.
- clashes item surfaces. This is the default option. - clashes items with center lines, for example pipes. - clashes (laser) points. The Self Intersect Check Box Select this check box if you want to test the geometry selection in the pane against itself, in addition to testing it against a geometry selection in the other pane.
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The Results Area The found clashes are shown in a multi-column table. You can use the scroll bars at the right and at the bottom of the Results View. By default, clashes are numbered and sorted by “severity” on page 452. You can sort and resize columns, if necessary.
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The Clash Group Buttons New Clash Group - creates a new empty clash group. By default it’s called New Clash Group (x), where x is the latest available number. Explode Group - ungroups the selected group of clash results. The Shortcut Menus Right-clicking a clash in the Results View opens the following shortcut menu: Add Comment - adds a comment to the selected clash.
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Animate Transitions Select this check box if you require animated transitioning between clashes. When you click on a clash in the Results View, the view transitions smoothly from the current view to next. You can use the Options Editor to customize the duration of animated transitions. By default, this check box is clear.
The Highlight Check Box Select this check box to override the color of the item in the Scene Area with the color of the status of the selected clash. The Select Button Selecting an item in the Item 1 or Item 2 area, and then clicking this button selects a clashing item in the Scene Area and in the Selection Tree.
Include the Following Clash Types Select the check boxes in this field to specify which clashes to include in your report. The Report Type Select the type of report from the drop-down list: Current Test - creates a single report for the current test only. All Tests (Combined) - creates a single report for all tests.
Import Clash Tests Clash tests can be imported into Autodesk Navisworks, and used to set up pre-defined, generic clash tests. NOTE If a clash test you want to import contains a Search Set as one of the clash selections, then the Search Set will also be imported along with all other test rules, options and selection information.
Clash Detective will treat this as selecting the entire model. Multiple generic tests can be set up as a batch and exported for use by other Autodesk Navisworks users, or by yourself on other projects. To export a clash test...
Directories” on page 84 for Data\Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010\custom_clash_tests more information. 4 Restart Autodesk Navisworks. On start up, Clash Detective checks these search directories for custom clash tests. 5 To use the custom test, open the Clash Detective window, and click the Select tab.
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Default Clash Rules The following ignore clash rules are built-in: Items in Same Layer - any items found clashing that are in the same layer are not reported in the results. Items in Same Group/Block/Cell - any items found clashing that are in the same group (or inserted block) are not reported in the results.
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Specified Selection Sets - any items found clashing that are contained within two specified Selection Sets are not reported in the results. Specified Properties with the Same Value - any items found clashing that share the same value, but on two different properties are not reported in the results.
'<set>'. Choose from the available list, which Selection Set you require to define the rule. Only the pre-defined Selection and Search Sets are available in the drop down list. 6 Click OK. The rule is added to the Ignore Clashes Between area on the Rules tab. To edit a clash rule 1 If the Clash Detective window is not already open, click Tools Clash Detective.
NOTE If the Type is set to Hard, lines and surfaces will actually need to intersect with any points to register a clash. Select Clash Test Options There are four default clash test types for you to choose from: Hard. Choose this option if you want the clash test to detect actual intersections between geometry. Hard (Conservative).
You also need to configure the appearance for each added task type. To link to a TimeLiner schedule 1 In Autodesk Navisworks open the project model file, which contains the TimeLiner schedule with the static package tasks. 2 If the TimeLiner window is not already open, click Tools TimeLiner.
To link to Object Animation 1 In Autodesk Navisworks open the project model file, which contains the object animation scenes. 2 If the Animator window is not already open, click Tools Animator. 3 Play the animation. Check that the animated objects are shown in the correct location, in the correct size, and so on.
5 Click the Simulation tab, and play the simulation. Check the static and dynamic packages are shown in the correct location and over the correct periods of time. 6 If the Clash Detective window is not already open, click Tools Clash Detective.
CAD package. This makes it very simple to show clashes in Autodesk Navisworks, take them back to the CAD package, alter the design, and then reload them in Autodesk Navisworks for a very fast design review turnaround.
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2 Type in a new name for the group, and press Enter. 3 Select clashes you want to add to this group, and drag them into the folder. 4 When you click the created clash group, the Item 1 and Item 2 panes show all the clashing items contained within that clash group, and all corresponding clashes are shown in the Scene Area.
Review Clash Results Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 provides tools to add comments and redlines to clash results. If multiple clashes are associated with a single design issue, consider manually grouping them together at the beginning of your review process. See “Manage Clash...
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4 To dim all items not involved in the clash, select the Dim Other check box. When you click on a clash result, Autodesk Navisworks turns all items not involved in the clash to gray. Viewing clashing items with the...
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TIP Try using this option as you highlight all clashes in the Scene Area (by selecting the Highlight All check box). You can see the clashes through surrounding objects. To set up transitions between clashes 1 In the Clash Detective window, click the Results tab. 2 In the Display area, make sure the Auto Zoom check box is selected.
NOTE Once redlining has been added, subsequent changes to the viewpoint due to navigation will not be saved. In order to save a different viewpoint, the redlining must first be removed using the redline Erase tool. Add Review Comments and Redlines You can add comments and redlines to clash results.
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3 Select the Simulation check box in the Display area. 4 If the Animation toolbar is not already displayed, right-click in the Autodesk Navisworks toolbar area, and click the Animation option on the shortcut menu. 5 In the Clash Detective window, Results tab, select a clash in the Results list.
5 In the Clash Detective window, Results tab, select a clash in the Results list. 6 The simulation slider in the TimeLiner window is moved to the exact point at which the clash occurs. You can move the slider to investigate the events happening immediately before and after the clash. 7 Repeat this process to review all found clashes.
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Individual Clashes Only - your report will only contain individual clash results. For each clash that belongs to a group, an extra field, called Clash Group, can be added to the report to identify it. To enable this functionality, select the Clash Group check box in the Contents area. An example of a report with individual clashes only Everything - your report will contain both summaries of the clash group folders that you have created and individual clash results.
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The installed file is clash_report_html_lang.xsl located in the stylesheets subdirectory of the Autodesk Navisworks install directory. You can copy the edited file to the stylesheets subdirectory of any of the Autodesk Navisworks search directories. See Search Directories”...
Menu: Tools File Options. Culling Tab Use this tab to adjust geometry culling in the opened Autodesk Navisworks file. Area Enable Specifies whether area culling is used. Number of Pixels Below Which Objects are Culled Specifies a value for the screen area in pixels below which objects are culled.
Orientation Tab Use this tab to adjust the real-world orientation of your model. X, Y, Z Specify the X, Y, and Z coordinate values. By default, Autodesk Navisworks takes the positive Z-axis as North X, Y, Z Specify the X, Y, and Z coordinate values. By default, Autodesk Navisworks takes the positive Y-axis as North.
DataTools Tab Use this tab to create and manage links between the opened Autodesk Navisworks file and external databases. DataTools Links Displays all database links in Autodesk Navisworks file. Select the check box next to the link to activate it.
When you finish, the box underneath shows the connection string. Hold Open for Application Lifetime Specifies whether the database link is open until you exit Autodesk Navisworks. SQL String Defines which table in the database to query. If you are not familiar with SQL, you may need to ask your database administrator to set the SQL statement for you.
Use the Options Editor to adjust program settings for Autodesk Navisworks sessions. The settings that you set up in the Options Editor are persistent across all Autodesk Navisworks sessions. You also share the modified settings with other members of your team.
The settings can be shared across an entire project site, or across a specific project group depending on the required level of granularity. When you run Autodesk Navisworks for the first time, the settings are picked up from the installation directory. Subsequently, Autodesk Navisworks examines the current user profile and the all users profile on the local machine, and then checks the settings in the Project Directory and the Site Directory.
Active when the Manage Disk Space check box is selected. Specifies the maximum directory size for backup files. The default value is 512 MB. When the size of the auto-save folder exceeds the specified value, Autodesk Navisworks deletes the oldest backup file (based on the date modified).
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These options improve performance by multiply instancing matching items. Rather than storing every item in memory, if any items are the same, Autodesk Navisworks can store one instance of them and 'copy' that instance into other positions. This is of particular benefit on larger models, where there are significant numbers of these duplicate geometries.
If, however, there is no cache file present, or the cache file is older than the native CAD file, then Autodesk Navisworks has to open the CAD file and convert it. By default, it writes a cache file in the same directory and with the same name as the CAD file, but with the .nwc extension, for speeding up the opening of...
Resolution Specifies the level of selection used by default. When you click in the Scene View, Autodesk Navisworks requires a starting point for the object path in the Selection Tree box to identify the selected item. You can choose one of the following options: Model - the object path starts at the model node;...
Method Specifies how the objects are highlighted. Select one of the following options: Shaded Wireframe Tinted Color Click to specify the highlight color. Tint Level (%) Use the slider to adjust the tint level. Measure Page Use the options on this page to adjust the appearance and style of the measure lines. Line Thickness Specifies the thickness of the measure lines.
When you modify default viewpoint settings, your changes do not affect the currently opened Autodesk Navisworks file. They are used as soon as you open a new Autodesk Navisworks file, or start a new Autodesk Navisworks session. Save Hide/Required Attributes Select this check box to save viewpoints with hidden/required markup information about objects in your model.
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Text - hyperlinks are represented by text boxes with hyperlink descriptions in the Scene View. Visible Select this check box to display this hyperlink category in the Scene View. Icon Type Specifies how to display this hyperlink category. Select one of the following options: Icon - hyperlinks are represented by default icons in the Scene View.
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Use this page to view custom hyperlink categories. The padlock icon indicates that you cannot add or remove categories directly from here. Buttons Grid View Click to display custom hyperlink categories in a tabular format. 414 | Chapter 17 Autodesk Navisworks Reference...
Property Specifies the property that is displayed in the tooltips for the selected category. Developer Page Use the options on this page to adjust the display of object properties. Show Internal Properties Indicates whether additional object properties are displayed in Autodesk Navisworks. Interface Node | 415...
Hardware Acceleration Select this check box to utilize any available OpenGL hardware acceleration on your video card. If your video card drivers do not function well with Autodesk Navisworks, clear this check box. NOTE If your video card does not support OpenGL hardware acceleration, this check box is not available.
These options are offered in addition to the adjustments that can be made using the Control Panel for the device which is supplied by the SpaceBall manufacturer with the installation. Scale Translation By Enter the value that is used to adjust the speed of translation. Scale Rotation By Enter the value that is used to adjust the speed of rotation.
90% (mostly opaque) Always Show the Pinned Wheel on Startup When this check box is selected, the ‘pinned’ SteeringWheel and the First Contact dialog box are always shown when Autodesk Navisworks is started. On-Screen Messages Show Tool Messages Toggles the display of tooltips for navigation tools. When this check box is selected, the tooltips are shown below the cursor as you use the tools.
3DS Page Use this page to adjust the options for the 3DS file reader. Convert Hidden Select this check box if you want Autodesk Navisworks to convert hidden entities in 3DS files. They are automatically marked as hidden by Autodesk Navisworks.
Max Facet Deviation This setting controls the greatest distance between the edge of a facet and the actual geometry. If this distance is greater than the Max Facet Deviation value, Autodesk Navisworks adds more facets. If the Max Facet Deviation is set to 0, then this function is ignored.
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Shape Merge Threshold Specifies the number of vertices for MicroStation shapes. If the number of vertices is less than or equal to the Shape Merge Threshold value, Autodesk Navisworks merges all shapes on the same level or in the same cell and with the same color into a "Shape Set".
Default Decimal Units Selects the types of units Autodesk Navisworks uses to open DWG and DXF files that were created with decimal drawing units. NOTE DWG and DXF files do not specify the units they were created in. To adjust the units in Autodesk Navisworks, use the File Units and Transform option.
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NOTE When you modify this setting, restart Autodesk Navisworks to apply the changes. This is because once any particular version of ObjectDBX is loaded during reading of a DWG or DXF file, the version in use does not change until the program is restarted.
1. When you double the value, you get twice the number of facets. When you halve the value you get half as many facets. Larger faceting factors result in more polygons to a model and larger Autodesk Navisworks files.
Max Facet Deviation This setting controls the greatest distance between the edge of a facet and the actual geometry. If this distance is greater than the Max Facet Deviation value, Autodesk Navisworks adds more facets. If the Max Facet Deviation is set to 0, then this function is ignored.
1. To get twice the number of facets, double this value. To get half as many facets, halve this value. Larger faceting factors result in more polygons to a model and larger Autodesk Navisworks files. Max Facet Deviation This setting controls the greatest distance between the edge of a facet and the actual geometry.
PDS Page Use this page to adjust the options for the PDS file reader. Load Tags Select this check box if you want Autodesk Navisworks to read associated TAG files together with the DRI file. When this check box is clear, the file reader ignores TAG files.
1. When you double the value, you get twice the number of facets. When you halve the value you get half as many facets. Larger faceting factors result in more polygons to a model and larger Autodesk Navisworks files.
STL file, giving the most accurate visible results. Select this check box if you want Autodesk Navisworks to ignore the normals, and generate the lighting data instead, for example when the supplied model contains invalid lighting data.
1. When you double the value, you get twice the number of facets. When you halve the value you get half as many facets. Larger faceting factors result in more polygons to a model and larger Autodesk Navisworks files.
(for example, objects that lack floor or ceiling thicknesses). Selecting this check box results in corresponding hidden objects appearing in Autodesk Navisworks. NOTE This option does not affect the normal behavior of space objects that have visible 3D geometry in DWG files.
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Default Decimal Units Selects the types of units Autodesk Navisworks uses to open DWG and DXF files that were created with decimal drawing units. NOTE DWG and DXF files do not specify the units they were created in. To adjust the units in Autodesk Navisworks, use the File Units and Transform option.
NOTE If any inappropriate materials are applied to the model geometry as a result, clear this check box to fix the problem. World Units Selects the type of units Autodesk Navisworks uses to open the exported NWC files. NOTE To adjust the units in Autodesk Navisworks, use the File Units and Transform option.
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Shape Merge Threshold Specifies the number of vertices for MicroStation shapes. If the number of vertices is less than or equal to the Shape Merge Threshold value, Autodesk Navisworks merges all shapes on the same level or in the same cell and with the same color into a ‘Shape Set’.
Use this page to adjust the options for the 3DS file exporter. Convert Hidden Items Select this check box to convert hidden entities in 3DS files. They are automatically marked as hidden by Autodesk Navisworks. When this check box is clear, the file exporter ignores hidden items.
When this check box is clear, textures are not displayed during navigation. Using this option reduces the load on graphics cards, and gives less drop-out in heavily textured scenes. The materials reappear automatically when navigation stops, provided Autodesk Navisworks uses full render mode. Interactive Lighting Indicates whether the applied Presenter lights are shown during navigation. By default, this check box is selected.
Scripter). Debugging enables you to see what is going on in more complex scripts. Path to Message File Use this box to enter the location of the message file. If a message file doesn't exist yet, Autodesk Navisworks attempts to create one for you. NOTE You can't use variables in the file path.
By default, collision, gravity, crouching, and third person view are switched off. When you modify default collision settings, your changes do not affect the currently opened Autodesk Navisworks file. They are used as soon as you open a new Autodesk Navisworks file, or start a new Autodesk Navisworks session.
Gravity Select this check box to give a viewer some weight in walk mode. This option works in conjunction with Collision. Auto Crouch Select this check box to enable a viewer crouch under objects that are too low to pass under in walk mode.
Near Clip Plane Furthest Distance Specifies the farthest distance between the camera and the near clip plane position. Automatically Generated Specifies whether Autodesk Navisworks automatically controls the near clip plane position to give you the best view of the model.
Delete - deletes the selected command. Name - specifies the name of the command. Place & (ampersand) in front of a letter you want to use as a keyboard shortcut. Pressing ALT together with this letter activates the command. Default Style - uses the default style for the command. Text Only - the command is shown as text (as it's entered in the Name box).
Edit Key Frame - Camera Time Enables you to reposition the time of this keyframe. The value is the number of seconds since the start of the scene; it is not relative to the last keyframe. 442 | Chapter 17 Autodesk Navisworks Reference...
Position Enter the X, Y, and Z coordinate values to move the camera into this position. Look At Enter the X, Y, and Z coordinate values to change the focal point for the camera. Vertical Field of View, Horizontal Field of View Defines the area of the scene that can be viewed through the camera.
After the selected date is passed, the file cannot be opened. NOTE Evaluation copies of Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 can publish NWD files, however, these files have the same expiry date as the evaluation software. To remove the expiry date from an NWD file created by an evaluation copy, you must re-publish the file with a full Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 license.
Tilt Frame No. The number of frames to be used to tilt the model from the Tilt Min position to Tilt Max position. Export Rendered Image Dialog Box Use this dialog box to export a rendered scene into one of the file types supported by Autodesk Navisworks. Menu: File...
Width Enables you to enter the width in pixels, when available. Height Enables you to enter the height in pixels, when available. Image Export Dialog Box Use this dialog box to export the current viewpoint into one of the file types supported by Autodesk Navisworks. Menu: File Export Image Type Use the drop-down list to select one of the image types supported by Autodesk Navisworks.
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Width Enables you to enter the width in pixels, when available. Height Enables you to enter the height in pixels, when available. NOTE There is a maximum size of 2048 x 2048 pixels, for Autodesk Navisworks OpenGL output. Options FPS Specifies the number of frames per second; this setting is relevant for AVI files.
(.nwc) When any native CAD file file is opened or appended, Autodesk Navisworks creates a cache file (.nwc) if the write cache option is set. When the file is next opened or appended, Autodesk Navisworks will read data from the corresponding cache file rather than re-converting the original data if the cache is newer than the original file.
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If a group of files is appended into a Autodesk Navisworks scene, and saved as an NWF file, then on re-opening this .nwf file later, once the original CAD files have been changed, the updated CAD files will be loaded into the scene for review.
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This has the advantage of cutting down on file size by not unnecessarily repeating an object. item name The original CAD or Autodesk Navisworks assigned identifier. Any item can have a name and this name will usually come from the original CAD package that the model was created in.
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(remember all Autodesk Navisworks geometry is composed of triangles). This may miss clashes between items where none of the triangles intersect. For example, two pipes that are exactly parallel and overlap each other slightly at their ends.
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clashes outside of this tolerance will be ignored. So for Hard clashes, a clash with a severity of between zero and the tolerance value will be ignored, whereas for Clearance clashes, a clash with a severity of more than the tolerance value will be ignored as it is further away than the distance required.
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line Sectioning toolbar line string select link review selection status commands pick radius tag IDs resolution tags sets text selection sets thickness delete view rename Redo save refresh files update rename Selection Tools toolbar rendering 167, 301 Selection Tree accelerate sort control send...