Month: March 2014

Navisworks 2015 New Features

Luke Johnson

As Navisworks 2015 can already be downloaded and some others are posting about it, here are my top 4 new features:

  • you can set the faceting factor for NWC export from Revit
  • use quantity takeoff on your 2D sheets, including bucket fill tools and quick box selection
  • additional arrow markup tool (yay!)
  • integration with Autodesk Application Manager (download at end of that post)

EDIT  Additional Navisworks 2015 links will be added here

Navisworks 2015 System Requirements:
http://help.autodesk.com/view/NAV/2015/ENU/?guid=GUID-F70F2D5B-35D8-4471-8B0B-CABC38761F6A

2015 Licensing New Features (access 26 March 2014):
http://help.autodesk.com/view/NAV/2015/ENU/?guid=GUID-2A403388-F44E-48E3-B7E7-F03498B6245B

You can run a network license server on a Mac or on Linux:
http://help.autodesk.com/view/NAV/2015/ENU/?guid=GUID-32255831-B9CC-4E86-8E99-86910DB3D41E

    Revit 2015, Navisworks 2015 and AutoCAD 2015 Direct Download Links

    Luke Johnson

    EDIT apparently some of these links are broken. I will look into this. In the meantime, you should use the Virtual Agent if you want to download.

    Revit 2015 direct download links:
    Onebox
    http://trial.autodesk.com/SWDLDNET4/2015/RVT/DLM/Autodesk_Revit_2015_English_Win_64bit_dlm.sfx.exe

    RAC – Architecture
    http://trial.autodesk.com/SWDLDNET4/2015/REVIT/DLM/Autodesk_Revit_Architecture_2015_English_Win_64bit_dlm.sfx.exe

    RST – Structure
    http://trial.autodesk.com/SWDLDNET4/2015/REVITST/DLM/Autodesk_Revit_Structure_2015_English_Win_64bit_dlm.sfx.exe

    RME – MEP
    http://trial.autodesk.com/SWDLDNET4/2015/RVTMPB/DLM/Autodesk_Revit_MEP_2015_English_Win_64bit_dlm.sfx.exe

    LT – Revit LT
    http://trial.autodesk.com/SWDLDNET4/2015/RVTLT/DLM/Autodesk_Revit_LT_2015_English_Win_32-64bit_dlm.sfx.exe

    AutoCAD 2015:
    http://trial.autodesk.com/SWDLDNET4/2015/ACD/DLM/AutoCAD_2015_English_Win_32bit_dlm.sfx.exe

    http://trial.autodesk.com/SWDLDNET4/2015/ACD/DLM/AutoCAD_2015_English_Win_64bit_dlm.sfx.exe

    Navisworks Manage 2015:
    http://trial.autodesk.com/SWDLDNET4/2015/NAVMAN/DLM/Navisworks_Manage_2015_dlm.sfx.exe

    Navisworks Simulate 2015:
    http://trial.autodesk.com/SWDLDNET4/2015/NAVSIM/DLM/Navisworks_Simulate_2015_dlm.sfx.exe

    Release dates and product keys for 2015 products can be viewed at:
    » 2015 : Release Dates, Product Keys Tech Solutions
    (the release date listed for Revit products is 11 April 2014)

    Building Design Suite Premium 2015 (recommend that you copy/paste these links into a good download manager, like Free Download Manager Portable):
    http://trial.autodesk.com/SWDLDNET4/2015/BDSPRM/DLM/Building_Design_Suite_Premium_2015_English_Win_32_64bit_dlm_001_003.sfx.exe
    http://trial.autodesk.com/SWDLDNET4/2015/BDSPRM/DLM/Building_Design_Suite_Premium_2015_English_Win_32_64bit_dlm_002_003.sfx.exe
    http://trial.autodesk.com/SWDLDNET4/2015/BDSPRM/DLM/Building_Design_Suite_Premium_2015_English_Win_32_64bit_dlm_003_003.sfx.exe

    If you want to get Revit 2015 right now (in March 2014), you can install Infrastructure Design Suite Ultimate 2015 from these links:
    trial.autodesk.com/SWDLDNET4/2015/IDSU/WI/Autodesk_IDSU_2015_English_Win_64bit_wi_en-us_Setup.exe
    or
    http://trial.autodesk.com/SWDLDNET4/2015/IDSU/DLM/Autodesk_IDSU_2015_English_Win_64bit_dlm_001_004.sfx.exe
    http://trial.autodesk.com/SWDLDNET4/2015/IDSU/DLM/Autodesk_IDSU_2015_English_Win_64bit_dlm_002_004.sfx.exe
    http://trial.autodesk.com/SWDLDNET4/2015/IDSU/DLM/Autodesk_IDSU_2015_English_Win_64bit_dlm_003_004.sfx.exe
    http://trial.autodesk.com/SWDLDNET4/2015/IDSU/DLM/Autodesk_IDSU_2015_English_Win_64bit_dlm_004_004.sfx.exe

    Some other download links:

    DWG Trueview 2015
    http://download.autodesk.com/esd/dwgtrueview/2015/SetupDWGTrueView2015_ENU_64bit.sfx.exe

    Autodesk Application Manager 2.2 for 2015 Products Now available for download

    Luke Johnson
    Autodesk® Application Manager is a cloud-centric software delivery solution that includes a desktop client component that is packaged and installs with all Microsoft Windows®-based Autodesk 2015 products or suites. The solution replaces previous product update components, specifically LiveUpdate, portions of InfoCenter/Communications Center, and CAD Manager Control Utility (note that these will remain in production to support previous version products). 
     …
    Thank you for your interest in Autodesk® Application Manager, a new software delivery solution that makes it easier to discover and obtain updates for the 2015 products you own and manage.

    For more information about Application Manager, please visit About Application Manager. This document describes what’s new in Autodesk Application Manager for 2015. It is recommended that you read this document to become familiar with the features in version 2.2, the first version generally available to customers (previous versions were only available to Beta participants). 

    What’s New in Application Manager 2.2

    Version 2.2 includes a number of quality-focused enhancements, which are delivered to the desktop client as a self-update to previous versions (such as 2.1 shipped in product media), or as a new component fetched during 2015 product installation. In addition, several improvements to the Autodesk cloud delivery platform power a user experience that is highly secure, and scales to support heavy delivery request volumes.

    Significant Features Delivered in Previous Versions

    • Improved Self-Update Experience – increased flexibility when new self-updates are released for Application Manager. Most Application Manager–specific updates are now backwards-compatible, and do not force users to self-update to continue using the application. In rare cases, such as when underlying API changes affect compatibility, a self-update may be forced.
    • Local Settings – allows users and administrators to control how Application Manager behaves, by specifying local settings or preferences such as network proxy, alerts, default file location, and update check frequency. Also supports import/export of settings file for use on other desktops.
    • Enhanced UI – added features for multi-update handling, sort, filter, and link to long description (making it easier to understand update’s value and function, what it fixes or enhances).
    • Customization in Deployment – a new feature in the deployment wizard allows CAD/IT/BIM administrators to specify custom settings for managed users during deployment creation. If the Application Manager Client is not desired, it can be prevented from installing in this feature.
    • Fixes to Critical Defects – as part of the Beta test and related quality assurance efforts, a number of priority defects have been fixed in each release.

    Read more about it:
    http://help.autodesk.com/view/INSTALL_LICENSE/2015/ENU/?guid=GUID-448769B1-CA69-4566-9EAF-D97DBD85AF88

    Download it:
    http://download.autodesk.com/SWDLDDLM/Updates/AppManager/2_2_10_0/AdApplicationManager-installer.exe

    FTP Product Support Downloads for older Autodesk software

    Luke Johnson

    If you are struggling to find updates, hotfixes, patches and other resources for older Autodesk software, try this page:

    ftp://ftp.autodesk.com/ProdSupp/

    There is a lot in here:

    This is one of the most prolific folders, containing files from about 1998 to 2005:

    ftp://ftp.autodesk.com/ProdSupp/downloads/

    And what is IFC doing in here?

    Pretty cool that Autodesk were supporting IFC 1.5 in 1998:

    via
    � Autodesks FTP Product Support Download Page Tech Solutions

    5 More Navisworks and Revit Tips from Twitter

    Luke Johnson

    And some news:

    IFC Import Differences between Revit 2013 and Revit 2014, and one way to get IFC data into Navisworks with Coordinate Translation

    Luke Johnson

    They are significantly better in 2014, example shown below.

    Revit 2013 import of an ifcZIP

    Import same file to Revit 2014 – better geometry + category definition

    Import to Revit 2014, export as ifc 2×3, then Import to Revit 2013 – a better geometry result

    (note 2×2 is worse, the forms are faceted / triangulated)

    You could also try the ifc2x4 importer for Revit 2013 from Geometry Gym

    … which you can download at:
    http://geometrygym.wikidot.com/downloads

    If you find yourself in a mixed Revit 2013 / Revit 2014 environment, here is one way to get IFC data through Revit 2014 and into Revit 2013 and Navisworks 2013, along with coordinate translation (if the received IFC is not on the project coordinate system).

    Another point to consider – you could theoretically get some data through this process (if you have the needed extensions):

    • Import IFC to Revit 2014
    • Export SDNF
    • Import SDNF to Revit 2013

    How To Extract or Recreate an individual NWC file from an NWD

    Luke Johnson

    Let’s say something went wrong, and you have lost an NWC file that you need – but you don’t have access to the originating application or model.  Do you have an NWD file that contains this NWC, preferably a recent one?  Then you should be able to re-create that NWC file, which might get you out of trouble in the short-term.

    1. Open the NWD in Navisworks
    2. In the Selection Tree, select the branch that equates to the NWC you want to regenerate
    3. Hide Unselected
    4. Turn off Sectioning (if you want to make sure you get all of the geometry, uncropped)
    5. Export to 3D DWF or 3D DWFx
    6. In another instance of Navisworks, append that DWF.  Navis will automaticlly make an NWC file.
    7. Rename the NWC to match the one that you have lost
    8. Append or re-path it back to your main NWF file

    You will probably have to notify someone that this NWC is now somewhat orphaned or disconnected from normal workflows – but I’ll leave that side of it up to you 🙂

    Lighting for Renders in Revit

    Luke Johnson

    Creating lighting families for accurate rendering in Revit is challenging at best.  This recent post by Dave Baldacchino is a bit of an exploration of ways you can try to “fix” manufacturer content and improve the resultant rendering.  For example:

    Original post (the five points at the end of the post are definitely worth keeping in mind, especially for manufacturers creating Revit lighting families):

    HOK BIM Solutions: Manufacturer Content – Lighting

    Making an Additional Custom Ribbon Panel in Revit

    Luke Johnson

    Many of us are installing lots of Addins into Revit these days.  Some addins, like Scan to BIM, create their own complete ribbon panel.  This functionality could be re-appropriated into a solution to the “too many addins” problem.

    I think it would be great to have a little widget or customization tool that allows an additional addins Ribbon to be created (eg Addins2), so that you can reduce the sometimes very congested “look” of the single Addins panel in Revit.

    Jeremy notified me that the samples provide essentially this capability:

    and I did get started on something, but I only got this far and don’t really have time to finish the job:
    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1dGdRkpk2beN3drNTFvemp1QnM/edit?usp=sharing

    So if anyone out there wants to look into creating a nice and easy ribbon customization tool, let me know and I will definitely post about it.