Beyond Design

What else is new in Autodesk Navisworks 2014?

We really have been busy this last year. As well as the headline new features in Navisworks 2014, there's plenty more 'under the bonnet' to speed up your workflows and make you more productive.

• Sectioning improvements, the Fit Selection tool allows you to select items that the section plane or box will fit to
• Clash Detective (Autodesk Navisworks Manage only)
  • Preserve Clash Highlighting when exporting Viewpoint reports allows you to save Viewpoints with the same view you see in the results tab including redlining. These Viewpoints can also be seen in Simulate and Freedom
  • Color highlighting of the clashing elements which can be customized
  • Comment column in the results to shows if a Clash has a comments and how active the clash is
  • Clash Filters allow you to filter down to clashes only involving selected items
  • Clash Report Filter allows you to only report on those filtered items
  • Save explicit views related to a clash result
• Timeliner
  • Export Selection Sets of the items attached to each task
  • Support for Primavera P6 v8.2 Web Services
  • Support for Microsoft Project 2013
• File formats
  • AutoCAD 2014    
  • AutoCAD Architecture 2014
  • AutoCAD MEP 2014
  • Autodesk Plant 3D 2014
  • Autodesk Inventor 2014
  • AutoCAD Civil 3D 2014
  • Revit 2014
  • Autodesk 3ds Max 2014
  • Improved IFC 2x3 support
  • Faro SDK 5.1
  • Exporters for Graphisoft ArchiCAD 14, 15 and 16

There's also some new features in design application Revit that will improve interoperability between the two packages.

• Construction Parts can now be generated from Wall Foundations, Slab Edges, Fascias, and Gutters, making Timeliner Simulations even more accurate. This is on top of Walls, Floors, Roofs, Ceilings, Structural slab foundations, Structural Framing, Columns, Structural Columns which are already supported, see the link for more information about Creating Construction Parts in Revit.
• Revit Switchback improvements, where a new 'Navisworks Switchback' view is created in Revit, you can modify the Visual Style and Detail Level and Shadows of this view and switchback will use these settings
• Displaced views (like your own exploded view) can be exported to Navisworks, using these in combination with Switchback will make the navigation of complex models even easier. I've had some fun with this already, blowing the roof off our Sheffield office (see below)
• Materials from the Revit material library are also brought through, also shown in the image below

Anyway, you'll be able to get hold of this in the next couple of weeks, let us know on Twitter and Facebook which features you're most looking forward to.

Building the Death Star, The Autodesk Way – Autodesk University 2012

Inspired by this post by Jason Dodds from 2009, I'll be at this year's Autodesk University at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas, talking all about Star Wars. Well sort of…

Imagining a world where Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine had Autodesk tools to hand and fully embraced the concept of BIM, not only could the lives of countless stormtroopers been saved during construction, but they could have saved the Death Star from destruction completely.

I'll be talking about contingency planning using Navisworks and Microsoft Project, creating time based clashes for temporary works, using Revit construction parts to build an accurate schedule and linking animations to Timeliner for powerful presentations, all things that apply to building projects on this planet as well as flying death machines in space. I'm having a great time spending my weekends and evenings modeling Tie fighters in Inventor and futuristic looking curtain wall panels in Revit (I live a life of simple pleasures!), and hope that as well as learning how you can use the Building Design Suite more effectively, you'll enjoy geeking out with me in a couple of months' time.

You can now register for Building the Death Star, The Autodesk Way which is filling up quickly.

If you register for Autodesk University before October 14^th you'll save $500, those associated with education get a heavily discounted rate too.

If you need to convince your boss to let you go to Autodesk University, use this "Convince Your Manager Toolkit" to find plenty of useful ammunition, and plenty of reasons for them to go to. And a couple of funny posts appeared on the Revit Forum Blog about how to tell you wife or husband that you're going to AU2012.

See you in Las Vegas!

Service Pack 1 now available for Autodesk Navisworks 2013

UPDATE: Service Pack 2 is now available from our website which contains all the fixes below and more.

A service pack is now available for Autodesk Navisworks 2013 products. You can download and install the Autodesk Navisworks 2013 Service Pack 1 from our website

If you have experienced any of the following issues then we recommend you upgrade to the Service Pack 1

• File refresh not working after Options changed
• Timeliner 'Find Unattached Items' not working
• Inconsistencies in Clash grouping
• Google Earth model exported from Navisworks placed below surface
• Construction Parts in Revit Linked Files not working
• Save back to earlier Navisworks versions from Batch Utility
• Faro files loaded in at the wrong orientation
• Re-running clash tests with Isolation > Hide Other selected in Results tab, results are classed as resolved
• Merging Clash data inconsistencies
• Changing the selections in the Select tab in Clash causes Tolerance to revert to previous value
• Dates linked to from DataTools are displayed as previous days date in Properties window
• Sort button is disabled when there are items in Sets window.
• 'Cut, paste, copy' context menu not appearing when right clicking on Sets name.
• Selecting multiple Search Sets is not updating the Current Search
• Properties for piping and pipe supports from CADWorx 2013 not appearing
• Navisworks closing unexpectedly when: -
  • when linking to Microsoft Project file
  • when selecting a property in Freedom
  • in certain graphics card drivers
  • after refreshing during Autosaving
  • in Search and Selection Sets dialog
  • when machine locked or a screensaver is running
  • using the Simulate tab in Timeliner

Please select the relevant 32 or 64 bit version for Manage, Simulate or Freedom. This can be installed on each individual machine which already has Navisworks 2013 installed, included in the installation, or included in a deployment, the readme contains more instructions.

Should you have any issues installing the service pack, please use the Installation and Licensing forums which are monitored by Autodesk experts.

Keyboard Shortcuts (Hotkeys) for Autodesk Navisworks

One of the quickest ways to improve your productivity is to learn a few shortcuts, I don't know where I'd be without Alt tabbing through windows or Ctrl tabbing on my internet browser, hopefully some of these will leave you time for an extra coffee during your day!

Keyboard Shortcut	Description
PgUp	Zooms to view all objects in the Scene View.
PgDn	Zooms to magnify all selected objects in the Scene View.
HOME	Takes you to Home view. This keyboard shortcut only applies to the Scene View windows. This means it will only work when this window has focus.
ESC	Deselects everything.
SHIFT	Used to modify the middle mouse button actions.
CTRL	Used to modify the middle mouse button actions.
ALT	Turns the keytips on or off.
ALT + F4	Closes the currently active dockable window when it is undocked, or exits the application if the main application window is active.
CTRL + 0	Turns on Turntable mode.
CTRL + 1	Turns on Select mode.
CTRL + 2	Turns on Walk mode.
CTRL + 3	Turns on Look Around mode.
CTRL + 4	Turns on Zoom mode.
CTRL + 5	Turns on Zoom Window mode.
CTRL + 6	Turns on Pan mode.
CTRL + 7	Turns on Orbit mode.
CTRL + 8	Turns on Free Orbit 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 + I	Displays the Insert File dialog box.
CTRL + M	Displays the Merge dialog box.
CTRL + N	Resets the program, closes the currently open Autodesk Navisworks file, and creates a new file.
CTRL + O	Displays the Open dialog box.
CTRL + P	Displays the Print dialog box.
CTRL + R	Toggles Require mode for selected items.
CTRL + S	Saves the currently open Autodesk Navisworks file.
CTRL + T	Toggles Third Person mode.
CTRL + Y	Reverses the last operation performed by the Undo command.
CTRL + Z	Reverses the last performed operation.
CTRL + PgUp	Displays the previous sheet.
CTRL + PgDn	Displays the next sheet.
CTRL + F1	Opens the Help system.
CTRL + F2	Opens the Clash Detective window.
CTRL + F3	Toggles the TimeLiner window.
CTRL + F4	Toggles the Rendering window (Autodesk Rendering or Presenter depending on graphics system).
CTRL + F5	Toggles the Animator window.
CTRL + F6	Toggles the Scripter window.
CTRL + F7	Toggles the Tilt window.
CTRL + F8	Toggles the Quantification window.
CTRL + F9	Toggles the Plan View window.
CTRL + F10	Toggles the Section View window.
CTRL + F11	Toggles the Saved Viewpoints window.
CTRL + F12	Toggles the Selection Tree window.
CTRL + HOME	Dollies and pans the camera so that the entire model is in view.
CTRL + Right Arrow	Play selected animation.
CTRL + Left Arrow	Reverse Play selected animation.
CTRL + Up Arrow	Record viewpoint animation.
CTRL + Down Arrow	Stop playing animation.
CTRL + Space	Pause playing animation.
CTRL + SHIFT + A	Opens the Animation Export dialog box.
CTRL + SHIFT + C	Opens the Export dialog box and enables you to export current search.
CTRL + SHIFT + I	Opens the Image Export dialog box.
CTRL + SHIFT + R	Opens the Export Rendered Image dialog box.
CTRL + SHIFT + S	Opens the Export dialog box and enables you to export search sets.
CTRL + SHIFT + T	Opens the Export dialog box and enables you to export the current TimeLiner schedule.
CTRL + SHIFT + V	Opens the Export dialog box and enables you to export viewpoints.
CTRL + SHIFT + W	Opens the Export dialog box and enables you to export viewpoint report.
CTRL + SHIFT + HOME	Sets current view as Home.
CTRL + SHIFT + END	Sets current view as Front.
CTRL + SHIFT + Left Arrow	Takes you to the previous redline tag.
CTRL + SHIFT + Right Arrow	Takes you to the next redline tag.
CTRL + SHIFT + Up Arrow	Takes you to the first redline tag.
CTRL + SHIFT + Down Arrow	Takes you to the last redline tag.
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.
F12	Opens the Options Editor.
SHIFT + W	Opens the last used SteeringWheel.
SHIFT + F1	Enables you to get context-sensitive help.
SHIFT + F2	Toggles the Sets window.
SHIFT + F3	Toggles the Find Items window.
SHIFT + F4	Toggles the Find Comments window.
SHIFT + F6	Toggles the Comments window.
SHIFT + F7	Toggles the Properties window.
SHIFT + F10	Opens a context menu.
SHIFT + F11	Opens the File Options dialog box.
With the Measurement tool selected.
X	Lock to the X axis
Y	Lock to the Y axis
Z	Lock to the Z axis
P	Lock to a point perpendicular to a surface
L	Lock to a point parallel to a surface
ENTER	Quick zoom to measured area
+	Use with Enter key to zoom in to measured area
-	Use with Enter key to zoom out of measured area
With the Timeliner tool selected.
ESC	Cancels the current edits.
F2	Starts editing the selected field.
ANY CHARACTER	Starts editing the selected field.
RIGHT ARROW	Moves the selection to the next right field, unless the current field is in a tree column that can be expanded. In this case, it expands the row.
LEFT ARROW	Moves the selection to the next left field, unless the current field is in a tree column that can be expanded. In this case, it expands the row.
UP/DOWN ARROW	Selects the row above/below the current row
SHIFT+UP/DOWN ARROW	Extends the selection to the row above/below the current row.
CTRL+UP/DOWN ARROW	Moves the current row up/down without changing selection.
HOME	Selects the first row.
SHIFT+HOME	Extends the selection from the selection anchor to the first row.
CTRL+HOME	Moves the current row to the first row without changing selection.
CTRL+SHIFT+HOME	Adds the rows from the current row to the first row to the selection.
END	Selects the last row.
SHIFT+END	Extends the selection from the selection anchor to the end.
CTRL+END	Moves the current row to the last row without changing selection.
CTRL+SHIFT+END	Adds the rows from the current row to the last row to the selection.
PAGEUP/PAGEDOWN	Selects the row one page above/below the current row.
SHIFT+PAGEUP/PAGEDOWN	Extends the selection one page up/down.
CTRL+PAGEUP/PAGEDOWN	Moves the current row one page up/down without changing the selection.
CTRL+SHIFT+PAGEUP/PAGEDOWN	Adds one page up/down from the current row to the selection.
*	Expands the entire subtree, starting from the current cell.

Which ones do you use most in a day? Or have you learnt any new ones? Or do you want to tell us what you're doing with your extra few minutes in the day? Leave a comment below and tell us.

New AEC API Developer Blog

We know that many of you are looking to improve productivity and access to your information models using the API. This new AEC DevBlog will cover Revit, Navisworks and other AEC and BIM technologies and their APIs from Autodesk.

So far there are already posts about the following topics:-

• New features in the Navisworks 2013 .NET API
• How to access the Revit SDK
• How to get a primitive from solid of Navisworks
• More details on the BIM Coordinator 

Head to the blog and subscribe to the RSS feed for new posts: -

http://adndevblog.typepad.com/aec/

You can also ask API related questions through the Navisworks API forum.

BIM helping new homeowners

When people think about BIM, and the use of Revit and Navisworks they normally consider the larger scale projects they are used for like offices, schools and hospitals. This article shows a great way in which both products are being used on a housing project to visualize the project to new owners, analyze the schedule to speed up construction and help in organize volunteers according to their skillsets.

http://buildipedia.com/in-studio/building-materials-methods/bim-helps-habitat-for-humanity-partner-family-take-a-virtual-tour-of-their-new-home

Do you have any projects utilizing BIM workflows using Autodesk software you want to share? Contact us using the links on the left.

Navisworks Help now also available online

There's a lot of information out there on the internet and sometimes it can be difficult to know where to find the answers you're looking for. With this in mind we recently published our product help online, meaning that you can quickly find all the answers that you're looking for.

You can access the product help using the following links:

Navisworks Manage

Navisworks Simulate

Navisworks Freedom

This online help contains comprehensive information on how to use all aspects of Navisworks, and gives you an understanding of both the features that you use regularly, and those that you may be less aware of.

You can use the Table of Contents to navigate your way through the topics, and find information about the features that you're interested in. Alternatively you can use the help books as tutorials, and work your way through them all to learn about the full functionality of Navisworks – why not teach yourself to be a super-user!

You can also use the Index and the Search tabs to find specific information that you're looking for.

The content is structured in a logical manner that fits in with your workflows. Overviews of concepts are detailed under the Concept tab. Click the Procedure tab and you'll be taken to a list of related procedures. The Quick Reference tab gives you information on items in a specific window, such as buttons, icons or context (right-click) menus.

Using the buttons in the top right of the online help as displayed in this image, you can show the topic you are currently viewing in the contents, save the topic to your favorites which can be invaluable if you use topics regularly, go back to the home tab, or email a link to a colleague.

Let us know what you think about the new online help by adding a comment below.

Autodesk Navisworks 2013 products released

I've been working with Navisworks products for 7 years, Paul even longer, and I'll be honest, this is the most excited I've been for a product release in that time. I think the features we've added to this year's Autodesk Navisworks 2013 release are the biggest leap forward we have had in all that time.

Here's a quick overview of the main highlights and we'll be covering all of these in more depth in the coming days and weeks with more blogs, tips, videos and more!

• Improved Revit^® Interoperability
  • Native RVT file support
  • Hierarchy representation
  • Category, family, type, instance
  • Improved level association
  • Subparts named by material
• Grids & Levels Support
  • Display of Revit grids & levels in scene view
  • Hover-over intersection for grid reference
  • Head-up-display (HUD) position readout
• 4D / Scheduling Improvements
  • Drag-and-drop sets/selections/objects to tasks
  • Auto-add tasks from sets, respecting folder hierarchy
  • Export task hierarchy to Microsoft^® Project XML
  • Editable task hierarchy
  • Improved user interface
• 5D / Cost Simulation
  • Associate costs with schedule tasks
• Clash Detection Enhancements
  • Clash result locations by level and grid reference
  • Sort results by grid reference, level, proximity, etc.
  • Quick filter results by status, level, assigned to, etc.
  • Undo support
  • Improved user interface
  • Comprehensive API
• Improved Selection Tools
  • New Selection Inspector Tool
  • Improvements to Sets window
  • Support for drag-and-drop
• Additional File Format Support
  • Siemens NX
  • Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks
  • Dassault Systèmes CATIA^®
  • Microsoft Project 2010
  • Primavera^® P6 v8
  • Graphisoft^® ArchiCAD 14 & 15
  • Faro 4.8
• Vault Integration Enhancements
  • Open & append all supported file formats via the vault
  • Vault browser docking window in Navisworks
  • Advanced search tools
• Navisworks Freedom Enhancements
  • Sectioning support
  • Embedded Database property support

Autodesk Navisworks 2013 will be available very shortly from http://www.autodesk.com/navisworks

Tell us which features you'd like to know more about using the comments below, and we'll try to prioritize these first.

Autodesk AEC DevCamp – Calling anyone interested in using the API to develop for Navisworks, Revit and Civil 3D

Are you interested in customizing, extending or integrating with Autodesk® Revit^®, AutoCAD^® Civil 3D^®, Navisworks^®,  technologies around Autodesk's BIM 360 vision, including Vault Collaboration AEC and Revit Server, new Autodesk web services and mobile technologies, and more?

If yes then the Autodesk AEC DevCamp is for you!

• When: June 6-7, with a DevLab on June 8
• Where: Boston, Massachusetts -- near Autodesk's AEC Division headquarters
• Cost: early bird discount fee of US $500 valid to April 30, 2012, thereafter US $600

The 2 day DevCamp offers training for beginners and experts on the APIs of each of the products listed above. You get to talk to Autodesk product management and engineering staff, and to meet fellow developers like you. There is also a Business Development track for those steering their company's strategic direction and investments as well as Autodesk specific sales and marketing topics. 

Following on from the DevCamp we are holding a day long DevLab. The DevLab has no agenda as it's all about spending quality time working with you on your specific needs and challenges. ADN DevTech engineers covering Autodesk technologies – Revit, Civil 3D, Navisworks and more - are available to help you – 1 to 1. Bring your laptop and work on your code as you'd normally do in your own office. With DevLab you have a team of experts available to review your code, answer your questions, and make suggestions.

CALL TO ACTION – let us know you're interested!

To receive more information on the DevCamp and DevLab, including the detailed agenda and registration instructions, please send an email to Melrose Ross on email address melrose.ross@autodesk.com giving your full name and company name.

Cleaning up Revit files for Export to Navisworks

If you are having difficulties exporting large Revit files to NWC, or just want to clean up your files prior to export then this article gives some tips about how.

1. Create a new View in Revit specifically for Navisworks, then in the Visibility Overrides of the view switch off things you won't need such as Lines, or specific details that won't be needed for your TimeLiner Simulation or Clash Detection.
   
   

   Once you have created your View, you can save this as a template for future use.
   
   
   Then when exporting, change Export to 'Current View' in the settings.
   
   

2. Now look at your Navisworks Export Settings; is there anything you don't need - rooms, URL's, or even linked files?
3. If you do have linked files, do you need them all? Just keep the ones you need. If you are having problems when exporting files with many links, do they export correctly individually?
4. You can use the 'Purge Unused' button on the Manage tab of Revit to delete unused families or unused family types from the model. You will be able to select which items are Purged before proceeding.
   
   

   You may want to open each individual linked file and purge it until there is nothing left to purge; this may take two or three passes. After all individual linked models have been purged, purge the main model and try again to export.

Other things to check if you still have problems exporting

1. Does Revit needs a restart? If you are working in the application all day and then try to export at the end of the day, you have been potentially caching your project all day. Save the project, restart Revit, reopen the file and try to export. If you still have problems and the machine has been left on for days or weeks then a restart of the machine may also be a good idea.
2. As with any memory hungry operation, try to minimize the number of other programs competing for resources.

We know there other methods you use to pare down your files - please get in touch if you feel there's any that you can't live without that we should include in this article.