Sync Navisworks to Primavera P6

[Anonymous]

When I try to sync Navisworks to Primavera P6. Navisworks give me a server busy window.

I’m using

Navisworks 2013

Primavera 8.2.

OS: Windows 7 Enterprise

System Type: 64-bit Operating System

Laptop HP: Intel Core i7

I have attached the steps that I’m using to sync Navisworks/P6. Can I anyone help out on this issue please.

[Anonymous]

This happens to me but I wait approximately 2-3 minutes and click the retry button and it works. I'm not sure if it's Navisworks that takes the time or the P6 database doing it's thing. It's probably the database because if I wait too long I get the same busy notice, seems there is a window in between cycles perhaps. Your setup might be different to mine so I'd "retry" every 30 seconds or so until you work out what your window is.

Autodesk do warn in their documentation that connecting to a P6 database in any other way than the web server will take some time and I'm sure they're just as frustrated as everyone else working with oracle databases.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, PAyre

I spent a whole day playing this game, but Navisworks still gave me the same Server Busy window.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

I just did some testing and confirmed that the same procedure still works for me, then I re-read your steps and saw that your problem is different to mine (Sorry I was working off memory). You are getting the busy notice immediately after selecting a project to sync and cannot seem to progress past there. I too get the busy notice at that point but it goes away immediately after the first retry, which I press straight away. I'm guessing here, but your problem may be to do with the size of your database, or the programs you are selecting. Let me explain my server busy issue and it might make sense.

After selecting a project to sync and clicking the retry button I get the Field Selector window, and after entering details and clicking OK a new data source appears in Navisworks. I then have to "Rebuild Task Heirarchy" this data source to actually import activities. About 20 seconds after pressing the re-build button the server busy notice comes up and that is when I have to wait my 2-3 minutes. Now I did some more testing this morning and noticed that the "wait" time depends on the size of the project. I've been using this on a 1000 activity program but when I tried on a 99 activity program I still got the busy notice but it finished the re-build immediately when I pressed the retry button straight after it appeared. I then tested other projects

1. 99 Activities - 0 Wait time

2. 300 Activites - 20 seconds

3. 650 Activities - 1 minute

4. 1000 Activities - 3.5 minutes

5. 8000 activities - 2 Hours

So the relationship between server busy time and number of activities is not directly proportional, but increases exponentially with increasing file size. So my previous theory was wrong, and I think now it’s not a matter of the database being busy at all, it’s more likely that this is the default message when it’s waiting for the data transfer to complete.

It might be a long shot but it could be a similar exponential issue with your database that doesn’t let you get past your step 4. My database has a total of 114,000 activities in it and is 2.3GB. It’s also a local XE database. If you are trying to connect to a database on a WAN then that would definitely cause an issue.

One other thing to check: You need to have “superuser” privileges on P6 for the SDK transfer to work.

For the record I'm using:

P6 8.1 Professional on a local XE database

Navisworks Simulate 2013 SP2

Lenovo,W520 i7

16GB

[Anonymous]

I did test your solution and it works.!!!..

I have built a new schedule with less activities/relationship and imported to my Navisworks, through "Rebuild Task Heirarchy" and it is working now. You are defiantly right the issue that I have is only with the file size, (The schedule that I’m trying to sync is +5000 activities).  

I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to reply to my problem in such a prompt manner.

[Anonymous]

No worries, I learnt a bit more too.

[Anonymous]

I'm using Navisworks 2016 & Primavera P6 8.2.

I can't enter primavera files & don't know the steps

Any help please?

[Anonymous]

It looks like NW 2016 has removed support for SDK, so unless you use the P6 web service you can't directly link P6 to Navisworks anymore. To be frank though, it was a pain in the backside anyway. There are a lot of us P6 pro users out there who now have another reason to try something other than P6. 

Your options with P6 pro are now all indirect links:

CSV - There is no automatic indenting of WBS structure, just titles, but indenting can be done in NW. Import is fast and process simple once you're used to it. you can update the csv file and refresh the data as your schedule changes without losing links.

1. Create P6 layout with all the column data you need for NW

2. Ctrl+A, then Ctrl+C to copy all the data

3. Paste into excel - make sure there are no blank cells in last column or last row

4. Save file as CSV (MS-DOS important!)

5. Add the csv file as a data source in NW

MPX - P6 can convert the file to an mpx which can be linked to Navisworks. Probably fastest method, but does not include WBS at all, so a bit of a pain if you're dealing with a typically large P6 program.

If you have MSP or Asta you can convert the P6 file easily. MSP seems to give the best results and an old version is reasonably cheap...