siderus Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 Can anyone offer an explanation why I can't do the NWCOUT command to export my drawing for Navis. I have AutoCAD 2014. I have another computer that also has 2014 and can run the command with no problem. So I have to take the file to the other computer to run the command. Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReMark Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 Is the NWC File Export Utility installed on your machine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzframpton Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 Also found here: http://www.autodesk.com/products/autodesk-navisworks-family/autodesk-navisworks-nwc-export-utility Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siderus Posted December 18, 2013 Author Share Posted December 18, 2013 I suppose it is not. The other computer I didn't have to download anything. I am downloading the utility from the link TZ was so kind to post for me Thanx. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siderus Posted January 16, 2014 Author Share Posted January 16, 2014 I was able to download the utility and can now run NWCOUT. It creates an .nwc file. However I can't seem to be able to open with Navis. I have the newest version of freedom. Is it by any chance that I do not have the full version of Navis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzframpton Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 I was able to download the utility and can now run NWCOUT. It creates an .nwc file. However I can't seem to be able to open with Navis. I have the newest version of freedom. Is it by any chance that I do not have the full version of Navis.You mentioned "Navis" in your original post. Do you mean "Navisworks Freedom" which is the free viewer? If so, then you cannot view NWC or NWF files, only NWD, which is the file format distributed for coordination. If you have Navisworks Manage, then you have the full program and most certainly open NWC files. Usually, when exporting a NWC file, you're sending this file to the coordination team so there's no need to "view" this file. You already own the authoring file, anyways. If you want to get a preview of your model in Navisworks Freedom, then export as a DWFx and open it in Navisworks Freedom. DWFx is the only other file type Navisworks Freedom can open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siderus Posted January 16, 2014 Author Share Posted January 16, 2014 The reason I was using nwcout is to combine with another navis file to overlay my portion and compare with other disciplines. I am drawing ductwork and want to compare how it fits with piping, steel, ect. This is being coordinated by another company but I want to be able to pre-check. I tried the exportdwfx command and it goes through the motions but the file is not being created. Any thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzframpton Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 The reason I was using nwcout is to combine with another navis file to overlay my portion and compare with other disciplines. I am drawing ductwork and want to compare how it fits with piping, steel, ect. This is being coordinated by another company but I want to be able to pre-check.No can do unless you have Navisworks Manage. You have two options: Option A: download the authoring files from each contractor (if available) from the coordination team (I'm assuming the general contractor). Import/XREF them into your models in AutoCAD. Option B: Approach the necessary department on getting a quote for Navisworks Manage. Look into Autodesk Building Suite packages. More expensive than standalone Autodesk products, but not that much more considering the prices of each platform when broken out individually. I tried the exportdwfx command and it goes through the motions but the file is not being created. Any thoughts.Gonna need more info on this, but I've yet to ever hear of a DWFx file fail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siderus Posted January 17, 2014 Author Share Posted January 17, 2014 OK now I have Navis Manager, I'm off and running while also trying to teach myself Navis. I save my autocad file with nwcout and am able to add it to a floor layout in Navis. However then I make a change to the Autocad file and when I run the nwcout command and try to overwrite the original file with the change to affect it in Navis I get this error. NWEXPORT_FAILED_TO_SAVE_DOC Any thoughts on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzframpton Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 OK now I have Navis Manager, I'm off and running while also trying to teach myself Navis. I save my autocad file with nwcout and am able to add it to a floor layout in Navis. However then I make a change to the Autocad file and when I run the nwcout command and try to overwrite the original file with the change to affect it in Navis I get this error. NWEXPORT_FAILED_TO_SAVE_DOCAny thoughts on that. A NWC file, once loaded into Navisworks, is write protected because it's being "used" by the program. So you have to either (1) Unload it from Navis and then run the NWCOUT tool, overwriting the file, then Appending again or (2) close Navis altogether and run the NWCOUT tool then reopen Navis, which will then refresh the data. Tip: Option 2 will be better for keeping continuous track of changes, Option 1 is best for quickly "updating" models with no tracking of changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zdoyle Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 You can also append your dwg's into Navis and not use the NWCOUT. That way when you refresh Navis, it loads your most recently saved dwg because Navis doesn't take ownership of the dwg. Also navis creates a nwc file when refreshing the dwg so if you needed to share your most recent nwc within coordination, you can just pull those nwc files that navis created when refreshing the dwg and upload them to wherever everyone can get them. Navis saves the nwc created from dwg in the same folder where your dwg is stored. Also, when Navis creates that nwc, there are no problem with object enablers or anything like that because Navis is creating the nwc. Now if you have problems with how your NWCOUT files from CAD look in Navis, this also solves that problem because Navis is creating the nwc instead of cad creating the nwc. The only down side on your end when appending dwg's is that Navis takes a little longer to refresh a dwg because it has to open and create the nwc out of the dwg then open the nwc for you to view it. Where when you have the nwc appended, it just loads right up. Any questions on this, just ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siderus Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share Posted January 20, 2014 That would make sense with the exception of a colleague of mine. He has the same setup as I do and when he makes a change to the Auto Cad file then uses the NWCOUT command and overwrites the file. It takes a few moments but it them makes the change in Navis. He doesn't need to unload it. Neither of us can figure it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siderus Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share Posted January 20, 2014 ZDoyle How do I do what you are suggesting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zdoyle Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Are you guys working off of a network where you can see each others dwg's? If so, all you have to do is open your navis file where you have your nwc's. Then if you aren't aware, you can go to the home tab in Navis and you will see a button that has selection tree on it and then click it and you will see a window pop up that shows you all of your files currently loaded. I have my selection tree pinned(personal preference). Now that you have this selection tree open, just delete out your nwc's that you created with the NWCOUT command. After those are deleted out of the selection tree, just simply click on the append button and append the dwg's that you are working on. Let it load, and you will now see the dwg's you guys are working out of in the selection tree. Now that you have done this, everytime either one of you saves your dwg, all you have to do it hit the refresh button in Navis and it will load your latest saved dwg. Now that you have this done, go into the same folder where your dwg's are stored and you will see where Navis created an NWC of your dwg at the time that you hit the refresh button in Navis. Now you can do whatever you want with this NWC. Also, Navis overwrites this nwc every time you refresh navis so you will not have duplicates. You can post this nwc for other contractors to see and you never have to use the nwcout command in CAD. This is also good because if you are not the ones posting your current files to a sharepoint of some type of cloud to share with other contractors, you will not have to worry about it becasue the nwc in the file will be the latest versio of your dwg unless you haven't hit refresh in Navis. My practice is to have CAD and Navis open at the same time and whenever I adjust my dwg, I will save the dwg and then refresh in Navis to make sure there are no clashes between my stuff and other contractors after I have just moved my stuff. Still not sure what I mean by this just let me know and I will try to explain it a different way. Or if you have some different circumstances than I know about, I will try to lead you the right way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzframpton Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 You can also append your dwg's into Navis and not use the NWCOUT. That way when you refresh Navis, it loads your most recently saved dwg because Navis doesn't take ownership of the dwg.I forgot about this method, good catch Zdoyle!! I remember using this method back in my AutoCAD MEP days and it does work good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzframpton Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 OK now I have Navis Manager, I'm off and running while also trying to teach myself Navis. I save my autocad file with nwcout and am able to add it to a floor layout in Navis. However then I make a change to the Autocad file and when I run the nwcout command and try to overwrite the original file with the change to affect it in Navis I get this error. NWEXPORT_FAILED_TO_SAVE_DOCAny thoughts on that. I was working in Navisworks yesterday and my new boss taught me something that is even better than both the methods from myself and Zdoyle have already mentioned. Look here: http://navis-infocenter.blogspot.com/2011/05/closing-nwcnwd-files-on-load.html There is an option to not close out (aka "lock") the NWC/NWD files when Navisworks loads a project. Make sure it's checked and you can overwrite as you please. Just thought I'd share, even though I'm coming back to this thread at a later time. -Tannar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zdoyle Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 I do think this method is better and I have tried this but it doesn't seems to be the best way for me because when I create the nwc from CAD, the geometry of fittings and things comes in distorted. It is just mainly fittings. By the way, I am using cadMEP. If I was to draw a 3d object in AutoCAD, it ocmes in fine but for some reason, some of the ITM's that are converted over are coming in distorted. Maybe it is an object enabler or something, I don't know. But for now, I guess I will stick with appending DWG's into my NWF. -Zack- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzframpton Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 I do think this method is better and I have tried this but it doesn't seems to be the best way for me because when I create the nwc from CAD, the geometry of fittings and things comes in distorted. It is just mainly fittings. By the way, I am using cadMEP. If I was to draw a 3d object in AutoCAD, it ocmes in fine but for some reason, some of the ITM's that are converted over are coming in distorted. Maybe it is an object enabler or something, I don't know. But for now, I guess I will stick with appending DWG's into my NWF. -Zack- Go with Revit man. You'll be glad you did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zdoyle Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Ya, I have Revit 2014 but haven't used it much. Kinda used to AutoCAD. Maybe I will check it out and see what it can do. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juvard Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 Type NWOPT, expand Model, click NWC', checked Write Cache Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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