Installation of 2021 plugin different from 2020, 2019 & 2018

[shayne.kiekebosch]

Hi,

We have a plugin that works for Navisworks 2020, 2019 & 2018. When we install the plugin it places the .bundle folder in C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins. The .bundle folder has the correct heirarchy like this:

name.bundle

• PackageContents.xml
• Contents
  • v14
    • All relevant .dlls for 2018
  • v15
    • All relevant .dlls for 2019
  • v16
    • All relevant .dlls for 2020

All I do to get the relevant .dlls for each version is change the references to that versions .dlls. I get the .dlls from the installation location of that version of Navisworks, so all I did for version 2021 was reference the .dlls from the 2021 installation location. It builds as normal and once I place the .dlls into a newly created v17 folder it doesn't appear in Navisworks anymore. I also modify PackageContents.xml to include the new v17 (2021). 

I assume I just need to increment the numbers for folders etc. like v17, SeriesMin="Nw18" and that they haven't changed the versioning system?

I also tried moving our built .dll to C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Navisworks Manage 2021\Plugins\name\name.dll but it still didn't appear.

I also installed a plugin from the Autodesk plugins that worked for 2021 but that plugin went to C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Navisworks Manage 2021\Plugins which is a bit different from where ours sits.

Potential relevant information:

• Navisworks 2018, 2019, 2020 & 2021 (2021 key version)
• Visual studio 2015
  • .NET Framework 4.7.1
  • Completely written in C#
• Windows 10 64-bit v1909 OS-build 18363.778
• Referenced .dlls
  • AdWindows
  • Autodesk.Navisworks.Api
  • Autodesk.Navisworks.ComApi
  • Autodesk.Navisworks.Interop.ComApi
  • navisworks.gui.roamer

Let me know if anyone needs any more information. Any help is greatly appreciated!

[shayne.kiekebosch · Accepted solution]

Answering my own question in case anyone else runs into this. 

I did the same thing for our Revit plugin but when I went to build the Revit plugin it complained about the .NET version. So I upgraded the version from 4.7.1 to 4.8, built it and it worked.

The Navisworks plugin built fine without any complaints, it just opened Navisworks without any error or anything. So I then upgraded the .NET version to 4.8 too and now it works!

It would have been nice to be notified that it needed the newer version or a pop-up/error in Navisworks stating the .NET version was too low or something.

[alexisDVJML]

Thanks for sharing the solution, that will save us a lot of headaches.

Since you have rebuilt your plugin for NW2021, did you notice any differences in terms of API (additions, changes, behaviour changes, performance) ?

[shayne.kiekebosch]

Hi @alexisDVJML,

Our 2021 plugin works the same as it does for our earlier versioned plugins. I didn't really have a deeper look into any API changes sorry.

The core of our plugin involves checking for a specific item, moving and hiding items and then exporting as a FBX. Hope that helps!

[marcus.dionne]

Hey, thanks for sharing. I've updated the framework but unfortunately still don't see my plugin in Navisworks 2021. Which directory and file structure in required? Similar to 2020? 

C:\Autodesk\Navisworks Manage 20xx\Plugins\pluginName\pluginName.dll

Or 

C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins

Thanks