How to Add the Navisworks Menu to the AutoCAD Toolbar

After installing Navisworks, its export option appears in the Revit add-in, enabling direct export of Revit models to the NWC format. However, when exporting DWG files to Navisworks, the process is less straightforward. Even after installing Navisworks for AutoCAD, the option to export directly to NWC is not available by default. Instead, you must manually load the Navisworks export plugin into AutoCAD. This guide uses AutoCAD 2014 and Navisworks 2014 for demonstration.

There are two methods to add the Navisworks export command to AutoCAD:

• Add the Navisworks menu to the AutoCAD menu bar.
• Load the Navisworks export command as an application, which allows use of the export command via the command line only.

As shown below, after installing AutoCAD 2014 and Navisworks 2014, the Navisworks export menu does not appear in the AutoCAD 2014 menu bar by default.

To add the menu, enter menuload at the command line. This opens the Loading/Unloading Custom Settings window. Click Browse and navigate to:

C:Program FilesCommon FilesAutodesk SharedNavisworks2014nwexport2014nwcreate_data11LwNw_Export.mnu

This action adds the Navisworks menu to the AutoCAD menu bar.

After completing these steps, the menu will appear as shown below. Note that the exact file path may vary slightly depending on your system configuration.

The second method involves loading the export command as an additional application. In the CAD command line, enter APPLOAD, or navigate via the menu: Tools > Load Applications. This opens the Loading/Unloading Applications window. Locate the following file:

C:Program FilesCommon FilesAutodesk SharedNavisworks2014nwexport2014nwexportdbx2014.crx

Click Load to add the application into AutoCAD. After loading, close the window. The AutoCAD interface remains unchanged, but Navisworks-related commands become available.

There are three Navisworks-related commands to note:

• _nwcout – Export to Navisworks
• _nwnavigator – Navisworks navigation
• _nwopt – Export options for Navisworks

Using the menu bar method is generally more convenient. Before testing the additional command loading method, the Navisworks menu was already added. Even after uninstalling the menu, it is unclear whether loading the additional application activates the Navisworks commands or if Navisworks automatically adds these commands to AutoCAD upon installation.

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