topic Scripting "End-to-End" creation of NWD from simple control lists in Navisworks API Forum

Scripting "End-to-End" creation of NWD from simple control lists

JohnStory — Sat, 11 Jan 2014 00:22:00 GMT

All,

I am approaching the same type automation of NWD problems that Xiaodong addressed with Jurgen back in the post I cant import XML Search Sets... .

That post gives me many good ideas but did not address the problem of the import of the Search Sets.

My Specific Goals for this task are probably similar or identical to lots of others trying to Automate Navisworks:

Lower cost of Navisworks in Designer/User Project Hours
Reduce/eliminate the delays waiting for NWF's composed of source files to open.
Increase update frequency of fast to open NWD’s.
Lower cost of periodic NWF Maintenance to add/remove Models, update Search Sets, apply Appearance Profiles and other repeated misc items.
Create solution for End-to-End Automation of Design Source Model files and Control files to finished NWD.
Solution must be simple enough that it can be administered by someone who is not a programmer, so all they must do is supply a few simple lists or control files.
Like any Automation task, it has to pay for itself and be reusable.

Ideally I would like to do the following:

Create a series of NWD's from source Models and lists, to be composited in a parent NWF, we want to preserve the tree structure for organizational reasons. I can create both NWD sets and put them into a NWF at a low level using filelists with "FileToolsTaskRunner".
Import a Search Set XML to the NWF. Currently looking for solution.
For one of the Search Set items by name, choose those members and Hide them. The previous post may work here, I have yet to experiment.
Apply a "Appearance Profile" based on those "Search Sets". Currently looking for solution, from what I can tell it is not scriptable and has no API. Not good.
Load a "ViewPoints" XML and select one. Currently looking for solution.
Set a few misc items, like the Horizon background, etc... No idea if any of this can be low level scripted, probably it can with a higher API. Possibly may be able to create a "seed" NWF with a few things set that do not change... will try this...
Save out the NWD. The COM solution of "AutoPublishScriptExample" as we have modified works, and I am considering if "FileToolsTaskRunner" may help.

Several of these things can be done automatically and scripted individually at a low level, but apparently none can be done all the way through for a end-to-end solution. Some appear to not be low level scriptable by the same methods, or simply not available in an API.

I am just starting the process of learning how to interact with Visual Studio to deal with the higher level languages. Old world coding and scripting I can understand, newer .NET and similar API's will take time but I am trying to learn fast.

I hope I have missed some solutions by not searching for the correct words.

Are there any simple solutions to this series of tasks, or if not, are there any complex but workable API solutions?

Later I will tackle the problem of Automating Clash Detection and Report writing, that is for another day.

Thanks for any and all help,

John

Re: Scripting "End-to-End" creation of NWD from simple control lists

xiaodong_liang — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 03:42:49 GMT

Hi John,

Firstly, I’d suggest you post question one by one. It is hard for the forum peers to jump into a case with long description and many questions. I’ll take a crack at answering your questions below. If it does not help, please log the question in a new post to hear more from others.

Create a series of NWD's from source Models and lists, to be composited in a parent NWF, we want to preserve the tree structure for organizational reasons. I can create both NWD sets and put them into a NWF at a low level using filelists with "FileToolsTaskRunner".

[Xiaodong] API provides the method AppendFile, MergeFile and SaveFile which should be what you need. These method are exposed in Automation and Plugin. So for automatic process, you can just write an Automation application, and do the batch work.

2. Import a Search Set XML to the NWF. Currently looking for solution.

[Xiaodong] It is not related with Navisworks API when parsing XML, but after you get the info of the item of the XML, you can just create Search Set. Please see this blog: http://adndevblog.typepad.com/aec/2012/08/add-search-selectionset-in-net.html

3. For one of the Search Set items by name, choose those members and Hide them. The previous post may work here, I have yet to experiment.

[Xiaodong] Yes, API provides you with the ability to hide items: DocumentModels.SetHidden. I believe it is not difficult for you.

4. Apply a "Appearance Profile" based on those "Search Sets". Currently looking for solution, from what I can tell it is not scriptable and has no API. Not good.

[Xiaodong] Yes, no direct API, but it does not mean you cannot do anything. You may have found a discussion:

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/Autodesk-Navisworks-API/Manipulate-Appearances-in-the-Profiler/m-p/3904243/highlight/true#M944

5. Load a "ViewPoints" XML and select one. Currently looking for solution.

[Xiaodong] Similar to Search Set, after parsing the XML, create the viewpoints.

http://adndevblog.typepad.com/aec/2012/06/navisworks-net-api-2013-new-feature-saved-viewpoint.html

6. a few misc items, like the Horizon background, etc... No idea if any of this can be low level scripted, probably it can with a higher API. Possibly may be able to create a "seed" NWF with a few things set that do not change... will try this...

[Xiaodong] I do see a way to manipulate Background Setting, but at least, you can set backgorund color.

http://adndevblog.typepad.com/aec/2012/07/changing-background-for-publishing-file-using-script-automation-in-navisworks.html

7. Save out the NWD. The COM solution of "AutoPublishScriptExample" as we have modified works, and I am considering if "FileToolsTaskRunner" may help.

[Xiaodong] Both COM and .NET API provide the save method. By far, I started to guess you actually want to use COM API to implement all of your process? What I mentioned above are written in .NET.

Re: Scripting "End-to-End" creation of NWD from simple control lists

JohnStory — Thu, 16 Jan 2014 23:32:28 GMT

Xiaodong,

I really appreciate your quick response to my question, and sorry it was all rolled together, that is how I approach the task, even though it may have multiple parts.

We have "Search Sets" that have ~160 Searches, Appearance Profiles with ~30 overrides and Viewpoint Lists can be dozens to well over a hundred. We would like to create more variations to be applied during different automation runs to get the desired outputs for the audiences. the use of these in automation seems to be complicated.

Based on your response, I see that I have significant programming ahead to learn to read the saved application datafiles and use the API to recreate "Search Sets", create "Appearance Profile" like actions, and recreate "Viewpoints". This will take some time to learn.

Once I get into the coding, I am sure I will be back later with more questions.

One request would be that these "Key/Core" type of utilities and features in future versions of Navisworks should have at minimum a API specific for that utility, and preferably a simpler scripting method that would not require programming to do "regular" tasks.

Thanks again for your quick response.

John