New to Navisworks, looking for a explanation

[chris]

Hey, sorry for the strange question, but what is Navisworks? We received a Navisworks file that I'm looking at with navisworks manage 2025, but I don't see anyway to create any geo? It appears that Navisworks is just a glorified viewer? I'm an Inventor user, and we are trying to design some piping tie-ins and tank locations for our clients. what I really need this to import what I see in Navisworks into Inventor, so I can create the connections and get the layout, does Navisworks talk to Inventor or is there something other than Navisworks that we should ask the client for?

My question is, what was the Navidworks file created from? What is that standard workflow? Is a Navisworks file basically a .pdf of sorts from something like Plant 3D?

[Tomislav.Golubovic]

Its a viewer, with a few other functions, but not a drafting tool. As for what it was created from, you'd have to ask the original author, it could be AutoCAD, Plant3D, Revit, etc etc.

[alan.johnson7YLND]

Yes Navisworks is a viewer, more importantly its a collaboration tool. You can bring together multiple files from various software (Revit, AutoCAD, Inventor, Plant3D etc...). You can then clash check, run timelines and basically interrogate the combined Navisworks file set.

As @Tomislav.Golubovic said there is no drafting or modelling in Navisworks. Also there are very few output options.

You will need to find out what software the client is using to see if there is a workflow from what they are using into Inventor. There is no direct import file type that allows importing Navisworks files into Inventor but it is possible to use 3ds Max as an intermediate translator:

1. In Navisworks Manage or Simulate, on the Output ribbon click FBX.
2. In the FBX Options dialog box, adjust the settings as desired and click OK.
3. In the Export dialog box, browse to the destination folder and enter a file name > Save.
4. In 3ds Max click, File > Import > Import...
5. In the Select File to Import dialog box, navigate to the saved FBX file.
6. Click File > Export > Export...
7. In the Select File to Export dialog box, change the Save as type to ACIS SAT (*sat) or StereoLitho (*stl).
8. Navigate to the destination folder and enter a file name > Save.
9. In Inventor > File > Open.
10. In the Open dialog box, navigate to the exported SAT or STL file > Open.