Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 User Guide March 2009
© 2009 Autodesk, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Except as otherwise permitted by Autodesk, Inc., this publication, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form, by any method, for any purpose. Certain materials included in this publication are reprinted with the permission of the copyright holder. Trademarks The following are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and other countries: 3DEC (design/logo), 3December, 3December.
Contents Welcome to Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Chapter 1 What Is New in This Release? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Chapter 2 How to Get Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Use Communication Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Overview of Communication Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Install Autodesk Navisworks for Multiple Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quick Start to Network Administration and Deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deployment Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Set Up Network Tools and Your License Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Distribute the Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Display Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Search Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Get a Whole-Project View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Chapter 5 Work with Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Control the Realism of Your Navigation . Gravity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Crouching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Collision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Third Person View . . . . . . . . . . Head-Up Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Organize Viewpoints . . . . . . . Edit Viewpoints . . . . . . . . . . Default Viewpoint Options . . . . Share Viewpoints . . . . . . . . . Sectioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Enable Section Planes . . . . . . . Position and Use Section Planes . Link Section Planes . . . . . . . . Enable and Use Section Boxes . . Chapter 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Work with Cameras . . . . . . Work with Section Plane Sets . Work with Keyframes . . . . . Capture Keyframes . . . Edit Keyframes . . . . . Play Animation Scenes . . . . Add Interactivity . . . . . . . . . . Work with Animation Scripts . Work with Events . . . . . . . Work with Actions . . . . . . Enable Scripting . . . . . . . . Chapter 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Overlay Text Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . Get Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TimeLiner Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Create Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Edit Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Attach Tasks to Geometry . . . . . . . . . Attach Tasks Manually . . . . . . . Use Rules to Attach Tasks . . . . . . Validate Project Schedule . . . . . . . . . Link to External Project Files . . . . . . . . . . Supported Scheduling Software . . . . . . CSV Support . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 17 Autodesk Navisworks Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401 File Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . Culling Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . Orientation Tab . . . . . . . . . . . Speed Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Head Light Tab . . . . . . . . . . . Scene Lights Tab . . . . . . . . . . . DataTools Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . File Units and Transform Dialog Box . . . New Link Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . Edit Link Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . .
Clash Detective Page . . . . . Presenter Page . . . . . . . . . TimeLiner Page . . . . . . . . Scripter Page . . . . . . . . . . Animator Page . . . . . . . . Default Collision Dialog Box . . . . . . . Collision Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . Convert Object Properties Dialog Box . . Culling Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . Customize Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . Toolbars Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . Commands Tab . . . . . . . . . . . Options Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . .
xii | Contents
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.
2 | Part 1 Welcome to Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010
What Is New in This Release? 1 Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 contains many new features and enhancements. Installation The installation screen provides links to the installation options, deployment options, installation tools and utilities, documentation and language settings. When installing the product you can select to install either the 32-bit or 64-bit version. You also have the option of selecting the DWG file readers that require installation, plus the exporter plugins that you require.
■ 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. The background of the 3D scene is split across the horizontal plane giving the effect of a sky and the ground.
■ 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. ■ Align section planes to specific faces of an object or line. See “Sectioning” on page 244.
■ Manual override option allows you to specify the distance of Near and Far Clipping Planes. See “Use Culling” on page 174. ■ When entering invalid values in the Options Editor, you are notified of the error. ■ You can now configure site and project folders at install time, making deployment across an organization easier. See “Select the Project and Site Folder Paths (optional)” on page 40.
How to Get Assistance There are various ways to find information about how to use this program, and multiple resources are available. 2 Use Communication Center Communication Center provides up-to-date product information, software updates, product support announcements, and other product-related announcements. Overview of Communication Center Communication Center provides up-to-date product information, software updates, product support announcements, and other product-related announcements.
Communication Center provides the following kinds of announcements: ■ Product Support Information. Get breaking news from the Product Support team at Autodesk, including when Live Update maintenance patches are released. ■ Subscription Announcements. Receive subscription announcements and subscription program news, as well as links to e-Learning Lessons, if you are an Autodesk subscription member (available in countries/regions where Autodesk subscriptions are offered).
6 Click OK. To specify the channels to display in the Communication Center panel 1 Open the Communication Center panel, and click Options. 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. To specify balloon notification settings 1 Open the Communication Center panel, and click Options.
■ 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. Use Searches Use the Search tab to find relevant topics based on keywords that you enter.
specified, AND is used. For example, the query spacing border printing is equivalent to spacing AND border AND printing.
NOTE When you select the second option, you may get numerous printed pages, depending on how many subtopics the currently selected topic contains. To print a Help topic 1 Display the topic you want to print. 2 Right-click in the topic pane. Click Print. 3 In the Print dialog box, click Print. To print a selected heading and all subtopics 1 Display the topic you want to print and make sure that the Contents tab is displayed. 2 On the Help toolbar, click Print.
Autodesk Authorized Training Centers The Autodesk® Authorized Training Center (ATC®) network delivers Autodesk-authorized, instructor-led training to design professionals who use Autodesk software. Autodesk Authorized Training Centers use experienced and knowledgeable instructors. More than 1,200 ATC sites are available worldwide to meet your needs for discipline-specific, locally based training. To find a training center near you, contact your local Autodesk office or visit http://www.autodesk.com/atc.
About Subscription Center With Autodesk Subscription, you get the latest releases of Autodesk software, incremental product enhancements, personalized web support from Autodesk technical experts, and self paced e-Learning. Subscription services are available to subscription members only. By clicking the Communication Center options (under Subscription Center): button on the Standard toolbar, members have access to the following ■ Subscription status. Checks your subscription status.
View the Product Readme You can find late-breaking information about this software in the Readme. It is suggested that you read through the Autodesk Navisworks Readme for information about recommended hardware, updated installation instructions, and known software problems. Join the Customer Involvement Program You are invited to participate in helping guide the direction of Autodesk design software.
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.
Installation This chapter provides information about installing and activating Autodesk Navisworks on a workstation, as well as deploying Autodesk Navisworks from a network location. 3 Quick Start to Stand-Alone Installation This section provides step-by-step instructions about how to prepare, and then install Autodesk Navisworks. If you have never installed the product before, you should familiarize yourself with the entire installation process and options before beginning.
See the following table for hardware and software requirements.
Hardware and software requirements Optional hardware Open GL©-compatible 3D video card; Printer or plotter; Modem or access to an Internet connection; Network interface card Understand Administrative Permission Requirements To install Autodesk Navisworks, you must have administrator permissions. 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.
NOTE Some products may not have multi-language support at the time of product release. Additional language support may be available later. Check http://autodesk.com/servicesandsupport for the availability of additional language packs. Using Language Packs Language packs (.msi) support use of different languages in each Autodesk Navisworks product, including exporters. Pack names start with NAVFREE_, NAVREV_, NAVSIM_, NAVMAN_, and exporters_ respectively.
The Installation wizard for packages that are comprised of multiple products gives you the option to choose which products you want to install. In the Installation wizard, for packages containing multiple products, you can choose which products and languages you want to install. During the install process, you are informed whether a copy of the software is already installed. You are also warned if your system does not meet the minimum system requirements for the product.
Only default values are used which means it is a typical installation being installed to C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Navisworks Manage 2010. To install Autodesk Navisworks using default values on a stand-alone computer 1 Insert the Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 DVD into your computer's DVD drive. The Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 Installation wizard launches in the language that best matches the settings on your computer. If the Installation wizard does not start automatically, double-click Setup.
The wizard does the following: ■ ■ Uses a Typical installation, which installs the most common application features. To see which features are included in a Typical installation, refer to “Typically Installed Features” on page 46. Installs Autodesk Navisworks to the default install path of C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Navisworks Manage 2010. ■ Installs the products you selected in Step 3.
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. Because you can't change this information later without uninstalling the product, make sure you enter the correct information now.
■ - indicates plugins for the 3rd party software, which is either not installed on your PC or has not been detected by the Installation wizard. Select the check boxes next to all required plugins. If the 3rd party software has not been detected by the wizard, you can manually enable the plugins for it. Selecting the check box automatically opens the dialog box, which enables you to browse for the correct software installation directory.
-lang es-ES for Spanish localization -lang fr-FR for French localization -lang it-IT for Italian localization -lang ja-JP for Japanese localization -lang ko-KR for Korean localization -lang pt-BR for Brazilian Portuguese localization -lang ru-RU for Russian localization -lang zh-CN for Chinese (PRC) localization 3 Click OK to save the changes. Add or Remove Features You can add or remove Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 features at any time.
The reinstallation or repair uses the features that were part of the installation type you chose when you initially installed the program. To reinstall or repair Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 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, and then click Change/Remove in Windows XP or Uninstall/Change in Vista. The Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 Installation wizard re-opens in Maintenance Mode.
Install Autodesk Navisworks for Multiple Users This section provides step-by-step instructions for installing network-licensed or multi-seat stand-alone versions of the Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010. Quick Start to Network Administration and Deployment Network deployment of this program requires careful planning and execution.
Hardware and software requirements for the network license server Communication protocol TCP/IP Hardware and software requirements for client machine Hardware/Software Requirement Operating system 32-Bit Windows©XP© Professional, SP 2 or SP 3; Windows XP Home, and Professional, SP 2 or SP 3; Windows Vista Ultimate, SP 1; Windows Vista Enterprise, SP 1; Windows Vista Business SP 1; Windows Vista Home Premium, SP 1; Windows Vista Home Basic, SP 1 64-Bit Windows Vista Enterprise, SP 1; Windows Vista Busin
Hardware and software requirements for client machine Pointing device MS-Mouse compliant DVD-ROM Any speed (for installation only) Optional hardware Open Open GL®-compatible 3D video card Printer or plotter Modem or access to an Internet connection Network interface card Choose an Installation Type When you set up your deployment, you need to choose the type of installation to deploy.
For the network installation, use one of the following license server models: ■ Single license server model. The Network License Manager is installed on a single server, so license management and activity is restricted to this server. A single license file represents the total number of licenses available on the server. ■ Distributed license server model. Licenses are distributed across more than one server. A unique license file is required for each server.
To Activate a Network License Through Autodesk.com If your product does not include the Network License Activation Utility, you can activate your license by going to https://registeronce.autodesk.com, and following the on-screen instructions. Configure Your License Server You configure a license server so that you can manage the Autodesk Navisworks product licenses. You can configure the license server with the lmtools.exe utility.
Distribute the Program Once you have fully prepared for creating a deployment, you are ready to set up and distribute Autodesk Navisworks by using the Deployment wizard and choosing a deployment method. Create a Network Share 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.
NOTE Users must have Read permissions to access the network share and administrative permissions on the workstation where this program is installed. ■ Scripting. A script executes a command or a set of commands. Scripts are similar to batch files but are more flexible. Installation scripts are most useful for stand-alone installation of programs on computers that are connected to a network. Scripts are also useful for installing service packs, extensions, and object enablers on a network.
Deployment Checklist You know how you’re going to personalize the programs 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 antivirus software. You have decided what languages you will include in your administrative image, and what languages you will use for your deployment package.
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. The following sections outline your choices in more detail.
file. The log lists the user name, workstation name, and the status of the installation. Refer to this file for status information and details about problems that users encountered during installation (for example, low disc space or inadequate permissions). The network log is named with the same name you chose for your deployment. You can specify where the log file is created by entering either a valid UNC (universal naming convention) path or hard-coded path on your network, for example \\MyComputer\Autode
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. IMPORTANT Depending on the type of option you choose on the configuration page, network or stand-alone license, note that you must use the same type of installation for all those products in your deployment session.
If you have already used the Network License Manager to create a license server model, you must select the same license server model in this step. If you have not yet used the Network License Manager to create a license server model, make sure that you select the same settings in the Network License Manager that you choose here. 3 Enter the name of one of the servers that will run the Network License Manager, or click the Browse button to locate the server. Click Add to add the server to the Server Pool.
Your choices are as follows: ActiveX Lite Control Contains Navisworks ActiveX Lite control. API Contains the Component Object Model interface for customizing and extending the Navisworks functionality. Example NWD files Contains various feature sample files. PDF Manual Contains the Autodesk Navisworks User Guide in PDF format. Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 Contains full set of Navisworks files. Sample RPCs Contains several Rich Photorealistic Content files.
NOTE Some products may not have multi-language support at the time of product release. Additional language support may be available later. Check http://autodesk.com/servicesandsupport for the availability of additional language packs. Using Language Packs Language packs (.msi) support use of different languages in each Autodesk Navisworks product, including exporters. Pack names start with NAVFREE_, NAVREV_, NAVSIM_, NAVMAN_, and exporters_ respectively.
3 On the Select the Products to Include in the Deployment page, select the products you want to include, the languages to include in your administrative image, and the language of your deployment: a 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.
2 On the Begin Deployment page, specify the following: administrative image location, deployment name, and if your target system is 32 or 64-bit. ■ In the Administrative Image field, enter the path to your existing shared network location, or use the Browse button to navigate to that location. This area is where you create and store your administrative image. Users install the program from this location. NOTE If you do not know how to create a network share, see “Create a Network Share” on page 33.
7 On the Review - Configure - Create Deployments page, click the Configure button to make changes to the administrative image. Each of the products you selected to install, has its own configuration tab: ■ For Autodesk Navisworks Freedom 2010 you can change the installation path. ■ For Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010, you can change the license type, installation type, installation path, and the project and site folder paths.
You need to notify your users of the shortcut that was created in the administrative image. The shortcut is the same name that you chose when you created a deployment. To point users to the administrative image ■ The simplest method of notifying users how to install the deployment is to email them with instructions about using the shortcut. At a minimum, the instructions need to include the location of the deployment and instructions about double-clicking the shortcut to the deployment.
3 Review the information about your system including the graphics card driver and driver version, and click OK to close the dialog.
3 Place the exported settings inside the appropriate subfolders. The centralized workspace files should go into the Workspaces subfolder, the centralized global options files should go into the global_options subfolder, and so on. Where are my product manuals? All documentation created for Autodesk products are built in two different formats: PDF and CHM. ■ ■ CHM files are made available during installation; click the Documentation link in the Installation wizard.
Deployment Issues This section outlines common issues and their solutions with regards to software deployments. Is there a checklist I can refer to when performing a deployment? The Installation chapter contains a complete section that describes preliminary actions and the entire deployment process. See “Preliminary Tasks for a Network Deployment” on page 34. Where should deployments be located? Shared folders are required for both network license and multi-seat stand-alone methods of installation.
■ Subscription Center announcements and subscription program news, as well as links to e-Learning Lessons, if you are an Autodesk subscription member. ■ Notifications of new articles and tips posted on Autodesk websites. Licensing Issues This section outlines common issues and their solutions with regards to software licenses and licensing your products.
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. Refer to this file for status information and details about problems that users may have encountered during 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. Your license file also stays on your workstation when you uninstall your product.
52 | Chapter 3 Installation
Quick Start This chapter helps you get up-to-speed with the Autodesk Navisworks interface. 4 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 Windows desktop: ■ Double-click the Autodesk Navisworks icon, or ■ Go to Start ➤ All Programs (or Programs) ➤ Autodesk ➤ Navisworks Manage 2010 ➤ Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010.
Enviro-Dome.Autosave0.nwf, the second auto-saved file is called Enviro-Dome.Autosave1.nwf and so on. You can control a number of auto-save options, such as how often Navisworks saves your work, the location of backup files, and the maximum number of backup files you want to keep. To customize the auto-save options 1 Click Tools ➤ Global Options. 2 In the Options Editor, expand the General node, and click Auto-Save. 3 Adjust the auto-save options, as required.
6 In the Save As dialog box, enter a new file name, and browse to the desired location. 7 Click Save. Command Line Options Command line switches can specify different startup routines for Navisworks. 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.
Command Line Switch Argument Description -nwc [outputfile.nwc] [inputfile] Autodesk Navisworks converts an input file into the NWC format in the background, and places it into the specified directory. You must provide the full file paths within quotation marks. For example, “C:\temp\a.dwg" -nwd [outputfile.nwd] [input file] Autodesk Navisworks converts an input file into the NWD format in the background, and places it into the specified directory.
The User Interface The Autodesk Navisworks interface contains a number of traditional Windows elements, such as toolbars, dockable windows, dialog boxes and shortcut menus in which you complete tasks. Parts of Autodesk Navisworks Interface 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.
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. Print Displays the Print dialog box. Print Preview Enables print preview mode. Print Setup Displays the Print Setup dialog box. Delete Deletes the selected files.
Option Description Find Comments Toggles the Find Comments dialog box. Hidden Toggles hidden mode for selected items. Required Toggles required mode for selected items. Unselected Hidden Toggles hidden mode for unselected items. Override Item Enables you to override color, transparency, and transform for selected items. Reset Item Enables you to reset selected items back to their original state. Reset All Enables you to reset all overridden items back to their original state.
Option Description Set Viewpoint Up Sets the viewpoint up vector to align with the selected orientation. Rendering Enables you to select rendering mode. Lighting Enables you to select lighting mode. Display Enables you to display primitives. Navigation Mode Enables you to select navigation mode. Navigation Tools Enables you to control the camera during interactive navigation. Sectioning Enables you to create a limited volume of your model.
Option Description DataTools Displays the DataTools dialog box. Animator Toggles the Animator tool window. Scripter Toggles the Scripter tool window. Compare Displays the Compare dialog box. Redline Toggles the Redline Tools tool window. Hyperlinks Toggles the display of hyperlinks. Smart Tags Toggles the display of smart tags. Measure Toggles the Measure Tools tool window. Animation Enables you to control animation playback, and record viewpoint animations.
Every button on a toolbar includes a tooltip, which describes the function the button activates. Placing the mouse over a button displays a brief instruction on how to use this feature in the Status bar. You can rearrange, open and close toolbars: ■ To move a toolbar, click the dotted line at the edge of the toolbar, and drag it to a different location.
Button Description Displays the Open dialog box. Displays the Open URL dialog box. Displays the Merge dialog box. Saves the currently open Navisworks file. Displays the Publish dialog box. Saves the currently open Navisworks file, accesses your email program, and adds the saved file as an email attachment. Reverses the last performed operation. Reverses the last operation performed by the Undo command. Displays the Print dialog box.
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. Turns on examine mode. Turns on fly mode. Turns on turntable mode. Rendering Style Toolbar This toolbar controls the model appearance in Navisworks. Button Description Selects lighting mode. Selects rendering mode.
This toolbar gives you quick access to the Navisworks review and analysis tools. Button Description Toggles the Redline Tools tool window. Toggles the display of hyperlinks. Toggles the display of smart tags. Toggles the Measure Tools tool window. Toggles the Viewpoints control bar. Toggles the Sectioning toolbar. Toggles the Plan Thumbnail control bar. Toggles the Section Thumbnail control bar. Toggles the Selection Tree control bar. Toggles the Selection Sets control bar.
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 planes together. Displays the Set Sectioning Box Size dialog box.
Button Description Stops playing the current animation, and rewinds it back to the beginning. Plays the currently selected animation. Steps one frame or keyframe forwards. Fast forwards the current animation to the end. Toggles the Scripter engine on and off in the Navisworks file. Collaborate Bar Toolbar This toolbar enables you to participate in design review sessions across a Local Area Network (LAN). Button Description Starts Windows™ NetMeeting.
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. Holds the selected items. As you move around the model, these objects will move with you. Uses a perspective camera. Uses an orthographic camera. Toggles collision. Toggles gravity. Toggles crouching. Toggles third person view.
Looking at several views of your model simultaneously is useful when you compare lighting and rendering styles, animate different parts of your model, and so on. Only one scene view can be active at a time. A scene view becomes active as you work in it. If you left-click a scene view, the scene view is activated and whatever you click is selected, or, if you click an empty area, everything is deselected. Right-clicking a scene view activates it, and opens a shortcut menu.
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. 2 Click to close the scene view. NOTE You cannot delete the default scene view. To toggle full screen mode ■ Click View ➤ Scene View ➤ Full Screen.
To display a tool window, click Tools on the Menu bar, and then choose from the list of available tool windows. Alternatively, click the desired button on the Workspace toolbar. Both types of windows can be moved and resized, and either floated in the Scene Area or docked. A docked window shares one or more edges with adjacent windows and toolbars. If a shared edge is moved, the windows change shape to compensate. You can also float windows anywhere on the screen, if necessary.
Notification Icon Notification icon indicates whether any new information is available. Balloon notifications appear over this icon whenever new Communication Center content is available. You can right-click this icon to turn off the notifications, or to customize the Communication Center options. Pencil Progress Bar The progress bar under the left hand icon (pencil) indicates how much of the current view is drawn, that is how much drop-out there is in the current viewpoint.
Autodesk Navisworks Workspaces Workspaces are sets of toolbars and dockable windows that are grouped and organized so that you can work in a custom, task-oriented design review environment. Each workspace contains sets of toolbars and dockable windows with the tools required to perform a certain job, making it easy to switch between design review layouts as necessary.
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. Keyboard shortcuts offer a means to let you work faster and more efficiently. Some dialog boxes or dockable windows can be closed with the same command used to open it.
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. CTRL + F Displays the Quick Find dialog box. CTRL + G Toggles gravity mode. CTRL + H Toggles hidden mode for selected items. CTRL + M Displays the Merge dialog box.
Default Keyboard Shortcut Description HOME Enables view selected mode. This keyboard shortcut only applies to the Scene Area windows. This means it will only work when this window has focus. ESC Deselects everything. F1 Opens the Help system. F2 Renames the selected item, when appropriate. F3 Repeats the previously run quick find search. F5 Refreshes your scene with the latest versions of currently loaded model files. F11 Toggles full screen mode.
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. 6 Close the Customize dialog box. To delete a custom toolbar 1 Click Tools ➤ Customize. 2 In the Customize dialog box, Toolbars tab, click the toolbar you don’t need. 3 Click Delete. NOTE You can only delete custom toolbars.
■ 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. 3 If you want to edit the command’s appearance, right-click it on the toolbar or menu, and use options on the shortcut menu. 4 Close the Customize dialog box.
Autodesk Navisworks Options 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. The File Options dialog box is used to customize various file options, and can be accessed from the Tools menu.
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. See also: ■ “Options Editor” on page 405 To export global options 1 Click Tools ➤ Global Options. 2 In the Options Editor, click the Export button.
6 Click Save. 7 Click OK to close the Options Editor. To import global options 1 Click Tools ➤ Global Options. 2 In the Options Editor, click the Import button. 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.
3 On the Environment page, enter the desired number into the Maximum Recently Used Files box. By default, shortcuts to the four most recently opened files can be displayed. 4 Click OK. Location Options These options enable centralized sharing of global Autodesk Navisworks settings, workspaces, datatools, avatars, Clash Detective rules, Presenter archives, custom Clash Detective tests, object animation scripts, and so on, with other users.
5 Click OK. NOTE 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. The files in the Project Directory take precedence. Display Units Display units determine the scale of your model in Navisworks.
To use a developer profile 1 Click Tools ➤ Global Options. 2 Expand the Interface node, and click the Developer option. 3 Select the Show Internal Properties check box to add additional object properties to the Properties control bar. 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.
Get a Whole-Project View 85
86 | Part 2 Get a Whole-Project View
Work with Files In Autodesk Navisworks you can open files originated from a variety of CAD applications. 5 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. Native File Formats Autodesk Navisworks has three native file formats: NWD, NWF, and NWC.
■ “NWD File Options” on page 409 Compatible CAD Applications The table below is provided as a quick reference only, and does not contain an exhaustive list of compatible CAD applications. For additional information, please refer to the Features and Specifications section on our website http://www.autodesk.com/navisworks.
Application File Formats CADopia IntelliCAD DWG, DXF CEA Technology Plant-4D DWG, DGN COADE CADWorx Plant DWG, DXF, 3DS COADE CADWorx Pipe DWG, DXF, 3DS COADE CADWorx Steel DWG, DXF, 3DS COINS BSLink DWG, DXF, 3DS COINS Framing DWG, DXF, 3DS CSC 3D+ DWG Dassault Systemes CATIA DXF, IGES, STEP Google SketchUp SKP, DWG, 3DS Hannappel Software GmbH elcoCAD R4 DWG, DXF, 3DS Integraph PDS DRI, DRV, DWG, DXF, DGN, IGES, STEP Informatix MicroGDS MAN ITandFactory CADISON DWG, DXF, 3DS
Application File Formats Tekla Structures DGN, VRML, CIS/2 Tekla Xsteel DGN think3 thinkdesign DWG, DXF, IGES, STEP UGS I-deas DXF, IGES, STEP UGS Solid Edge IGES, STEP UGS NX (Unigraphics) DXF, IGES, STEP UGS Factory CAD DWG, DXF, 3DS UHP Process Piping FabPro Pipe 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 yo
Format Extension 3D Studio .3ds, .prjv 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. Supported Laser Scan File Formats See the following table for the laser scan file formats you can open in Autodesk Navisworks.
Unsupported Entities ■ Keyframes (objects are currently taken from keyframe 0) ■ Texture maps in the formats: gray-scale .tga, .tif, .gif, .png. ■ Other maps (e.g. opacity maps, reflections etc.) ■ Wireframe meshes ■ Lines, splines ■ Points ■ Background images See also: ■ “3DS File Reader Options” on page 419 ASCII Laser Scan File Reader Most scanner software support exporting the point data in an ASCII text file.
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.
■ Fastener_simple_bolt ■ Fastener_simple_shear_connector Unsupported Entities ■ Part_complex ■ Part_prismatic_complex ■ Part_sheet_profiled ■ Section_profile_centreline ■ feature_cutting_plane ■ feature_edge_chamfer ■ feature_surface ■ feature_thread ■ feature_volume_complex ■ feature_volume_curved ■ feature_volume_hole ■ Element_volume ■ Element_surface ■ Element_point ■ Element_curve_complex ■ Element_with_material ■ Joint_system_amorphous ■ Joint_system_chemical ■
■ Tee ■ Angle ■ Channel ■ Circle ■ Rectangle ■ Double Angle ■ Joist Supported AISC Section Profile Types The reader supports all AISC defined section profile types and maps them to the basic section profile types: ■ I-Beam: HP, M, S, W ■ Tee: MT, ST, WT ■ Angle: L, LP ■ Channel: C, MC ■ Circle: HSRO, P, PX, PXX, RB ■ Rectangle: HSRE, HSSQ, SB, TS ■ Double Angle: DL, DLL, DLS See also: ■ “CIS2 File Reader Options” on page 420 DWG/DXF/SAT File Reader The DWG/DXF/SAT file reader u
■ Groups ■ External references (xrefs) ■ Hyperlinks ■ Text or multi-line text ■ Entity handles ■ Attributes ■ Textures ■ File properties Unsupported Entities ■ Lights ■ Splines ■ Multi-lines ■ Linetypes ■ Dimensions and leaders ■ Raster bitmaps ■ Construction lines (xlines and rays) ■ Hatching See also: ■ “DWG/DXF/SAT File Reader Options” on page 422 Overview of Object Enablers Object Enablers (OEs) can be thought of as a ‘translator’ for custom objects.
To install and use an OE with Navisworks 1 Obtain the required OE, and run the installer. 2 On the OE Setup page, select the check box for the relevant Autodesk Navisworks products. NOTE Some OEs have dependencies on other OEs, and, therefore, must be installed in a specific order. For example, the AutoCAD MEP 2009 OE has a dependency on the AutoCAD Architecture 2009 OE. As a result, the AutoCAD MEP 2009 OE must be installed after the AutoCAD Architecture OE. 3 Click Install.
Unsupported Entities ■ 2D lines/plot sections ■ Thumbnails ■ Marked-up sketches ■ More than one 3D section per file (any others are ignored) ■ NURBS surfaces ■ Cameras See also: ■ “DWF File Reader 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” on page 424 IFC File Reader The file reader supports stand-alone IF files.
■ Colors ■ Planes ■ Parametric spline, ruled, B-spline, offset, bounded, trimmed and plane surfaces and surfaces of revolution.
■ 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 ■ Point style attribute ■ Shader effects attribute ■ Vertex shader attribute ■ Fragment shader attr
MAN File Reader The file reader supports MAN files from Informatix's MicroGDS™ version 6.0 or later. MicroGDS™ projects are not supported. The workaround is to export the desired project window with a .man extension. 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.
PDS File Reader The file reader supports DRI files from the PDS Design Review package. See also: ■ “PDS File Reader Options” on page 427 Riegl Scan File Reader The file reader supports files from all Riegl™ LMS scanners.
■ Object Animation ■ Smooth Animation ■ Groups ■ Autotags See also: ■ “RVM File Reader Options” on page 428 SketchUp SKP File Reader The file reader supports native SKP file format.
Unsupported Entities ■ Points ■ PCurves, B-spline, rational B-spline, Bezier, trimmed, uniform or quasi-uniform curves. ■ Circles or ellipses ■ Hyperbola See also: ■ “STEP File Reader Options” on page 429 STL File Reader The file reader only supports binary STL files. ASCII versions are not supported.
■ VRML2 Fog nodes ■ VRML2 AudioClip and Sound nodes ■ All text-related nodes (VRML1 ASCII Text, VRML2 Text, and FontStyle nodes). See also: ■ “VRML File Reader Options” on page 430 Z+F Scan File Reader The file reader supports files from all Z+F™ IMAGER scanners.
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. 3 In the Installation wizard, click Add or Remove Features. 4 On the Select Exporters to Install page, the Export From Other Applications node, select the check box next to the required plugin. 5 Click Next.
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. The loaded menu is shown in the Loaded Customization Groups. 7 Click Close.
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. Selects look around mode and enables you to look around the model from the current camera position. Selects zoom mode.
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. Dragging the left mouse button left and right, or using the LEFT ARROW and RIGHT ARROW keys spins the turntable left and right respectively. Holding down the SHIFT key or spinning the mouse wheel, temporarily switches this mode to zoom mode.
■ Head Light - uses a single directional light located at the camera that always points in the same direction as the camera. This is the default option. ■ Scene Lights - uses any lights defined in the model, or two default opposing lights, if none are available. Navigation Mode Selects navigation mode. The options available here are the same as on the Navigator toolbar, with one exception. The Select option enables you to select items in your model.
MicroStation File Exporter Autodesk Navisworks comes with MDL plugins for MicroStation™ 95, SE, /J and v8 , and enables you to export files into 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.
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. When you use this commands, you are not prompted to overwrite any existing files, and no export dialog box is shown.
NOTE Paths must be separated with a semicolon (;). 5 Click OK to save the changes and close the dialog boxes. To use the command line to export files 1 On the Start menu, click Run in Windows XP or press Windows + R on the keyboard in Vista. 2 Enter the file export command with appropriate arguments, for example msbatch nwexport7 file. 3 Press Enter. 4 In the MicroStation Manager dialog box, select the files you want to export, file extension (.nwc), and storage location. 5 Click OK.
NOTE Any textures applied to the Viz or Max model are saved in a directory with the same name as the exported file, but with a _presenter_maps suffix. All textures are converted into .bmp files and saved into this directory for use with Navisworks. Add the Navisworks utility menu 1 Click the More button on the Utilities panel. 2 In the Utilities dialog box, select Navisworks 2010 option, and click OK.
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. In Navisworks, GUIDs are used by the Clash Detective to track clashes.
Manage Files Open Files To open files in Autodesk Navisworks, you can either use a standard Open dialog box or drag and drop files directly to the Selection Tree control bar. 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.
On the other hand, whenever you need to share the scene you created and review markups with others, it is best to distribute a published NWD file, which includes additional features such as password protection and file expiration date. The published files can be viewed in both Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 and Autodesk Navisworks Freedom 2010 (a free viewer). IMPORTANT When you publish an NWD file, you cannot include any RPCs added to your scene. To save a file 1 Click File ➤ Save.
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. 5 In the Save As dialog box, enter the file name, and specify the file location. 6 Click Save. Your file is now published.
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. If the rotation, origin, or file units are incorrect for the scene, you can manually adjust them for each of the opened files. Append Files To add more models to an existing scene, you need to append model files.
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. To change a file transform in a loaded file 1 Click the desired file in the Selection Tree. 2 Click Edit ➤ File Units and Transform. 3 To move the model’s location, in the File Units and Transform dialog box, the Origin area, enter values for the X, Y and Z axis.
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. During the iterative stages of the project, any member of the design team could potentially be modifying their CAD files.
Email Files You can send and receive Navisworks files by email. To send an open Autodesk Navisworks file, click File ➤ Send. Autodesk Navisworks saves your file first, and then opens the available mail software and attaches your file to a blank email message. You can email both NWD and NWF files, although the size of an NWD file will be considerably larger. Toolbar: Standard ➤ Send Receive 3D Mail To open a received file, save the attachment on your disk, and then double-click it.
124 | Chapter 5 Work with Files
Explore Your Model Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010 enables you to walk through a scene in real time. 6 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.
Animating Navigation As you navigate in Autodesk Navisworks, you can record viewpoint animations, and then play them back. For more information, see “Record and Play Animations” on page 251. Orientation in 3D Space Although Autodesk Navisworks uses the X, Y, Z coordinate system, there is no hard-and-fast rule as to which way each of these particular axes actually 'points'.
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.
Mode Description Look Around. Enables you to look around the model from the current camera position 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. Zoom to a Box. Enables you to drag a box so that the contents of the box fill the view. Pan. Enables you to pan the model rather than the camera. Orbit. Enables you to orbit the camera around the model, ensuring that “up” is always “up”.
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. 4 To tilt the camera up and down, spin the mouse wheel. Menu: Viewpoint ➤ Navigation Mode ➤ Walk Command entry: CTRL + 2 Look Around Mode In look around mode, you can rotate the current view vertically and horizontally.
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. 2 Drag a box with the left mouse button over the Scene Area to fill the view with the contents of the box. NOTE Holding down the Shift or Control keys, or spinning the mouse wheel, temporarily enables normal zoom mode.
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. The camera glides left and right and up and down. As orbit mode is camera-centric, this mode differs from normal pan mode in that the camera is moved rather than the model.
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. 3 Use the up and down cursor keys to zoom the camera in and out respectively; use the left and right cursor keys to spin the camera left and right respectively.
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. Wheels are specific to the context from which a model is being viewed.
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 Navigation Wheel Big Full Navigation Wheel The size of a wheel controls how large or small the wedges and labels appear on the wheel; the opacity level controls the visibility of the objects in the model behind 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. When this option is selected, the wheel is pinned to the window at startup. When this check box is clear, the wheel follows the position of the cursor at startup. 4 Click OK. To enable tooltips for wheels 1 Display a wheel.
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. Goes to the Home view saved with the model. NOTE This is the Home view as set using the ViewCube. ■ Fit to Window.
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. Adjusts the magnification of the current view. ■ Rewind. Restores the most recent view orientation. You can move backward or forward by clicking and dragging left or right. ■ Orbit. Rotates the current view around a fixed pivot point.
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. Swivels the current view. ■ Rewind. Restores the most recent view. You can move backward or forward by clicking and dragging left or right. ■ Up/DownTool. Slides the current view of a model along the Z axis of the model.
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. ■ Pan. Repositions the current view by panning. ■ Orbit. Rotates the current view around a fixed pivot point. ■ Center.
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. Center Tool With the Center tool, you can define the center of the current view of a model.
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. NOTE In orthographic views, the Forward tool is limited to the distance between the current position and the pivot point. In perspective views, it is not limited, so you can move the cursor through the pivot point.
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. Walking Through a Model When using the Look tool from the big Full Navigation wheel, you can walk through a model by using the arrow keys on the keyboard. To adjust the walk speed, use the Options Editor.
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. You can specify the pivot point in the following ways: ■ Default pivot point. When you first open a model, the target point of the current view is used as the pivot point for orbiting the model.
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. 4 Release the button on your pointing device to return to the wheel.
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. 2 Press and hold down the SHIFT key. 3 Press and hold down the scroll wheel or middle button on your pointing device and drag to orbit the model.
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; it is not maintained after the window is closed. Rewind navigation history is view-specific. With the Rewind tool, you can retrieve previous views from the navigation history.
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. Walk Tool With the Walk tool, you can navigate through a model as if you were walking through it.
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. NOTE While walking, press and hold down the + (plus) key to temporarily increase your movement speed. 4 Release the button on your pointing device to return to the wheel.
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. The direction you can zoom in and out is controlled by the center point set by the Center tool.
4 Drag the pointing device to define the opposite corner of the window that defines the area in which you want to zoom. NOTE Holding down the CTRL key while defining the second point of the window determines if the first point of the window is used as the corner or center of the window being dragged. When the CTRL key is held down, the first point defines the center of the window. 5 Release the button on your pointing device to return to the wheel.
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 To use an orthographic camera ➤ Click Orthographic on the Navigation Tools toolbar.
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. ■ Aligning with Y axis toggles between left and right face views. ■ Aligning with Z axis toggles between top and bottom face views.
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. To display the compass for 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 Show Compass Below the ViewCube. 3 Click OK.
■ 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. ■ Set Current View as Home. Defines the Home view of the model based on the current view. ■ Set Current View as Front.
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. Along with the Front view, the up direction of a model is also used to define the direction of the face views on the ViewCube tool.
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. To automatically fit the model after a view orientation 1 Right-click the ViewCube tool, and click ViewCube Options. 2 In the Options Editor, the ViewCube page under the Interface node, select Fit-to-View on Change. 3 Click OK.
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. Set the View Projection Mode The ViewCube tool supports two different view projections: perspective and orthographic. Orthographic projection is also referred to as parallel projection.
To reorient the model to the Home view ■ Click the Home button ( ) located near the ViewCube tool. Examine Individual Objects with ViewCube You can lock the ViewCube tool to a set of selected objects. Locking a selection of objects to the ViewCube tool defines the center of the current view and the distance from center for the view based on the selected objects.
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. The marker may also be dragged by holding the left mouse button over it and dragging to move the camera in the Scene Area.
Quick Reference Right-clicking the Section View or the Plan View control bar opens the shortcut menu with the following options. Option Description Look From Enables you to set the thumbnail view to one of the preset viewpoints. Choose from: Top, Bottom, Front, Back, Left, Right, or Current Viewpoint. Selecting the Current Viewpoint option sets view in the thumbnail to the active navigation viewpoint. Update Current Viewpoint Sets the active navigation viewpoint to the view in the thumbnail.
To view selected items ➤ Click View Selected on the Navigation Tools toolbar. Menu: Viewpoint ➤ Navigation Tools ➤ View Selected Shortcut menu: Scene ➤ View Selected Focus You can put the Scene View into focus mode until the next click. When you are in focus mode, clicking on an item swivels the camera so that the point clicked is in the center of the view. This point becomes the focal point for examine, orbit, and turntable navigation modes. To focus ➤ Click Focus on the Navigation Tools toolbar.
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. This function enables you to crouch under any such objects.
To toggle collision ➤ In walk or fly navigation mode, click Collision on the Navigation Tools toolbar. Menu: Viewpoint ➤ Navigation Tools ➤ Collision Command entry: CTRL + D Third Person View This function allows you to navigate scene from a third person perspective. When third person is activated, you will be able to see an avatar which is a representation of yourself within the 3D model. Whilst navigating you will be controlling the avatar's interaction with the current scene.
4 Browse to the Autodesk Navisworks installation directory, for example: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Navisworks Manage 2010\avatars\my_new_folder_name. 5 Type in the new name for your avatar file, and click Save. 6 Restart Autodesk Navisworks, and open any file. 7 Click Tools ➤ Global Options. 8 In the Options Editor, expand the Interface node, and click the Viewpoint Defaults option. 9 Click the Settings button. 10 In the Default Collision dialog box, slect the Enable check box in the Third Person area.
To toggle ViewCube ➤ Click View ➤ Head-Up Display ➤ ViewCube.
Control Model Appearance and Render Quality 7 You can control both the appearance of the model in the Scene Area and the quality of rendering in real time. Control Model Appearance You can use the Rendering Styles toolbar to control how your model is displayed in the Scene Area.
Full Render In full render mode, the model is rendered with smooth shading including any materials that have been applied using the Presenter tool, or have been brought through from the native CAD file. NOTE Autodesk Navisworks does not convert all native CAD file's textures. For more details, see “Use File Readers” on page 91 and “Use File Exporters” on page 106. To select full render mode ■ Click Full Render on the Rendering Style toolbar.
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. You can customize the head light properties in the File Options dialog box. To use head light mode ■ Click Head Light on the Rendering Style toolbar.
TIP Turning on head light mode before following this procedure lets you instantly see the effect your changes have on the scene rendering. 4 Click OK. Scene Lights This mode uses the lights that have been brought through from the native CAD file. If no lights are available, two default opposing lights are used instead. You can customize the intensity of scene lights in the File Options dialog box. To use lights defined with the model ■ Click Scene Lights on the Rendering Style toolbar.
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. The resulting artificial horizon gives you an indication of your orientation in the 3D world. By default, the artificial horizon respects the world up vector as set in File Options ➤ Orientation.
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. 4 To set a graduated ground color, use the Horizon Ground Color and Ground 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. Menu: Viewpoint ➤ Display ➤ Points To change the size of points 1 Click Tools ➤ Global Options. 2 In the Options Editor, expand the Interface node, and click the Display option.
Control Render Quality Use Culling Culling lets you navigate and manipulate large and complex scenes at interactive rates by intelligently hiding less-important objects as you work. In Autodesk Navisworks, you can use the following methods of culling objects: ■ Area - the objects’ size in pixels determines whether the objects are rendered or not. By default, any objects smaller than 1x1 pixels in size are discarded.
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. 3 Select Constrained for the Near clipping plane, and enter the desired value in the Distance box. 4 Select Constrained for the Far clipping plane, and enter the desired value in the Distance box. 5 Click OK.
Control Rendering of Objects Adjust Scene Rendering During Navigation Your models can range in size from small models to complex supermodels. As you navigate a scene in real time, Autodesk Navisworks automatically calculates which items to render first, based on the size of items, distance from the camera, and the specified frame rate. 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.
4 Click OK. To render parametric primitives NOTE Modifying this option requires a restart of Autodesk Navisworks to take effect. 1 Click Tools ➤ Global Options. 2 In the Options Editor, expand the Interface node, and click the Display option. 3 On the Display page, Primitives area, select the Enable Parametric Primitives check box. The level of detail changes during navigation depending on the distance from the camera. If you want to use the default representations of primitives, clear this check box.
See also: ■ “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.
Review Your Model 8 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. Interactive Geometry Selection In Autodesk Navisworks, there is a concept of an active selection set (the currently selected items, or the current selection) and saved selections sets.
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. ■ Compact. Displays a simplified version of the hierarchy on the Standard tab, omitting various items. You can customize the level of complexity of this tree in the Options Editor. ■ Properties.
2 Click an object in the Selection tree to select the corresponding geometry in the Scene Area. NOTE When you select an item in the tree, individual geometry or a group of geometry is selected in the Scene Area depending on chosen selection resolution. 3 To select several items at the same time, use the SHIFT and CTRL keys. CTRL allows multiple selection item by item, and SHIFT allows multiple selection between the first and last items selected.
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. As standard, selection modes are mutually exclusive to navigation modes, and SteeringWheels, so that when you are selecting you cannot navigate and vice versa.
4 To remove items from the current selection, press the ESC key. To set the pick radius 1 Click Tools ➤ Global Options. 2 In the Options Editor, expand the Interface node, and click the Selection option. 3 On the Selection page, enter the radius in pixels that an item has to be within in order to be selected. The valid values are between 1 and 9. 4 Click OK. Selection Commands Selection commands enable you to quickly alter the current selection using logic.
If you find you have selected the wrong level of item, you can interactively cycle through the selection resolution, without having to go to the Options Editor or the Selection Tree. You can do this by holding down the SHIFT key when clicking an item. This selects an item one level more specific each time you click the item until the resolution gets to "geometry", at which point it reverts back to "model".
■ Tinted To toggle highlighting of selected objects 1 Click Tools ➤ Global Options. 2 In the Options Editor, expand the Interface node, and click the Selection option. 3 On the Selection page, Highlight area, select the Enabled check box, if you want the selected items to be highlighed in the Scene Area. Clear this check box, if you don’t want any highlighting. 4 Click OK. To customize the way objects are highlighted 1 Click Tools ➤ Global Options.
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. Menu: Edit ➤ Hidden Command entry: CTRL + H Shortcut menu: Hidden To make unselected items hidden 1 In the Scene Area, select all items you want to review.
The left pane contains the Find Selection Tree with several tabs at the bottom, and enables you to select the level of item to start searching at; this can be a file, a layer, an instance, a selection set, and so on. The tabs are the same as on the Selection Tree window: ■ Standard. Displays the default tree hierarchy, including all instancing. ■ Compact. Displays a simplified version of the tree hierarchy. ■ Properties. Displays the hierarchy based on the items' properties. ■ Sets.
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. Menu: View ➤ Control Bars ➤ Find Items Command entry: SHIFT + F3 To find objects 1 Open the Find Items window. 2 On the Find Selection Tree, click the items where you want to start searching from.
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. Condition Selects a condition operator for your search. You can use the following operators depending on the property you are searching for: ■ =. Equals; can be used to evaluate any type of property.
Search Conditions Shortcut Menu Ignore String Value Case Makes the selected search statement case-insensitive (for example, both ‘Chrome’ and ‘chrome’ materials are treated as qualifying). Ignore Category User Name Instructs Autodesk Navisworks to use internal category names and ignore the user category names for the selected search statement. Ignore Category Internal Name Instructs Autodesk Navisworks to use user category names and ignore the internal category names for the selected search statement.
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. Creates a folder above the selected item. ■ Add Current Selection. Saves the current selection as a new selection set in the list. This set contains all currently selected geometry. ■ Add Current Search.
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 ➤ Add Current Search To rename a search or selection set 1 Open the Selection Sets window. 2 Right-click the desired search or selection set, and click Rename.
To import search sets 1 Click File ➤ Import ➤ Search Sets XML. 2 In the Import dialog box, brose to the folder containing the file with the search sets, and select it. 3 Click Open. Compare Objects You can look for differences between any two selected items in the scene. These items can be files, layers, instances, groups, or just geometry. You can also use this feature to investigate the differences between two versions of the same model.
7 Click OK. To compare two items in the model 1 Select exactly two items in the scene. 2 Click Tools ➤ Compare. 3 Use the Compare dialog box to set up the comparison search. 4 Click OK. Object Properties Autodesk Navisworks supports the conversion of object properties for many file formats. For more details on supported/unsupported entities, see “Use File Readers” on page 91. Properties Window Once brought into Autodesk Navisworks, the object properties can be examined in the Properties window.
To toggle the Properties window ■ Click Properties on the Workspace toolbar. Menu: View ➤ Control Bars ➤ Properties Command entry: SHIFT + F7 To examine object’s properties 1 Select the object of interest in the Selection Tree, or in the Scene Area. 2 Open the Properties window, and use the tabs to navigate between the available property categories. NOTE If more than one object is selected, the Properties window only shows the number of selected items, and doesn’t show any property information.
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. 2 Click the custom tab you want to rename. 3 Right-click the properties area, and click Rename Tab. 4 Enter a new name for the tab in the box provided. 5 Click OK.
2 Click the custom tab where the property you want to delete is located. 3 Right-click the property, and click Delete Property. External Database Links Databases are commonly used to store large amount of data, such as equipment specifications, catalogue data, and maintenance manuals. You can connect to external databases directly from your Navisworks files, and create links between objects in the scene and fields in the database tables to bring through extra properties.
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. You are now ready to configure the database link. 4 Click OK to save the link and return to the previous dialog box.
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. NOTE If you haven't added any links yet, click the New button, and follow the procedure for adding database links first.
b Click the Setup button. The driver wizard opens, and guides you through the setup options. If you have difficulties setting up your connection details, contact your database administrator. When you finish, the box underneath will show the connection string. This string can be modified, if necessary. For example, if you want to select a database with a certain name (say, test.
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. b In the File Options dialog box, DataTools tab, select the check boxes for all links you want to activate in the DataTools Links area. 2 To activate a global database link: a Click Tools ➤ DataTools.
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.
4 Click OK to close the File Options dialog box. Quick Reference You can use the following Navisworks tags with SQL queries: Property Tags %prop("category","property") Property of the currently selected object. Category is the name of the tab in the property windows (for example, Item or Entity Handle) and property is the name of the property in that tab (for example, Value or Layer). %intprop("category","property") Property of the currently selected object.
Query Examples The examples below illustrate how tags could be used with SQL queries.
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. 2 Click Translate Item on the Object Manipulation toolbar.
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. 4 Click the second point in the scene. This is the point where the object will be moved to. There is now a line connecting the start point and the end point in the Scene Area.
■ 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 scale gizmo to resize the currently selected object: ■ To resize all currently selected objects, place the mouse over one of seven squares. When the cursor , drag the square on the screen to modify the size of the objects. Typically, dragging a changes to square up or right increases the size, dragging it down or left decreases the size. ■ To resize the objects across a single axis only, use colored squares at the end of the axes.
Points and snap points are automatically snapped to. You can set the cursor to snap to the nearest vertex, edge, or line when you pick geometry. You can also adjust the snapping angle and the snapping tolerance that are used when you rotate geometry. Different cursors feed back what is being snapped to: Cursor Description No snap, but a point on a surface is found. A vertex, point, snap point or line end is found to snap to. An edge is found to snap 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. Measuring You can use measuring tools to make linear, angular, and area measurements, and to automatically measure the shortest distance between two selected objects.
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. If an angle is too accute, the label is drawn outside the angle.
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. Your start point stays the same throughout. TIP If you want to change the start point, right-click in the Scene Area, and select a new start point.
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 ➤ Accumulate To calculate an area on a plane 1 Open the Measure Tools window, and click Measure Area .
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. 2 Click Convert to Redline in the Measure Tools window.
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. Comments Window The Comments window is a dockable window that enables you to view and manage comments. The Comments window shows the name, time and date, author, ID, status, and subject (or first line) of each comment.
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. To add a comment to a clash result 1 Open the Clash Detective window, and click the Results tab. 2 In the Results area, right-click the desired clash result, and click Add Comment. 3 In the Comments window, type in your comment.
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. The Thickness and Color controls enable you to modify the redline settings. These changes do not affect already drawn redlines.
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 ➤ Tag 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. 4 Enter your annotation into the box provided, and click OK. The redline is added to the selected viewpoint.
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 To draw a string of lines 1 Open the Viewpoints window, and click the viewpoint that you want to review. 2 Open the Redline Tools window, and click Line String . 3 Click in the viewpoint to begin.
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 ➤ Ellipse To draw a cloud 1 Open the Viewpoints window, and click the viewpoint that you want to review. .
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 viewpoint. Draws a line in a viewpoint. Draws a string of lines in a view point. Draws an ellipse in a viewpoint. Draws a cloud in a viewpoint. Erases redlines.
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. There are different icons helping you to identify the source of each comment at a glance. These icons are the same as the ones used in the Comments window.
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. This can be a word or a few words. So for, example, typing redline, and running a search, returns only the comments that contain a single “redline” word. If you don’t know the exact content of the comment, you can use the wildcards.
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 ➤ Next Tag to find the tag following the current tag. ■ Click Review ➤ Tags ➤ Previous Tag to find the tag preceding the current tag.
Manage IDs When you add a redline tag or comment to your scene, it is automatically assigned a unique ID. If, however, you are appending or merging multiple Navisworks files together, then there is a possibility for the same ID to be used more than once. Consider the following example. Three users reviewed and added comments and redlines to same model file, each saving their work as an NWF file.
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.
To hide links without comments 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, select the Hide Icons Without Comments check box for all required link categories. By default, links without comments are also displayed. 4 Click OK. Customize Links You can customize the default appearance of links in Autodesk Navisworks.
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. You can choose between an icon and text. By default, tag links are shown as text, and the rest of the link categories are shown as icons. 4 Click OK.
Icon Description Represent links with TimeLiner category (tasks with broken links). Represents links with viewpoints category (perspective camera mode). Represents links with viewpoints category (orthographic camera mode). Represents links with redline tags category. Represents links with selection sets category (selection sets). Represents links with selection sets category (search sets).
NOTE If you made a mistake, clicking the Clear All button deletes all attachment points associated with this link and reverts to the link being attached to the center of the item's bounding box. 7 Click OK. To add several links to the same object 1 In the Scene Area, select the desired geometry item. 2 Right-click and click Hyperlinks ➤ Add Hyperlinks. 3 Use the Add Hyperlinks dialog box to add the first link. This is the default link, and it’s the only link that will be visible in the Scene Area.
6 In the Value column, type in the property value to search for, for example, ‘Hyperlink’. 7 Click the Find All button. The search results are highlighted in the Scene Area and the Selection Tree. Manage Links 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’ will remain.
NOTE You can also move links up and down the list using the Move Up and Move Down buttons, or by dragging them to their new position in the list. The link at the top of the list is the default link. 3 Click OK. To delete a link 1 In the Scene Area, right-click the default link, and click Edit Hyperlink. 2 In the Edit Hyperlinks dialog box, click the link you want to delete, and click the Delete button. 3 Click OK.
Menu: Tools ➤ Smart Tags To add a smart tag definition 1 Click Tools ➤ Global Options. 2 In the Options Editor, expand the Interface node, expand the SmartTags node, and click the Definitions option. 3 On the Definitions page, click Grid View 4 Click Add Element to display smart tag definitions as table rows. . A new row is added to the top of the table. 5 Click the Category column, and select the property category from the drop-down list, for example ‘Item.
2 Once the CAD package is running, and nwexport has been started, return to Autodesk Navisworks. 3 Click Tools ➤ Global Options. 4 In the Options Editor, expand the File Readers node, and click the DWG/DXF/SAT option. 5 On the DWG/DXF/SAT page, check that the Convert Entity Handles option is selected. 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.
Use Viewpoints and Sectioning Modes 9 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. Create and Modify Viewpoints Overview of Viewpoints Viewpoints contain more than just the camera information - each viewpoint can also contain redlines and comments.
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. In fact, viewpoint animations can be made by simply dragging preset viewpoints onto an empty viewpoint animation.
Command entry: CTRL + F11 Quick Reference You get a different shortcut menu, depending on what element you right-click in the Saved Viewpoints window. 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. Blank Space Save Viewpoint Saves the current viewpoint, and adds it to the Saved Viewpoints window.
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. See “Comments and Redlines” on page 216 for more information on comments. Edit Comment When available, opens the Edit Comment dialog box.
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. Any redlines and comments associated with the viewpoint will also be reinstated.
3 Use the Edit Viewpoint dialog box to adjust the viewpoint’s attributes. 4 Click OK. To delete a viewpoint 1 If the Saved Viewpoints window is not displayed, click Saved Viewpoints on the Workspace toolbar. 2 Right-click the viewpoint you want to remove, and click Delete. Default Viewpoint Options Two view attributes can be saved with a viewpoint: ■ Hide/Required - whether items are hidden or required. ■ Override Materials - the color and transparency of items.
2 In the Options Editor, expand the Interface node, and click the Viewpoint Defaults option. 3 Select the Save Hide/Required Attributes check box if you want to save the hidden and required items with the viewpoints you save. This means that when returning to those viewpoints, the items that were hidden when the viewpoint was saved will be hidden again and those that were drawn will be drawn again.
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” on page 268 and “Import Viewpoints” on page 262. Sectioning There are two sectioning modes available from the Sectioning toolbar: planes and box.
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. The section plane that is active is numbered in the drop-down box on the Sectioning toolbar.
■ Align Front - aligns section plane with front of model. ■ Align Back - aligns section plane with back of model. ■ Align Left ■ Align Right ■ Align To Line - enables you to pick a line, and place the section plane ‘on’ that line, at the point where you clicked, and aligned so that its normal is on the line itself, facing towards the camera.
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. 2 If it’s not already enabled, click . from the alignment button menu. 3 Select Align To Surface The cursor changes to a crosshair . 4 In the Scene Area, click somewhere on an object you want to align to.
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. In practice, you should only link parallel planes together, such as top and bottom, left and right, front and back.
To enable and use a section box 1 Select the Box mode on the Sectioning toolbar. 2 Click the Enable/Disable 3 Click the Set Box Size button. button. 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. 6 In the Sectioning Plane dialog box, select the Enable check box, enter the desired value into the text box below, and click OK.
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Record and Play Animations 10 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.
Once a viewpoint animation is recorded, you can edit it to set the duration, the type of smoothing and whether it loops or not.
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.
6 Click OK. Play Animations 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. To play back an animation 1 If the Saved Viewpoints window is not already displayed, click View ➤ Control Bars ➤ Saved Viewpoints.
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. 11 Collaborate Toolbar The Collaborate toolbar contains the collaboration tools necessary to run collaboration sessions.
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.
To accept an invitation 1 When you are invited to join a meeting, the Incoming Call dialog box is displayed. 2 Click the Accept button to join the meeting, or Ignore to decline the invitation. NOTE Once you have accepted a call, you will need to click the Collaborate to start your own collaboration session. button on the Collaborate toolbar To become the driver During a collaboration meeting, anyone in the call can take control of the session and become the 'driver'.
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Share Data 12 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. 2 Use the Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons to do just that with the preview image. 3 Click Print. 4 In the Print dialog box, click OK. Print Setup This option enables you to the set up paper size and orientation options.
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. To print the current viewpoint 1 Click File ➤ Print. 2 Check the printer settings are as required, and click OK. NOTE The maximum image size is 2048x2048 pixels. The Properties button controls printer-specific ink and paper settings.
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 Window” on page 191 To import PDS display sets 1 Click File ➤ Import ➤ PDS Display Sets. 2 Use the Import dialog box to locate the desired .dst file. 3 Click Open to import the PDS display 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 Window” on page 186 for more information on searching the model for items based on their properties. To import saved search sets 1 Click File ➤ Import ➤ Search Sets XML.
Export Files Piranesi EPix Format To export an .epx file for rendering in Informatix’s Piranesi 1 File ➤ Export ➤ Piranesi EPix 2 In the Piranesi EPix dialog box, click the Browse button to locate a destination and enter a new filename to export, if you want to change from the existing filename and location. 3 Select the sizing options for the file to be exported: ■ Type - sets the size of the exported image as follows: Explicit.
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 .
3 The Collapse on Export drop-down list allows different levels of collapsing parts of the model hierarchy in the exported file. Choose from: ■ None - ensures the whole hierarchy is exported ■ All Objects - collapses everything into one node ■ Files - collapses each file into one node ■ Layers - collapses each layer into one node 4 Select the Enable check box in the Limit Number of Polygons area to restrict the amount of geometry exported into the output file.
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. See “Image Export Dialog Box” on page 446. For .png file format, click the Options button, and use the PNG Options dialog box to specify the Interlacing and Compression settings.
Export a Rendered Image Scenes rendered in Presenter can be exported out as images, so they can be used in presentations, on websites, in print, and so on. For more information, see “Photo-Realistic Scene Rendering” on page 301. Export an Animation To export an animation to an .avi file, or a sequence of image files 1 Click File ➤ Export ➤ Animation. The Animation Export dialog box opens. 2 To export the currently selected viewpoint animation, select Current Animation in the Source box.
To export viewpoints 1 Click File ➤ Export ➤ Viewpoints XML. 2 In the Export dialog box, enter a new filename and location, if you want to change from those suggested. 3 Click Save. Current Search Criteria The search criteria specified in the Find Items window can be exported to an .xml file. This can then be imported into other Autodesk Navisworks sessions.
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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’ or ‘On Collision’. So, for example, a conveyor belt will move when you press a button on your keyboard, the doors will open as you approach them in your model.
■ Linking to TimeLiner to have different TimeLiner tasks trigger animations that depend on each other (e.g. one task moves crane to a specific point, another task moves arm of crane). ■ Real-time collision checking where you turn it on, play an animation and have animation stop when moving object first hits something. 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.
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. Selects the active scene. Controls the current position of the time slider in the timeline view. Rewinds the animation back to the beginning. Steps one second backwards.
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. Click Copy Here or Move Here, as appropriate. Shortcut Menu You can display a shortcut menu for any item in the tree by right-clicking the item.
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 Camera 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. Moves the currently selected item up in the tree view. Moves the currently selected item down in the tree view.
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. Keyframes The keyframes are shown as black diamonds in the timelines.
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. ■ Reset Endbar to the Scene End - moves the end slider to its original position.
Color Color This check box indicates whether or not clicking the Capture Keyframe change in the keyframe. button will record color 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. R, G, B Enter the Red, Green, and Blue values for the new color.
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. Folders can hold scripts and other folders. Rename Item Enables you to rename the currently selected item in the tree view. Delete Item Deletes the currently selected item in 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. Shortcut Menu Right-click in the events view to display a shortcut menu.
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. Moves the currently selected action down in the actions view. Deletes the currently selected action. Shortcut Menu Right-click in the actions view to display a shortcut menu.
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. On Timer Interval Defines the length of time in seconds between timer triggering. Regularity Specifies the event frequency.
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. Click the button, and then pick a point for the hotspot in the Scene Area. Selection Click the Set button, and use the shortcut menu to define the hotspot objects: ■ Clear - clears the current selection.
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. If you don't have any object animation in your Navisworks file, this field is not available. Pause at End Select this check box if you want the animation to stop at the end.
Value An operand to assign. The following rules apply: ■ If you enter a number (for example 0, 400, 5.3), the value is treated as a numeric value. If it’s got a decimal place, the floating-point formatting is preserved up to the user-defined decimal places. ■ If you enter an alphanumeric string between single or double quote marks, such as “hello” or ‘testing’, the value is treated as a sting.
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: the toolbar, the tree view, the timeline view, and the manual entry bar. Work with Animation Scenes Scenes act as containers for your object animations.
NOTE Deleting a scene also deletes all of its components. If you made a mistake, use the Standard toolbar to restore the deleted scene. button on the To organize scenes into scene folders 1 If the Animator window is not already open, select Tools ➤ Animator from the menu bar. 2 Right-click in the Animator tree view, and click Add Scene Folder on the shortcut menu. 3 Click the default folder name, and type in a new name. TIP Use names that can help you to identify your scenes in future.
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. To update an animation set based on current search set or selection set 1 If the Animator window is not already open, select Tools ➤ Animator from the menu bar.
The corresponding geometry objects are highlighted in the Scene Area. TIP To get a better view, change the way the objects are highlighted. button on the Animator toolbar to create a keyframe with the initial object 3 Click the Capture Keyframe state. 4 In the timeline view, move the black time slider to the right to set the desired time. 5 Click the Rotate Animation Set button on the Animator toolbar. 6 Use the rotation gizmo to rotate the selected objects.
7 To capture the current object changes in a keyframe, click the Capture Keyframe toolbar. button on the Animator To capture transparency changes 1 If the Animator window is not already open, select Tools ➤ Animator from the menu bar. 2 Select the desired animation set in the Animator tree view. 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 state.
2 Select the desired camera in the Animator tree view. 3 Click the Capture Keyframe viewpoint. button on the Animator toolbar to create a keyframe with the current 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. Alternatively, select one of the saved viewpoints from the Viewpoints control bar.
See also: ■ “Edit Key Frame Dialog Box” on page 442 Capture Keyframes 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. When the animation reaches the end, it will reset back to the start and run again. ■ If you want the scene to play in ping-pong mode, select the P.P. check box.
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. To add a script 1 If the Scripter window is not already open, select Tools ➤ Scripter from the menu bar.
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. That is you need to ensure the Boolean logic makes sense, the brackets are closed properly, and so on.
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. This means the script only runs if all events have occurred.
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. 3 Click the desired action icon at the bottom of the actions view. For example, click action. to add a play animation 4 Review the action properties in the properties view, and adjust them as necessary.
Create Photorealistic Visualizations 14 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.
use this tab to create new materials, or customize existing materials. ■ Lighting. Includes a variety of lighting options, which can be selected and applied to the model. You can also customize lighting options, if you want. ■ RPC. Contains Rich Photorealistic Content (or RPC), which you can add from various sources, including websites. RPCs can include images of people, trees, cars and so on. ■ Effects.
Although materials, lights, effects and render styles cannot be edited in archives, once dragged into the scene's palette, they can be edited and saved with the scene in an NWF file, or published as an NWD file. You can save your own edits to materials into an .nwp file format- see “Organize and Manage Materials” on page 305 for more information on how to do this. The User Archives The user archives allow you to save your own edited materials, lights, effects and render styles, for use in other scenes.
Once you have set up and rendered a scene, you can additionally create animation in that scene. The rendering that you have set up will be applied to each frame of the animation. To set up and render a scene 1 Click Tools ➤ Presenter to open the Presenter window. 2 Use the Materials tab to drag and drop materials onto items in the model. You can use the pre-defined materials, or create your own from the templates in the Materials tab (see “Use Presenter Materials” on page 303 for more details).
The Animation Export dialog box opens. 3 To export a viewpoint animation, select Current Animation in the Source box. To export a TimeLiner sequence, select TimeLiner Simulation in the Source box. To export an object animation, select Current Animator Scene in the Source box. 4 Set up the rest of the boxes in the Animation Exportdialog box, and click OK. For more information, see “Animation Export Dialog Box” on page 446.
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. See “Use Presenter Rules” on page 329 for more information on this.
If you have items selected in the Scene Area or Selection Tree, then you can click the Remove From Selected Items option on the shortcut menu to remove that material from only the items in the active selection set. NOTE Deleting the material from the palette will automatically remove that material from any items in the Scene Area which it was applied to. Organize and Manage Materials Custom Folders You can organize materials into custom folders for easy reference and management.
To manage palette materials 1 Right-click a material in the right-hand pane of the Materials tab (the palette). 2 Click Delete on the shortcut menu to delete the material from the palette. This will also remove the material from all items in the scene. 3 Click Copy to copy the material to the clipboard. Right-click an empty space in the palette and click Paste to paste a copy of the material with the same name suffixed with the next number in the list.
NOTE If the Presenter profile in the Options Editor (see “Presenter Page” on page 436 for more information) is set to Advanced, there are more tabs and parameters to edit in this dialog box. In particular, there are Reflectance, Transparency, Displacement, and 2D Texture Space tabs and at the top of each tab is a Shader type which allows you to completely change the type of material and all other parameters. To edit the breeze block texture 1 Open the Presenter window, and click the Materials tab.
■ 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” on page 309 for more information). There are S- and T- Reflect check boxes, which will show the reflection of the image in either (or both) of these axis.
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” on page 306 for more information. Advanced Materials Internally a material is defined by four shaders from different classes - Color, Transparency, Reflectance and Displacement.
check box will reposition the origin to the center of the image (Point 2). Finally, in Developer profile, you can edit the Decal Mode, choosing from either Default or Normalized. Selecting Normalized will move the origin to the lower left corner of the image (Point 3, with the Offset Center option cleared). With both Normalized and Offset Center selected, the origin will be repositioned in the center of the repeated image, directly below (Point 4).
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.
To position or reposition lights in the model 1 Open the Presenter window, and click the Lighting tab. 2 In the lighting palette, right-click the light you want to reposition, and click Edit on the shortcut menu. 3 Use the Light Editor to position the light as needed. Point, distant, spot and projector lights have a Location parameter. Distant and spot lights additionally have a To parameter.
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). 2 Click Delete to delete the light from the palette. This will also remove the light from the scene. 3 Click Copy to copy the light to the clipboard.
and altitude for you. If the sun's mode includes “Intensity”, Presenter will also calculate an accurate intensity for the sun based on position, time of year and atmospheric conditions. There are an additional three types of light visible only in photorealistic renders: ■ Projector lights are used to project an image onto surfaces. You can define the file of the image to be projected. ■ Sky simulates the illumination from the sky (but not the direct contribution due to the sun itself).
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. See “Presenter Page” on page 436 for details on how to display interactive shadows and lighting.
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. For large models, the generation of the shadow maps can use excessive amounts of time and memory.
■ 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. ■ For best results, set the Fall Off option to Inverse Square Law, and turn on Auto Exposure.
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.
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. Rendering the scene using the Render button will always refresh all RPCs.
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. 6 Make sure the settings in the RPC Editor are what is required, and click OK. To add an RPC to a model 1 Open the Presenter window, and click the RPC tab.
Use Presenter Rendering Effects Effects Tab Like the Materials, Lighting and Rendering tabs, the Effects tab is divided into two panes for archives and palette. This tab is where you set up different background and foreground effects. To set up an effect for the render, you simply drag a style from the archive to the palette. You can only have one of each type of effect at once in the palette: that is, one background and one foreground style.
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. From here, browse to an image file and click Open to use that image as the background.
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.
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. 4 Return to the Recommended archive, open the Backgrounds sub-folder, and drag the Environment effect over to the palette. The background is now visible.
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. To edit your chosen foreground effect, simply double-click the effect in the palette. The Foreground Editor dialog will appear.
NOTE A complete reference manual for all types of rendering styles is included with the Autodesk Navisworks API, (see \API\COM\documentation\shaders.chm). The Autodesk Navisworks API is included 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.
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. Of the three recommended rendering styles, this will take the longest to render.
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.
Or the spherical texture space editor: 3 Edit each of the individual parameters and click Apply to see the results of the edit. Clicking the Pick button allows you to interactively pick a point in the model rather than individually typing in X-, Y-, and Zcoordinates. 4 Click OK. 5 Once edited, you can always reset a texture space to the Autodesk Navisworks-defined version by clicking the Reset button on the Texture Space tab.
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. See “Organize and Manage Materials” on page 305 for more information. To apply Presenter rules 1 Open the Presenter window, and click the Rules tab.
■ 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. Custom Rules New custom rules may also be added and defined, using the Rules Editor.
■ ''. Choose from the available list, which property you wish to define. Again, only the properties in the scene within the chosen category will be available. 5 Click OK. The Presenter Rules Example To follow this procedure, open the file called gatehouse_pub.nwd located under the Examples\Gatehouse folder in the Autodesk Navisworks installation directory.
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. 6 Ensure only the Override any current exact mappings check box is selected and then click the Apply button, to apply the rules.
334 | Chapter 14 Create Photorealistic Visualizations
Simulate Construction Scheduling 15 The TimeLiner tool enables you to link your 3D model to an external construction schedule for visual 4D planning. Overview of TimeLiner Tool The TimeLiner tool adds 4D schedule simulation to Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010. TimeLiner imports schedules from a variety of sources, allows you to connect objects in the model with tasks in the schedule and simulate the schedule showing the effects on the model, including planned against actual schedules.
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. 2 Expand the Tools node in the Options Editor, and click the TimeLiner option.
The Task View The tasks are shown in a multi-column table, which provides some flexibility in how records are displayed. You can: ■ Move or resize columns ■ Sort column data in ascending or descending order ■ Add new user columns to the default column set TIP It is possible to move between entries in a manually editable task using the keyboard. Simply select a task that has been set to be manually editable, and use Tab and Shift-Tab keyboard keys to move forwards and backwards between fields.
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. Actual start date equals Planned start date and Actual end date before Planned end date.
■ Detach Selection - detaches the currently selected items in the scene from the selected tasks. ■ Attach Selection - attaches the currently selected items in the scene to the selected tasks. ■ 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.
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. my_schedule.mpp, and link status. Any further columns (there maybe none) identify the fields from the external schedule which specify the task type, unique id, start date and end date for each linked task. You can move and resize columns, if necessary. The Link Status Synchronized All linked tasks have the same values as the external schedule.
■ 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. will pause the simulation at the time you press it at. You can then look around and interrogate the Pause model, or step forwards and backwards through the simulation. To continue playing from where you paused, just press Play again. Stop will stop the simulation playing and rewind back to the beginning.
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. TimeLiner will use it to populate the External Field Name options in the grid. If the first row of data in your .csv file does not contain column headings, clear this check box.
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. Single-digit minutes will have a leading zero. s, %s The second. Single-digit seconds will NOT have a leading zero. ss The second. Single-digit seconds will have a leading zero. t, %t The first character of the AM/PM designator, if any.
It is also possible to highlight all the tasks that are being worked on during the interval. By selecting the Show All Tasks in Interval check box, and, for example, setting the Interval Size to 5 Days, all tasks being worked on during those 5 days will be set to their Start Appearance in the Scene Area, including those that begin and end within the bounds of the interval. The Simulation slider will show this by drawing a blue line under the slider.
■ 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. See diagram below for graphical representation).
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. You can specify the exact format to use by entering text into the text box. Most text will appear as entered, except that words prefixed with a % or $ character act as keywords and are replaced with various values.
%H Hour in 24-hour format (00 - 23). %I Hour in 12-hour format (01 - 12). %j Day of year as decimal number (001 - 366). %m Month as decimal number (01 - 12). %M Minute as decimal number (00 - 59). %p Current locale's A.M./P.M. indicator for 12-hour clock. %S Second as decimal number (00 - 59). %U Week of year as decimal number, with Sunday as first day of week (00 - 53). %w Weekday as decimal number (0 - 6; Sunday is 0). %W Week of year as decimal number, with Monday as first day of week (00 - 53).
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.
4 Simulate your schedule. You can visualize your model at any date in your schedule with the currently active tasks highlighted. Run through the entire schedule using familiar VCR controls. You can Add Animation to your construction schedules, and enhance the quality of simulations. 5 Adjust the way your simulation plays. You can use the Configure tab to create new task types and edit old ones. The task type defines what happens at the start and end of each task of that type.
TimeLiner Tasks The Tasks tab can be used to create and edit tasks, to attach tasks to geometry items, and to validate your project schedule. You can adjust the Task View. You can also add new user columns to the default column set. This is useful when you create links to external project files that contain more fields than TimeLiner. To move a column 1 Open the TimeLiner window, and click the Tasks tab. 2 Position the mouse over the header of the column you want to move, and press the left mouse button.
To add a user column 1 In the TimeLiner window, the Tasks tab, right-click any column header and click Add User Column on the shortcut menu. 2 Click one of the ten available user fields, for example User 1. The custom user column has been added to TimeLiner. By default, it's got the same name as the option you clicked on the shortcut menu. 3 Right-click the added column, click Rename User Column, and type in a new name, for example 'Cost'.
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. Click Add Named Task for Each Topmost Item if you want to create tasks with the same names as each topmost item 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. You can use the left and right arrow keys to move between the units in the time field. NOTE When you edit a date/time field, the check box appears on the left. Select it to use the new 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. Attach Tasks Manually To attach a task to a current selection 1 If the TimeLiner window is not already open, click Tools ➤ TimeLiner.
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. The task icons have changed indicating that the selected tasks now contain attached items.
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. The Attach Items to Tasks by Category/Property template enables you to specify a property within the model scene.
To check a schedule 1 If the TimeLiner window is not already open, click Tools ➤ TimeLiner. 2 In the TimeLiner window, the Tasks tab, right-click the tasks view, and click Check. 3 Select one of the available options: ■ Find uncontained items. Choose this to select any items in the scene that are not attached to a task, or are not contained within any other item attached to a task. NOTE A Contained item is the child of another item.
NOTE Autodesk Navisworks TimeLiner supports multiple sources of external schedules using a COM interface. Anyone can develop support for a new schedule source - the type library that defines the interface is included with TimeLiner. Microsoft Project 2000 This Link requires Microsoft Project 2000™ to be installed. Microsoft Project This Link requires Microsoft Project 2002™ to be installed. Microsoft Project MPX TimeLiner can read Microsoft Project™ .
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. Other Primavera dates can be selected through the generic Field Selector Dialog Box, including Project Activity Codes, Global Activity Codes, and User Defined Fields.
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.
NOTE If you made a mistake, use the button on the Standard toolbar to restore the deleted item. Build Tasks from Links To build tasks from a link 1 If the TimeLiner window is not already open, click Tools ➤ TimeLiner. 2 In the TimeLiner window, the Links tab, right-click the link you want to use, and click Rebuild Task Hierarchy from Link on the shortcut menu. This will import all of the tasks from the project file into TimeLiner. 3 Click the Tasks tab to view the created tasks.
4 Be sure the active tasks are attached to geometry objects, and click the Simulate tab. 5 Click t he Play button. The TimeLiner window displays the tasks as they are carried out, and the Scene Area shows the sections of the model added or removed over time, in accordance with the task types. NOTE When the Simulate tab is in use, by default the current simulation date is overlaid in the Scene Area. You can customize the displayed information by using the Overlay Text Dialog Box.
■ Early Appearance - how the items will look if the task is started before the planned time, for example Transparent Yellow. ■ Late Appearance - how the items will look if the task is started after the planned time, for example Transparent Red. ■ Simulation Start Appearance - how the items should be displayed at the start of a simulation. NOTE As a minimum, you need to define the Simulation Start Appearance; this assigns a unique start appearance to your task type.
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.
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. NOTE Animation key-frames may contain transparency and color overrides.
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. This is the default setting. ■ Match Start - the animation starts when the task starts.
Locate and Manage Interferences 16 The Clash Detective tool enables you to search through your total project model, identifying cross-discipline interferences (clashes) earlier in the design process. Overview of Clash Detective Tool The Clash Detective tool enables effective identification, inspection, and reporting of interferences (clashes) in a 3D project model. Using Clash Detective can help you to reduce the risk of human error during model inspections.
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. Batch Tab The Batch tab enables you to manage your clash tests and results. It shows all of the clash tests currently set up, listed in a table format.
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. NOTE Hidden items are not included in a clash test.
- 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. The Select Current Button You can also select geometry for clash testing directly in the Scene Area, and in the Selection Tree dockable window.
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. The Clash Icons An icon is displayed to the left of each clash name. It visually identifies a clash status as follows: - New - Active - Reviewed - Approved - Resolved The Clash Status Each clash has a status associated with it.
The Clash Group Buttons - creates a new empty clash group. By default it’s called New Clash Group (x), where x is New Clash Group 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. ■ Rename - renames the selected clash. ■ Group - groups together all selected clashes. A new folder is added.
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. TIP To benefit from this effect you need to also select the Auto Zoom check box or the Save Viewpoint check box.
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. ■ All Tests (Separate) - creates a separate report for each test. The Report Format Select the format of the report from the drop-down list: ■ XML - creates an .xml file.
2 Click the Batch tab. 3 To run all of the tests in the batch, click the Update button. To run a single test from a batch, select it in the Tests Area, click the Select Tab, and click the Start button. Manage Batches of Clash Tests To manage batches of clash tests 1 If the Clash Detective window is not already open, click Tools ➤ Clash Detective. 2 Click the Batch tab. 3 Use the buttons to manage the tests: ■ Click Add to append a new test to the current batch.
Export Clash Tests Tests can be set up to clash items based on generic properties, including direct property selection on the The Left and Right Panes of the Select tab, or using pre-defined Search Sets. For example, you may have saved a Search Set that finds all pipes of a specific size, named "100mm Pipes". Your test then clashes all 100mm pipes against the entire model.
3 Click Save. Create Custom Clash Tests Exported clash tests can be used as a basis to define custom clash tests. If you have a common set of clash tests that you reuse on multiple projects, you can turn them into a custom clash test. Once installed as a custom clash test, the entire batch of tests can be selected and run directly from the “Select Tab” on page 374. The results from all tests in the batch are combined and presented as the results of the custom clash test.
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. ■ Items in Same File - any items found clashing that are in the same file (either externally referenced or appended) are not reported in the results.
■ 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. This is a new rule template. This rule also enables you to look for the property on any parent object. For example, the gasket at the end of a pipe is registered as a clash with the nozzle of pump.
■ ''. 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. 2 On the Rules tab, click the ignore rule you want to edit. 3 Click the Edit button.
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). This option performs the same clash test as Hard, however, it additionally applies a conservative intersection method.
Setting up time-based clashing enables the automated checking of this throughout the project lifetime. When a time-based clash session is run, at each step of TimeLiner sequence, Clash Detective is used to check if a clash has occurred. If it has, a date of when the clash took place is logged, along with the event that caused the clash. You can review the Clash Results and, for example, reschedule objects' appearance to eliminate such clashes.
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. 4 If the Clash Detective window is not already open, click Tools ➤ Clash Detective. 5 Click the Select tab. 6 In the Left and Right panes, select the objects you want to test.
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. 7 Click the Select tab. 8 In the Left and Right panes, select the objects you want to test. 9 In the Link drop-down box, select TimeLiner. 10 In the Step box, enter the Interval Size to use when looking for clashes in animation scenes. 11 Click the Start button.
If you run a time-based, soft, or time-based soft clash test, the start time/date of any clashes are recorded next to the appropriate clash under the Start and End columns, together with the event name (an animation scene or a TimeLiner task) in the Event column. If multiple clashes are found on a particular date, each individual clash is listed with identical simulation information.
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. To group multiple clashes 1 On the Results tab, select all clashes you want to group together. 2 Right-click your selection, and click Group.
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 Results” on page 391. Visually Identify Clashes in a Model As you click on a clash result, you are automatically zoomed into the clash location in the Scene Area.
2 To hide all items that obstruct viewing the clashing items in the Scene Area, select the Auto Reveal check box. When you click on a clash result, you can see the clash when zooming in on it, without having to move location. Viewing clashing items with the Auto Reveal check box clear Viewing clashing items with the Auto Reveal check box selected 3 To hide all items not involved in the clash, select the Hide Other check box. This enables you to focus better on the clashing items in the Scene Area.
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. 3 Click a clash result in the Results list. You are zoomed in to the location of a clash in the Scene Area. 4 Select the Animate Transitions check box.
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. For more information, see “Comments and Redlines” on page 216.
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. 6 The simulation slider on the Animation toolbar 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.
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. Report Clash Results You can produce various Clash Detective reports.
■ 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.
■ All Tests (Separate) creates a separate file for each test containing all results. 8 Select the format of the report in the Report Format box: ■ XML creates an .xml file containing all the clashes and a jpeg of their viewpoints alongside their details. On choosing this option, you will need to select or create a folder for the files and enter a name for the xml file. ■ HTML will create an .html file containing all the clashes and a jpeg of their viewpoints alongside their details.
Autodesk Navisworks Reference 17 File Options Dialog Box Use this dialog box to control the appearance of the model and the speed of navigation around it, and also to create and configure links to external databases. When you modify any of the options in this dialog box, your changes are saved in the currently opened Autodesk Navisworks file, and apply to this file only. Menu: Tools ➤ File Options. Culling Tab Use this tab to adjust geometry culling in the opened Autodesk Navisworks file.
Distance Specifies the farthest distance between the camera and the near clipping plane position in constrained mode. Specifies the exact distance between the camera and the near clipping plane position in fixed mode. NOTE Nothing is drawn between the camera and the near clipping plane; when you override automatic mode, make this value small enough to display your data. Also, overriding automatic mode with values under 1 can produce unpredictable results.
The default setting is 6. You can set the frame rate from 1 through 60 frames per second. Reducing the value reduces drop-out, but can cause jerky movement during navigation. Increasing the value ensures a smoother navigation, but increases drop-out. TIP If you want to restore the default values, click the Defaults button. Head Light Tab Use this tab to change the intensity of the scene's ambient light and headlight for Head Light mode. Ambient Use the slider to control the overall brightness of the scene.
Reflected Transform Select this check box if you use a negative scale for your transform. Rotation Enter the rotation angle. Select the rotation axis by entering values greater than 0. The file geometry rotates about its origin point. Scale Enter the scaling factor around X, Y, and Z axis for the file geometry; 1 being the current size, 0.5 half, 2 being double and so on. To scale proportionally, ensure the X, Y and Z scale values are equal. Entering negative values flips the file geometry inside out.
Vertical Field of View, Horizontal Field of View Defines the area of the scene that can be viewed through the camera. You can adjust the values for both vertical and horizontal angles of view. If the display units are set to degrees, then these numbers should be between 0.1 and 90; and if in radians, between 0.002 and 3.124. A larger value produces a wider angle of view and a smaller value produces a narrower, or more tightly focused, angle of view.
General Node Use the settings in this node to adjust the buffer size, file locations, number of recent file shortcuts you want Autodesk Navisworks to store, and the auto-save options. TIP If you want to restore the default values, click the Defaults button. Undo Page Use the settings on this page to adjust the buffer size. Buffer Size (kB) Specifies the amount of space Autodesk Navisworks allocates for saving undo/redo actions.
Balloon Notifications Page Use the settings on this page to adjust balloon notifications. Enable Balloon Notifications Indicates whether balloon notifications are turned on. Display Duration Sets the length of time (in seconds) the balloon notifications are shown in the Status bar before automatically disappearing. Auto-Save Page Use the setting on this page to adjust the auto-save options. Enable Auto-Save Indicates whether Autodesk Navisworks automatically saves Navisworks files.
Limit (MB) Specifies the maximum memory that Autodesk Navisworks can use. Merge Duplicates 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.
NWD Page Use the options on this page to enable and disable geometry compression and select whether the precision of certain options is reduced when saving or publishing NWD files. Geometry Compression Enable Select this check box to enable geometry compression when NWD files are saved. Geometry compression results in less memory being required and therefore smaller NWD files. Reduce Precision Coordinates Select this check box to reduce the precision of coordinates.
See also: ■ “Native File Formats” on page 87 Interface Node Use the settings in this node to customize Autodesk Navisworks interface. TIP If you want to restore the default values, click the Defaults button. Display Units Page Use this page to customize the units used by Autodesk Navisworks. Linear Units Use the drop-down list to select the desired linear value. Meters are used by default. Angular Units Use the drop-down list to select the desired angular value. Degrees are used by default.
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. Color Click to specify the color of the measure lines. In 3D Select this check box to draw the measure lines in 3D.
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. When you use a viewpoint again, the hidden/required markups set when the viewpoint was saved are reapplied.
■ 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. Tag Icon Type Specifies how to display this hyperlink category. Select one of the following options: ■ Icon - hyperlinks are represented by default icons ■ Text - hyperlinks are represented by text boxes with hyperlink descriptions in the Scene View. and in the Scene View.
Viewpoints 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: - hyperlinks to viewpoints saved in perspective mode - hyperlinks to viewpoints saved in orthographic mode ■ 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.
List View Click to display custom hyperlink categories in a list format (the same way as the standard hyperlink categories are shown). to display hyperlink categories as records. Records View Click Previous and Next Element Use and to navigate between hyperlink categories. If you clicked the Records View button, this is the only way to move between the records. Visible Select this check box to display the corresponding hyperlink category in the Scene View.
Select this check box if you want to get access to the Geometry tab and the Transform tab in the Properties control bar. Display Page Use the options on this page to adjust the display performance. Acceleration 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.
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. Navigation Mode Use the drop-down list to specify a default navigation mode for the SpaceBall. It is used when no valid navigation mode is currently selected.
Use Animated Transitions When Switching Views If this check box is selected, an animated transition displays when you click on a section of the ViewCube to help you visualize the spatial relationship between the current viewpoint and the selected viewpoint. NOTE When navigating about 3D scenes that contain vast amounts of geometry, the application frame rate may drop and make it difficult for the system to smoothly animate a viewpoint transition.
Show Tooltips Toggles the display of wheel tooltips. When this check box is selected, the tooltips are shown when you hover over wedges on the wheels. NOTE This setting is always on for View Object and Tour Building wheels, and cannot be turned off. Show Tool Cursor Text Toggles the display of tool label below the cursor. NOTE This setting is always on for View Object and Tour Building wheels, and cannot be turned off.
See also: ■ “3DS File Reader” on page 91 ASCII Laser Page Use this page to adjust the options for the ASCII laser scan file reader. Sample Rate Specifies the frequency of points extracted from the input file. Increasing the sample rate, reduces the number of points extracted. This has the effect of reducing the image resolution, but increasing the speed with which the file is loaded. Use Point Intensity Values Select the check box to extract intensity values from the input file.
Show Hidden Items Select this check box, if you want to display all entities in converted DGN files, irrespective of whether they are hidden or not. NOTE To use this option, you must select the Convert Hidden Items check box. Convert Lines and Arcs Select this check box to convert lines, splines, curves, arcs, circles, or ellipses in DGN files.
See also: ■ “DGN File Reader” on page 98 DWF Page Use this page to adjust the options for the DWF file reader. Faceting Factor Enter the required value to control the level of faceting that takes place. The faceting factor must be greater or equal to 0, where 0 results in the faceting factor being turned off. The default value is 1. To get twice the number of facets, double the value. To get half as many facets, halve the value.
Merge Lines Indicates whether the file reader interprets joining lines with the same color, layer, and parent as a single item in the Selection Tree. Clear this check box to keep the entities as separate items in the Selection Tree. Convert Off Select this check box to convert layers that are switched off in DWG and DXF files. They are automatically marked as hidden in Autodesk Navisworks. When this check box is clear, the file reader ignores switched off layers.
NOTE This option does not affect the normal behavior of space objects that have visible 3D geometry in DWG files. Material Search Paths Autodesk Navisworks automatically searches the default Autodesk material paths. Use this box to specify additional paths to texture files used in Autodesk Architectural Desktop materials. Separate the paths with semi-columns. Render Type Specifies the render style used for objects when loading DWG files.
If the Max Facet Deviation is set to 0, then this function is ignored. Representation Detail Specifies the level of visual representation of IFC elements. IFC elements can have multiple visual representations, such as bounding boxes (simplest), lines, styled lines, polygons, and styled polygons (most complex). Loading and showing all of these representations can lead to cluttered visuals and memory overheads.
The faceting factor must be greater or equal to 0, where 0 results in the faceting factor being turned off. The default value is 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.
Texture Path Specifies the path to the folder containing images used in MicroGDS Materials. This path is used as the base for relative paths for materials that use image files. This option corresponds to the MicroGDS Renderer Textures preference. Define Presenter Materials Select this check box to define MicroGDS material-styles as Presenter materials in Autodesk Navisworks. When this check box is clear, the file reader ignores MicroGDS material-styles.
RVM Page Use this page to adjust the options for the RVM file reader. Faceting Factor Enter the required value to control the level of faceting that takes place. The faceting factor must be greater or equal to 0, where 0 results in the faceting factor being turned off. The default value is 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.
See also: ■ “RVM File Reader” on page 103 SKP Page Use this page to adjust the options for the SketchUp SKP file reader. Convert Hidden Items Select this check box to convert hidden entities in SKP files. They are automatically marked as hidden in Autodesk Navisworks. When this check box is clear, the file reader ignores hidden items. Merge Faces Indicates whether the file reader interprets adjoining faces with the same color, layer, and parent as a single item in the Selection Tree.
See also: ■ “STL File Reader” on page 105 VRML Page Use this page to adjust the options for the VRML file reader. Default Units Specifies the type of units Autodesk Navisworks uses when opening VRML world files. Faceting Factor Enter the required value to control the level of faceting that takes place. The faceting factor must be greater or equal to 0, where 0 results in the faceting factor being turned off. The default value is 1. When you double the value, you get twice the number of facets.
Select from the following options: ■ None - the points come through as white. ■ Raw Intensity - the points use the intensity values stored in the file. ■ Color-Mapped Intensity - the points use a spectrum of RGB colors. ■ Gamma Correction Intensity - the points use gamma-corrected raw intensity values stored in the file.
Convert Snap Points Select this check box to convert snap points in DWG and DXF files. When this check box is clear, the file exporter ignores snap points. Convert Text Select this check box to convert text in DWG and DXF files. When this check box is clear, the file exporter ignores text. Convert Views Select this check box to convert the named views into Autodesk Navisworks viewpoints. When this check box is clear, the file exporter ignores views.
NOTE Autodesk Navisworks names parts of compound objects after their color. Use ADT Standard Configuration Select this check box to convert geometry and materials in DWG files using the Standard display configuration. Clear this check box to convert geometry and materials accordingly to whether they are displayed in the currently saved display configuration. See also: ■ “AutoCAD File Exporter” on page 106 Revit Page This page enables you to adjust the NWC export options for the Revit file exporter.
Convert Lines and Arcs Select this check box to convert lines, splines, curves, arcs, circles, or ellipses in DGN files. Convert PDS Data Select this check box to read object information from Intergraph's Plant Design System™ while converting the DGN files. PDS information is read from Intergraph's DRV files. The file exporter looks for a DRV file with the same base name as the DGN file in the same directory. When this check box is clear, the file exporter ignores PDS data.
Select this check box to assign the same textures, diffuse, ambient, and specular colors to the elements as in the MicroStation scene. Clear this check box to assign the same colors to the elements as in the MicroStation scene. View Number Enter the required value to selects a specific view for loading. The file exporter uses the level visibility of this view when converting items. For example, enter 0 to use the first active view.
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. Presenter Page Use this page to adjust the Presenter options. Profile You can adjust Presenter to your level of knowledge. Select from the following options: ■ Basic - gives you access to the basic Presenter features, with a limited editing functionality. This is the default option.
NOTE This option can only be used on machines with OpenGL 1.5 compliant graphics cards. Choose from the following options: ■ Off - turns off hardware-accelerated shading. ■ Lighting - only lights are shown. ■ Passive Shadows - both lights and shadows are turned off during navigation, and automatically reappear when navigation stops. ■ Interactive Shadows - both lights and shadows are shown during navigation. Hardware Bump Maps Select this check box to display bump map textures during navigation.
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. TIP If you want to restore the default values, click the Defaults button.
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. This option works in conjunction with Collision. Viewer Radius Specifies the radius of the collision volume. Height Specifies the height of the collision volume.
■ Solid - turns on backface culling for solid objects only. This is the default option. 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. Far Clip Plane Closest Distance Specifies the closest distance between the camera and the far clip plane position.
■ 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). ■ Image and Text - the command is show as both text and image.
Description A description of the selected command, if defined. Buttons Assign Activates when you select a value from the Select a New Shortcut drop-down list. When you click Assign, it transfers the shortcut information to the Current Shortcut box. Remove Removes the shortcut selected in the Current Shortcut box. Reset All Resets any changes you’ve made to the shortcuts to the default settings. Pointing device: Click the Keyboard button in the Customize dialog box.
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. You can adjust the values for both vertical and horizontal angles of view. A larger value produces a wider angle of view and a smaller value produces a narrower, or more tightly focused, angle of view.
Now anybody who wants to open this NWD file must type in the password you specified. IMPORTANT If you forget your password, you cannot recover it from the published NWD file. Display at password This check box indicates whether the Publish dialog box is shown to users who are trying to open password-protected NWD files. Selecting this check box gives the users a read-only access to document properties, and enables them to find out the details of the person they can request a password from.
QTVR Object Movie Settings Dialog Box Use this dialog box to specify the number of pan frames and number of tilt frames that are used to export the QuickTime VR object movie. Pointing device: Export Rendered Image ➤ QTVR Object Movie Type ➤ OK button Pan Settings Pan Min and Pan Max Define how far the model can be revolved (as though on a turntable).
Size Type Use the drop-down list to specify how to set the size of the exported image. Choose from: ■ Explicit. Gives you full control of the width and height (the dimensions are in pixels). ■ Use Aspect Ratio. Enables you to specify the height. The width is automatically calculated from the aspect ratio of your current view. ■ Use View. Uses the width and height of your current view. ■ Use Printer Page. Sizes the image to the page setup size of the default printer.
Source Source Selects the source from which to export the animation. Choose from: ■ Current Animation. The currently selected viewpoint animation. ■ TimeLiner Simulation. The currently selected TimeLiner sequence. ■ Current Animator Scene. The currently selected object animation. Renderer Renderer Selects the animation renderer. Choose from: ■ OpenGL. Quickly renders your animation; this option is also ideal for previewing animations. ■ Presenter.
448 | Chapter 17 Autodesk Navisworks Reference
Glossary Glossary of technical terms relating to Autodesk Navisworks Manage 2010. Display Terminology average frame rate This shows the current measured frame rate, averaged over the last second. average frame time This shows the time taken to render the last frame. average triangle rate This shows the rate at which triangles are being rendered and is a measure of how well your graphics card is working. culling Culling is a process for determining items not to draw during the render of a scene.
If these XRefs are not important for the current session, then you can Ignore the reference and the file will load without that XRef inserted. Similarly, Ignore All will load the file without any unresolved XRefs. You can also customize the options for the DWG/DXF/SAT and DGN file readers in the Options Editor (Tools ➤ Global Options ➤ File Readers node) to set whether external references are loaded or not. This gives you more control over file appending into Autodesk Navisworks.
Selection Terminology These are terms specific to Autodesk Navisworks that are used in relation to selecting items. composite objects A composite object is a group of geometry that is considered a single object in the selection tree. For example, a window object might be made up of a frame and a pane. If a composite object, the window object would be both the frame and the pane and be selected all at once.
Clash Detective Terminology clash status Each clash has a current status associated with it and each status has a colored icon to identify them. This status is updated automatically by Clash Detective or can be manually overridden if desired. The statuses are as follows: New- a clash found for the first time in the current run of the test. Active- a clash found in a previous run of the test and not resolved. Reviewed - a clash previously found and marked by somebody as reviewed.
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. Similarly, a Duplicate clash with a severity of more than the tolerance value will be ignored as it is likely to be a seperate, yet identical piece of geometry.
454 | Glossary
Index 3D space 4D 364 126 A ADN 13 align viewpoint 126 animation action types 297 actions 297 add sets 288 capture 289 create 285 create scenes 286 cut 252 cuts 252 delete scenes 286 edit 251 enable scripts 254, 298 event conditions 296 event types 296 events 296 object 251 organize scenes 286 play 254, 285 record 251 scope 271 scripts 294 sets 288 share 254 update sets 288 viewpoint 251 Animation Export 446 Animation toolbar 66 Animator toolbar 272 annotations 216 append model 120 ARX plugin 106 Auto-Sav
Culling Options 439 area 439 backface 439 far clip plane 440 near clip plane 440 custom properties 196 custom scene views 69 Customer Involvement Program Customize 440 commands 440 keyboard shortcuts 441 options 441 toolbars 440 customize keyboard 76 customize toolbars 76 cuts 252 D database links 198 Default Collision 438 auto crouch 438 gravity 438 third person 438 viewer 438 delete files 120 Display Units 83 dockable windows 70 E edit comments 226 redlines 226 edit animations 251 Edit Key Frame 442 Edi
G gizmos 205 Global Options 79 Developer 83 Display Units 83 Environment 81 export 79 import 79 Location 82 graduated background 170 gravity 162 H hardware accelearation 177 head-up display 165 Help 9 access more information 12 concepts 11 print 11 procedures 11 quick reference 11 search 10 training 12 Help menu 61 hide objects 185 highlighting 184 horizon background 170 HUD 165 hyperlinks 227 I import clash tests 260 PDS display sets 261 PDS tags 260 search criteria 262 search sets 263 viewpoints 262 ins
navigation modes 127 Examine 131 Fly 131 Look Around 129 Orbit 130 Pan 130 Turntable 132 Walk 128 Zoom 129 Zoom Box 130 Navigation Tools toolbar 68 NetMeeting 255 network deployment 28 Network License Activation 31 Network License Manager 31 network licenses 31 network share 33 new 117 new features 3 New Link 404 connection 404 fields 404 notification icon 72 notifications 7 NWC 87 NWD 87 NWF 87 O object attrbutes 205 during animation 205 move 205 resize 205 rotate 205 object attributes color 209 snapping
line 219 line string 219 review 223 status 226 tag 219 tag IDs 227 tags 216 text 219 thickness 219 view 219 Redo 72 refresh files 122 rename 117 rendering 167, 301 accelerate 177 control 176 full 168 hidden line 168 shaded 168 stereo 178 wireframe 168 Rendering Style toolbar 64 reset 210 resize objects 205 restore 210 review 216 Review menu 60 Rich Photorealistic Content 318 rotate objects 205 RPC (Rich Photorealistic Content) S save 117 automatically 53 search sets 192 selection sets 192 viewpoints 240 S
external project files 360 links 339, 362 rules 342 scripts to tasks 370 simulate 342 simulation playback 342 synchronize tasks with schedule task types 341 tasks 336, 353 validate schedule 359 Toolbar Options 62 toolbars 62 Animation 66 Animator 272 Collaborate Bar 67, 255 customize 76 delete 76 Model Views 66 Navigation Mode 64 Navigation Tools 68 new 76 Object Manipulation 67 Rendering Style 64 Sectioning 66 Selection Tools 63 Standard 62 Workspace 65 Tools menu 60 tooltips 133 Tour Building Wheels 133 t
