All model elements change ID

[rsloyer]

While I'm sure this is an issue on my modeler's end, I'm experiencing the ramifications in Navisworks so am asking here.

Our fire protection subcontractor is modeling in (I believe) AutoCAD 2010. Every single time he gives me a new model, every single element is new. Which means that all of the clashes with fire protection show up outside of the groups I had previously created, and all of those groups show up as resolved. I then have to go around trying to push everything back into the group from whence it came in order to retain the comments and assignments, and once I purge resolved the comments vanish anyway. I'm assuming this is because every model he gives me has a whole new collection of model element IDs.

Is there some better way to do this in Navisworks? Something I can tell him to do on his end to make this stop happening? Currently he's sending me his own NWC file, would having him send me the DWG help? I have 20 floors to go on a very complex coordination and I can't keep doing this every single time.

[bwilliams711941]

I've got this same problem with Fire Protection on a $135m hospital. I get a DWG file from my guy and as soon as I update the model, all of my FP clash groupings, comments, assignments, etc. are gone. Every time. My FP guy is using HydraCAD, which is basically an extension for AutoCAD. I've done a lot of research and he's reached out to the software vendor describing the problem. At this time, there's nothing anybody can do. It really sucks.

If you figure something out, I'd love to hear about it.

-Brooks

[rsloyer]

Checked with our guy, and HydraCAD is the issue here too. Checked with my other sub who I've never had a problem with, and he's using Autosprink VR. I am going to work on getting our subcontract changed going forward to ban HydraCAD since I would make the argument that it's not a BIM program if it can't maintain element IDs.

[bwilliams711941]

I actually spoke with the developers of HydraCAD yesterday and they're working to resolve the issue. They didn't give me a timeline and I wouldn't expect the resolution to hit the street anytime soon, but at least they understand the issue and have a plan to fix it. You may just want to ban versions of HydraCAD before whatever release fixes the element ID issue.

[pauljordan]

I actually spoke with the developers of HydraCAD yesterday and they're working to resolve the issue. They didn't give me a timeline and I wouldn't expect the resolution to hit the street anytime soon, but at least they understand the issue and have a plan to fix it. You may just want to ban versions of HydraCAD before whatever release fixes the element ID issue.

Does HydraCad have Object Enablers for both Autocad AND NavisWorks? I've seen a program called FabCadPro that was used that required us to load enablers for Autocad MEP, open the drawings from that contractor, save the drawings, then load enablers into NavisWorks before it would make round ducts round and not rectangular.. Or Vice Versa.. Can't remember which now..

Telling a contractor they can't use a certain product might get you into trouble. Usually your requirements can only say "Must be .dwg compatible." or something along those lines. Even working with Revit these days, I still don't think the industry is up to the standard where everyone is using Revit as thier design software.. Especially those crazy Fire Sprinkler guys..

[rsloyer]

Telling a contractor they can't use a certain product might get you into trouble.

It's all in how you word it. I should be able to tell them specifically "you can't use this", but I prefer to address the symptom anyway to make sure I don't get surprised by another trade with the same problem. We already require that they produce files capable of being opened in Navisworks Manage version XYZ, so all I have to do is append that requirement such that their software also creates model elements with unique, static, GUID/model element ID and I'm good.