Beyond Design: the Construction and BIM blog

On-demand webinar: Using Quantification in Navisworks for Better Results

In this webcast, we demonstrate how new quantification features in Navisworks can help improve estimating for better project results. Autodesk® Navisworks, include Suite Premium and Ultimate editions, helps make material costing faster, easier, and more accurate than ever before.

Topics include:

• How does Navisworks Support quantification?
• What about 2D quantification workflows? Also read this post on 2D and other not so well-known features in Navisworks.
• Where is this process integrated into design and production?

Watch the webinar "Using Quantification in Navisworks for Better Results" now! 

 

Related articles

14 things you'll be shocked you never knew about Autodesk Navisworks!

Add 2D PDF sheets with Autodesk Navisworks 2015 PDF reader

Lee talked in a recent post how 2D support is the #1 shocking thing you never knew about Autodesk Navisworks. As the post explains 2D is still widely used, and one of the formats that many of you receive day in day out is PDF. Thanks to another little know thing called the Navisworks App Store you can now download a free plugin for Autodesk Navisworks Manage and Simulate 2015 (for Subscription customers) that lets you add 2D PDF sheets to your Navisworks project.
Why is that important you ask? If like most you receive project documentation as 2D PDF you will want to use it for quantity takeoff and general project review. Autodesk Navisworks PDF reader helps you add these 2D sheets directly to your Navisworks project. This means you can take off quantities and review your project not only in 3D but now also using 2D sheets. And Navisworks brings it together in a single project environment.

Prepare your quantity takeoff using any of the 50+ file formats and now PDF as data source.

PDF sheets are integrated in the project browser so you can browse page thumbnails, quickly jump to pages and prepare the sheets you require or prepare all at once.

Switch between the 3D model and 2D sheets with ease.

Stay tuned for a video to see it all in action – and meanwhile download and install Autodesk Navisworks 2015 PDF Reader from Autodesk Exchange to start using 2D PDF sheets in Autodesk Navisworks today!

14 things you’ll be shocked you never knew about Autodesk Navisworks!

I've been travelling around a lot in the last year and met a huge number of you guys and girls at various events, we chat a lot about workflows, features of the program and how you first came to use it. However even now I find it surprising that I can show something new to even expert users that help with their day to day work. So in typical Buzzfeed style, here are 14 things you'll be shocked to know you can do with Autodesk Navisworks!!!!

1. Forget 3D, 4D, 5D 6 and 7D, did you know there's 2D support in Navisworks?

   It still shocks me that people don't know about this, so I'll shout it:- 
   NAVISWORKS HAS 2D SUPPORT!!!

   Now why is that important? Viewing a 3D file is great! It's revolutionised the way people work and coordinate with each other! However in the majority of cases, the main deliverable to the construction team on site is a set of 2D drawings, they provide additional detail you can't always get into a model, they're also a way of conveying information in a way familiar to that team. It's possible to save 2D sheets with a NWD alongside the 3D files with review, markup, viewpoints, sections, Timeliner animations then pass this to the wider team. One of the nifty features with 2D support is the ability to find the same item across other 2D sheets and the 3D models by using the 'Find Items in Other Sheets and Models' when right clicking an object. This has become even more important with 2D Quantification now in Navisworks, more on that soon.

   

2. You can create very quick quantification for building out resources and tracking changes in models.
   
   This video shows a quick workflow on how to do this, if you're an estimator you may want to do a more thorough takeoff using a preconfigured catalogue, but if you just need access to some quick quantities, Navisworks is also perfect for that.
   
   
   
   
3. You can colour up anything in the model based on properties using the Appearance Profiler

   In this case we have some Construction Progress Fields from BIM 360 Field that can be used to color up the latest state of the project before running Timeliner, allowing you to identify any problems on the critical path

   This could just as easily be used to quickly color up the different MEP systems for clarity, or phases of a project. Profiles and Search Sets can be moved from one project to the next saving time with set up.

4. You can load BIM 360 Glue projects straight into Navisworks

   It's simply a case of opening or appending the file from the BIM 360 tab in Navisworks 2015, meaning you'll always be using the latest coordinated file and able to run your latest advanced construction tasks without worrying about using the wrong version.

5. There are different ways to select items in the model

   My favourite is to use the Properties section of the Selection Tree, I also use this method to create quick searches and Search Sets, this video shows some more detail.
   
   

6. You don't even have to click on an item to view the properties of an item using Quick Properties

   You can view any properties in the model by hovering over them in the model, you just need to switch on Quick Properties and decide which properties you want to see.

   

7. You can select a number of items and just export their properties using the Selection Inspector

   If you haven't seen the Selection Inspector before, click on the icon on the Home tab, select a few objects and view the properties, again you can use the Quick Properties to decide which properties you need and then just export out a CSV of all those properties.

   

8. Navisworks now has an App Store!
   
   In Navisworks 2015 you can now start taking advantage of Autodesk's huge network of API developers who will be posting a series of free and paid extensions through the Navisworks App Store. Are you a developer yourself? You can upload your own apps and make them accessible to a wide user base, just head to the Autodesk® Exchange Apps Developer Center. A current favourite of mine is Properties+ which came about as part of customer feedback asking if there's a quick way to just view the properties you need rather than the multiple tabs of all the properties, this is the result, try it out, it's free!
   
   
9. Render Navisworks files in The Cloud
   
   For those of you using Revit, you will already know cloud rendering is easy, quick and gives amazing results, now it's available in Navisworks, meaning you can pull together all your files, no matter which application they came from and produce amazing renders. For example I'm no rendering expert but this Panorama took around 20 minutes to drag and drop some materials, send to the cloud and receive this impressive rendering back. You can also do illuminance studies in the cloud too!
   
   
10. Did you know you can create cache files automatically overnight?
    
    What's the best way to save time whilst files are loading, get them to cache whilst you're asleep! It'll save you time and money every morning! You can automatically create an NWD every week to give a snapshot of where the project is up to. Make sure you run Navisworks as an Administrator and run the Batch Utility, you can then set up your automated tasks using the Windows Task Scheduler.
    
    
11. You can create Time based clashes to ensure you have enough clearance on site for moving objects

    This would help with getting large machines or loads through a site, for example this video shows how moving an escalator through a 3D model would allow you to identify problems before you get to site. More information on linking animations to Timeliner Tasks can be found in this blog post

12. You can see your model with 3D glasses!

    If you have supported hardware you can enable Stereo viewing. More information on Stereo Viewing in Navisworks can be found on the blog.

13. You can link to a database or spreadsheet if you ever need more properties

    There's more information on how to do this in an older blog post How to Link a Database using Navisworks Datatools

14. Autodesk has great IFC Support

    In fact we have huge support for the IFC file format across Autodesk, look at our Interoperability page at www.autodesk.com/ifc for more information about our IFC certifications across Autodesk products and support of COBie with a COBie exporter from Revit which completed the COBie challenge with top honours in 2013 and 2014.

Cue shocked Taylor Swift photo

And a cute animal picture for no reason whatsoever

Via cute-baby-animals.tumblr.com

If you want to see anything in more depth, send us an email on beyond.design@autodesk.com

 

BuildX: Construction Site of the Future

No one knows for sure what the job site will look in 10 years. How will technology progress and what role will it play in construction? Let's look at some trends that might impact how construction will be done in the future.

Quadcopters

Athletic flying machines? Say hello to quadcopters! Robots that think like athletes, solving physical problems with algorithms that help them learn. Quadcpoters (aka quads) have a simple design with a frame, an electric motor and four propellers that allow them to roll, pitch and accelerate.

In a warehouse in France, four quadcopters worked together to build a 20-foot tower with no human interaction! Pretty amazing, these little flying machines worked in unison without colliding into each other and they had the intelligence to know when a part is placed correctly and locked in place.

 

Raffaello D'Andrea and Federico Augugliaro have been leading research in this space. They are looking into how quads can interact with their environment. As a result of work like this, construction may become something that is solely done through a computer terminal. Imagine the future…you design a building, plot the robotic courses (for the quads) then hit the start button and watch your vision become reality!  

 

3D Printing

3D printing is lifting off. This technology can be used in a myriad of ways ranging from fabricating parts to printing body parts for research. Just today, Rolls Royce announced that they will be looking into 3D printing for producing complicated engine components more quickly and cheaply.

In construction, firms have started using 3D printing. iKix, an architectural modeling service company in India began using 3D printed models as a project-management tool to help architects and their contractors collaborate and visualize their design. Since the 3D models are created directly from the CAD data, the models are more accurate. iKix reports that they have saved 3% to 8% in the construction budget due to reduced time, labor, and materials costs, as well as improved communication. Pretty cool, right?

Have you heard of Contour Crafting? Contour Crafting is a layered fabrication technology developed by Dr. Behrokh Khoshnevis of the University of Southern California. It can potentially reduce energy use and emissions by using a rapid-prototype or 3-D printing process to fabricate large components. Comprised of robotic arms and extrusion nozzles, a computer-controlled gantry system moves the nozzle back and forth, squeezing out layers of concrete or other material to fabricate a form. The ultimate goal is to print a house in a day while drastically reducing material and energy consumption.

Contour Crafting technology has great potential for automating the construction of whole structures as well as sub-components. Using this process, a single house or a colony of houses, each with possibly a different design, may be automatically constructed in a single run, embedded in each house all the conduits for electrical, plumbing and air-conditioning.

 

Contour Crafting can help reduce the cost of commercial construction because it  promises to eliminate waste of construction materials. Contour Crafting construction projects will be extremely accelerated; for example a 2,000 square foot house can be constructed in less than 24 hours! This rapid construction time minimizes the financing costs of construction projects that typically take six months or longer to complete. While the costs of manual labor will be significantly reduced, physical power will be exchanged for brain power in the construction industry. Reduced costs, and automated building will make construction accessible to anyone. Imagine a Contour Crafting machine for lease at your local Home Depot!

  Are you attending AU? If so, make sure you are registered for the Build X: Construction Site of the Future forum that is taking place on  December 3. We will be addressing real world challenges and discussing how trends like quadcopters, 3D printing, reality capture can change the future and help you improve predictability and productivity.

Did I mention that Federico Augugliaro and Dr. Behrokh Khoshnevis will also be there?! Hurry, space is limited! Lastly, if you aren't going to AU, there is still time to attend. I just gave you another reason to go.

~Sunny

Get Sweet on the Suite – AU Contest

Autodesk University (AU) is just eight weeks away! Everyone at Autodesk is working hard to make sure AU 2013 will be an exciting & memorable event. AU is the premier event to learn, network and interact with leaders and your peers in the design, construction and technology space. On the construction side of the house, we have a lot of fun things planned for you. Though I can't share some of the information just yet—trust me…you won't want to miss out.

How would you like to attend AU for free?! Here is your chance. If you are a Building Design Suite user, enter the Get Sweet on the Suite contest and possibly win an AU pass, hotel stay and a $600 travel voucher! We want to hear from you. Grab your webcam and submit a two minute video (or shorter) that explains why and how attending AU will help you take advantage of Building Design Suite so you can accomplish something amaziing like overcoming challenges in a complex construction project. You don't need to create a fancy show reel, just tell us in your words why attending AU will benefit you.

The Get Sweet on the Suite contest is running from October 1 – November 1, 2013 and is open to residents of U.S. and Canada.

Here are the nitty-gritty details of the contest:

• Eligibility: Building Design Suite customers. Includes trial users. Winner must be in the U.S.A. or Canada only and 18 years of age. 
• How to enter: Complete the form on the contest webpage and submit a max. 2 minute video that shows why attending AU will help you or your firm take advantage of Building Design Suite. Winners will be selected by the Autodesk Buildings committee.
• The prize: 5 grand prizes will be awarded. Each grand prize includes:1 pass to AU, Las Vegas, NV December 3-5, 2013, 1 $600 travel voucher and 4 nights lodging at the Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas, NV.  

Learn more and submit your entries here. Good luck!

~Sunny

Managing your discipline and coordination models with Autodesk Vault

Today I want to share with you a workflow for coordinating models that are stored inside Autodesk Vault. This allows everyone on the project team to have access to the most up to date models, and share the coordinated model easily within the team. And with a clever integration to Autodesk Buzzsaw you can easily receive individual discipline models and share aggregated results with external partners.

What exactly is Autodesk Vault?

At its core Vault is your central place to manage all documents, models, and other files for your projects. Everyone knows where to put information, and therefore where to find it. Some call it the single source of truth. So you might ask why one would use Vault, as a network share surely does the same thing? Yes it does, and Vault does a whole lot more that you probably care about when managing projects with lots of data. Examples are:

• Built-in audit trail and document history
• Finding documents easily and quickly
• Capturing document relationships (XRefs, Revit linked models)
• Quick previews of models and sheets topped with the ability to
  manage the workflow of these documents

If you want to learn more please visit this page about Autodesk Vault features.

So if you're already using Vault to manage your AutoCAD drawings, Revit models, Office documents and other project documents, let's take the next step and look into coordinating models that are in Vault. I also suggest you visit the links mentioned above to see how you can improve collaboration in your project.

Streamlined workflow

The advantages of using Autodesk Vault to manage your coordination model are the following:

• Central location for discipline and coordinated model
• Easily append and update coordinated model with discipline models
  
  

  Vault ribbon in Navisworks
• Receive, share models and results with externals by extending Autodesk Vault data management to the cloud through synchronizing with Autodesk Buzzsaw. This allows for automatically pulling down discipline models from external companies into your secure Vault environment.
• Control workflow states of discipline and coordinated model directly from within Navisworks
  
  

  Vault browser in Navisworks
• Relationship and history tracking of discipline, coordinate model and sheets
• Easily import 2D sheets that are already inside Vault
• Quickly see status and key data of discipline and coordinated model inside Navisworks
  
  

  Details in Vault browser

How do you make it work?

Here's a step-by-step guide to make this work for you:

1. Ensure discipline models are available inside Autodesk Vault
2. Append from Vault to create your coordination model
3. Save the Navisworks file set (NWF) locally and check in to Vault.
   This will add the file to Vault, build the relationship to the discipline models and make it available for others on your team.
4. Optional: save as Navisworks NWD and also check this into Vault.
   This will make it possible to share easily and regularly with externals via Autodesk Buzzsaw through the synchronization feature.

You can take this further by applying lifecycle states to your discipline and coordinated models. This will help lock it down and make sure only authorised users can make edits. 

Updates to the discipline model

When the discipline model gets updated, i.e. a newer version is available in Autodesk Vault this will automatically update your coordination model next time you open it with Navisworks. Make sure to capture important milestones as Navisworks NWD and check these back into Vault. If the discipline model gets updated while you have the coordination model open in Navisworks you will be notified through the Vault browser status icons that there is an updated version and you simply refresh from Vault.

 

Refreshing data from Vault directly in Navisworks

 

Workflow diagram

If you like a visual overview of this process below you will find a diagram that illustrates the steps

Keep it all tidy in the Vault, 

Thomas

Feedback?

We would love to hear from you! Can contact us at beyond.design@autodesk.com.

Join or start a BIM in Construction User Group

You've got the software, you've been to the training, but you want to learn more, you want to bounce ideas off others, and you have no one inside your company to speak to about them. This is where User Groups come in, we have hundreds of users of our different technologies starting and participating in groups across the globe providing networking opportunities, chances to learn about workflows, tips, 3^rd party plugins and new features run by some of our most knowledgeable users. We have set up the BIM in Construction User Group page to list as many worldwide user groups and communities as possible to allow you to easily find someone in your area to talk to. There's a range of ways to interact with other users, from forums and discussion groups, to monthly or bi-monthly phone-calls and webcasts, to live meet-ups.

Prominent BIM thinker, James Austin from BIM Technologies has recently decided to set up a Navisworks User group in London:-

"For me, user groups are the lifeblood of emerging technologies. When something new and relevant arrives on the scene, it must be driven forward, first by early adopters, and then by technology receptive organisations. User groups seem to appear and flourish when there is a healthy mix of these. At present in the UK, BIM is moving out of its early adopter stage, and we are seeing some pockets of growing maturity, coupled with enthusiasm. Amidst a healthy social media community, and several Revit User Groups across the nation, there are still relatively few user groups that focus on Navisworks, so I took it upon myself to see if there was interest in forming our very own Navisworks User Group in London. Response to date has been very good, and plans are now underway to set up a first meeting in London before we enter into the forthcoming Indian summer (!). The intention is to provide users with a source of high quality information, as well as an environment that will support genuine knowledge sharing and foster some of genuine community spirit that surrounds BIM in the UK right now."

Using online resources such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Meetup it has been possible for many of these groups to get set up with minimal cost and access to a wide range of users instantly than previously possible.

Scott Wood from HOK has been running the New York City Navisworks User Group for over a year, he has some advice for anyone looking to startup a user group:-

"The New York City Navisworks User Group is focused on the software, and third party extensions that enhance functionality. Our goal is to further the use and understanding of the tool, while feeding user requests to the software engineers. In addition to reviews and demonstrations, we also focus on process and uses for the tool. The benefits of this group are bidirectional, that is both the software vendors and the users can gain knowledge from the open interaction in our meetings.

Building a group does take some thought, and a little work to start. However there are a few tactics that I would recommend:

A) If the meeting is live, have food and beverages, and advertise that.

B) Attend other industry meetings to promote the group, and learn what might interest others.

C) Utilize http://www.meetup.com/

D) Utilize social media like Twitter and LinkedIn

E) Enlist the help of a few people, and give them a stake in the success of the group.

F) Even if the meeting is live, try to broadcast a Webex to get broader participation, of our 103 members, over 10% are from other cities, some as far as California."

If you have a user group we need to know about, email us and we'll update the BIM in Construction page, if you don't see one in your area, start one and let us know and we'll be happy to help promote it!

UPDATE: James Vandezande has sent us a link to some more practical tips for setting up user groups.

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.

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 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.