Manage | Naviswork

Implementing Navisworks Manage isn't about opening a single file. It follows a disciplined workflow cycle.

Step 1: Authoring Each trade creates their model. The structural engineer models steel in Revit. The MEP firm models ductwork in AutoCAD MEP.

Step 2: Exporting (NWC Exporters) Each authoring tool requires an NWC exporter (free from Autodesk). This converts proprietary data into a lightweight, open format Navisworks can read.

Step 3: Aggregation (The NWF File) The VDC manager opens Navisworks Manage and creates an NWF (Navisworks File Set) file. This file does not contain the model data; it contains references to the original NWC files. By using an NWF, as designers update their models (new versions), you simply refresh the NWF—you don't rebuild from scratch. naviswork manage

Step 4: Clash Detection & Resolution The team runs clash tests. The results are saved as a list of "Clash Groups." These clashes are assigned to specific team members (e.g., "Clash #45 assigned to Electrical Team"). The contractor exports a report to share with the design team.

Step 5: Resolution & Re-testing Designers fix the clashes in their original software (e.g., moving a pipe 2 inches in Revit). They republish NWCs. The PM hits "Refresh" in Navisworks Manage. The clash disappears. This cycle repeats until the project is "clash-free."

Once you have grouped clashes into manageable sets, you generate an HTML Clash Report. This report is a map to the problems. It includes pictures, descriptions, the clash point coordinates, and who is responsible (e.g., "Clash #405: Duct vs. Beam. Assign to Structural Engineer"). Implementing Navisworks Manage isn't about opening a single

Most people ignore this. Don't be most people.

TimeLiner links your 3D model to your construction schedule (Microsoft Project or Primavera P6).

Before running a full suite of tests, you optimize the model. You strip out unnecessary detail (like screws or small fittings) using the Selection Tree. You then run a "Hard Clash" test between the entire building structure and the entire MEP system. The structural engineer models steel in Revit

The result is usually terrifying. A typical hospital or airport model might contain 10,000+ clashes. Don't panic.

Given Autodesk's push toward cloud workflows (Autodesk Docs, BIM Collaborate, ACC), many younger engineers wonder if the desktop version of Navisworks Manage is obsolete.

The answer: No, but it is evolving. For heavy clash detection involving thousands of individual clashes, the desktop Manage version remains superior because of its computing power. The cloud versions cannot process complex "soft clash" logic (e.g., "Is there enough clearance to swing a door?") as efficiently.

However, Autodesk is investing heavily in Navisworks Manage 2025 and beyond, integrating it with Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC). You can now view the same model in the office (Manage) and on an iPad (BIM 360) with the same clash data synced. The software is not being replaced; it is being connected.