navisworksvuefilereadernotesforversion1200

7/24/2019 NavisworksVUEFileReaderNotesForVersion1200

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InstructionsandnotesforProjectVUEViewingFileReader

Version1.2.0.0

Thanksforjoiningtheproject.Herearesomeinstallationinstructionsalongwithsometipstohelpyou

get

good

results

from

the

Navisworks

VUE

File

Reader.

First,arequest

Pleasegiveusyourfeedback.YoucaneitherpostcommentsontheLabsforumorsendusprivateemail

[email protected].

Wereallyappreciateyourinput!

BeforeinstallingtheupdatedVUEFileReader

TheVUEFileReaderworkswithNavisworksManageorNavisworksSimulateversions2015or2016.If

youreusing

Navisworks

Manage

2015

you

should

also

have

Service

Packs

2and

3installed.

Navisworksisa64bitapplicationandmustusethe64bitMicrosoftAccessDatabaseEnginetoreadthe

SmartPlant3DMDB2modelpropertiesfiles.TheVUEFileReaderinstallerincludesthe2010versionof

thatdatabaseengineandwilltrytoinstallitifneeded.

Important:Ifyouarerunning32bitMicrosoftOfficeproductsthenthe64bitMicrosoftAccess

DatabaseEnginewontwork,andtheVUEFileReaderwontbeabletoretrieveanddisplayany

properties/attributesfromthe.mdb2files.Insuchcasesyouwillneedtofirstuninstallthe32bitMS

Officeproductsandreplacethemwith64bitMSOffice.Sorry,thatsjusthowMicrosoftmadethose

tools.

ToinstalltheVUEFileReader

ManuallyuninstallanypriorversionoftheVUEFileReader.

DownloadandunzipthecontentsofthenewVUEFileReadersinstaller.

RuntheSetup.exetoinstallthenewVUEFileReader.

TestthenewVUEFileReaderinNavisworksandprovidegreatfeedback!

SomegeneralnotesabouttheVUEFileReader

TheVUEFileReaderaddsafilereadertoNavisworkswhichcanreadSmartPlantReviewmodels.The

FileReader

expects

.VUE

and

.MDB2

file

pairs

having

the

same

base

filename.

The

model

geometry

is

in

theVUEfileandthetextualpropertiesareintheMDB2file(oroptionallyinanXMLfile).TheFileReader

willreadpropertiesfromeithertheMDB2ortheXMLbutcurrentlygivesbetterresultsusingtheMDB2.

Thegeometrywereawareofissupported.Weareusingcyancoloredaxiallyalignedboundingboxesas

placeholdersforanygeometrynotyetsupported.Youshouldseeveryfewifanyofthose.Butitcould

happen.Furtherbelow,thereareinstructionsforhowtofindanyboundingboxes.Ifyoudosee


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boundingboxesorgeometrythatneedsourattention orifyouhaveotherideasforimprovements

pleasepostanoteontheLabsprojectsforumorwriteusanemailusingtheLabsprojectemailaddress

labs.nw.VUE@autodesk.com.Wecantsayiforwhenwelladdsupportforyourcommentsorideas,but

wewillcertainlyconsiderthem.

Weare

seeing

great

file

compression

when

comparing

the

original

SmartPlant

Review

model

files

to

theNavisworksversion.

IttakeslongertoloadVUEfilesinNavisworksthanittakestoopenthesamemodelinoneof

IntergraphsviewerssuchasRevieworFreeview.ButitsworthnotingthatNavisworksisntjustloading

themodel itsconvertingandmergingtheVUEgeometryandtheMDB2propertiesintoNavisworks

ownNWCcachefileformat.Openingthemodelthereafterwillbefast.

Beforeyouloadyourmodel

SmartPlant/Smart3DOnlyplease

TheFileReadersupportsonlySmartPlant3Dcontent.ItdoesnotsupportcontentinVUEfileswhichmay

havebeencreatedusingotherdesigntools,suchasIntergraphPDS,whichmayhavebeenincluded

usingSmartPlantInterop(SPIOP).TheFileReaderwilltrytorecognizethesemodelsanddisplayanalert

messageaboutUnsupportedGeometry.NonSmartPlant3DmodelsarestoredintheVUEfiledifferently

andsupportingthemviaVUEfilesisoutsidethescopeofthisproject.HoweverNavisworksdirectly

supportscontentfrommanyotherdesigntoolsalready.Somodelsfromthoseothertoolscanusuallybe

loadedusingNavisworksAppendfunctionality.

OpeningmultipleVUEfilesallatonce

SmartPlantReview

supports

opening

multiple

files

using

an

SVF

file.

Navisworks

doesnt

use

those.

NavisworkshassimilarfunctionalityviaitsNWFfile.ToloadVUEfilesthefirsttimeyoucanuseeither

OpenorAppend,andthenselectmultiplefilesatonceinthefiledialogbox.Oryoucanoptionallyselect

multipleVUEfilesinWindowsExplorerandthendrag&dropthemontoNavisworks.Eitherway,after

openingtheminNavisworksyoucansavetoanNWFfile.TheNWFfileisareferencepointertooneor

moremodelfiles.Thereafter,whenyouopentheNWFfile,NavisworkswillcheckforupdatestotheVUE

filesandwillreimportthemifneeded.Anymodeloffsets,transforms,colorchanges,etc.madetothe

loadedmodel(s)arestoredintheNWFandwillbereappliedtoanyupdatedVUEfilemodels.

ChoosetokeeporomitWelds

Weveincluded

an

option

which

permits

enabling

or

disabling

the

loading

of

welds.

For

some

companies

thedisplayandpropertiesofweldsmaybeimportant.Forothers,notsomuch.Soweveprovidedan

optiontoloadthemornot.NotloadingthemwillreducethesizeoftheNavisworksmodelfile,andwill

alsoincreasethespeedofimportingthemodel.IfyoupressF12andthengotoFileReaders>VUE,and

choosetheoptiontoHideWeldstheywontbemported.Wehaveseenthisreducetheresultingfilesize

from25to45%.Andwehaveseenloadtimeimprovementsfrom5to75%. Itsyourchoice.


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Workingwithyourmodel

OrderingtheSelectionTree

WhenNavisworksloadsamodelitleavesthingsintheordertheyweregiveninthesourcemodel.This

canmakelookingforthingsintheSelectionTreetedious,especiallywhenyourelookingthrough

hundredsorthousandsofitems.Toremedythis,afterloadingyourmodel(s),youcangetamoreorderly

hierarchyintheNavisworksSelectionTreebysortingit.TosortyourSelectionTreesimplyrightclickon

thetoplevelofitandusethecontextmenuandclickScene>Sort.Thisisaonetimeprocessforeach

loadedmodelandoncethemodelissavedthesortedorderwillremainineffect.

Finding

items

by

Name

in

your

model

YoucanfindanyitemsinyourmodelusingQuickFind(CtrlF)orFindItems(Shift+F3).Itspretty

intuitivesonodetailshere.JustnotethatFindItemsisapowerfulfeaturethatwillpermityoutofilter

forthethingsyourelookingfor.YoucanalsouseQuickFindduringyourtestingtofindany

placeholdergeometry(thecyancoloredaxiallyalignedboundingboxesmentionedearlier).Findthese

byusingeithertheQuickFindintheribbonbarorbypressingCtrlF.Thentypeinboundingbox

withoutthequotes.Afterfindingoneboundingbox(assumingyoudo),youcanfindthenextoneby


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clickingthelightningboltnexttowhereyoutyped,orbyclickingtheFindMorebutton.Youcanalso

chooseSelectSameNameonthetoolbarmenutoselectthemall.

QuickFindandFindItemsontheribbonbar

QuickFindusingtheCtrlFkeystroke

Findingitemsbytheirproperty

NavisworkshasmorethanoneformofSelectionTree.ItcanbetheStandardhierarchybasedone.Orit

canbebasedonProperties.Justchoosewhatyouwantfromthedropdownmenu.

WhenusingthePropertiesversionoftheSelectionTree,youcandrilldownthroughanyproperty,

includingSmartPlant3Dproperties.YoucanusethistolocatemanythingsnotshownintheStandard

SelectionTree,suchasSpools,SystemPath,SystemName,SupportNames,PipingMaterialClasses,and

manyotherthings.


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Note ifyouarenotgoingtousethePropertiesversionoftheSelectionTreeoften,youmaywantto

leavetheSelectionTreesettoStandardwhenyouexitNavisworks.ThiswillpreventNavisworksfrom

takingthetimetoloadthepropertiesallatoncewhenyounextopenthemodel.


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Selectingsomethingfromalistandzoomingtoit

YoucanselectanitemintheSelectionTreeandthenpressyourHomeorPageDownkeytozoomtoitin

themodeldisplay.Iftheobjectisntvisible(perhapshiddenbehindsomethingelse)youcaneasilyorbit

aroundtorevealit.Yourselecteditemwillbethecenterofyourorbitsoyoushouldseeitasyouorbit.

Butifyouneedto,justtapyourHomeorPageDownkeyagaintoensureyourselectedobjectisinyour

view.

Selectingobjectsinthemodeldisplay

Whenpickinganobjectintheview,youllseethatNavisworksdefaultbehavioristoselecttheLast

objectinthemodelhierarchy.YoucanseethisintheSelectionTree.ThisusuallycausesNavisworksto

picksomethingotherthananamedobjectinyourmodel.Youcaneasilychangethisbehaviorbyright

clickinganitemintheview,andthenchoosingSetSelectionResolutiontoFirstObjectonthecontext

menu.Picking

something

thereafter

should

display

SmartPlant

properties

at

aparent

object

level.

This

settingwillremainforsubsequentNavisworkssessionsunlessyouchangeitagain.Notethatifyou

changedtheSelectionResolutiontoFirstObjectbutstilldontgettheexpectedPropertiestodisplay,

thenyoucanusuallypickanelementonelevelbelowthatitemintheSelectionTreeanditsproperties

willbedisplayed.


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DisplayingQuickProperties

NavisworksQuickPropertiesfeaturedisplaysatooltipcontainingoneormorepropertieswhenyou

hoveryourcursoroveragiveniteminthemodel.Youcansettheseupandturnthemon/offusingthe

Options(F12)dialogboxunderInterface>QuickProperties>Definitions.Usethedialogboxtochoose

theSmartPlant

3D

category

and

then

choose

one

or

more

properties

you

want

to

display.

These

settings

willremainforsubsequentNavisworkssessions.Notethatsettingtheseupusingasmallmodelis

quicker,asNavisworkswillparsethewholemodeltoprovideyouwithacompletelistofallpossible

propertiestochoosefrom.

Automaticloadingandupdatingofmodels

YoucanuseNavisworksScripterfunctionalitytoautomaticallyloadoneormoreVUEfilesasthedesign

processprogresses

and

changes

are

made.

This

process

can

even

be

configured

to

run

when

youre

awayfromyourcomputer.ChecktheonlineHelpfordetailsaboutthis.


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ColorsandTransparency

TheVUEFileReaderusespreset(hardcoded)colorsandtransparencyaccordingtoitemtypes.Andin

somecasessuchasforSlabsandforobstructionvolumesandInsulationweaddedtranslucency.

YoucanchangebothcolorsandtransparencyinNavisworksofcourse,andthensavethechangestoan

NWFfilesotheyarereappliedwhenyoureopenthemodel(s).

Thisisntoptimal.Butyoumaynotneedtoselecteachitemtodothis youcantryselectingoneitem

andthenoneoftheoptionsunderSelectSameinthemenu.Oncetheitemsareselectedyoucan

rightclickononeofthemintheSelectionTreeandchooseOverrideItem>ColororTransparency.

Feedbackisalsowelcomedhereofcourse.

Otherinformation

Navisworkshasmanyothergreatfeaturesandfunctionality.PleaserefertoHelporexploreanyofthe

manyvideos,

tutorials

and

user

forums

available

on

the

internet.

Knownlimitations

OnlySmartPlant/Smart3DmodelssupportedinVUEfiles

TheFileReadersupportsSmartPlant3Dcontentonly.ItdoesnotsupportcontentinVUEfileswhichmay

havebeencreatedusingotherdesigntools,suchasIntergraphPDS,whichmayhavebeenincluded

usingSmartPlantInterop(SPIOP).TheFileReaderwilltrytorecognizetheseanddisplayanalert

messageaboutUnsupportedGeometry.Ifthisalertisshownitwillgiveyoutheoptiontotryandload

onlytheS3Ddata.

Hierarchyandassociations

ForsomemodelsthehierarchyintheSelectionTreemightnothavesomethingsintheirproperplaces.

Ifyouseethispleasebringittoourattention.Forexample,ifyouseesomethingthatshouldhavea

parent/childrelationshipwellappreciatehearingfromyou.Itwillhelpalotifyoucanprovidesample

modelsandcitespecificexamplesoftheseissues.

YoumayknowthattheFileReadertriestoloadpropertiesfromtheMDB2generatedbySmartPlant

RevieworfromtheXMLfileinitiallyexportedfromSmartPlant3D.WhenonlytheXMLfileisavailableit

willreadinthepropertiesfromthere.HowevertheSelectionTreehierarchydoesnothavethesame

parent/childlevels

as

when

using

an

MDB2.

Properties

are

also

not

as

robust.

ColorRules

ColorsandTransparency

Colorsandtransparencyarepresetbasedonitemtypes.ThesecanbechangedinNavisworksandthose

changescanbesavedandreappliedasdesignchangesoccur.


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Morefeedbackneeded!

Remember,youcaneitherpostyourcommentsontheforum,oryoucansendusaprivateemailvia

[email protected]

WehopeyouliketheVUEFileReaderandthatyourtestingofitinNavisworksisagoodexperience.

AutodeskandNavisworksareregisteredtrademarksofAutodesk,Inc.IntergraphandSmartPlantare

registeredtrademarksofIntergraphCorporationoritssubsidiariesintheUnitedStatesandinother

countries.IntergraphispartofHexagon.

navisworksvuefilereadernotesforversion1200

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