topic Re: Navisworks and ArchiCAD 11 in Collaboration with other software

Navisworks and ArchiCAD 11

JaredBanks — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:45:17 GMT

Is exporting to NavisWorks from ArchiCAD 11 possible? So far my searching on this forum and the internet has not given me any clear answers. I tried calling NavisWorks and got this recorded message "thank you for calling AutoDesk, the office is currently closed..." It's 10:40 am there right now?! Come On!

The point. We're going to be working on an 80,000 sq. ft. project and the contractor wants to coordinate everything through NavisWorks. Any thoughts?

Thanks.

Re: Navisworks and ArchiCAD 11

Erika Epstein — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:55:03 GMT

Yes you can. Save as a 3D dwg.

Re: Navisworks and ArchiCAD 11

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:29:50 GMT

Looking at this link, it would suggest ifc may work. Is this still correct?

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=10578958

At the top of the page there is also a link to a pdf that goes into greater detail.

Re: Navisworks and ArchiCAD 11

JaredBanks — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 19:12:34 GMT

How do you save as a 3D dwg? I'm not familiar with that and again can't find anything on it. I can find how to open a 3D dwg... not my day for finding answers on my own.

I guess it's also time to learn about ifc.

Re: Navisworks and ArchiCAD 11

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 19:56:15 GMT

You can save a 3d dwg by 'saving as' from the 3d window. Select dwg as the file format. Check the translator settings - there are a few 3d specific settings. It will capture anything visible in the 3d window so you can use the marquee, cutplanes and layer settings etc to select what you want exporting.

(I have to be careful with this, I got this wrong last time! ) To import a 3d dwg, you can open it as an object under 'file' > 'libraries and objects' > 'open object'. Select .dwg as the file type.

For info on IFC, there are several articles on the ArchiCADWiki that may be useful.

Hope that helps.

Re: Navisworks and ArchiCAD 11

JaredBanks — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 20:15:58 GMT

That helps a lot. Sounds like a pain though!

Re: Navisworks and ArchiCAD 11

Laszlo Nagy — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 00:23:01 GMT

I don't know about AC11, but I just posted this in another topic:

I just read an article on AECBytes which talks about the new AutoDesk 2010 product line. There is one line there which says:

[NavisWorks'] Support for non-Autodesk applications such as ArchiCAD 12 has been updated, along with support for a new file format, JT Open, which is common in manufacturing.

Re: Navisworks and ArchiCAD 11

Erika Epstein — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 00:27:50 GMT

JaredBanks wrote:
That helps a lot. Sounds like a pain though!

No, it is really very easy. 3D dwgs, while not parametric for us are much smaller files than IFC files. This is fine as when we use programs such as Navisworks we are interested in how the varioius building elements and systems overlap in space.

I've successfully exhanged files for a number of projects with consultants who use Revit MEP, structural and/or plumbing. Construction Companies rely on Navisworks and the overlaid 3Ddwgs for clash analysis in their weekly meetings.

It's important that all team members agree on which point of the building will be at what point such as 0,0,0. This ensures that the models from all disciplines are correctly registered.

Throughout the design and CD process combining 3D DWGs should be part of your work process on a regular basis. Archicad, Revit and other similar program have the ability to navigate through the combined building and systems in 3D space.

Re: Navisworks and ArchiCAD 11

Karl Ottenstein — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 00:39:35 GMT

Erika wrote:
It's important that all team members agree on which point of the building will be at what point such as 0,0,0. This ensures that the models from all disciplines are correctly registered.

Excellent point, Erika!

Re: Navisworks and ArchiCAD 11

JaredBanks — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 14:58:27 GMT

Erika,

Thanks. That does sound way easier than I was fearing. Does anyone know of a good primer on this? I'm guessing the more knowledge I can have about the process the better. I'm hoping to head over to the contractor's or engineers office in the next week or three with my laptop so that I can save a couple 3D dwg and ifc files and see them open in Navisworks. I think that'd help me a lot understand the whole process. And be really nice to see the otherside.

Re: Navisworks and ArchiCAD 11

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:12:33 GMT

Hey guys! Why not save as Navis files directly? DWG into Navis is OK but limited and IFC could be good but unfortunately sucks in its current state (due to Navis' import issues). NWC files retain materials (lost in IFC) and IDs (not in DWG) as well as layer information. Exports from AC10 even supported layer combinations into selection sets, though this feature seems to be lost in AC11.

Getting the add-on is only a little tricky. All you have to do is download and install the trial version of Navis from Autodesk. When you install it will automatically detect ArchiCAD and install the add-on. (Windows only of course )

A word of warning though. NavisWorks 2009 seems to have suffered a bit in the transition to Autodesk ownership. It is more buggy than version 5.5 that preceded the buy out and the AC11 add-on is crash prone (always save the PLN before the "Save as..." to Navis - besides protecting yourself this also seems to reduce the crashing).

I have heard on good authority (contrary to some reports) that Navis 2010 will include AC12 support. Now if GS would just enable us to "Publish" to any format that we can "Save as..."

BTW: Jared,

The Navis demo will run fully functional for 30 days (and stop completely after that). You can also use Boot Camp, Parallels or VMware Fusion to run Windows for the purpose. Autodesk full paid copies have registration/licensing problems with Boot Camp but that should have no effect on the trial version.

I don't recommend using VMs for this purpose on a dual core machine (especially a RAM limited one like my old MacBook Pro). The performance gets rather slow. On my 8-core MacPro I prefer the VM approach since I can switch back and forth instantly.

Remember not to remove the Navis installation after the trial period ends as this will also remove the ArchiCAD add-on. Alternatively you should be able to back up the add-on for manual reinstallation later, but I haven't tried this so I can't say for sure that it works.

Re: Navisworks and ArchiCAD 11

JaredBanks — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:51:06 GMT

Cool. What are the odds that the add-on would work on a Mac (assuming installing Navisworks on a PC or through bootcamp, then copying the add-on)? Our firm is all Mac based now, except for 4 machines around for finishing up some autocad projects --quickly becoming paper weights.

I'm seeing three scenerios then. One, install Navisworks using Bootcamp and switch over to ArchiCAD to run through windows every time we need to save out. Two, hope that the add-on can be copied. Three, stick with a 3D dwg.

Right now the 3D dwg seems like the simplest solution. And at this junction I'm looking for simplest, since for a variety of reasons that would make my life the happiest. The loss of IDs in the DWG doesn't seem so bad, as I don't think this project will be using them that intensely. But great to know Navis trial on a PC will work. I'll have to install it on my home machine and do some of my research there. Seems like a great excuse to work from home.

Re: Navisworks and ArchiCAD 11

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:38:08 GMT

JaredBanks wrote:
Cool. What are the odds that the add-on would work on a Mac?

0% AFAIK add-ons are all platform specific. So unless Autodesk gets a big Mac attack (I hear one of their top guys is a Mac user) and decides to spend the time on a Mac version I wouldn't waste any time on that hope.

I'm seeing three scenerios then. One, install Navisworks using Bootcamp and switch over to ArchiCAD to run through windows every time we need to save out. Two, hope that the add-on can be copied. Three, stick with a 3D dwg.

1. If you have a powerful enough machine (quad core or better with 4GB or more RAM) the best set up is to make a VM and run AC in Windows for publishing the NWCs. This way it can run concurrent with the Mac session. Note that you have to switch the WIBU key back and forth between the two operating systems. This is no big deal if you are not too troubled by the save/quit notice. If you are truly flush and have a spare key around Parallels can allow each OS to access its own key (VMware seems unable to do this).

2. Won't work.

3. If the DWG works for your needs it is by far the easiest way to go since you can set up a Publisher set for saving the models. It's still worth a trial run of the NWC so you can see the differences. One quirk of the AC to Navis DWG process is that Navis will invariably set the units of the imported files to mm usually making them 25.4 times smaller than they should be. I have found no way around this aside from resetting the units in Navis.

Re: Navisworks and ArchiCAD 11

JaredBanks — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:48:53 GMT

Door #3 it is. Not flush with cash. No quad-core machines. Will be aware of the units to mm.

Thanks again for some great sagely advice. I'll make sure to repost later once I've actually tried the process out.

Re: Navisworks and ArchiCAD 11

JaredBanks — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:19:47 GMT

Matthew,

So how do you fix the 25.4x scale issue? I was just at the engineer's today looking at an ifc and a 3d dwg in Navisworks. Both came in with screwing scales. But neither of us knew how to fix it.

We also imported a .3ds version of the AC11 file. That looked nice, but lost all the IDs. Which sucked. I'm going to look into installing Navisworks on a PC and just do the conversion through there. Seems like the best option.

Thanks for everyone's advice on this.

Re: Navisworks and ArchiCAD 11

Anonymous — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 02:00:44 GMT

Couple things
1) NavisWorks 2010 will support AC 12
2) IFC and DWG are having different project origins. I had big problems on my projects and decided to go with DWG's
3) If you have a 64-bit OS you will notice that the DWG reader will not work! Yes, a Autodesk application is not supporting DWG's. There is a work around though! You may open the DWG in Autocad as save it as an NWD or you have a Autodesk subscription where you can download a fix. However I noticed this fix is still buggy!!!
I hope this might help.
Cheers,

Re: Navisworks and ArchiCAD 11

JaredBanks — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:12:36 GMT

I ended up installing ArchiCAD 11 and a free trial of Navisworks on one of the office PCs. Exporting to Navisworks with the plug in works well so far.

Re: Navisworks and ArchiCAD 11

Djordje — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 04:38:54 GMT

JaredBanks wrote:
So how do you fix the 25.4x scale issue?

Ah ... the old Imperial/Metric ...

1 inch is 25.4 mm.

Re: Navisworks and ArchiCAD 11

Anonymous — Wed, 13 May 2009 21:24:16 GMT

Djordje wrote:
JaredBanks wrote:
So how do you fix the 25.4x scale issue?
Ah ... the old Imperial/Metric ...

1 inch is 25.4 mm.

You can also open up the 3d DWG in AutoCAD and change the units to Architectural/Inches; that's if you have AutoCAD installed on your machine.

Re: Navisworks and ArchiCAD 11

Anonymous — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:52:05 GMT

Djordje wrote:
JaredBanks wrote:
So how do you fix the 25.4x scale issue?
Ah ... the old Imperial/Metric ...

1 inch is 25.4 mm.

I am struggling with this as well. A colleague of mine is trying to import an IFC file created from AutoCAD Architecture. Whenever it comes in to AC, the scale is off by 25.4 and we are unable to rescale it. The original IFC file has been created by a DWG both in Inches and mm. Either way the scale is off. Any ideas on how to get around this?