Exporting large model / plant from navisworks as FBX for importing to Unity

Navisworks compression to FBX is very different to 3DS Max & other Autodesk Applications. Notice when you import it into a software such as 3DS Max, the 3D Faces & Verts are all severely warped. This is probably why it can build models quick compared to its respective CAD programs - because it draws them differently.

I'm not sure what happens in that process but FBX models from Navisworks are not optimized properly and therefore not useful when exported to non native autodesk products.

Try going back to the original BIM/CAD software that designed the model (REVIT,AUTOCAD,SKETCHUP ETC) and export the FBX Model from there IN PORTIONS. Not the whole lot - Unity will fail to import the dataset because it is HUGE.

E.g.

Export structural components, followed by enclosure, then services etc. If you have 3DS Max you could do heaps of optimization of each package before importing it into Unity 3D.

Its going to take a while to do it all, and unfortunately with AEC commercial scale models (The Big ones) the only way to efficiently port it into Unity 3D is by trial and error. Generally The Architectural models & Structural Models are easy to crunch and get into Unity. MEP Models will turn things into chaos as they contain giant loads of data.

Save all work before importing MEP Data sets.

The key is to import all models in segments and not the whole lot. overtime the whole set will come into the Unity editor. Then frame rate will be the next beast to deal with.

Though it's too late to reply to this question,

I ran into the same issue and got no solution yet on the forums. In the end, I figured out that the "simplest" way was to export the .nwd file as a .dwf file, open that in Vred, export then as .fbx.

The reason I learnt from an Adesk professional himself could be the reason that Vred can handle a lot many ploygons than the other programs and a plant model can be quiet intense in terms of geometry.

I would like to know if anybody knows an alternative to Vred or a smoother flow for the process.

best!

The best solution I have found for this issue is the following workflow:

From : NAVISWORKS -- > FBX -- > (in navis hide & unhide to export small portions)

From MAx: FBX -- > OBJ ( dont save the max file, only export, exporting to obj purges the file from all hidden content )

import obj file into max & pro optimize, the file will have a drop of size of almost 90% , even without pro-optimization the file will be much smaller.

Important, keep imported model as edit mesh . To double check the file sizes, save the max file in the 1st import ( fbx to max) save and check the file in explorer. In the 2nd import ( obj), save the max file and check the size. Convert the model to edit poly and check the file size Convert the model to edit mesh and check the file size.

you will end up with a much lighter file with the same amount of detail = poly count. The issue to load 3d part geometry from Navis ...in this case almost for sure was done in PDMS and exported to NAvis can be the hidden nodes, or intelligency from PDMS models.

Hi,

I have used one application that converts NWD to OBJ file using Navisworks Application. I downloaded it from Autodesk App Store.

https://visionworkplace.com/products/fbx-converter-for-autodesk-navisworks

Selected object export, section box export,https://visionworkplace.com/products/fbx-converter-for-autodesk-navisworks

With this fbx plugin, we can export selected object and also section box object