Publishing an NWD with Embedded Properties - Processing time?

[daniel.cahalarn]

I have a large NWD file (700mb) with an SQL connection to bring external properties into the model.

The connection works fine, I can see the data in the additional tabs instantly.  IN order to make the model work efficiently I now need to publish the NWD with embedded properties.

My question is why can this take >24 hours when you can see the data immediately?  I appreciate that the data has to be stored within the NWD but the time it takes to process and save is extreme!

Has anyone found a workaround or API that could improve the process?

If I could get the model as broken down NWF's or RVM's (60mb files) could I publish to each of them separately and then join them together into a master NWD and still have all the embedded data from each of the separate files?

Thanks

Daniel

[Patrick_Aps_9121]

I can only answer the last question.

Yes, if you have several smaller NWD's with embedded properties,

then you could create a new "recombine.NWF", append all those NWD's into that and use that to create the overall NWD.

[daniel.cahalarn]

Patrick,

Do you know of a way I can export from Navisworks (NWD) and open in another solution (AutoCAD / Revit) and then break the original NWD down into smaller files?

I know is slightly off topic but just thought I would ask!

Thanks in advance

Daniel

[Patrick_Aps_9121]

Autocad, Revit and Inventor can, starting from versions 2016, use NWD files as References.

In Autocad, you can attach them as "collaboration model"

Then you might be able to hide parts of the NWD.

Breaking down is only possible in an NWF with Simulate. There you need to delete the models in the Selection Tree and then use save as.

Items that are in an NWD, will stay in an NWD, even when you try to edit the NWD with Simulate.

[dgorsman]

Yup.  If you're going to federate NWDs rather than live models, you need to do so from the start, not from an existing NWD.  Typically this is done by automatically publishing NWDs from individual models on a regular basis (hourly, overnight, etc.).  Then those NWD files are available for review via the federated NWF as well as other operations like embedding additional data.

Time required for adding properties (without a custom file reader plug-in) is an exponential curve - double the number of objects, more than double the time required; halve the number of objects, less than half the time required.  So it's best to set up processing groups as small as practical.

[daniel.cahalarn]

is it possible within the data tools script to isolate paths on the selection tree for the embedding process?  this would potentially save an enormous amount of time?

[dgorsman]

Not within the OOTB Data Tools, no.  You'd have to write your own plug-in to add the properties, in which case it would be best to remove the Data Tools links to prevent duplication.

[daniel.cahalarn]

do you know of any available plugins that already do this?