Navisworks 2011 - VERY slow when refreshing NWF-

[AARONLAWSON2339]

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone had knowledge of, or advice for this situation?

I am running Navisworks Simulate 2011-64 bit on a pretty decent machine

Windows 7-64 bit

8G RAM

3.15 Ghz Intel Dual Core

Intel SSD 80G Harddrive

I have an NWF that I am working on, with the following itms in the fileset

(1) master nwd from an architect, filesize is probably 50 Megs

(3) dwg's appended in, these are my working Cad drawings AutoCAD MEP 2011

As I make changes to my 3d dwgs, I want to refresh and check the fit of my work.

The file refresh time is taking about 2-3 minutes, and it seems to be spending the most time on the nwd, in which nothing has even changed! This is a problem, as I need to refresh about 50-100 times, and it cuts my productivity in half....

Does anyone have any advice on the subject, or is there a way to tell NAVIS to refresh only a specific file in the nwf?

Thanks in advance,

Aaron

[dembkod]

Hi aaronlawson2339,

Navisworks, currently, will refresh all models in a project if you click refresh and it locates a difference in one of your model files. One change will cause all models to refresh. There is no way to change this behavior right now.

If you would like, you could submit this as an enhancement request for our development group. They use these submissions to guide the future development of the application.

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=1109794

Also, I would click Home > Project > Scene Statistics and review the conversion information. Is there any mention of a missing Object enabler? Sometimes, particularly with larger models, a model may be missing an enabler and it is not visually evident. A missing enabler generally slows a load down.

Thank you for participating in our community!

David Dembkoski

Product Support Specialist

Autodesk Product Support

[AARONLAWSON2339]

David,

Thank you for the reply. I posted this message to the feature request, as you suggested.

I will also check the Scene Statistics and I'll reply back.

[AARONLAWSON2339]

Just checked, and I can't see any indication of missing object enablers, not to say that I'm sure what I was looking at.

I just don't understand why Navis wants to re-process an NWD inside a fileset, when an NWD is by definition a finalized, published file...

Thanks again.

Aaron

Here is the Scene Statistic. If anything here looks out of the norm, please let me know.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Triangles, Lines and Points: 7889181
Bounding Box: (6.29403e+006,1.91044e+006,503.495),(6.29493e+006,1.91324e+006,570.664)


SDCCD_MSU_CWD_ALL.nwd
    
    ARCH-MSU-NTD-L1.nwc
    
    
    ARCH-MSU-NTD-L2.nwc
    
    
    ARCH-MSU-NTD-L3.nwc
    
    
    ARCH-MSU-NTD-UG.nwc
    
    
    ELEC-MSU-GOULD-L1.nwd
    
    
    ELEC-MSU-GOULD-L1.dwg
    
    Processed 39 LINE
    Processed 147 CIRCLE
    Processed 44 TEXT
    Processed 416 SOLID3D
    Processed 89 LWPLINE
    Ignored 2 HATCH
    Processed 2 GENPROXY
    Processed 14 LAYER
    Processed 1410 GR_POLYLINE
    Processed 1650 GR_SHELL
    Processed 2 GR_TEXT2
    
    ELEC-MSU-GOULD-L2.nwd
    
    
    ELEC-MSU-GOULD-L2.dwg
    
    Processed 16 LINE
    Processed 95 CIRCLE
    Processed 36 TEXT
    Processed 365 SOLID3D
    Processed 59 LWPLINE
    Ignored 1 HATCH
    Processed 14 GENPROXY
    Processed 18 LAYER
    Processed 1592 GR_POLYLINE
    Processed 1615 GR_SHELL
    Processed 14 GR_TEXT2
    
    ELEC-MSU-GOULD-L3.nwd
    
    
    ELEC-MSU-GOULD-L3.dwg
    
    Processed 20 LINE
    Processed 43 CIRCLE
    Processed 39 TEXT
    Processed 156 SOLID3D
    Processed 1 LWPLINE
    Ignored 1 HATCH
    Processed 5 GENPROXY
    Processed 17 LAYER
    Processed 936 GR_POLYLINE
    Processed 790 GR_SHELL
    Processed 5 GR_TEXT2
    
    FPS-MSU-SCHMIDT-L1.nwd
    
    
    FPS-MSU-SCHMIDT-L1.dwg
    
    Processed 4 LINE
    Processed 11 TEXT
    Processed 1853 GENPROXY
    Processed 16 LAYER
    Processed 3706 GR_POLYLINE
    Processed 1853 GR_SHELL
    
    FPS-MSU-SCHMIDT-L2.nwd
    
    
    FPS-MSU-SCHMIDT-L2.dwg
    
    Processed 4 LINE
    Processed 11 TEXT
    Processed 1646 GENPROXY
    Processed 16 LAYER
    Processed 3292 GR_POLYLINE
    Processed 1646 GR_SHELL
    
    FPS-MSU-SCHMIDT-L3.nwd
    
    
    FPS-MSU-SCHMIDT-L3.dwg
    
    Processed 4 LINE
    Processed 11 TEXT
    Processed 1425 GENPROXY
    Processed 16 LAYER
    Processed 2850 GR_POLYLINE
    Processed 1425 GR_SHELL
    
    ELEC-MSU-GOULD-SITE.nwd
    
    
    ELEC-MSU-GOULD-SITE.dwg
    
    Processed 29 LINE
    Processed 2 CIRCLE
    Ignored 17 ELLIPSE
    Processed 2 TEXT
    Processed 233 SOLID3D
    Processed 49 LWPLINE
    Processed 2 GENPROXY
    Processed 12 LAYER
    Processed 566 GR_POLYLINE
    Processed 774 GR_SHELL
    Processed 2 GR_TEXT2
    
    ELEC-MSU-GOULD-UG.nwd
    
    
    ELEC-MSU-GOULD-UG.dwg
    
    Processed 9 LINE
    Processed 110 CIRCLE
    Processed 599 SOLID3D
    Processed 148 LWPLINE
    Processed 2 GENPROXY
    Processed 8 LAYER
    Processed 1692 GR_POLYLINE
    Processed 2291 GR_SHELL
    Processed 2 GR_TEXT2
    
    HVACD-MSU-PACRIM-L1.nwd
    
    Ignored 83 LINE
    Ignored 2 POINT
    Ignored 2 CIRCLE
    Ignored 20 TEXT
    Processed 60 SOLID3D
    Processed 3 LWPLINE
    Ignored 11 LWPLINE
    Processed 1906 GENPROXY
    Processed 74 LAYER
    Ignored 36 GR_CIRCULARARC
    Ignored 355 GR_CIRCULARARC3PT
    Ignored 5925 GR_POLYLINE
    Processed 11 GR_POLYGON
    Processed 2829 GR_SHELL
    Ignored 166 GR_TEXT2
    
    HVACD-MSU-PACRIM-L2.nwd
    
    Ignored 237 LINE
    Ignored 54 TEXT
    Processed 3 SOLID3D
    Ignored 3 LEADER
    Processed 2 LWPLINE
    Ignored 2 LWPLINE
    Processed 2363 GENPROXY
    Processed 59 LAYER
    Ignored 1476 GR_CIRCULARARC
    Ignored 430 GR_CIRCULARARC3PT
    Ignored 5986 GR_POLYLINE
    Processed 24 GR_POLYGON
    Processed 3003 GR_SHELL
    Ignored 287 GR_TEXT2
    
    HVACD-MSU-PACRIM-L3.nwd
    
    Ignored 67 LINE
    Ignored 20 TEXT
    Processed 2 SEQEND
    Processed 10 VERTEX
    Processed 30 SOLID3D
    Ignored 3 LEADER
    Processed 13 LWPLINE
    Ignored 12 LWPLINE
    Processed 1823 GENPROXY
    Processed 2 POLYFACEMESH
    Processed 66 LAYER
    Ignored 73 GR_CIRCULARARC
    Ignored 389 GR_CIRCULARARC3PT
    Ignored 4968 GR_POLYLINE
    Processed 17 GR_POLYGON
    Processed 2356 GR_SHELL
    Ignored 228 GR_TEXT2
    
    HVACP-MSU-PACRIM-L1.nwd
    
    Ignored 1 LINE
    Ignored 1 POINT
    Processed 128 FACE3D
    Processed 74 SOLID3D
    Ignored 1 LEADER
    Ignored 15 LWPLINE
    Processed 1627 GENPROXY
    Ignored 2 GENPROXY
    Processed 731 LAYER
    Ignored 1470 GR_POLYLINE
    Processed 2605 GR_SHELL
    Ignored 47 GR_TEXT2
    
    HVACP-MSU-PACRIM-L2.nwd
    
    Ignored 1 POINT
    Processed 192 FACE3D
    Processed 110 SOLID3D
    Ignored 2 LEADER
    Processed 2628 GENPROXY
    Ignored 2 GENPROXY
    Processed 516 LAYER
    Ignored 2250 GR_POLYLINE
    Processed 4122 GR_SHELL
    Ignored 3 GR_TEXT2
    
    HVACP-MSU-PACRIM-L3.nwd
    
    Ignored 8 CIRCLE
    Processed 2153 GENPROXY
    Processed 22 LAYER
    Ignored 480 GR_POLYLINE
    Processed 2459 GR_SHELL
    
    PLUMB-MSU-PACRIM-L1.nwd
    
    Ignored 5 LINE
    Ignored 76 CIRCLE
    Ignored 76 TEXT
    Ignored 62 DIMENSION
    Processed 2 SOLID3D
    Ignored 76 LEADER
    Ignored 7 LWPLINE
    Processed 4938 GENPROXY
    Ignored 15 GENPROXY
    Processed 774 LAYER
    Processed 3 GR_CIRCLE
    Ignored 774 GR_CIRCULARARC
    Ignored 1293 GR_POLYLINE
    Processed 6156 GR_SHELL
    Ignored 11 GR_TEXT2
    
    HVACP-MSU-PACRIM-UG.nwd
    
    Ignored 16 LINE
    Ignored 5 POINT
    Ignored 5 TEXT
    Processed 5 FACE3D
    Ignored 1 DIMENSION
    Ignored 4 LEADER
    Ignored 4 LWPLINE
    Ignored 8 HATCH
    Processed 102 GENPROXY
    Ignored 43 GENPROXY
    Processed 19 LAYER
    Ignored 129 GR_POLYLINE
    Processed 102 GR_SHELL
    Ignored 22 GR_TEXT2
    
    PLUMB-MSU-PACRIM-L2.nwd
    
    Ignored 1 LINE
    Ignored 1 POINT
    Ignored 13 DIMENSION
    Ignored 3 LWPLINE
    Processed 2552 GENPROXY
    Processed 740 LAYER
    Ignored 460 GR_POLYLINE
    Processed 3058 GR_SHELL
    Ignored 3 GR_TEXT2
    
    PLUMB-MSU-PACRIM-L3.nwd
    
    Ignored 18 LINE
    Ignored 3 POINT
    Ignored 21 TEXT
    Ignored 1 DIMENSION
    Ignored 18 LEADER
    Ignored 2 LWPLINE
    Processed 1826 GENPROXY
    Ignored 5 GENPROXY
    Processed 882 LAYER
    Ignored 9 GR_CIRCULARARC
    Ignored 1028 GR_POLYLINE
    Processed 2534 GR_SHELL
    Ignored 31 GR_TEXT2
    
    PLUMB-MSU-PACRIM-UG.nwd
    
    Ignored 19 LINE
    Ignored 83 CIRCLE
    Ignored 98 TEXT
    Ignored 4 ARC
    Processed 1 SOLID
    Ignored 9 DIMENSION
    Processed 37 SOLID3D
    Ignored 107 LEADER
    Ignored 24 LWPLINE
    Processed 2450 GENPROXY
    Ignored 69 GENPROXY
    Processed 57 LAYER
    Processed 4 GR_CIRCLE
    Ignored 1332 GR_CIRCULARARC
    Ignored 6377 GR_POLYLINE
    Processed 1 GR_POLYGON
    Processed 4641 GR_SHELL
    Ignored 208 GR_TEXT2
    
    STRUCT-MSU-WR-L1.nwc
    
    
    STRUCT-MSU-WR-L2.nwc
    
    
    STRUCT-MSU-WR-L3.nwc
    
    
    STRUCT-MSU-WR-UG.nwc
    
MSU-L1-WORKING.dwg
    Processed 352 LINE
    Processed 247 CIRCLE
    Processed 1 ELLIPSE
    Processed 130 TEXT
    Processed 23 ARC
    Processed 6 SOLID
    Ignored 3 DIMENSION
    Processed 239 SOLID3D
    Ignored 1 LEADER
    Processed 204 LWPLINE
    Ignored 19 HATCH
    Processed 637 GENPROXY
    Processed 558 LAYER
    Processed 2430 GR_CIRCULARARC
    Processed 11410 GR_POLYLINE
    Processed 5733 GR_SHELL
    Processed 28 GR_TEXT2
MSU-L2-WORKING.dwg
    Processed 280 LINE
    Processed 156 CIRCLE
    Processed 1 ELLIPSE
    Processed 58 TEXT
    Processed 23 ARC
    Processed 3 SOLID
    Processed 197 SOLID3D
    Processed 116 LWPLINE
    Ignored 1 HATCH
    Processed 513 GENPROXY
    Processed 155 LAYER
    Processed 1413 GR_CIRCULARARC
    Processed 6891 GR_POLYLINE
    Processed 3390 GR_SHELL
    Processed 28 GR_TEXT2
MSU-L3-WORKING.dwg
    Processed 170 LINE
    Processed 91 CIRCLE
    Processed 1 ELLIPSE
    Processed 67 TEXT
    Processed 23 ARC
    Processed 3 SOLID
    Processed 160 SOLID3D
    Processed 97 LWPLINE
    Ignored 1 HATCH
    Processed 176 GENPROXY
    Processed 148 LAYER
    Processed 855 GR_CIRCULARARC
    Processed 2815 GR_POLYLINE
    Processed 1789 GR_SHELL
    Processed 18 GR_TEXT2
MSU-UG-WORKING.dwg
    Processed 120 LINE
    Processed 158 CIRCLE
    Processed 44 TEXT
    Processed 41 SOLID3D
    Processed 46 LWPLINE
    Ignored 2 HATCH
    Processed 1122 GENPROXY
    Processed 108 LAYER
    Processed 2106 GR_CIRCULARARC
    Processed 13418 GR_POLYLINE
    Processed 4448 GR_SHELL
    Processed 16 GR_TEXT2

[mikegustus8493]

Why can't we just specifiy which file to refresh like reloading an xref in autocad? Having to scane a 60mb NWD file everytime I make a small change to an appended cad file is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo annoying. 

Right now, to make this faster, I append a CAD file to the main file, make changes in CAD, save the file, delete the file from Navis, and re-append the file. It is lame to have to make these extra steps but it reduces the time from minutes to seconds.

Right now on most of my jobs an F5 refresh is totally unacceptable. 

[lee.mullin · Accepted solution]

Please check out this blog and it may help narrow down why and when a file is recaching.

http://beyonddesign.typepad.com/posts/2011/06/tango-and-cache.html

[dgorsman]

Unlike AutoCAD, Navisworks has a number of additional options to simplify models which can merge duplicate layers from several files, merge duplicate geometry when multiple references are found, and combine separate source objects into a single object (such as adjoining faces).  All of these settings could potentially affect multple loaded files.  If one of those files is to be reloaded then the other files have to be checked to see if other objects need to be merged.

If all of these options (I probably missed several) are turned off, then Navisworks *might* be able to get away with reloading a single file at a time.  But then you would be dealing with overlapping instances, multiple copies of layers, and other nuisances.

[bknapton]

We used to have a very slow refresh in Navisworks.  We changed from loading DWG's in Navis to creating the NWC from CAD and loading the NWC in Navis.  Our refresh time went from ~2min to 10sec.

[tq1918]

What I do is append just the .dwg I am working on and delete the old file. Just before lunch I will refresh everything to get the latest from the rest of the team.

If you are using Manage this will crash your batches. You can type _NWCOUT in AutoCAD and append that from wherever you save your .dwg file and append the latest .nwc. This method is slower than regular .dwg append but won’t mess up batch.

Experiment with it, improve on it, and make it your own.