Bentley Architecture (dgn) to Navisworks (nwd)

All

 I have found that in order to export from Bentley Architecture (dgn) to Navisworks (nwd), you have to install Navisworks Manage on your PC, with this installation you will get the option to install the DGN plug-in.  Basically, this will copy a series of folders and files into your MicroStation folders, which will allow you to export directly to Navisworks.

 All good so far......... read on........

 C:\Program Files\Bentley\MicroStation V8i (SELECTseries)\MicroStation\mdlapps\nwexport9.ma

C:\Program Files\Bentley\MicroStation V8i (SELECTseries)\MicroStation\mdlapps\nwexportustn8_9_9.dll

C:\Program Files\Bentley\MicroStation V8i (SELECTseries)\MicroStation\mdlapps\asneeded\en-US\ nwexport9.rsc

 It will also install the following folder and its files.........

 C:\Program Files\Bentley\MicroStation V8i (SELECTseries)\MicroStation\mdlapps\nwcreate_data9

 Once Navisworks is installed you can open BA and export your model to nwd format.  Use the keyin     mdl load nwexport9;nwdout

 NOTE: Simply copying the files to the above will not work, you  need Navisworks manager installed on your PC.

 This works well, but the issue is, you will need Navisworks manager installed on your PC.  If you use the 30 trial period, its ok, but once the 30 days are over you are doomed.

 Question to you ...........

 Has anyone managed to get this to work without having to have Navisworks Manager installed which is a vast expense.

 Thanks

 Ian

  • I wonder if the export will stop working if your NW license runs out? have you tested this? Sometimes I find these add-on things still work even when the license doesn't in the native app.

    Otherwise I would just export using IFC instead. I'm sure NW will accept this.(I hope)

  • Hello Ian,

    Why would you like to create NWD files? Usually this is a request by Revit users, but you simply tell them to open the DGN directly with their Naviswork Manage (it's their responsibility to have it). Even if you opt to have the Naviswork Manage, I would not install this app, I would simply open the DGN file directly....

    IFC files are a possibility but they are usually 2 - 3 times bigger than the original DGN file, so I don't like it that much.

    wolfgang

  • Hi Guys

    I agree Navisworks can open a DGN and I could create an IFC, but the client is requesting a IFC and NWD file, this is due to the time saving on their behalf. The client is a huge construction company.

    Just seems odd that Autodesk can deliver the relevant dll's, ma's and rsc files and copy them into MicroStation folders etc.  but out of the box BA does not include them , thus no sign of them in the export tools.

    Like I said you cannot simply copy the files it installs to other PCs and get it to work.  The PC has to have a full license of Navisworks.

    NOTE : Once the 30 days trial has finished, sadly so does the ability to export to NWD format.  At  just under £6k per license its an expensive solution.

    As BIM will grow, I feel Bentley should look at the creation of this file format and give their users more scope to work along side other BIM products etc.

    Ian Lapper

    Advanced Integrated Solutions

    www.a-i-solutions.co.uk

  • Ian:

    As Navisworks is an Autodesk product, the NWD is a closed format.   Bentley has historically provided ways to push to neutral format, and in some places, like DWG, pays for the process through their agreement.

    Having said that, why would Bentley put NWD drivers and libraries into their product when they have their own solution in Navigator, which is Bentley's viewing/clash detection/schedule simulation tool?

    Navisworks, when you load it, loads many drivers, as the philosophy is to create drivers in the softwares it supports and pull those file formats out from the native software.  So if you run SketchUp, it puts DLL's and what-not into the SketchUp folder, AutoCAD in the ACAD folder, SolidWorks, etc...and MicroStation is one of those.

    From a business standpoint, it's in Autodesk's best interest to create the capabilities to publish DGN data as NWD files so Bentley users will use Navisworks.  

    As far as your comment about more scope to work along other BIM products: that is what the iModel format is for...the iModel is format similar to the NWD, and Bentley provides a free plug-in to Revit so people can publish the iModel format and work together.  Moreover, the iModel Composer tool does the same thing that Navisworks drivers does in reverse:  instead of maintaining a bunch of drivers separately, Bentley created a tool in iModel Composer that allows you to load all the formats it supports into one  place, and push them to the iModel format

    From a business standpoint, it's in Bentley's best interest to provide those iModel for Revit for free, along with iModel Composer, and get people to use their solution in Navigator.

    While Bentley does a lot of Autodesk-product development (around Revit/RAM, AutoPipe, the historical Haestad products, etc.) it is not officially part of the Autodesk Developer Network....and I don't believe Autodesk is an official part of the Bentley Developer Network (I could be wrong here, someone will jump in and correct me if I am wrong).  I don't know how old the Dll's and MA's are, but it would not surprise me if  they haven't fundamentally changed in 10 years because, fundamentally, reading V8 DGN's hasn't changed from a third-party standpoint.  I say this because when Navisworks was a separate company, they most likely were in the Developer Network where they could read/write the files.  Again, I don't know how they do it now, that's a question of Autodesk.  If Bentley does allow Autodesk into the BDN, that's a question for Bentley.

    Where does all this rambling go to:  simple...if you want Bentley to create NWD files natively, there are two options:  put enough pressure on Bentley to crack the NWD file format so they can create their own drivers, or put enough pressure on Autodesk to allow Bentley into the official Autodesk Developer Network.

    (These opinions are mine and do not necessarily  reflect those of my company)

    Thanks,

    Shawn

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