topic Re: Batch utility append input files in Navisworks Forum

Batch utility append input files

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Oct 2017 07:49:56 GMT

hi,
I want with a single command combine together only some .nwd in a folder and assign to each one a defined different name.
Below an example to make it clear

In folder i have
A.nwd,B.nwd,C.nwd,D.nwd,

I know is possible to
create a single .nwd output "A+B+c+d.nwd" (appendING together A.nwd ,B.nwd C.nwd D.nwd)

but is it possible to complete the task below in a single command ?
create "A+B.nwd" (appending together A.nwd and B.nwd)
create "C+D.nwd" (appending together C.nwd and D.nwd)

any help much appreciated
Max

Re: Batch utility append input files

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Oct 2017 10:13:25 GMT

Hi Max, at our office we are doing so extinsively. You can use the batch utility of Navisworks from the command line. This gives you the opportunity to schedule a batch in the task scheduler. The command line options can read a text file where every file you want to incorporate in a single nwd file can be listed. At our office we have automated this listing based on the directory contents for a specific file type. For example; we have a lot of ifc files from Tekla, but we do not know how much or how they have been named. We list the files based on the ifc type in a text file and run it with the batch utility via the command line. We do the same for the PDMS files (rvm) and we end up with two nwd files. one for Tekla contents and one for PDMS contents. Via the same procedure we create a single project nwd file containng the Tekla and PDMS nwd. If I understood you correctly, this seems to be what you aksed. Kind regards John Verboven

Re: Batch utility append input files

Anonymous — Mon, 23 Oct 2017 14:19:40 GMT

Hi John,Thank you to be in touch
Please find attached above an example of what I need to do.

create 2 separated combined model with a+b and b+c

I followed the instruction on the link below and is working to create a single .nwd
https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/navisworks-products/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2017/ENU/Navisworks-Manage/files/GUID-14B017E2-B4A2-432F-8C2D-1F1856EECB8E-htm.html

I’m struggling to create multiple combined .nwd from a single source“filetools.txt” .
How can I assign to each one a defined name?

Thanks
Max

Re: Batch utility append input files

Anonymous — Mon, 23 Oct 2017 16:26:40 GMT

Hi Max,

You were in the rigth direction, but don't use the FileToolsGui.exe as this does not give you the required result.

You need to run the FileToolsTaskRunner.exe from the command line via a batch file which you can schedule.

Make sure you have a plain text file with a for you recognizable name in which the path and file names of the nwd files you want to convert are listed below each-other without quotes. I have tried the next option at my own computer and this works fine.

Asumed that the nwd files (A.nwd, B.nwd and C.nwd) are located in C:\Temp\Combine

Create the first text file named Combine_A_and_B.txt which should contain the following (without quotes):

C:\Temp\Combine\A.nwd

C:\Temp\Combine\B.nwd

Then create the second text file called Combine_B_and_C.txt which should contain the following (without quotes):

C:\Temp\Combine\B.nwd

C:\Temp\Combine\C.nwd

Then create a bat file called Combine_A_and_B.bat which should contain the following (with quotes):

"C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Navisworks Manage 2016\FileToolsTaskRunner.exe" /i "C:\temp\Combine\Combine_A_and_B.txt" /of "C:\temp\Combine\Combined_A_and_B.nwd"

Then create a bat file called Combine_B_and_C.bat which should contain the following(with quotes):

"C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Navisworks Manage 2016\FileToolsTaskRunner.exe" /i "C:\temp\Combine\Combine_B_and_C.txt" /of "C:\temp\Combine\Combined_B_and_C.nwd"

The chosen names and paths or used Navisworks version are arbitrary of course and will probebly divert from your real paths and names.

The bat files can easily be scheduled via the Windows task scheduler or you can run them manually when required.

This is obviously not limited to only two files or nwd files. At our office I have been using this construction (and others) to my full satisfaction with loads of files in a directory from all kind of types and different applications which were changing constantly in names and number of files.

Also the used command line options are not limited to the ones I have used, but I just tried to keep it simple for your understanding.

If you still don't manage to get it working, please let me know your mail or ftp site so I can send you my examples.

Many luck with the issue and let me know if it is working.

Kind Regards John

Re: Batch utility append input files

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 09:28:45 GMT

Thank you for the help John,
What I'm looking now is to combine with a single bat the creation of "Combined_A_and_B.nwd" and "Combined_B_and_C.nwd".
Is this possible?

Re: Batch utility append input files

Patrick_Aps_9121 — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 13:13:55 GMT

Sure, just create a 3rd TXT file and add a new line with the right taskrunner.exe options to your batch file.

Re: Batch utility append input files

Anonymous — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 07:17:45 GMT

Hi
Yes a 3rd txt calling all the other but I still have to create multiple .txt for each combined model ..

Re: Batch utility append input files

Patrick_Aps_9121 — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 10:02:09 GMT

That is depending on how you want the tree to be in the final NWD.

If you want

A.NWD

B.NWD

C.NWD

D.NWD

on the same level, then everything can be done with one TXT file that contains 4 lines

If you want a tree structure like

A+B

+-> A

-> B

C+D

+-> C

-> D

(trying to mimic a selection tree with ascii charaters here)

then you need 3 TXT files

on for A+B, one for C+D and a 3rd for (A+B) + (C+D).

Re: Batch utility append input files

Anonymous — Thu, 26 Oct 2017 08:29:45 GMT

All right I assume is not possible manage different output name in one .txt
Thanks all for the contribution