Refreshing Navisworks NWF corrupts DWG file

[C_Brownlie]

Hi all, 

 I'm having trouble with Navisworks somehow partly corrupting DWG geometry while refreshing a NWF. I'm curious if anyone knows the cause or a way to prevent it.

Workflow:

 In Autocad 2014, move or otherwise translate multiple 3D Solids.

 Save file.

 Close file.

 Wait some time (20 seconds).

 In Navisworks Manage 2014, I have a NWF that references several DWG files. Click refresh to update model.

End result in Navisworks is some solids are correctly translated, some remain in old position. If I open the file in Autocad, all solids appears to be moved, but if I select some half moved objects, their object grips appear in the old position. Objects appear in the corrupt position when using 3D orbit. If I further move the objects, the behaviour of those objects returns to normal (visual and grips reflect the true position).

The wait is me trying to prevent the issue, assuming the saving process takes some time (all working files are on network server). This issue also occurs when I work with all files local to my machine (mechanical HDD).

This issue only seems to affect move commands (move, mirror, rotate etc).

See attached screenshot from AutoCad for example of corrupted DWG (all geometry on screen was moved in Z axis by 20mm. End result is some solids move correctly, others "half move" for want of a better term. This issue is quite a pain and is wasting a lot of my time.

Any ideas, other than not updating Navisworks?

[Patrick_Aps_9121]

Question: are these plain Autocad Solids or made by a 3rd party add-on?
Other Ideas:
-> Delete the NWC file of that DWG before updating the NWF
-> Navisworks Options: try playing with (one at the time) convert Off, Convert Frozen, Convert Groups (if you use that), definitly try with changing the DWG loader version and the Autodesk Material if you have start using a material somewhere in the DWG.

[dgorsman]

Is an NWC file being written and read by Navisworks?  Do the objects appear this way when you re-open the DWG file or are they in the correct position?

[C_Brownlie]

Hi,

 All 3D solids are creating in Autocad using the extrude command on polylines or 3dfaces. Some are further shaped using the subtract and/or slice commands.

I will try the Navisworks settings, but my main concern is the corrupted DWG source files. Once solids get corrupted, they can not be reliably recovered, requiring a lot of rework and checking basic commands such as moving an object worked.

Navisworks is creating NWC files. As described, solids may visually appear in the correct location when opening (or re-opening) the DWG in AutoCAD, but they may not actually be in that location (corrupted position is displayed in Navisworks, and while using 3D orbit in Autocad (maybe HW acceleration?), and by grips when attempting to manipulate objects). If a corrupted object is further moved in Autocad, its false visual geometry may disappear completely.

I've talked with another drafter here in the office, and he has encounterd the same issue for many years when Autocad and Navisworks are running simulataneously. His suggested work around was to not have Navisworks open (or possibly just minimized). I will try just not having the two running together, but they are complemetary tools and this solution isn't ideal.

[Patrick_Aps_9121]

What Service Pack are you using on Simulate 14 ?
if not already installed, download and install SP2 to get your version number in about to 14.2.
http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/navisworks-products/downloads/caas/downloads/content/naviswork...

A workaround could be to install the Navisworks exporter on top of AutoCAD: Autocad is then the single application using the DWG. Withing AutoCAD you need to use command: NWCOUT to create an NWC of that DWG (if the drafter has finished a step he wants to "publish"). In Navisworks, you append the NWC, not the DWG and when you hit refresh, you would get the latest published step automatically. This workflow also should work when several drafters are appending each other's work just using NWC.

[Patrick_Aps_9121]

Sorry, version number should be 11.6.0.nnnnn

[C_Brownlie]

Thanks for the replies.

I am using Navisworks Manage 2014 (64 bit) version 11.0.0.98373.

As I am near project delivery date, I will not try updating just now (we've had issues with SP2 before and rolled back).

I have adopted this workflow to avoid the issue:

- Save and closing all DWGs in ACAD, minimise ACAD.

- Open NW Manage, always close NW before opening any DWG in ACAD.

It's far from ideal, but at least I have now DWG corruption issues. I will try SP2 sometime in the next couple of weeks.

[Bob_Lipchik]

I know this is an old thread but I'm having the same issue in 2016.  I'm not having problems with the solids themselves becoming corrupt in Autocad, but just not seeing the solids moved or modified in Navisworks.  Oddly enough, I didn't have this issue at all in any previous versions, just popped up now in 2016.

[C_Brownlie]

I've now spent many hours dealing with this issue, including talking with Autodesk, but no solution. I now believe the cause is Autocad alone, Navisworks only shows the corruption Autocad creates. I'm now using ACAD 2015 but its still an issue.

Moving multiple solids, then saving the file results in a chance of a corrupt file (I pre-select the objects prior to issueing the move command). having the file xref'ed into another open drawing seems to make the issue more common. The corruption occurs in saving the file. A file that has been saved may have gone well be corrupt, but it not apparent in the file while it is still open. Only when you open the file again (or read only), xref'ing or letting Navisworks load the DWG shows its true saved state.

The onlly workarounds I've got are:

• creating blocks from solids prior to moving/rotating or mirroring them (with erase original). Block the gets burst after moving.
• manually keeping backups of every file, every day.

[Bob_Lipchik]

Hmmm.....I'm wondering if maybe you and I are having different issues and maybe I should be in a different thread.  I'm not having any problems with the autocad solids whie in autocad.  The ony time I see the problems is when I have Navisworks open, move the solids, then refresh the nwf in navis.  Then I see that the blocks either haven't moved or disappear altoghether.

I've tried the work around that others on here have suggested with some luck - don't move your autocad solids around with navis open.  This has worked well for me as I've been able to create a pretty complicated piece of equipment in Autocad Plant3D using mostly solids, move those pieces around, copy them, etc, then attach them to my equipment.  After I do this I can move them around freely because, I assume, it's similar to your work around of attaching them with Block command.