Workflow AutoCAD to NAvisworks

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I work for a company that builds layouts for large continuous production facilities (Wood based panel boards).

We work with 3 products:

1. AutoCAD for general layout in 2D
2. Inventor for creating steelstructures, placing machinery and connecting chutes
3. Navisworks for presentation an model review with third parties

We recently acquired FDS to connect these 3 products with eachother.

More and more we recieve 3D models from our subcontractors to check for collision detection with the overall factory model. These are mostly complex assemblies that cannot be loaded into the Inventor environment because it makes the model to heavy. therefore we use Navisworks.

But navisworks comes with the problem of positioning. We spend a lot of time to insert a model in Navisowrks and bring it to the right location, if we get a new revision, the entire process starts all over again. Is there a possibility with FDS to attach/ glue different Navisworks models to a position in AutoCAD?

[zhixin.ni]

FDS 2015 Feature Update Pack does provide a workflow from AutoCAD to Navisworks.
1. publish 2D block in AutoCAD - you can associate a 3D model when publishing a 2D asset.
2. Create a general layout in 2D in AutoCAD - placed asset in AutoCAD is shown in 2D.
3. Sync the layout to Navisworks - all assets which have associated 3D models are shown as 3D models in Navisworks.
Can this workflow meet your requirement?

[liqinomickey]

We have this short video to present new features in 2015 Feature Update Pack. https://youtu.be/8PY08AhnJeY

You can go a head and check if this meets your requirements. We are looking forward for your feedback.

Mickey

[XuesongBai]

Hi there,

Could you please tell me what type of assembly file are provided by the subcontractors? Pro/e, UG, Solidworks?

And what factory version you are using? 2014 or 2015?

Thanks,

-Xuesong

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Provided subcontractor files are Navisworks files, (*.nwd format).
I will try the proposed workflow and see if it works.

Kind Regards

Merijn Vanalderweireldt
Project Engineer
Sicoplan NV

[XuesongBai]

Hi Merijn,

Thank you for the feedback.
If the provided model is NWD files, the proposed workflow is not fit to you.
Because we don't allow you associate NWD files to the 2D block.
I have another question-you mentioned that you use AutoCAD for the 2D layout, so do you create 2D block manually? Or the 2d asset are generated from Inventor Asset builder?
And could you ask the subcontractor to provide the original files(like Pro/E,UG) rather than the NWD files?
So I am thinking the other solution.

Thanks,
-Xuesong

[Anonymous]

Hi XuesongBai,

Thanks for the heads up, We wIll try The workflow with shrinkwraps. I guess they should work and we have access to them.
But it doesn't quite solve my problem. I would like to position .nwd files in a navisworks model so we can use it for clash detections, animations, operator training, etc.
Shrink wraps are one file only, you can't hide or select parts, or see properties of distinct items. Another setback of shrink wraps is that they are hard to generate compared to nwd files.
Another workflow we have in place right now is to give the absolute coordinates of the machines position to the subcontractor, and he makes an .aim with the machine positioned on these coordinates. This .iam gives us the .nwd we want, but it's difficult to do it correct. If the coordinates are off, we must restart. Same story when we move the machine afterwards, which happens a lot.
Any other thoughts?

Kind regards,

Merijn

[XuesongBai]

Hi Merijn,

What version of FDS you are using now? FDS 2015 or FDS 2015 Feature Update Package(aka FDS 2015 R2- there is Sync Navisworks workflow in Factory AutoACD).

I can share my solution to you according to the version you are using. So please let me know your email or you can send me your email by Xuesong.bai@autodesk.com.

Thanks,

-Xuesong