What is Navisworks?
Navisworks combines models from many design tools into one place for review, clash detection and construction simulation. It’s the coordination hub on many BIM projects.
In this lesson you will
- Describe what Navisworks is used for
- Tell Navisworks Manage, Simulate and Freedom apart
- Understand why models are federated rather than edited
- Get Navisworks legitimately
A review and coordination tool
Navisworks doesn't author design models. It aggregates them — architectural, structural and services models from Revit, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Tekla, IFC and many other formats — into one light-weight federated model. Teams use it to walk through, review, measure, find clashes, and simulate construction sequences.
The products
Check Autodesk's current product pages; offerings change. Freedom is useful for clients and site teams who only need to view.
| Product | Main features |
|---|---|
| Navisworks Manage | Review + Clash Detective + TimeLiner + Quantification + more |
| Navisworks Simulate | Review + TimeLiner (4D) + animation — no Clash Detective |
| Navisworks Freedom | Free viewer for NWD and DWF files |
Who uses it
BIM coordinators and managers at contractors and design firms, services subcontractors coordinating their trades, project managers reviewing progress, and site teams checking installation sequences.
Getting it
Autodesk offers free trials and free educational access for eligible students and educators; Freedom is a free viewer. Buy through Autodesk or authorised resellers.
Where it fits in a project
During design, coordinators federate models at each milestone to find clashes early. During pre-construction, contractors use it to review constructability, plan sequences and check subcontractor models. During construction, site teams check installation sequences and compare progress. Because it reads so many formats, it's often the one place where every discipline's model can be seen together.
Common mistakes
Expecting to edit design models in Navisworks.
Navisworks reviews and coordinates; changes are made in the authoring software and re-exported.
Sending clients a working NWF file.
Publish an NWD for viewers; the NWF depends on linked files they won't have.
Assuming every licence includes Clash Detective.
Only Navisworks Manage includes it; check which product you have.
Exercise
Open a model
- Install Navisworks (trial, education or Freedom).
- Open a sample NWD model if available, or any Revit or IFC file.
- Find the Selection Tree and Properties windows.
- Orbit and walk through the model.
You should end up with: You've opened and explored a federated model.
Checklist
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Lesson quiz
Which product includes Clash Detective?
Finished this lesson?
Taking the quiz marks it complete too. Your course page picks up where you stopped.
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Free, independent learning material written for KitWren. Navisworks is a registered trademark of Autodesk, Inc. KitWren is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by Autodesk. We never provide software downloads, licence keys or cracks — use the official sources.