Navisworks to Revit Workflow?

[YZhuang_Spectech]

Good afternoon (or morning/night) Revit Community,

Recently, we have come across an issue where all disciplines submitted their Revit Models, and clash detection was run on them. The resulting files came back to us as a bunch of pictures which showed a clash between 2 objects, but didn't show where those objects where (20 floor building, couldn't tell the floor it was on, and no walls to show me a general area, just 2 objects and where they clashed), and a .nwd file (Navisworks), and this is a software my company doesn't own. I looked high and low for a way to be able to import the .nwd file into my Revit Model so that I could directly locate the areas of concern, but to my surprise, there was nothing to be found. 

Does anyone here have a particular workflow process that they follow in order to link/import a .nwd clash detection model into their Revit file? I cannot seem to find any additional information online other than people who have tried and failed back in 2010-2012. I'm hoping that with advancements in the technology, we were able to work around it by now?

Thank you in advance for any and all help given, it is much appreciated,

Rob

[ToanDN]

I don't think you can. Your bets bet is get a trial version of Navisworks. You can also ask the author of the clash detection folks to give you a mode detailed report. I remember it is in the form of a spreadsheet with clash information including location and description (some maybe manually entered). The pictures are just the snapshot of the area.

[YZhuang_Spectech]

Hello,

I've actually heard that there is a way (albeit a complex way) to add a Navisworks file overlay to your Revit Model via Dynamo. I for one am not familiar with Dynamo at all, but I'd be willing to take on a tutorial about it if anyone would point me in the direction of one for this problem im having.

Thanks in advance for any help, or theories anyone has!

Rob

[Anonymous]

Hi @YZhuang_Spectech,

this is the direction I would follow.

https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/clash-detection-extraction/4746

https://forum.dynamobim.com/t/dynamo-and-navisworks/3517

https://dynamonodes.com/2016/07/13/revit-element-clash-detection-v1/

There is also the switchback functionality in Naviswrorks, and ther eis the possibility to edit properties coming with the report of Clashes in Navisworks within the Quickproperties in the Options - Interface - Quick Properties - Definition.

Hope it helps

Nicola Ianeselli
BIM Manager

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Infraworks Ambassador

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[Alfredo_Medina]

There are 2 solutions, one cheap, one expensive.

Cheap solution: ask the person who provided you with the clash detection report to include the location of each clash (basically, grid lines numbers and level). This does not mean additional effort for them. It's an option of the HTML report. 

Expensive solution: get Navisworks Manage, and add the Switchback add in. Please refer to this video to see how it works:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhPCx5GJTFk

[YZhuang_Spectech · Accepted solution]

Hey Everyone,

So after lots of searching, I have finally come to a fully working FREE solution - Dynamo.

Process has been simple once the script is created. This is now the process I follow to obtain all the clash information I need right within Revit

1) Open project and Dynamo

2) Open my script

3) Plug in the .xml file from Navisworks to 1 node (found in the left blue box on the script)

4) Plug in the family that I want placed at each clash (found in the right blue box on the script) - I created a transparent sphere for this family

5) Press 'Run' in Dynamo

VOILA! I go back to Revit, and I now have that transparent sphere placed at every single clash in the model (as per the .xml file Navisworks gives you). I can now schedule this sphere with the following information (Clash name/Element ID/Grid Lines/Level its on/etc), and I can click on one of these (lets say Clash1), press highlight in model, and it brings me right to the view! I have saved myself hours of time!! Pictures of my working script, before running script, and after running script are below 🙂 The pictures of before and after are just a test model to show the capabilities of the script:

Lots of hard work to get this script up and running 100%, lots of hair pulling moments when there were errors everywhere. But BOY OH BOY wasnt it ever worth it. Will save 10s of hours per clash detection project we have now. Can locate clashes via a schedule, and get to fixing them quicker.

[tech3design]

Where do I get a copy of your script?

[Anonymous]

Hi Rob,

Thank you for your incredibly helpful tips on imputing clashes into Revit! Would it be possible if you could kindly forward your dynamo file to me? I've been working on my dynamo script for days, and still couldn't be able to get it to work. My email is reginald.h.wang@gmail.com.

Best,

Reggie

[satnam_singh3KP2U]

Hi Rob,

Would you mind sharing your dynamo script copy with us? Can you please send it to satnam@igs.com.au 

TIA