Navisworks Tutorial

Getting Started with Navisworks

This lesson describes the Autodesk Navisworks workspace layout. It also introduces you to
the windows, methods of docking them, and customizing the ribbon.

This section will enable you to open and dock the required windows, customize the
workspace layout and ribbon to personal preference.

Workspace Layout
The Navisworks interface is intuitive and easy to learn and use. It contains a number of
traditional Windows ribbon elements, such as the Application Menu, ribbon, Quick Access
toolbars, and so on.

1 - Application Menu 1
The Application Menu provides access to commonly accessed tools. To access its
commands, click in the top left-hand corner of Navisworks. The commands available in this
menu include: file actions (Open, Save, and Save As), Import and Export commands, the
Publish command, and the option to the print or distribute it to other users by email. Within
this menu, the Options button provides access to the Options Editor dialog box to customize
your global settings.

2 - Ribbon 2
The ribbon is a palette at the top of the application window that displays task-based tools and
controls. The ribbon is divided into tabs, with each tab supporting a specific activity. Within
each tab, tools are grouped together into a task-based series of panels.
To activate a command on the ribbon, simply navigate to the tab and panel and select the
command. Every command 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. When some commands are activated, context-sensitive tabs
may be added to the ribbon. When active, the context-sensitive tab is highlighted in green to
show tools that will only be applied to the selected items. Once the objects are deselected,
the context sensitive tab is removed.

3 - Quick Access Toolbar 3

At the top of the application window, the Quick Access toolbar displays frequently used
commands.

A default set of commands have been included on the ribbon, to enable/disable these defaults
select at the end of the Quick Access toolbar, and select the commands that are to be
included.

You can add an unlimited number of buttons to the Quick Access toolbar by selecting the
command on its tab, rightclicking, and selecting Add to Quick Access Toolbar. New
buttons are added to the right of the default commands.
You can position the Quick Access toolbar either above or below the ribbon. To move its
position, select at the end of the Quick Access toolbar and select either Show Below the
Ribbon or Show Above the Ribbon.

4 - Scene View
The Scene View window is used to interact with 3D models. You can control how much space
the Scene View window uses compared to the dockable windows by dragging the edges of
the windows as required. Alternatively, you could auto hide the dockable windows, or switch
on full screen mode (F11 to toggle).

The Scene View window can be split vertically, horizontally, or into four segments. Split views
allow the user to set different viewing styles in each pane (i.e., wireframe in one, full render in
one, and a transparent view in another)

To split your current view horizontally, expand the Split View command in the Scene View
panel on the View tab and click Split Horizontal.

To split your current view vertically, expand the Split View command in the Scene View panel
on the View tab and click Split Vertical.

Resize a view by dragging the view borders or select Window Size in the View tab and enter
the required values.

Views can be subdivided so that there are horizontal and vertical Scene View windows. This
is done by selecting within a Scene View window to activate it and then splitting it again.
Any of the sub-divided Scene Views have title bar headings. To float a Scene View, select its
title bar heading and drag it away from its current location. To redock a floating Scene
View, double- click on the title bar heading.

Split Scene View windows can be set to Auto Hide by selecting the Auto Hide icon on the
Scene View’s title bar heading. Once auto hidden, it is listed above the Status bar.
5 - View Cube 5
ViewCube is used to reorient the current view of a model. You can reorient the view of a
model with the ViewCube tool by clicking pre-defined areas on the ViewCube to assign preset
views, click and drag on the ViewCube to freely change the view angle of the model, and
define and restore the Home view.

The ViewCube tool provides twenty-six defined parts to click and change the current view of a
model. The twentysix defined parts are categorized into three groups: corner, edge, and face.
Of the twenty-six defined parts, six of the parts represent standard orthogonal views of a
model: top, bottom, front, back, left, and right. Orthogonal views are set by clicking one of the
faces on the ViewCube tool.

You use the other twenty defined parts to access angled views of a model. Clicking one of the
corners on the ViewCube tool reorients the current view of the model to a three-quarter
view, based on a viewpoint defined by three sides of the model. Clicking one of the edges
reorients the view of the model to a half view based on two sides of the model.

You can also click and drag the ViewCube tool to reorient the view of a model to a custom
view other than one of the twenty-six predefined parts. As you drag, the cursor changes to
indicate that you are reorienting the current view of the model. If you drag the ViewCube tool
close to one of the preset orientations, and it is set to snap to the closest view, the ViewCube
tool rotates to the closest preset orientation.
When you view a model from one of the face views, two roll arrow buttons are displayed near
the ViewCube tool. Use the roll arrows to rotate the current view 90 degrees clockwise or
counterclockwise.

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.

Selecting in the top right-hand corner of the ViewCube reorients the Scene View to its default
orientation and zoom level.

Additional ViewCube options can be accessed by selecting in the bottom left-hand corner of
the ViewCube. These options enable you to define the view setting, define the Home and
Front orientations, and access its settings in the Options Editor.
The display of the ViewCube can be set in the View tab by enabling/disabling the View Cube
command in the Navigation Aids panel.

6 - Navigation Bar 6
The Navigation bar is a user interface element where you can access both unified and
product-specific navigation tools. The navigation bar floats over and along one of the sides of
the Scene View.
You start navigation tools by clicking one of the buttons on the navigation bar. Many of the
tools have varying commands that are compressed. To expand a command, press and
hold its icon and select an alternate command. The top-level Navigation bar commands are
as follows.
The Navigation bar can be customized by selecting at the bottom of the bar. You can enable/
disable which commands are displayed, define where the Navigation bar is
located in the Scene View window, and access its settings in the Options Editor.
The display of the Navigation bar can be set in the View tab by enabling/disabling the
Navigation Bar command in the Navigation Aids panel.
7 - Dockable Windows 7
Most features are accessible from the dockable windows. To display a dockable window,
expand the Windows command in the View tab and choose from the list of available dockable
windows. Alternatively, some of the windows can be enabled/ disabled directly on tabs. For
example, the Selection Tree and Properties windows are available on the Home tab.

All windows are dockable and resizable, and will automatically lock to specific locations near
to where they are moved.

Using the Docking Tool

When you drag a window from its current location towards a new destination on the interface,
a docking tool is displayed. The docking icons point towards the four edges of the interface.
The options that are available are dependent on the permittable locations for docking.

When the window you are dragging is close to the place where you want it to dock, move the
mouse over the corresponding area of the docking tool. You will see an outline of the window
appear on the interface. To dock the window, release the mouse button.

Tiling Windows
You can tile windows on the interface. To do this, drag the window you want to tile over the
window where you want it to be placed. When a rectangular outline appears, release the
mouse button.

Auto Hiding Windows

You can auto hide windows; this keeps them active while maximizing the amount of available
screen space. If auto-hide is active, the body of the window disappears when you move
the cursor out of it, leaving only the title bar visible. Move the cursor over the title bar to
display the entire window again.
To turn auto-hide on, click on the title bar.
To turn auto-hide off, click on the title bar.
Opening Files in Navisworks
New Files
Click New on the Quick Access toolbar to close existing files, and create a new file. As an
alternative you can also click Application Menu > New. Procedure: To Open a Navisworks file
(NWD format)
There are two ways to open an NWD file:
 In Navisworks, click Open on the Quick Access toolbar, then browse to the required
file.
NOTE – Remember to select the NWD file type.
 In My Computer, select and drag the file into either the Scene View or the Selection
Tree window.
To display the Selection Tree window if it is not visible, select the View tab, expand the
Windows option, and enable Selection Tree, or on the Home tab, enable Selection Tree.

File Formats
Reading Files into Autodesk Navisworks Autodesk
Navisworks has its own native file formats (.nwd, .nwf, .nwc); however Autodesk Navisworks
solutions can additionally read a combination of many popular 3D CAD
formats. The following table lists the CAD file formats currently supported by Autodesk
Navisworks 2012 solutions.

Autodesk Navisworks also supports a number of additional file readers for applications
without a native file reader or exporter. These applications can usually export to or save as
one of these additional file formats.
File Units
Each file or sheet has its own units. When inserting additional sheets/models each sheet has
its own units. Navisworks understands the concept of what unit (scale) the scene is
presented in. This is useful when measuring items, setting tolerances for clash detection, or
sizes of textures.
Each file type has a default unit associated with it, which it uses when loading files of that
type. There is a single scene unit that is set from the Global Options dialog box and this unit
is used throughout as appropriate.

Procedure: To Set File Units

1. Click Application Menu > Options.

In the Options Editor, expand Interface and click Display Units.

2. In the Options Editor dialog box, in Linear Units field, select the unit (default setting is
Meters), and click OK.
There is a default unit setting for each file type so that when files are opened, they are scaled
appropriately to the scene’s units. They can, however, be rescaled if the units are found to be
incorrect for the scene.

3. In the Selection Tree, right-click the file to be rescaled and select Units and Transform. To
display the Selection Tree window if it is not visible, select the View tab, expand the Windows
option, and enable Selection Tree, or on the Home tab, enable Selection Tree .

4. In the Units and Transform dialog box, in the Model Units field, select the required units,
and click OK.
Saving, Merging, and Refreshing Files
About File Types
When you open a model file or files in Autodesk Navisworks, you can save the file as either
an NWF file or an NWD file.

NWD File
An NWD file is a fully published Autodesk Navisworks file containing all geometry and review
markups.
An NWD file can be thought of as a “snapshot” of the current state of the model and can be
viewed in both Navisworks and Freedom (the Navisworks free viewer). An NWD file is created
with the Publish command, which is accessed by clicking Application Menu > Publish, or by
selecting the Output tab and clicking NWD on the Publish panel. The file can also include
features such as password access and file expiration dates.

NWF File
An NWF file contains the review markups, but no geometry.
Instead, it includes links (acts as a pointer) to the original native CAD drawing files (as listed
in the Selection Tree). This means an NWF is considerably smaller in file size than an NWD.

Generally, you should use NWF files whenever multiple files are brought together to create
the scene, such as xrefs in AutoCAD®. This way, whenever one file changes, the whole
model does not have to be re-published, only the file that has changed needs to be re-read..

NWF files can also be used as the design review “buffer” for NWD files. Comments, views,
redlining, animations, material overrides, and clash tests can all be saved and added to an
NWF file. The NWD files may need to be re-published due to changes throughout the design
process.

Procedure: To Save as an NWF or NWD File

1. Click Application Menu > Save As .

2. In the Save As dialog box, in the Save as type drop-down list, select NWD or NWF.

3. Browse to the required directory then add an appropriate file name and click Save
Navigation
Using Navigation Tools
The Navigation bar and various tabs on the Ribbon include tools that help you navigate a
model in a variety of ways. When using a navigation tool, additional navigation functions may
be available by using the CTRL or SHIFT keys.

Navigation Bar
The Navigation bar is located on the right-hand side of the Scene view. You can control the
display of the Navigation bar on the View tab, in the Navigation Aids panel, by
selecting/deselecting the Navigation Bar option.
Viewpoint Tab Commands
The Viewpoint tab contains all the commands that are available on the Navigation bar with a
few additional viewing tools, as described below.
Selection Tree and Selecting Objects
View the Selection Tree
As a model is opened, the file name is added to the Selection Tree window.

To display the Selection Tree window if it is not visible, select the Home tab, and on the
Select & Search panel, enable Selection Tree. As an alternative, you can control the
Selection Tree’s display on the View tab by expanding the Windows option, and enabling
Selection Tree.

From here, the model’s hierarchical structure can be expanded, revealing the files, layers,
and objects used to build the model.This hierarchical structure is used to identify object
specific paths (a unique path through the model data from the root partition, the file name, to
a particular object).

Selecting an Object
Selecting an object in the Selection Tree also highlights it in the Scene View.
Selecting an object in the Scene View using the Selection tool also highlights it in the
Selection Tree.

Selection Resolution (Level)

When an item in the scene is selected using the Selection tool, individual geometry or a group
of geometry may be selected depending on the setting of the Selection Resolution.
Procedure: To Change the Selection Resolution using the Ribbon
To change the setting of the selection resolution, expand the Select & Search panel on the
Home tab and select a resolution setting from the Selection Resolution pulldown menu.

Select the required option.

The available selection options are:

File – Selects the appended portion of the selected model.

Layer – Selects all objects within a layer.

First Object – Selects the first object in the path that is not a layer.

Last Unique – Selects the most specific object (furthest

along the path) that is unique (not multiple instanced).

Last Object – Selects the most specific item (furthest along the Selection Tree path) that is
marked as a composite object. If no composite object is found, the geometry is selected .

Geometry – Selects the last object in the path (most specific, may be multiple instanced).

Hiding Objects
Autodesk Navisworks provides tools that can be used to hide and display objects or groups of
objects. This is useful when reviewing specific objects without needing to navigate around
all the other objects in the model. All of these tools are located on the Home tab, in the
Visibility panel of the ribbon.

Use Hide Unselected to hide all objects except the objects that have been selected.

Use Hide to hide all selected objects.

Use Require to ensure the selected objects are always displayed (not affected by drop-out).
Object Properties
Object Properties
The Properties window shows all the properties of a selected item. Properties are categorized
(for example, Item and Material) with a tab for each category of the selected item.
Whenever a single item is selected, this window is updated to show the properties of that
item.

Autodesk Navisworks reports different CAD application object properties, such as those from
Architectural Desktop, AutoCAD® Civil 3D®, or Autodesk® Revit® (MEP, Structure,
and Architecture). Every property has a type associated with it, for example, an item’s Name
is a string, and so on. For example, in AutoCAD Civil 3D you can bring in all the design data
used to create a pipe network (inverts, slopes, rim elevation, structure connection names, and
so on.)

With the DataTools feature (described in Database Support), you can create a link between
the stored data in a database and the object properties of the model.

Procedure: To Open and View Object Properties

1. To display the Properties window if it is not visible, select the Home tab, and in the
Display panel, enable Properties. As an alternate, you can also select the View tab, expand
the Windows option, and enable Properties.

2. Select the required item in the scene or on the Selection Tree.

All available properties for the item are displayed in the Properties window.

NOTE – A model or item might not have any property information.

3. In the Properties window, click any available category tabs for additional property
information.

4. The Properties window is automatically pinned along the right side edge of the Autodesk
Navisworks window. To set to AutoHide, click along the top of the Properties window. For the
Properties window to remain open, click

Quick Properties
Quick Property pop up information appears when the cursor is moved over an object, without
having to select the item. It is displayed in a tooltip style window. The Quick Property
disappears after a few seconds.
Measuring Objects
Procedure: How to Use Measuring Tools
1. Select the Review tab and expand the Measure command. In the expanded Measure
command there are six measuring tools that are available for use.

2. Point to Point measures between two points.

Click Point to Point. Then click the start and end points of the distance to be measured.
A line is displayed between the two points and the value is displayed on the model.
Click Clear or right-click to remove existing points and select a new base point.

3. Point to Multiple Points measures between a base and various other points.
Click Point to Multiple Points. Then click on the start and first end point to be measured. A
line is displayed between the two points and the value is displayed on the model.
Click the next end point to be measured. A line is displayed between the base point and the
next end point and the value is displayed on the model.
Repeat to measure additional end points if required.
Click Clear or right-click to remove existing points and select a new base point.

4. Point Line measures a total distance between multiple points along a route.
Click Point Line. Then click the start and the second point to be measured. A line is
displayed between the two points and the value is displayed on the model.
Click the third point to be measured. The line extends to the third point.
Repeat to measure the total distance between additional points if required.
Click Clear or right-click to remove existing points and select a new base point.
LESSON

5. Accumulate calculates the sum of several point-to-point measurements.

Click Accumulate. Then click the start and end points of the first distance to be measured. A
line is displayed between the two points.
Click alternately on additional start and end points as needed. The sum of all the selected
segments are displayed on the model.
Click Clear or right-click to remove existing points and select a new base point.

6. Angle calculates an angle between two lines.

Click Angle. Then click on a point along the first line.
Click on the first line at the point where the second line intersects. Finally, click on a point
along the second line. The value is displayed on the model.
Click Clear or right-click to remove existing points and select a new base point.
7. Area calculates an area on a specific plane.
Click Area. Then click on points along the perimeter of the area to be measured. Select as
many points as required to obtain the accuracy you want.
All the points added must lie on the same plane to be accurate.
A line is displayed between the points and the value is displayed on the model.
Click Clear or right-click to remove existing points and select a new base point.

Measuring Tool Options

The Measuring tools have a number of options for obtaining accurate measurements. The
options can be accessed by clicking Options on the Measure Tools window or you can click
Application Menu > Options > Interface > Measure. Select options as needed

Snapping controls can be set in the Options Editor to precisely select vertices and edges
while making measurements. These settings are in the Snapping group of the Options Editor
dialog box. You can also specify the Tolerance for picking in this window.

Enable Snap to Vertex, Snap to Edge, or Snap to Line Vertex, as necessary, to aid in making
measurements. Snap settings can also help when moving, rotating, or scaling.
Viewpoints
About Viewpoints
Viewpoints are snapshots taken of the model as it is displayed in the scene.
The model can be navigated to a required view, items of the model can be hidden, and other
items can be rendered with different materials and lighting.

Then the finished scene can be saved as a viewpoint for further reference. In addition, you
can add a variety of comments and Redline tags to a saved viewpoint. When a viewpoint is
saved it contains information about the following:
 Camera position and focus point
 Section planes
 Navigation modes
 Speeds
 Rendering conditions
 Perspective/orthogonal modes

Procedure: To Display and Add a Viewpoint

1. To display the Saved Viewpoints window, if it is not visible, select the Viewpoint tab and
click the icon on the Save, Load & Playback panel’s title bar. As an alternative, select the
View tab, expand the Windows option, and enable Saved Viewpoints. The Saved
Viewpoints window displays a list of the previously saved viewpoints.

2. Click a viewpoint to display it.

3. To quickly view the whole model, click Zoom All on the Navigation Bar on the right-hand
side of the Scene View.

NOTE – Saved animations are also located in the Viewpoints window. See “Animate Objects”
for more information.

4. Navigate to the required position in the model.

5. Prepare the view (for example, apply rendering, lighting, comments, redlines, navigation
modes, and tools).

6. Right-click in the Saved Viewpoints window, and click Save Viewpoint.

7. Enter a new name and press ENTER.

TIP – To rename a Viewpoint to an alternate name, right click the viewpoint in the Saved
Viewpoints window and click Rename.
Comments and Redlining
Comments – Can be associated with saved views, animations, selection sets, tasks, and
clashes.
Redlining – Annotation that can be added directly over a viewpoint.
Redline Tags – Method for recording any findings during a review session. Combine the
functionality of adding viewpoints, redlines, and comments.

Procedure: To Add Comments

1. Select the required selection set, search set, saved viewpoint, animation, or saved clash
test that you want to add comments to.

2. On the Review tab, in the Comments panel, click View Comments to open the Comments
window to display the comment details.

3. In the Comments dialog box, right-click in the Comments pane, and then click Add
Comment.

4. In the Add Comment dialog box, enter your comments, and then select a Status option

5. Click OK to save the comment. The comment is attached to the specific viewpoint and can
be viewed when the viewpoint is selected or by conducting a search.

6. You can edit or delete a saved comment. Right-click on a listed comment, and then click
Edit Comment or Delete Comment as required.
Redlining and Redline Tags
Redlining can be associated with saved viewpoints and clash detection result views.

1. On the Review tab, in the Redline panel, select the Draw pull-down menu to access the
redlining tools. The Text and Erase commands are also used in redlining. The
redlining tools are described on next page.

2. In the Redline panel, select settings for the line (Thickness and Colour) before using the tools.

Redline Tags
Redline Tags combine the features of redlining, viewpoints, and comments into a single
review tool. This allows you to tag anything you want to identify in the model scene. A
viewpoint will be created and you can add a comment and status to the tag. For example,
during a review session, you may observe an item in the scene that is incorrectly sized or
positioned.

You can then tag this item, identifying the problem. If a tag is added, the Add Comment dialog
box is displayed and you can add a comment.

Procedure: To Add a Redline Tag

1. On the Review tab in the Tags panel, click Add Tag. Click the object where the tag is to
point to, then click where the tag label is to be located. The tag is added.

2. In the Add Comments dialog box, enter the text for the tag, and then select a Status
option.

3. Click OK to save the comment. A tag viewpoint is created (you can rename it).
Sectioning
Sectioning a Model
With sectioning, you can make up to six sectional cuts in any plane and still be able to
navigate around the scene. You view models inside without hiding any item.

Viewpoints of section planes can be saved and used in animations to show a dynamically
sectioned model.

Slices can also be created using multiple section planes and linking them as a slice. In this
way the model can be navigated and the scene viewed as a slice in real time, and used in
viewpoints and animations.

Procedure: To Create Sectioned Planes

1. Select a saved viewpoint or manipulate the model to an orientation to begin sectioning
from.

2. Select the Viewpoint tab and click Enable Sectioning in the Sectioning panel. The
Sectioning Tools context-sensitive tab appears.

3. In the Mode panel, ensure that Planes is enabled to define sections in the scene using
planes.

4. In the Current pull-down menu in the Plane Settings panel, select a plane to activate it.
By default Plane 1 is activated.
Notice in the pull-down menu that Plane1 is enabled as indicated by the yellow lightbulb icon.
The remaining planes are not initially active.

5. By default, each plane has a default Alignment already assigned (e.g., Top, Bottom, Front,
and so on). To change this alignment, select the Alignment pull-down menu in the Planes
Settings panel. The alignment options correspond to the faces of the ViewCube along with
the following options:
Click Align to View to section through the model parallel to the current viewpoint regardless
of its viewing angle.
Click Align to Surface to section through the model aligned with a selected surface.
Click Align to Line to section through the model aligned to a selected line.

6. To change the location of the sectioning plane in the model, select either the Move or
Rotate commands in the Transform panel.

7. Use the gizmo that appears on the plane in the Scene View to move/rotate the position of
the plane in the viewpoint. To enter an exact positioning value, expand the Transform panel
and enter coordinates or angular values.

8. Enable additional planes by selecting them in the Current pull-down menu. Once
enabled you can change their alignment or Move/Rotate them, as necessary.

9. To disable a plane once it is displayed, select on the Planes Settings panel header and
disable the plane’s display in the Section Plane Settings window that appears.

10. On the Save panel, click to save the Viewpoint. Enter a descriptive name for the
viewpoint.
To Create a Section Box
As an alternative to using multiple planes and linking them to define a sectioned area, you
can use the Box mode.

1. Select a saved viewpoint or manipulate the model to an orientation to begin sectioning

from.

2. Select the Viewpoint tab and click Enable Sectioning in the Sectioning panel. The
Sectioning Tools Contextual tab appears.

3. In the Mode panel, ensure that Box is enabled to define the section in the scene using a
three-dimensional box.

4. To change the location of the sectioning box in the model, select either the Move or Rotate
commands in the Transform panel.

5. Use the gizmo that appears on the box in the Scene View to move/rotate the position of the
box in the viewpoint. To enter an exact positioning value, expand the Transform panel and
enter coordinates or angular values.

6. To change the size of the sectioning box in the model, select Scale in the Transform
panel.

7. Use the gizmo planes and axes to resize the box in the Scene View. To enter an exact
positioning value, expand the Transform panel and enter new size values for the X, Y,
and Z axes.

8. On the Save panel, click to save the Viewpoint. Enter a descriptive name for the viewpoint
Clash Detection
Conducting a Clash Test

The clash detective window allows you to set up a clash detection then review the results and
produce a report.

1. Select the home tab and click Clash Detective in the tools panel

2. Select the select tab in the Clash Detective window. There are two separate panes in this
window called left and right. These sides represent two different sets of items that you will
be clash detecting.

3. Click the required geometry type in both left and right panes. Clash detections can be
done on the following geometry types:

Surfaces – clashes surfaces of items

Lines- clashes items with a centre line such as pipes

Points – Clashes laser points

4. In each of the right and left panes select the items that are to be compared against. You
can select the items to be clash detected in the following ways:

 Select the items directly from the selection tree

 In the scene view select an item or items to be clashed. If required press & hold the
CTRL key to select multiple items.

 Select the sets tab associated with either left or right panes and select from the
saved selection or search sets that already exist in the model.

5. Define the clash type in the pull-down menu. There are three types of clashes:

Hard - Where two objects actually interact

Clearance – Where two objects come within a specified distance from each other.
Duplicates – Where two objects are identical.

6. Define the tolerance that should be used in the Clash test in the tolerance pull-down
menu (For 1mm enter 0.001)

7. Click start to begin the Clash Detection

8. Details of the number of clashing instances are identified in either the found field or at the
top of the select tab. Select the results tab to review a detailed list of the clash test
results.