Autodesk Navisworks Simulate 2011 Getting Started Guide March 2010
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Contents Chapter 1 Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Exploring the User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Application Button and Menu . . . . . . . .
iv | Contents
Getting Started Welcome to Autodesk Navisworks Simulate 2011! We hope that you enjoy learning and using this industry changing solution for whole 3D project review. Autodesk Navisworks is designed to bring together geometry and data created by multi-disciplinary teams, on the largest projects, into a single model. This virtual building can then be visualized, simulated, and analyzed in real-time by all involved, to validate the design and provide insight and predictability for construction and operation.
1 Application button and menu 5 Scene View 2 Quick Access toolbar 6 Navigation bar 3 InfoCenter 7 Dockable windows 4 Ribbon 8 Status bar Application Button and Menu to display the application menu. The application menu provides you with Click the application button access to common tools. Double-clicking the application button exits Autodesk Navisworks. Quick Access Toolbar and Ribbon At the top of the application window, the Quick Access toolbar provides access to frequently used tools.
TIP You can also access full-screen mode by pressing F11. Navigation Bar The navigation bar provides access to various navigation tools which allow you to move around and experience your virtual project before it has been built. (Click View tab ➤ Navigation Aids panel ➤ Navigation Bar.) Navigation is easiest controlled with a mouse - generally holding down the left-mouse button while moving the mouse. The Autodesk standard navigation SteeringWheels may also be accessed from here.
The web server progress bar indicates how much of a model has been downloaded from a web server (when using the Open URL command). As the Autodesk Navisworks engine can identify which data is required (within an NWD file), it can prioritize this data and download it first (acting like a buffer) allowing you to commence navigation of the model while Autodesk Navisworks continues to stream the remaining data from the web server.
3 Append the MEP.nwc file. (Click Home tab ➤ Project panel ➤ Append .) 4 Append the file, Architecture.nwc.
5 Now we have the complete project appended into a single scene, we can save this as an NWF. Click the application button ➤ Save As , and save as Conference Center.nwf. This is our master NWF project file which, in this example, references the latest NWC files exported from Revit. Effective Navigation Autodesk Navisworks provides a selection of navigation tools to allow you to navigate around your 3D model. These can be accessed from the Navigation Bar.
1 To move the view of the model parallel to the screen, select Pan on the navigation bar. In the Scene View, click and hold the left mouse button and drag to pan the model. 2 To increase or decrease the maginification of the current view of the model, select one of the Zoom tools from the navigation bar. ■ Selecting Zoom Window , and then click-dragging in the Scene View lets you define the rectangle that you want to zoom to. Releasing the mouse button fills the view with the contents of the rectangle.
■ Selecting Zoom All instantly zooms to the extents of the whole model. 3 To rotate the model, around a pivot point, select one of the Orbit tools from the navigation bar. Click-dragging with the left mouse button in the Scene View rotates the model. ■ rotates the model with the up direction maintained, and does not allow the camera Selecting Orbit to roll over from side to side. ■ Selecting Constrained Orbit on a turntable.
■ Selecting Free Orbit freely rotates the model around the focal point in any direction. Panning, Zooming, and Orbiting with the Mouse Wheel/Middle Mouse Button Autodesk Navisworks also allows you to perform basic navigation with the mouse wheel and middle mouse button.
1 Click on the Walk tool on the navigation bar. Now, in the Scene View, hold the left mouse button down and push forwards to walk forwards; push backwards to walk backwards; and move the mouse left and right to turn left and right, respectively. 2 The further you move the mouse forwards, the quicker you will walk.
Mouse over the Properties window on the right. Under the Item tab you will see the Item Name is Glazed. Let’s use this property to define a search condition to find all glazing. 3 Mouse over the Find Items window (at the bottom of the interface) and pin it open. 4 From the Category drop-down, select Item (this being the name of the tab in the Properties window). 5 From the Property drop-down, select Name (identifying that we wish to look at the name of each item).
12 In the Selection Tree, the window is highlighted, 78 x 54. Click the + to the left of this to expand the window. 13 The windows have both a Solid component (the glass) and a Composite Part (the frame). Click Solid to select the window glass. Look in the Properties window, and you will see that the Item does not have a Name property, which is what we were searching for earlier. We can, however, see that the item has a Material property value of Glass.
Whenever you select this search set, the search will be performed on the current model and select all items that meet the conditions, including any additional window glass that has subsequently been added to the project, hence why we refer to search sets as dynamic. NOTE A further benefit of using search sets is that they can be exported and used on other projects. If you have a number of generic searches then, having defined them once, they can be saved and re-used time and time again.
7 Navigate to another position and save a viewpoint named Yellow Brickwork. 8 Select the Exterior Brickwork search set again, and change the color to pale blue. Auto Hide window. the Sets 9 Save another viewpoint this time named Blue Brickwork. 10 Mouse over the Selection Tree window and pin it open. On the Standard tab, select the Architecture.nwc file, and then right-click and select Hide. Auto Hide the Selection Tree window. 11 Save a final viewpoint named Architecture Hidden.
3 On the navigation bar, select the Constrained Orbit 4 Click Animation tab ➤ Create panel ➤ Record the Recording panel displays. tool. . To the far right of the Animation tab, notice that 5 Hold down the left mouse button and, while moving the mouse slowly to the left, release the mouse button. This will spin the model slowly. 6 Once the model has rotated through 360 degrees, on the Recording panel, click Stop . 7 The animation is saved automatically in the Saved Viewpoints window.
18 Playback the animation to see the results. Autodesk Navisworks will automatically transition the camera between each key frame. 19 Save the file as Animation.nwf. TIP A good tip for creating animations is to first create a storyboard. Record each section of the storyboard using the most appropriate method (interactive recording or key frames) and then join them together by dragging one onto another.
This saves us from having to drag each material from the archives. Each material has also been named the same as its corresponding search set. Go to the Rules tab. Select the Map Presenter Materials to Selection Sets by Name option. Uncheck the Apply to Current Selection Only option and click Apply. The materials will be automatically applied to the items in each corresponding search set. 5 Go to the Effects tab. Under Recommended, expand Background.
Notice that there’s much more depth to the shadowing as the light is being cast and bounced from every direction, much like the real world. Also the background and objects in the scene area are all reflected in any reflective materials, like the glass windows, again further adding to the realism. To take your renderings further, you may wish to consider adding in a few RPC people and trees to add some life to the scene. 9 Auto Hide the Presenter window once you’re finished.
4 Try hiding certain search sets (groups of objects) while navigating around the model and add a few more redline tags. Each new tag ID will be automatically incremented to maintain uniqueness. 5 Save the file as Project review.nwf. We can then create a viewpoints folder (right-click the Saved Viewpoints window and select Add Folder), rename it with today’s date (for example) and drag all of our review session tags into it, keeping a record of what we’ve found and discussed.
2 Mouse-over the TimeLiner window and pin it open. 3 Go to the Links tab. 4 Under the Name column, right-click and select Add Link ➤ Microsoft Project MPX. 5 In the Getting Started directory, select Conference Center.mpx and click Open. 6 In the Field Selector dialog box, we map columns in TimeLiner with the corresponding columns in the schedule (MPX file). Set the External Field Name for the Task Type Import field to text10. For all other fields we will use the default. Click OK.
Object Animation Autodesk Navisworks has the ability to animate objects within the combined model scene. The possibilities are endless, however, some examples could include the opening of doors; movement of vehicles or cranes around a construction site; animation of mechanical components/machinery or production lines in an industrial facility. 1 Click the Animator window. 2 Navigate to one of the internal 36 x 84 doors. 3 In the Animator window, click Add 4 Select , and select Add Scene. the door.
13 Click Capture Keyframe position. Click Rotate again. A second black diamond will be added to the timeline at the 3-second again to deactivate the gizmo. 14 That’s it! Your animation is complete. Drag the timeline bar back and forth to open and close the door, or use the playback controls. In the Animator window, there is an option called P.P., which stands for Ping-Pong.
6 Change the Radius (m) value to 2. As a result, this hotspot is a sphere with a 2 meter radius, positioned at the center of the door. When you enter that sphere, the event will be triggered. 7 In the Actions section, click Play Animation . 8 In the Properties section, click the Animation drop-down, expand Scene 1 and select the Internal Door animation. 9 Change Starting At from Start to Current Position. Before using this script, let’s create a second script to close the door.
17 Change Starting At from Start to Current Position. 18 Change Ending At from End to Start. You’re now ready to try your scripts and interact with your animation. 19 Walk backwards away from the door (until you’re more than 2 meters away). 20 Click Animation tab ➤ Script panel ➤ Enable Scripts , and then walk towards the door. When you walk within 2 meters of the door, the event will be triggered and the door will open.
