It seems like the updates to Product Design Suite have focused on the software integrations and the inclusion of the AutoCAD Electrical package, but there is another hidden gem in those new Suites. Navisworks Simulate has been included in the Premium and Ultimate versions of the Suite. So what is this product, what does it do for me, and why do I want utilize it in my organization?
Well those are all good questions, and lets take a look at answering them. Autodesk Navisworks Simulate software provides advanced tools for simulation and powerful features to help you better communicate project information. Multidisciplinary design data created in a broad range of Building Information Modeling (BIM), digital prototypes, and process plant design applications can be combined into a single, integrated project model. Comprehensive schedule, cost, animation, and visualization capabilities assist users in demonstrating design intent and simulating construction, helping to improve insight and predictability.
Real-time navigation combines with a review toolset to support collaboration among the project team. Entire project models can be published and viewed in NWD and DWF file formats to provide valuable digital assets from design through construction planning. The NWD models can then be viewed in Navisworks Freedom for live sectioning, animations, flythroughs and comment review.
Yea, that verbiage was right off the product description. So what does it do for me really Mr. Senior Application Engineer? Isn't this another Design Review and DWF thingy for review? Well, this essentially seperates it from Design Review and other viewing products.
- Very Large Assembly Review without need of Inventor
- View recorded animations in the free viewer
- 4D simulations with TimeLiner
- Create AVIs, images, DWFs, Google Earth
- More security controls than DWF
- MS Project Export of Gantt charts for construction
- Reference together other data from Revit, Microstation and other software that you don't own
Enough of the reading, do some watching here in this 18 minute video I created talking about it more and demonstrating it. Afterwards consider how you could use this software in your post fabrication processes for installation, pre-planning for design change scheduling, create some awesome construction animations, or just look more awesome with your Product Design Suite in general.
This video was done as an addendum to our Autodesk 2013 Virtual Event. If you want to hear more about the 2013 products and hear more of my presentations and more from the rest of our team, be sure to check out the on demand sessions still available for about another 90 days. Go register for free and then watch enough during lunch to call it an "executive" lunch.