Navisworks Manage 2011 Sectioning Tools

Autodesk Naviswork Manage 2011 enables you to turn on sectioning for the current viewpoint and to create cross sections of your model.

Faster, easier, more intuitive sectioning. You can now directly manipulate position and rotation of section planes and section box with sectioning gizmos.

A cross section is a cut-away view of a 3D object that enable you to see inside it. You can turn sectioning on and off for the current viewpoint by clicking Viewpoint tab>Sectioning panel>Enable Sectioning . When the sectioning is turned on, the Sectioning Tools contextual tab is automatically displayed on the ribbon.

There are two sectioning modes available from the Sectioning Tools tab>Mode panel: Planes and Box.

Planes mode allows you to make up to six sectional cuts in any plane while still being able to navigate around the scene, enabling you to see inside models without hiding any item. By default section planes are created through the center of the visible area of the model.

Section planes are stored inside viewpoints and so can also be used within viewpoint animations and object animations to show a dynamically sectioned model.

Box mode enables you to focus your review on specific and limited areas of the model. As you move the box around, only the geometry within the defined section box is displayed in the Scene View.

Enable and Use Section Planes

To view cross-sectional cuts of your model, you can enable up to six section planes. When a plane is ‘enabled’ it means that it affects (cuts through) the scene. The current plane is the one that is rendered visibly in the Scene View. Selecting a plane as current automatically enables that plane if it was not already enabled.

When a section plane is first enabled, it is created with the default alignment and position. Afterwards, enabling a section plane restores the saved alignment, position, and rotation if it is available for the current viewpoint.

Note: To save the settings for enabled section planes (alignment, position, rotation), you need to save the current viewpoint with sectioning enabled and in sectioning mode.
By default, a section plane is created within the view, and as close to the center of the view as possible. Visually, a section plane is represented by a light blue wireframe. You can hide the visual plane representation by toggling the corresponding gizmo button.

To use a plane to cross-section a 3D model for the first time:

1. Click Viewpoint tab>Sectioning panel>Enable Sectioning .

Autodesk Navisworks opens the Sectioning Tools tab on the ribbon, and draws a section plane through the model in the Scene View. Default alignment for Plane 1 is Top. Default position is through the center of the visible area of the model. Move is the default gizmo.

2. Drag the gizmo to position the current plane as needed.

3. Optional: Click Sectioning Tools tab>Save panel>Save Viewpoint to save the current sectioned viewpoint.

Move and Rotate Section Planes

The section planes can be manipulated with the sectioning gizmos, available from the Sectioning Tools tab Transform panel. You can also manipulate the section box numerically. Section planes can be moved and rotated but cannot be scaled.

By default, when a section plane is made current, the move gizmo is used, unless you have already selected the rotate gizmo before activating the section plane. All gizmos share the same location/rotation. This means that moving one gizmo affects the position of others.

You can only manipulate one plane at a time (the current plane), but it is possible to link section planes together to form slices.

To move a section plane with gizmo:

1. Click Sectioning Tools tab>Mode panel>Planes.

2. Click the Current Plane drop-down on the Planes Settings panel, and select the plane you want to use, for example, Plane 3.

This plane becomes the current plane.

3. If the move gizmo is not visible in the Scene View, click Transform panel>Move.

4. Drag the gizmo to move the current plane as needed.
Tip: Perpendicular arms and faces move the current plane and the gizmo. Parallel arms and face move only the gizmo.

To rotate a section plane with gizmo

1. Click Sectioning Tools tab>Mode panel>Planes.

2. Click the Current Plane drop-down on the Planes Settings panel, and select the plane you want to use, for example, Plane 3.

This plane becomes the current plane.

3. Click Sectioning Tools tab Click Transform panel>Rotate.

4. Drag the gizmo to rotate the current plane as needed.
Tip: Perpendicular arcs rotate the current plane and the gizmo. Parallel arc rotates only the gizmo. Arms move only the gismo.

Link Section Planes

In Autodesk Navisworks, you can enable up to 6 planes to cut through your model but only the current plane can be manipulated with the sectioning gizmos.

Linking section planes together make them move as one, and enables you to quickly slice your model in real time. The slices can be used in viewpoints, viewpoint animations, and object animations.

To link planes together:

1. Click Sectioning Tools tab>Mode panel>Planes.

2. Enable the required planes by click the Current Plane drop-down on the Planes Settings panel, and click the bulb icons next to all required planes.

When a bulb is lit, the corresponding section plane is enabled and cuts through the model in the Scene View.

3. Click Link Section Planes on the Planes Settings panel. All enabled planes are linked now together into a slice.

4. If the move gizmo is not visible in the Scene View, on the Transform panel, click Move.

5. Drag the gizmo to move the current section plane. All section planes are now moving together, effectively creating a slice through the model.

6. Optional: Click Sectioning Tools tab>Save panel>Save Viewpoint to save the current sectioned viewpoint.

Note: You can click Animation tab>Create panel>Record , and create a viewpoint animation showing the model as it is sliced.

Enable and Use Section Box

You can use a section box to focus your review on specific and limited areas of the model. The section box can be moved, rotated, and scaled with the sectioning gizmos, available from the Sectioning Tools tab Transform panel. You can also manipulate the section box numerically.

By default, when a section box is enabled, the move gizmo is used, unless you have already selected a different gizmo before activating the section box. All gizmos share the same location/rotation. This means that moving one gizmo affects the position of others.

When the section box is first created, the default size of the box is based upon the bounds of the current viewpoint. The box is created to fill the view such that no part of the box is drawn off-screen. Afterwards, enabling a section box restores the saved position, rotation, and scale information used if it is available for the current viewpoint.

Note: To save section box settings (position, rotation, size), you need to save the current viewpoint with sectioning enabled and in box mode.

To use a box to cross-section a 3D model for the first time:

1. Click Viewpoint tab>Sectioning panel>Enable Sectioning.

Autodesk Navisworks opens the Sectioning Tools tab on the ribbon, and draws a section plane through the model in the Scene View.

2. Click Sectioning Tools tab>Mode panel>Box .

The box is now visually present on the screen, with the move gizmo enabled by default.

3. Drag the gizmo to box-section your model along the axes.

4. Optional: Click Sectioning Tools tab>Save panel>Save Viewpoint to save the current sectioned viewpoint.

To move the section box with gizmo:

1. Click Sectioning Tools tab>Mode panel>Box .

2. On the Transform panel, click Move.

3. Drag the gizmo arms or faces to move the box as needed.

To rotate the section box with gizmo:

1. Click Sectioning Tools>tab>Mode panel>Box .

2. On the Transform panel, click Rotate.

3. Drag the gizmo to rotate the box as needed.
Tip:Arcs rotate the box. Arms move the gismo only.

4. Optional: Click Sectioning Tools tab>Save panel>Save Viewpoint to save the current sectioned viewpoint.

To scale the section box with gizmo:

1. Click Sectioning Tools>tab>Mode panel>Box.

2. On the Transform panel, click Scale.

3. Pull the scale points on the gizmo to resize the box as needed.

4. Optional: Click Sectioning Tools tab>Save panel>Save Viewpoint>to save the current sectioned viewpoint.

To move, rotate, scale the section box or section planes numerically:

Slide out the Transform panel, and type in numerical values into the Position manual entry boxes to move, rotate, scale the current plane or box by the amount entered.
Note: Section Planes you cannot scale, Section Boxes you can scale.

Section Boxes: