Append vs. Merge?

[hwood818]

I'm running Navisworks Simulate 2013.  What is the difference between append and merge?  Which one should I be using?

[dennis]

Depends.

If you are adding more files to the existing (DWGs, RVTs, NWCs) then use append.

If you are combining projects (NWFs), then use merge

[hwood818]

Thank you for your reply.  So why would I append a NWC vs. a DWG?  Currently I have all of the 3d model DWG files appended into one NWF project file, but I’m questioning whether that is the correct way to set it up.  Does the NWC update as the DWG changes or is it a snapshot in time from when it was created?

[dgorsman · Accepted solution]

Some programs cannot be read directly, but they can export an NWC.  For DWG files, I'd read them directly unless your work process calls for deliberately exporting NWC files.

Merge checks for duplicates during loading ie. the file has already been loaded.  When files are appended and multiple nested DWGs are present (for example), you can end up with mulitple, overlapping instances of the same objects, which makes for problems when rendering and clashing.

[hwood818]

If that is the case then it looks like I should merge instead of append.  If anyone happens to leave xrefs attached or overlayed in their individual models, then they won't come into the Navis file twice.  Am I understanding that right? Is there a difference between xrefs that are overlayed or attached as far as how Navis treats them?

[dgorsman]

Overlay or attach doesn't matter, just that they are loaded.  If you want to build your NWF's explicitly, you can set the options to ignore XREFs entirely.

[hwood818]

I didn't know that ignoring xrefs was an option.  That must have come out recently.  Always fun to learn something new!

[smbrennan]

I know I started ignoring xrefs in the 2013 version. It's in the OPTIONS under File Readers for DWGs.

[Anonymous]

I´m using 2015 version, and when im appending different format files, they just disappear, but they are shown as loaded in the search or selection tree, Du you have any Idea why is that happening?

[hwood818]

The first thing I would try is looking at the units of the file to make sure they match what is already in the navis file. In the selection tree, right click on the file and go to units and transform.

[Ning_Zhou]

what if already used Append and you want to kind of "clean up"?

[mathewx.greenwood]

Your response is comparing apples and oranges.
To me files and projects are the same thing.
Be more specific