topic Re: Materials from imported FBX disappears in Navisworks Forum

Materials from imported FBX disappears

pozhidaevdn — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 09:36:35 GMT

Hello!

I created a model in Navisworks and added FBX file with coverages (exported from Infraworks) into it.

All fine all colors are here. Model was saved and closed.

After hollidays I reopened this model (NWF format) and all my colors becomes white.

In Autodesk Rednering - Materials i have many materials with name "material". They all was made automaticaly during import of FBX. They all using an image file.

All images was created and saved in TEMP directory, so after TEMP was cleaned (again automaticaly by windows) all these images vanished and now they all works like a simple white color.

So, the only workaround i see is to copy all images from TEMP to any other stable directory and reassign all materials. But i allways have 200+ materials for each model and this will be to much work.

Is there any other way to create a stable materials after FBX import in Navisworks?

Re: Materials from imported FBX disappears

georg.grebenyuk — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 23:13:19 GMT

Hello, @pozhidaevdn

As I know, when you export your FBX from InfraWorks you can save your textures near with file (in one folder) and in Navis's properties there is one checkbox - Use "Autodesk materials" or similar positions ... also you can save your model from InfraWorks in NWD, because if you will using NFW - you would rebuilding your model again every start that NWF (I'll advice you used version of Navisworks equal as InfraWorks (to Navis can read materials of FBX correctly)).

As I understand that Navis save materials at %TEMP% folder and after next start program you lose all textures - may be you really when export FBX from InfraWorks don't press checkbox at Export parameters (and selected export one large file). Please, add some info too - what type of exporting did you used ?

Re: Materials from imported FBX disappears

pozhidaevdn — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 13:20:42 GMT

Thanks for reply!

No folders with textures creates when anything exported from IW. There is only additional text file with coordinates.

After importing FBX file in Navis folder appears with name(fbxname).fbm and with textures inside, but Navis still using TEMP files.

About export to NWD there is no way to export from IW to NWD directly (atleast not me nor internet knows it).

Creating NWDs from every FBX is a way but it makes hard to update these files, so i wish to find a way witout additional files.

I tried export with check boxes about materials on and off and about large files on/of and different combinations of this checkboxes, still same results.

Re: Materials from imported FBX disappears

lucas_andradeRT86B — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 11:36:32 GMT

Hello, @pozhidaevdn,

Have you found any solution to this matter?

I'm facing the same problem. At first, I create an nwd as an coordination model, and works well. But, when I send to the client, it loses all the images from the fbx file.

Regards,