Updating a model - saving viewponts

[anthony.foster-davis]

So my company is trying to develop a Facilities Management model using Navisworks. Our plan is to create a couple of viewpoints in every room of the building. There are over 600 rooms and I will be hiding all objects not related to the specific room as well as using the sectioning tool to save these viewpoints of the rooms, both exterior and interior viewpoints. Considering this will be a fairly labor intensive process, we want to get started on the existing model we have received and then be able to update this model with the As-built model that we will receive at the tail end of construction. Is there a way to make this happen without losing my saved viewpoints?
Thanks,

[RobertB]

Attach the current model in a new file, rather than directly editing the current model. Create/manage your viewpoints in that host file. When the finalized model arrives, just make sure it has the same name and folder location as the current model. Your host file will be fine.

[anthony.foster-davis]

Just to clarify... The new model is the Revit model that should have the same name as the Navisworks model? If that is the case, what if I am receiving various models of different file types? I will need to append those models into the Navisworks model, will this still work, or should I be linking those models into the Revit model then? Does it matter if I am in an NWD or NWF file.
I'm just not too familiar with this updating process, are ther any instructions in the user manual that will guide me through thte process? Any guidance will be useful.

Thanks Robert,

[RobertB]

No. Let's assume the current model is called "Building A.nwf".

Start Navisworks.
Use the menu item File, New. (To insure a blank file)
Use the menu item File, Append... and select "Building A.nwf"
Use the menu item File, Save As... and save the new model as "Building A's FM Model"
Create/save your viewpoints in this "Building A's FM Model.nwf"

Sometime in the future you will get a new model from your source(s). Make sure it's name is "Building A.nwf" and simply overwrite the obsolete file.

Open "Building A's FM Model.nwf" and the linked model will be updated while maintaining your viewpoints.

P.S. A tip: organize your viewpoints under their own folder in the interface. Otherwise, it will be difficult to work with the viewpoints, especially if your source(s) are not very sophisticated. Linked file viewpoints all share the same interface, so any viewports created by others in the root will all glom together at the root. <blech>

[Tyveka]

Not to threadjack or anything but I am curious - how are you planning to use the model overall for FM and how will having snapshots of each room as saved viewpoints help for FM? Are you thinking of providing it so they don't need a set of plans, instead they want to see Classroom 101 (or whatever) so they pick on the saved viewpoint to see Classroom 101?

Thanks a lot, we're trying to find the best way to leverage the coordinated model for FM as well.

[ndar]

Gentlemen,
may I barge in to this thread. We have extensive experience in using NW files (in conjunction w databases, 2D drawings and other miscellaneuos inforamtion of various formats), during and following construction (mostly of cruise ships, whicha re in essence very complex bulidings).
We developed a GUI for this, which directly manages NW etc. files, but also includes monitoring and control of equipment, sensors, CCTV, etc.
One note about on-going reconciliation of design and as-built data : use nwf files as much as possible, and nwd files covering as little topology as possible (ex one file per room). This way you can preserve your NW environment (sections, viewpoints, etc.) and simply replace the nwd files with the as-built version as they come available.
nick
ndar@ndar.com

[ian.205287]

Not to threadjack or anything but I am curious - how are you planning to use the model overall for FM and how will having snapshots of each room as saved viewpoints help for FM? Are you thinking of providing it so they don't need a set of plans, instead they want to see Classroom 101 (or whatever) so they pick on the saved viewpoint to see Classroom 101?

Thanks a lot, we're trying to find the best way to leverage the coordinated model for FM as well.

Just to be boring, Artra is an off-the-shelf package that does this kind of thing already It is generally quicker and cheaper to buy rather than start again.

[anthony.foster-davis]

Not to threadjack or anything but I am curious - how are you planning to use the model overall for FM and how will having snapshots of each room as saved viewpoints help for FM? Are you thinking of providing it so they don't need a set of plans, instead they want to see Classroom 101 (or whatever) so they pick on the saved viewpoint to see Classroom 101?

Thanks a lot, we're trying to find the best way to leverage the coordinated model for FM as well.

Yes,
We want to handoff to the client the as-built model with floorplans. The intent is to click on a room you want within the floorplan then the 3D of that room will appear and then they can click on any object within that room which will be linked to a database that contains all the information and reporting tools they need.

[anthony.foster-davis]

Just to be boring, Artra is an off-the-shelf package that does this kind of thing already It is generally quicker and cheaper to buy rather than start again.

We have looked into Artra, seems like a good system. However, the user interface is a bit complex for the end user for FM. They said they can simplify the UI, but they won't do it until we make the purchase.
Another one we are looking at is Profox. This apeears to be a winner.

[Wanderer]

One note about on-going reconciliation of design and as-built data : use nwf files as much as possible, and nwd files covering as little topology as possible (ex one file per room). This way you can preserve your NW environment (sections, viewpoints, etc.) and simply replace the nwd files with the as-built version as they come available.
nick
ndar@ndar.com

Sorry to bring up an old thread, but, I am really curious about this. It sounds a fascinating and fairly simple method for keeping keeping a model up to date (which most workflows I've read do not account for).

My question is this: who is creating the nwd files during the renovations? Does the client purchase Navisworks and have their contracts specify that renovations will be submitted in this manner?