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Use SwitchBack with AutoCAD

  1. For AutoCAD or products based on it, first open the product in the usual manner, and type: nwload in the command line to load the nwexport plugin.

    Note: If SwitchBack needs to be available every time AutoCAD is run, nwexport can be added to the set of startup applications in AutoCAD.

  2. Once the CAD package is running, and nwexport has been started, return to Navisworks.

  3. Click the application button > Options.

  4. In the Options Editor > File Readers node, click the DWG/DXF option.

  5. On the DWG/DXF page, check that the Convert Entity Handles option is selected.

  6. Select an object in the Scene View, and click Item Tools tab > SwitchBack panel > SwitchBack .

    The current Navisworks camera view is taken back to the CAD package, and the same object is selected. Selection of objects is done by entity handle.

    Tip: Alternatively, in the Clash Detective window, on the Results tab, you can click the SwitchBack button. The Clash Detective feature is available for Autodesk Navisworks Manage users only.

  7. Make the changes in AutoCAD, then save the changes.

  8. Return to Navisworks, and click Refresh on the Quick Access toolbar to view the modified object.

Note: Some objects cannot be selected in AutoCAD (for example, blocks) which may mean that running SwitchBack may be unsuccessful with a given selected object. If this is the case, try selecting further up the object tree and trying again.

Shortcut menu: SwitchBack

Parent page: SwitchBack

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