NavisWorks nwf reloading all dwgs (including unmodified)

[howardjosh]

dude I'm pretty much tapped I don't have a clue.... and right now I don't have access to navis else I would poke around.

[cjehly]

I run Navis and CAD in 2 diffferent windows as well. I publish NWC's (which takes about the same amount of time as a DWG SAVE) whenever I want to update the Navis file; this comes down to roughly 20 times a day on average. This would equal a DWG SAVE every 24 minutes, with how you currently have your NWF's built out now.

[garth.buckingham]

I run Navis and CAD in 2 diffferent windows as well. I publish NWC's (which takes about the same amount of time as a DWG SAVE) whenever I want to update the Navis file; this comes down to roughly 20 times a day on average. This would equal a DWG SAVE every 24 minutes, with how you currently have your NWF's built out now.

I really appreciate your input, our IT got a response from AutoCAD that basically said they understand it doesn't work but it might someday. So until that day I think we will be using your suggested method. When you publish do you use nwcout? If so is there a way to get it to not prompt for a location to save or if you want to overwrite? Should we be using a script for the export? Also do you simply append all the nwc's into a nwf? Thanks again for your time.

[cjehly]

Ya, I use NWCOUT (NWC is my command alias). I also write to the default directory (where the drawing sits), so when the dialog box comes up, I just hit enter to accept.

You can likewise use Scriptpro to batch all of your files at night before you leave, and I've HEARD of people setting it up in Windows Scheduler to run every night.

To build your NWF, just open one of the NWC's, and start appending the other files from their default location.

[garth.buckingham]

We attempted the the ncwout approach but it didn't work for us. After multiple people start using the nwc's they become locked and can't be overwritten (close nwc on load is checked) Also Bentley constantly switches the export options back to 2009 and automatic instead of 2008 and shaded, therefore everything comes in wireframe. I think we have exhausted all options, we now save an NWD twice a day and append the dwg we are working on to it. Its not a live model but it looks like its the closest we will get. Why is nobody else with multiple users on a network not having this problem??

[howardjosh]

After multiple people start using the nwc's they become locked and can't be overwritten (close nwc on load is checked)

I don't really see how that is possible.... but there is a bug in the navisworks export commands that sometimes leave the command partially open. I wonder if it is also leaving the nwc/nwd open as well. It isn't a constant bug, but once it affects a dwg that is open there isn't anything you can do except close the dwg and re-open it.

the symptom of this problem is qsave and saveas both don't work anymore. If you used my lisp bypass for this you may want to get rid of the part that uses ".save" and make it a qsave or saveas so when the bug has triggered the user will become aware of it.

[cjehly]

We attempted the the ncwout approach but it didn't work for us. After multiple people start using the nwc's they become locked and can't be overwritten (close nwc on load is checked) Also Bentley constantly switches the export options back to 2009 and automatic instead of 2008 and shaded, therefore everything comes in wireframe. I think we have exhausted all options, we now save an NWD twice a day and append the dwg we are working on to it. Its not a live model but it looks like its the closest we will get. Why is nobody else with multiple users on a network not having this problem??

that sounds like a user-permission problem to me. I have not had problems with NWC's getting locked out unless "someone" doesn't have their local navis config set correctly.

[garth.buckingham]

that sounds like a user-permission problem to me. I have not had problems with NWC's getting locked out unless "someone" doesn't have their local navis config set correctly.

How many people are working in the model at any one time in your office? Sometimes we can use nwcout for a couple hours, sometimes 15min... and we have seen the nwc's stay locked until the dwg is closed.

Settings have been changed across the board, but files still randomly lock, then there are people from every floor trying to figure out why they cant export anymore. Between that and Bentley fliping export options back to default every time we have decided that we are out of options and will just need to wait for a release that works properly for us.

[howardjosh]

Sometimes we can use nwcout for a couple hours, sometimes 15min...

I'm still not saying it is the problem, and I don't have a solution, but this erratic time interval does suggest the same bug that effects saves by leaving a command partially open in autocad. I read something a while back that just opening up a new drawing would also clear this error. You might investigate finding some other less time consuming way to refresh the document manager aspect of autocad as a possible fix.

next time it happens have everyone open another drawing to see if it clears the error. If that doesn't clear it then don't waste your time. Because its probably an entirely different bug or I was fed a line of BS and did a good job eating it up.

[mark.182055]

Understand that this is only my theory...
Your users all have different setting in Navis...
If one user were to export his settings and everyone else import that set, then Navis would not have to rebuild the NWC every time it is refreshed..
If users all have different settings, then Navis ends up re-creating the NWC to conform to the current users' settings as the previous user might not have had lines converted and this user wants them etc...
Try with 2 users - make sure setting are 100% identical and see if this happens...
When our office has people with different preferences, we have the complete refresh issue... When we are all synchronized (so to speak), no issue...