Playing Nicely with Navisworks Manage

Working with both AutoCAD MEP and Navisworks Manage, we always want to make sure to utilize all the data built into AutoCAD designs in the Navisworks model.  However, when exporting from AutoCAD MEP, some information seemed to get lost in translation. Recently, an Ideate Inc. customer contacted us about this exact issue. Thankfully, the Techs at Ideate along with Autodesk were able to resolve this issue.

Conduits, Ducts, Pipes all seemed to export the geometry just fine but all their properties were missing. Take a look... Here is what we saw:

Original Properties of a Conduit in Navisworks 2012

There is no intelligence there at all. We scratched our heads and contacted Autodesk. We collectively scratched our heads. We tried uninstalling, updating, re-installing with no avail. We were almost convinced that Autodesk had left this functionality out of Navisworks 2012. Luckily, a tech at Autodesk stumbled upon a switch that opened the door for the data to come across! Here is the difference!

Updated Properties of a Conduit in Navisworks 2012

So what changed to allow all these new properties to come through the export? It’s a simple change of a registry key associated to the Navisworks exporter.

There are some pre-requisites though. You need to make sure you are up-to-date on all your service releases.

• Navisworks Manage 2012
• 32bit: Service Pack 1
• 64bit: Service Pack 1
• Navisworks Exporters (32/64bit) IMPORTANT
• Latest Update

Make sure that you install the latest updates and reboot your computer before making any registry key changes. Once you have rebooted, Open AutoCAD, draw a conduit, cabletray, duct or pipe and run NWCOUT to export the DWG to Navisworks. Open Navisworks and open the NWC. You will most likely NOT see any of the extended properties from your element; This is to be expected. However, behind the scenes a new registry key has been created. This key “HiddenProps” is the one we need to modify. Close out Navisworks and AutoCAD and do the following:

1.  Open the registry editor (Start > Run > regedit)
2.  Expand to the following key:
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\
• ...Software\Autodesk\Navisworks Exporters x64\9.0\AutoCAD
3.  Open the key HiddenProps and set the value to 1
4.  Close the registry editor and try exporting again.

At this point, if you run an export from AutoCAD, you should see your extended properties in Navisworks. I hope that this helps. Thanks for reading!

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Matthew Nelson
MEP Solutions Application Specialist
Matthew has a deep understanding of Autodesk products. He studied Mechanical Engineering at SUNY Stony Brook. He has been a BIM manager and CAD manager for a leading international consulting services firm utilizing AutoCAD MEP, Civil 3D and Revit MEP. During that time, he focused his skills on understanding the dynamics of inter-discipline coordination on large scale civil and building engineering projects. At Ideate, Matthew provides training and support for Revit MEP, Navisworks and AutoCAD MEP. @MNelsonIdeate

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AutoCAD Plotting – What Happened to the Colors?

As the Support Dispatcher at Ideate Inc. I have seen a surge of cases that center around printing in AutoCAD. In particular we have customers who are unable to print because their .CTB files are missing. Usually this has been caused by the drawing being set to use .STB files for printing instead of .CTBs. Here are the differences between the two and the particulars of switching a drawing from one type to the other.

CTB Plotting

Most users are familiar with .CTB files, or ‘color-dependent plot style tables’. These files process the drawing when printing and assign lineweights and other plot settings to printouts based on the color of the objects, which can have properties that reference the object properties.

STB Plotting

In 2000 Autodesk added an alternative print style that used .STB files called ‘named plot styles’. In this style the plot settings are assigned to a name and that name is applied to layers or specific objects. Some of these settings can be set to ‘By Object’. These will then look to the object properties, which is often set to ‘By Layer’. In this setup the colors in the drawing only affect the default color the object prints as when ‘By Object’ is specified for color in the named style.

Since the named styles can be applied to specific objects, the way that an object looks in the drawing may not reflect how it looks when printed. This requires test plotting or plot previews to catch problems with drawing appearance.

Starting New Drawings

There are two versions of each template shipped with the program, each associated with a different plot style. When creating new drawings, be sure to use a template that reflects the style that you want to use. The process of switching styles can become complicated in a drawing file that contains a lot of objects. We see this in support when users don’t notice the discrepancy until they try to print after making significant progress in a drawing.

Converting Colors to Named Styles

There are two steps to converting a drawing from .CTB to .STB

1. CONVERTCTB
   AutoCAD needs a .STB file to use to convert the plot settings when the drawing is converted. This .STB file must have been converted from a .CTB file, preferably the main one used in the drawing that is to be converted. This associates a color mapping to the .STB file. This conversion process is independent of the drawing that is open, converting all the colors in the CTB and consolidating them into unique styles
   (Note that a .STB file that has color mapping will not be fully editable as long as the mapping remains. It can be removed in the editor, but it will then no longer be able to convert files.)
2. CONVERTPSTYLES
   When converting a drawing, styles are applied to the layers based on their color automatically. For objects that have a color different than ‘By Layer’ the named style for that color is applied directly to the object. Objects in a converted drawing retain all of their properties.

Converting Named Styles to Colors

There is no actual conversion applied to a drawing when it is changed from .STB to .CTB. The drawing will not remember any of the named style settings. Any object that was set to a specific named style will revert to printing based on the color property. These objects will print differently and it can be difficult get the drawing to print the same as before the conversion. As a result it is recommended that these objects be identified before the drawing is converted and their color changed to match the .CTB file that will be used after the drawing is converted.

Sharing Drawings

As always, it is best practice to include the file(s) you use to plot whenever you send out a drawing. When receiving these files, use the STYLESMANAGER command to copy them into your plot style folder.

Related Command List

STYLESMANAGER – Opens the folder location of the .CTB and .STB files which should also include a link to the creation wizard. Plot tables can be edited by opening the file.

PSTYLEMODE – reports which style the current drawing is using. (1=.CTB, 0=.STB)

CONVERTCTB – converts a .CTB plot file into an .STB plot file. It is not possible to convert a .STB into a .CTB

CONVERTPSTYLES – converts the current drawing between .CTB and .STB.

PLOTSTYLE – controls the style that is applied to new objects in .STB style drawings. In most cases it is recommended that this be set to ‘By Layer’ (CPLOTSTYLE is the command prompt version.)

DEFLPLSTYLE – controls the plot style that is applied to existing layers in a pre-2000 .dwg or for ‘Layer 0’ when not using a template. (1=.CTB, 0=.STB)

DEFPLSTYLE – controls the plot style that is applied to existing objects in a pre-2000 .dwg or when not using a template. (1=.CTB, 0=.STB)

PSTYLEPOLICY – controls the plots style that is applied to existing objects in a pre-2000 .dwg or when not using a template. (1=.CTB, 0=.STB)

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Jesika DiGregorio
Support Intern
Jesika received her Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon where she worked on construction of a student-designed structure. Her work experience includes Junior Designer at an award-winning firm specializing in architecture and land planning, and Intern Architect at a firm that provides services in planning, design, construction documents and construction administration for projects of all sizes. Jesika provides online and phone technical support to Ideate clients from the Ideate Authorized Training Center in Portland, Oregon.

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Array in AutoCAD 2012

Check out the new AutoCAD 2012 array command. New to this release is the ability to array objects along a path. As seen in the video, a tree block is arrayed along a spline curve. In addition to arraying along a path you can also make the arrayed objects associative to the path element. The arrays can be divided evenly along the path and mathematical expressions written for the total number of items arrayed along path created.

Once the array settings have been applied, you can adjust the path and because the elements were associated to the path the arrayed items update. In addition to all of this cool stuff, associative arrays can also be edited through the Edit Array command. Tools such as the number of items, being arrayed, the number of rows offset from the path, and the elevation of the items can be modified through the edit mode.

So check it out, there are a lot of cool settings that be applied to arrays making this a much more functional design tool.

Watch the video on YouTube.

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Ron Palma
AEC Solutions Application Specialist
Ron has 23+ years of experience in the AEC industry as a designer, lead project designer, trainer and CAD manager. His instructional background includes Autodesk Certified Instructor, trainer, support technician, educator at Portland Community College and Clackamas Community College, and a U.S. Army certified instructor. Follow Ron @RonPalmaAEC.

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Classroom Training - Open Classes + $200 Off Training with Ideate

Know It. Ideate Training.

Position yourself to land dream projects. Tap the full potential of your software solutions. Increase your facility, fluidity and capability to maximize the value of your precision software tools.

Here are a few of the training opportunities Ideate has to offer in the coming days:

7.6-8::San Jose
AutoCAD Fundamentals
7.11-13::Portland
Revit Architecture Fundamentals
7.11-12::San Francisco
Revit Architecture Beyond the Basics
7.11-12::San Jose
AutoCAD Beyond the Basics

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Ideate subscription clients who have or renew their Autodesk software subscriptions are eligible to save $200 on training on one Fundamentals or Advanced class. Training must be purchased by 7.31.2011. Course must be completed by 12.16.2011. Read all the details here.

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