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NavisWorks Rev|Sim => 3DS Max; is it ever going to happen?

4 REPLIES 4
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Message 1 of 5
dparks
2486 Views, 4 Replies

NavisWorks Rev|Sim => 3DS Max; is it ever going to happen?

After a number of years in the E&C industry, I've noticed that one of, if not THE most prevalent visualization issues is that of translating geometry from one application to another. Navis' currently lists the ability to 'Export';
PDS Tags
Autodesk DWF
Google Earth KML
Rendered Image
Image
Animation
Viewpoints XML
Current Search XML
Viewpoints Report HTML

NONE of which seem to be (3D) "importable" or compatible with Autodesk 3ds Max (v2009) which lists the ability to 'Import';
Autodesk (*.FBX)
3D Studio Mesh (*.3DS, *.PRJ)
Adobe Illustrator (*.AI)
Autodesk Collada (*.DAE)
LandXML / DEM / DDF (*.DEM, *.XML, *.DDF)
AutoCAD Drawing (*.DWG, *.DXF)
Legacy AutoCAD (.DWG)
Flight Studio OpenFlight (*.FLT)
Motion Analysis HTR File (*.HTR)
IGES (*.IGE, *.IGS, *.IGES)
Autodesk Inventor (*.IPT, *.IAM)
Lightscape (*.LS, *.VW, *.LP)
gw::OBJ-Importer (*.OBJ)
3D Studio Shape (*.SHP)
StereoLitho (*.STL)
Motion Analysis TRC File (*.TRC)
VRML (*.WRL, *.WRZ)
VIZ Material XML Import (*.XML)

There seems to be a disconnect between the two app's ability to share 3D data.

With its impressive ability to convert, optimize, and display large-scale geometry and datasets in realtime or near-realtime - and given the ability to already 'export' data in a number of 3D file formats; is there any "productive" method of translating a Navis 3D model into 3ds Max (or Maya or Softimage or ...)? ...
... and if there is not, does Autodesk have any plans to provide such capabilities in the near future?

Lovin' both of the apps; now if Autodesk can just get the two to play together well.
dp
4 REPLIES 4
Message 2 of 5
dgorsman
in reply to: dparks

Offhand I would say the answer is "never" - NavisWorks are end tools for reviewing designs, not file converters. The export in NavisWorks is for coordination data, not model data. None of the export formats has anything to do directly with the model.

From the list, I can see 3DStudio can import anything NavisWorks can view, so what would be the point? The downside of NavisWorks being able to export model data would be to "unsecure" the NWD format, meaning somebody could take a published NWD file and make a useable (but inaccurate - very important, that).
----------------------------------
If you are going to fly by the seat of your pants, expect friction burns.
"I don't know" is the beginning of knowledge, not the end.


Message 3 of 5
marcdebruyne6466
in reply to: dparks

If you have Subscription on NW 2010, you can download the Subscription Advantage Pack for Autodesk Navisworks 2010

After installing this pack, you can export FBX from within Navisworks 2010.

See http://subscription.autodesk.com/sp/servlet/download/item?siteID=11564774&id=14055398

Marc
Message 4 of 5
dparks
in reply to: dparks

dgorsman wrote:
"Offhand I would say the answer is "never" - NavisWorks are end tools for reviewing designs, not file converters. The export in NavisWorks is for coordination data, not model data. None of the export formats has anything to do directly with the model."

Navis currently "Exports" in both the KML/KMZ and DWF file formats - both of which fully support tessellate 3D model data - and in doing so does indeed "convert" the data from one format (DGN) to another (KML).

dgorsman wrote:
From the list, I can see 3DStudio can import anything NavisWorks can view, so what would be the point? The downside of NavisWorks being able to export model data would be to "unsecure" the NWD format, meaning somebody could take a published NWD file and make a useable (but inaccurate - very important, that).

"What's the point?" - The animation capabilities between Navis' and 3DMax is night and day and really shouldn't need to be detailed.
I'm not using 3DMax to conduct an interactive formal model review and don't require model intelligence, just the representative 3D geometry in a format that 'Max can read and render. I don't share your concern about the resulting "unsecured" model.


But thanks for the input.
Message 5 of 5
dparks
in reply to: dparks

Thanks for the info Marc! I do have a subscription (running Review v7.0.51877) but was completely unaware of the .FBX subenhancement, as A'desk calls it, nor the group NWC exporter release which I also just downed.

The issue now is that the FBX exporter only applies to Navis' "Service Pack 1" - I've been poking around the A'desk support site for a while now but can't find any reference to a Navis' SP1 anywhere - do you suppose the 'SP1' update is included in the 1.2GB April 03 release of the software? The version I'm running is dated Mar 12 '09. Surely A'desk wouldn't make users download an entire app for the service pack update?

The search continues...

Thanks again!
dp

-- UPDATE --

Found it. Not in the Subscription Support area, but in that of the 'Services & Support'; go figure. Edited by: dparks on Dec 2, 2009 7:04 PM

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