Export to 3D AutoCAD

[breck.baird]

For the project I am working on we need to provide one of the consultants a 3D AutoCAD file. This 3D ACAD file will be used to coordinate with the other disciplines in a program called Navisworks. When I export to DWG format the size of the file is over 25MB. Does anyone know of a way to reduce this to a size that can be sent by email (either when exporting from Revit Architecture 2008 or afterwards in ACAD)? Has anyone worked with Navisworks before and know if it can accept the DWF file format (which does make the exported file much smaller)? Thanks.

[Justin Marchiel]

you can't import the geometry from a dwf into any other format. it is kind of like a pdf, or a picture of you model. there are not too many ways to reduce the fill size of the cadd file, so what you see is what you get. if you have autocadd you could try purging, and using the overkill command, but i would suspect that the file wont get much smaller.

time to invest in an ftp site.

Justin

[breck.baird]

If we could use the FTP site you are right Justin, this would not be an issue. Unfortunately, there are legal reasons why we cannot use our FTP site for this particular file transfer (call it bureaucratic red-tape if you want). I have already tried purging in ACAD, but Revit produced a pretty clean DWG file to begin with. And, the overkill command made a negligible impact. Thanks anyway though.

[dhurtubise]

you could try setting up an export using a few different VG. They can then be linked using xref (or even bind)

[Joef]

I doubt if it will ever get small enough to email. I would instead look for ways of mailing large files. A bit of internet research will uncover many solutions, such as splitting it into parts with a program like Winrar and emailing it.

Joe

[dhurtubise]

It wont get smaller but at least you will be able to email in several emails

[Scott D Davis]

Has anyone worked with Navisworks before and know if it can accept the DWF file format (which does make the exported file much smaller)? Thanks.

Navisworks (now an Autodesk product) has a plug-in tool for Revit which will export a Revit project as a NavisWorks Cache file (NWC file format) that can be opened by Navisworks Roamer.

Instead of trying to send the larger DWG file, export the NWC file and send that. NWC files are very small, lightweight files.

[tomnewsom]

Navisworks (now an Autodesk product) has a plug-in tool for Revit which will export a Revit project as a NavisWorks Cache file (NWC file format) that can be opened by Navisworks Roamer.

Instead of trying to send the larger DWG file, export the NWC file and send that. NWC files are very small, lightweight files.
That requires buying Jetsream Publisher, which is not cheap.

I'm afraid this is the filesize you're stuck with, in my experience. You need to arrange a way of exchanging large files.

[Scott D Davis]

That requires buying Jetsream Publisher, which is not cheap.

I'm afraid this is the filesize you're stuck with, in my experience. You need to arrange a way of exchanging large files.

If there is a relationship there with a group that is asking to share files using Navisworks, it probably makes sense to buy a copy of Navisworks to produce NWC files, as well as all the other benefits of Navisworks, including walkthroughs, rendering, collision detection, 4D animations, etc.