Mastering Navisworks Manage

Why Navisworks matters for BIM coordination and how it connects design, coordination, and construction. Tour of the classic Autodesk interface: application button, quick access toolbar, ribbon tabs (Review, Animation, BIM 360 Glue), scene view, and dockable windows. Overview of the 10 lessons ahead.

Export from Revit using the NWC exporter under Add-ins > External panel. Duplicate your 3D view before export to control what's included via visibility settings. Walk through export options like "convert construction parts" and save settings for reuse. Append architectural, structural, and MEP models into one NWF coordination file.

Navigate models using scroll to zoom, press scroll to pan, and Shift+scroll to orbit. Activate walk mode with a third person avatar and toggle gravity, collision detection, and crouch settings for realistic walkthroughs. Save viewpoints as snapshots for quick access during coordination meetings. Use sectioning tools to cut through the model.

Create selection sets (manual grouping) and search sets (filter-based using Find Item with category/property/condition criteria). Open Clash Detective, set up tests between disciplines (MEP ducts vs structural slabs), run detection, and review results. Group related clashes and assign them to consultants for resolution.

Open the Quantification Workbook from the Home tab and run project setup (metric or imperial units). Select your model in the selection tree, right-click, and take off to a new catalogue item. Navisworks calculates element counts, areas, lengths, and volumes. Export the workbook to Excel for further analysis.

Open Timeliner and work across its four tabs: Tasks for creating activities, Data Sources for linking Microsoft Project or Primavera files, Configure for visualisation settings, and Simulate to run the animation. Create selection sets for construction phases (piling, pile cap, columns, framing, roof slab) and watch the model build itself over time.

Upload NWD files to Autodesk Construction Cloud for centralised team collaboration. Set up folder structures per discipline (Architecture, Structural, MEP, Shared) with appropriate permissions. Track version history and receive email notifications when models update. Use the switchback feature to jump from Navisworks clashes back to the source Revit element.

Create walkthrough animations with Animator: add a scene, insert a camera at your starting viewpoint, then capture keyframes at time intervals as you move through the building. Remember Navisworks follows points not paths - capture more keyframes for accurate routes through corridors and around corners. Introduction to Scripter for automating tasks.

Access the Autodesk App Store and filter to Navisworks plugins. Install the free Navisworks Coordination Issue add-in to automate clash classification. Use "Create Group" to automatically sort 642+ clashes by filter criteria (level, element type) instead of manually reviewing each one - saves weeks of tedious work.

Produce decent renders directly in Navisworks using Ray Trace - no need for Twinmotion, Lumion, or V-Ray for quick client presentations. Choose from pre-made quality settings or configure custom materials from the Autodesk library. Add spotlights and point lights to interior views. Final discussion on integrating Navisworks into your coordination workflow.