Positioning objects relative to each other

[shinwas]

Hi,

I am very new to Navisworks, I am using this software  to give an overall picture of a mining facility. I currently have the 3d models of all of the machinery and a floor plan, and I was wondering say using one machine as a reference locating others relative to this. However I cannot find any information on whether or not navisworks has something like constraints in inventor where you can accurately position items. I know you can move it around using mouse or give coordinates but is there a better way?

[Patrick_Aps_9121]

The only other way is to change the CAD files in their native application, or in the format  you got them in,

An expample: some of my equipment is drawn in Solidworks.

They give me a 3D export in SAT,

I open that SAT file and save it as a DWG. Before saving I rotate eveything round 0,0,0 to get the Z axis up.

Then I have another DWG file that has all the separate equipment DWG's as references. In that DWG file I can scale the equipment until it has the right size (unit) and move around the equipments individually until they are at the right location.

Now you can go further in 2 ways:

1) saveas, Bind all References into one DWG, append this one DWG to Navisworks. But you will not be able to select individual equipments and hide them.

OR

2) For each Equipment, Save as, Bind one Reference and detach all other. Repeat for all other equipments. Now you get for each equipment a new DWG where it is at the right location. Appent this Equipments to navisworks.