topic Re: Need Help-How to change Model Tree hierarchy of Navisworks ? in Navisworks API Forum

Need Help-How to change Model Tree hierarchy of Navisworks ?

piyinghai — Thu, 26 Dec 2024 13:53:41 GMT

I imported my files from Revit into Navisworks. The selected tree structure is fixed and cannot be changed.I try to change porperty.Value , But not modifiable.I need to render the selection tree of Navisworks based on the data I entered in Revit.

I've seen someone implement choice tree structural refactoring as below:

But I don't know how to do that.like below

Please help me. Best wish !

Re: Need Help-How to change Model Tree hierarchy of Navisworks ?

naveen.kumar.t — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 07:57:29 GMT

Hi @piyinghai ,

To the best of my knowledge, it is not possible to modify the Model Tree hierarchy in Navisworks. However, you can sort the existing Model Tree hierarchy or create a custom selection tree.

Please refer to the following links for more information:

https://adndevblog.typepad.com/aec/2013/04/use-navisworks-api-with-wpf-binding-model-hierarchy-to-tree-view.html

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/navisworks-api/sort-navisworks-model-tree-through-commandline/td-p/12774290

Re: Need Help-How to change Model Tree hierarchy of Navisworks ?

piyinghai — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 09:53:07 GMT

Thanks for your reply, I need to have a try. Before that, I would like to ask if the results achieved by this article are as follows, is it the result under the standard mode of Navisworks' selection tree?

Re: Need Help-How to change Model Tree hierarchy of Navisworks ?

naveen.kumar.t — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 10:12:16 GMT

Hi @piyinghai ,

In your previous post, the attached image shows that I simply selected the standard mode and sorted the selection tree in ascending alphabetical order.

Re: Need Help-How to change Model Tree hierarchy of Navisworks ?

peter_hirn — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 07:50:47 GMT

Leaving this info here for future ~~victims~~ readers.

It's not possible to change the hierarchy directly. The best workaround I could find:

- Navisworks addin starts external process (ie. worker.exe) and establishes IPC (this is required as calling NwCreate directly from the addin is not possible, see https://adndevblog.typepad.com/aec/2012/05/nwcreate-with-net-plug-in.html)
- Addin reads structure, properties and raw geometry (vertices, normals, transforms) from model (see https://adndevblog.typepad.com/aec/2012/05/get-primitive-from-solid-of-navisworks.html)
- Addin transfers data via IPC to worker.exe
- worker.exe creates a Navisworks document from scratch using NwCreate and reassembles structure, geometry, properties

If you want to write your worker in C# you have to create your own bindings for `nwcreate.dll`, eg. https://gist.github.com/peterhirn/9c241386aecbf45de59256314c2a6372

OTOH the .NET COM interop performance is not great, so I'm now considering rewriting everything in C++, see https://adndevblog.typepad.com/aec/2018/09/get-primitive-from-solid-of-navisworks-by-native-com.html

🤷