Is CADWorx process data available for exporting to MS Excel 2010 from Navisworks Manage 2019? If so, please provide any (critical) steps in setting up the Navisworks quantification tool to facilitate this data-sharing process?

THE SCENARIO
This spreadsheet will be used or estimating / budgeting purposes only: Our senior engineer asks only for lengths of piping rounded to the nearest whole foot as well as pipe-related components.

OUR CURRENT LIMITATION
The engineering firm has provided all but the CADWorx Plant overall layout of which makes up the Navisworks layout file.
They are being asked to supply that just today.

Why not just export the BOM from CADWorx as opposed to Navisworks ?

Hi Vanman,

That is a great point!

This entire project continues to be a peculiar situation up to this point where the engineering firm that is working with CAD files (originally developed by another engineering firm) provided the 90% plant layout to the senior project engineer as a Navisworks file only.

CAD files were supplied but do not include any overall layout.
Today, my task is to ask for the CAD version of the plant layout.
Wish me luck!


QUESTION: Is exporting from CADWorx-based, Navisworks files possible considering Navisworks is an Autodesk software?

I am not sure I understand this question? Can you open CADWorx models in Navisworks, yes you can. Can you extract BOM's from the CADWorx model inside of Navisworks? This is something I have never tried.

The BOM tools inside Navisworks are built on working with BIM models. Getting a good piping BOM is difficult, to the point where you need the originating software and models.

Gentlemen,

The BIM component is what I believe "the missing link" here as the design is based in CADWorx (not in Revit, etc.).

I do think I have an answer on how to perform the extraction:
According to the firm that serves us now, it appears I must do as their senior designer suggests and perform BOM data extraction with each CAD (pipeline) file; massaging the extracted data in MS Excel.

It will be a pain. More programming skills would come in handy about now, I pine.

Hi,

From Navisworks go to Selection Tree, chose Properties (instead of Standard, in dropdown menu). Go to the CADWorx, then Line Number.
Right click at Line Number and click to Selection Inspector...
You need to customize Quick Property Definitions to be e.g. CADWorx Line Number, Size, Tag, Description, Lenght etc.
Table will populate with all piping data per your selection. You can select even pipe per pipe to see components.
On the right corner you have export to CSV which is readable by Excel.

If you need more help contact me at PM.

Regards

This is a really cool workflow, I was not aware that this was even possible.

The issue for me is there is no accumulation controls for QTY or Pipe Lenghts. Every item is exported as QTY = 1 and requires significant rework for a usable BOM. I guess if the Navisworks model is all you have then this is the way to go.

You are right, it shows component by component. This NW feature is not predicted for BOM purposes, it is just for selection control. However, with some Excel "post processing" you can get what you need.

It's pity that you cannot do it in NW Freedom.