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    Navisworks 2011 Tip - Crane Boom Animation

    Uploaded by

    mindwriter
    This document provides instructions for creating a simple animation in Navisworks to simulate the motion of a crane boom using an AutoCAD model. It describes how to import the model into Navisworks, create a search set to isolate the boom object, set up the animation scene and keyframes to rotate the boom, and export the completed animation as a video file. The steps include assigning colors to sub-objects, writing an NWD file, capturing rotation positions as keyframes along a timeline, and playing back the final animated boom rotation.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Navisworks 2011 Tip - Crane Boom Animation

    Uploaded by

    mindwriter
    418 views7 pages
    This document provides instructions for creating a simple animation in Navisworks to simulate the motion of a crane boom using an AutoCAD model. It describes how to import the model into Navisworks, create a search set to isolate the boom object, set up the animation scene and keyframes to rotate the boom, and export the completed animation as a video file. The steps include assigning colors to sub-objects, writing an NWD file, capturing rotation positions as keyframes along a timeline, and playing back the final animated boom rotation.

    Original Description:

    Navisworks 2011 Tip - Crane Boom Animation

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    © © All Rights Reserved

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    This document provides instructions for creating a simple animation in Navisworks to simulate the motion of a crane boom using an AutoCAD model. It describes how to import the model into Navisworks, create a search set to isolate the boom object, set up the animation scene and keyframes to rotate the boom, and export the completed animation as a video file. The steps include assigning colors to sub-objects, writing an NWD file, capturing rotation positions as keyframes along a timeline, and playing back the final animated boom rotation.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    418 views7 pages

    Navisworks 2011 Tip - Crane Boom Animation

    Uploaded by

    mindwriter
    This document provides instructions for creating a simple animation in Navisworks to simulate the motion of a crane boom using an AutoCAD model. It describes how to import the model into Navisworks, create a search set to isolate the boom object, set up the animation scene and keyframes to rotate the boom, and export the completed animation as a video file. The steps include assigning colors to sub-objects, writing an NWD file, capturing rotation positions as keyframes along a timeline, and playing back the final animated boom rotation.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    You are on page 1of 7

    Page 1 of 7

    Navisworks 2011 Crane Boom Animation


    By Simon Jones, Autodesk Ltd, December 2010
    This tip & trick will explain how to create a simple animation to simulate the motion of a
    construction crane boom. This example uses a simple AutoCAD model made up of 3D
    solids:

    The crane is has been defined as a block and in order to move sub-objects of the crane
    separately items have been grouped by assigning different colours. In this example, the
    solids within the block definition are all on layer 0 but colour of the base and tower are
    yellow, and the cabin, boom and load are orange. The crane block has been inserted on the
    02-Crane layer:

    Then use the AutoCAD NWDOUT command to write an NWD file and open it in Navisworks.
    Lets take a look at one of the crane objects in Navisworks:



    Page 2 of 7


    All the crane solids are grouped together in the Selection Tree under the Crane node
    (which is derived from the block name) and on the 02-Crane layer which is the blocks
    insertion layer. If we select the crane boom, it will be highlighted in the selection tree and if
    we take a look at its properties, well see the orange colour (AutoCAD Color Index 30) in the
    Properties palette.
    In order to manipulate the solids representing the crane boom, we shall create a Search
    Set. To do this, open the Find Items palette and enter the following search:
    Category Item
    Property Material
    Condition = (equals sign)
    Value AutoCAD Color Index 30
    Then hit the Find All button.

    All the orange objects will be selected in the Selection Tree and highlighted on the model,
    and if you right-click in the Sets palette, you can choose the Add Current Search option:




    Page 3 of 7

    This will create a new Search Set set the name appropriately (e.g. Crane Boom):

    If you want a uniform colour for the whole crane, simply select the crane in the Selection
    Tree and override its colour:

    We now have a crane in a single colour:

    But selecting the Crane Boom search set will highlight just the boom:




    Page 4 of 7

    We are now in a position to set up the crane boom animation:
    Switch to a top view
    Switch to orthographic projection
    Switch the display mode to wireframe
    Open the Animator palette
    Switch to the Sets tab in the Selection Tree palette

    For animation itself, you first need to create a scene. Right-click in the left side of the
    Animator palette and select Add Scene from the menu:

    Next, select the Crane Boom search set in the Selection Set palette, then select the new
    scene, right-click and select Add Animation Set -> From current search/selection set
    from the menu:

    Set the name of the animation set to Crane Boom the palette should now look like this:



    Page 5 of 7


    The next steps create a series of key frames along a time line. First create the keyframe for
    the initial position of the crane at time zero with the Capture Keyframe button:

    To setup the next key frame, follow these steps:
    1. Ensure that the Crane Boom search set is still selected (the boom will be
    highlighted).
    2. Drag the Time Slider to a new time position.
    3. Select the rotate animation set button (the rotate gizmo will appear in the middle of
    the crane boom).

    Drag the rotate gizmo to the middle of the crane base:

    Use the rotate gizmo to rotate the crane boom to a new position:



    Page 6 of 7


    Then add a new keyframe to mark the fully rotated position of the crane:

    To return the crane back to its original position, use the ping-ping (PP) option:

    Hit the Rewind button, to return the animation back to the start position:

    Uncheck the Rotate animation set button to switch off the rotate gizmo. Then press the
    Play button to preview the animation:



    Page 7 of 7


    We can now run the animation at any time and from any view. To do, this:
    Switch to the Animation ribbon.
    Select the Enable Scripts option (note this will then disable to ability to edit
    animations).
    Select the scene in the Scene Selector.
    Press the Play button.

    To save the animation as a video file (e.g. avi), use the Export -> Images & Animations ->
    Animation option on the application menu:

    For additional Navisworks information refer to the product webpages
    www.autodesk.co.uk/navisworks

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