Project Wise navigator

[dave]

Do I need to install the xm license manager to handle PW Navigator or is it a stand alone app? (wishfull thinking)

[dave]

The answer is no. You (or your clients) can run Navigator as a stand alone app but they will not be able to save any changes that are made to the model, like object sets or saved views.

[cmorrison]

Hello - We have used Bentley Explorer for years. Our clients install Navisworks Freedom and we export NWD files for them to view projects as they progress. What is the equivalent way of doing this with Navigator? Do we have to forward Navigator to our clients, have them install it, and can they run it as a viewer without it being licensed? Our users say Navigator is not user friendly and that our non-cad clients will be frustrated trying to figure it out. Anyone else running into this situation? Regards, Carl

[dave]

Hello - We have used Bentley Explorer for years. Our clients install Navisworks Freedom and we export NWD files for them to view projects as they progress. What is the equivalent way of doing this with Navigator?
Do we have to forward Navigator to our clients, have them install it, and can they run it as a viewer without it being licensed?

Yes


Our users say Navigator is not user friendly and that our non-cad clients will be frustrated trying to figure it out. Anyone else running into this situation? Regards, Carl

Yes, it's not very intuative. You will want to include "how to" instructions to your clients.

[Packin31]

We are going to go with the full blown NavisWorks products since Bentley has dropped Explorer/NavisWorks. We deal with a contract house now that uses PDMS which I don’t think Navigator can read…..

[cmorrison]

Thanks for the info.

[dave]

The answer is no. You (or your clients) can run Navigator as a stand alone app but they will not be able to save any changes that are made to the model, like object sets or saved views.


FYI, there is a pre-installation package that you and your clients will have to run in order to install XM Navigator. This installs the new .net frame work as well as a dozen other prerequisites. It installed on my computer just fine, however on another machine it installed but Navigator errored out.

ALSO, close all programs before installing, it will automatically shutdown after the pre-install install.

Just an FYI

[AplantAdmin]

just started playing with Navigator. Don't like it so far. Seems like a step backwards from explorer. After testing some more i'll let you know.

[Packin31]

Bentley Reps are here. Tomorrow I will be meeting with them to see and talk to them about the latest and greatest of Navigator. Has anyone else seen it?

[Packin31]

Well we sat with some Bentley reps yesterday afternoon and they are supposedly sending a beta version or whatever they call it to one of our IT guys for us to try out. According to them it should be the cats meow. We will see.

A few negatives for navigator is it can not read PDMS models without having the customer/contractor convert it to some format for navigator to be able to read/open it. Down side to that is the customer/contractor would have to purchase some software in order to do that conversion. There is no free viewer for navigator like NavisWorks Freedom. That is a big one for us because we send files to the customer and to the shops.

They are offering us a 3 for one deal. 3 navigators for 1 Explorer even thou we have 650 or so seats here of Project Wise which comes with navigator already. So really that is no big deal.

[dave]

??!! are you talking about Bentley Navigator XM?

a) It was released in late 2006 so there is not a beta version

b) You do not need to connect to a license server to view models therefore you do not need a license.

am I confused here?

I am currently trying to view PDS data inside navigator and that is proving to be notsoeasy

[Packin31]

We are confuzed here also.

What we were told is Navigator is part of Project Wise now. But there is a beta version of Project Wise Navigator that is supposed to be better then Navigator XM. I think… Even the reps are confused on this whole Navigator naming thing. They stated Bentley should have given it another name since now it is bundle with Project Wise.



The version that I downloaded is Bentley Navigator 2004 where did you get the XM version from?


I tried using 2004 but it keeps booming out. :(

[dave]

Got to download XM - It's on the bentley site. As far as the naming goes, the new version is called "ProjectWise Navigator XM"

[Packin31]

Well I just received an email from Bernie Uehlein (our rep) stating that
Chris Bober, Product Development Manager for Navigator mentioned that a new build of Navigator will be posted on the Bentley Select download site on 5/24/07 for you to use for testing.

We have a conference call with Chris tomorrow. Anyone have any comments or concerns I can bring it up to him.



Dave,

How is the look and feel of XM?

Thanks

[dave]

It's pretty nice Tom. Kind of clumsy at first given it's the microstation UI but I like it. I didn't use the old explorer very much so I can't rightly compare the two. :)

[Packin31]

well the old navigator has been totally revamped. That is what we were told yesterday. They are suppose to have the beta version out late yesterday or sometime today. we will see.

[dave]

The "old" navigator as in the one that came out in December? I'm still confused as to what's happening. I think the Bentley reps are too.

[Packin31]

Dave,

Yes they are too.

Well I can't load it we are still on 8.6. :(
But my manager wants we to install it on another machine to test it. Like I have time to go to another machine to test and mess it up.

Existing AutoPlant Installations

ProjectWise Navigator V8 XM Edition RC v08.09.04.37 is not compatible with AutoPLANT 8.9.2 and earlier releases. Installing this version of ProjectWise Navigator V8 XM on the same workstation as AutoPLANT 8.9.2 and earlier releases will cause those installations to stop functioning properly. This will be resolved prior to commercial release.

[AplantAdmin]

XM and 8.6 can be installed on the same machine. All of the folders are placed under AutoplantXM. so you can run both at the same time. I am.

[Packin31]

Well I have downloaded the V8 XM addition installed it and was able to use it once for my AutoPlant drawings. Nows it keeps coming up with the Bentley Software Error Dialog so I sent a report to them but have not heard back.

[AplantAdmin]

On their website, I believe I read that if you install the latest version of Bently view it fixes the errors you were getting and talked about (incompatability issues).

[Packin31]

Steve,

This is the reply I received from support on the error I was receiving.

I saw the Navigator crash log you submitted this morning. From the log, it appears that Navigator is crashing at startup, when it is loading an XML file containing information about docked dialog boxes.

As a test, could you try renaming this file (or moving it some other
folder) and checking if Navigator will start up properly? (If so, it will regenerate this file).

C:\Documents and Settings\tjmalas\Local Settings\Application Data\Bentley\Navigator\8.9\dtXBhK-GyFZyfS-dpr3y5g\prefs\untitled-Navigat
or.docking.xml

As another test, will Navigator start up correctly if you use a different workspace user (examples.ucf, etc.)?

[AplantAdmin]

did you get this working? I haven't played with it much since I've had so much else to do. But know I'm back tot trying to learn it so I can teach the users before the end of the year. I contact bentley for training. They won't have anything till 08. After we are force to tranisiton to it.

[Packin31]

Yes we have it up and running here. We are suppose to get some training on November 29th and 30th.

[Packin31]

We do our layouts within the same drawing as the models so in other words the client can see our progress and also print drawings…. I am a little leary of sending a cad file to the client in the early stage of design.

Do all know is there another file besides the cad file that we can send to the client and shop?

O I should have mention this it would be for Navigator?

Thanks

[Packin31]

Thinking out loud here maybe a Redline file?

How can one Bind a drawing in Navigator/microstation like AutoCad

[Packin31]

This is what I did. Opened a new drawing in AutoCAD xrefed in my models and did a bind and saved.

Opened this new model up in Navigator and saved it as an .rdl file. This is good because it knocked the size of the file down by ½. From this point we will send off Navigator, the Prerque package and .rdl file.

I will let you all know what the outcome is on the customer end

[dave]

.rdl is the equivalent of the old .nwd?

[Packin31]

That is a good thing.

Only downside from Bentley's Site

Note: This free download will provide a 30-day, full-featured evaluation of ProjectWise Navigator. After 30 days the application will operate in view-only mode, and all editing, rendering, and creation capabilities will be disabled.


Wonder why they wouild turn off the Rendering capabilites? :(

[AplantAdmin]

so you will purchase the licensces needed. I'm still wondering how the clients will react when we have to send them models for review. We used to send .nwd files. Now i'm not sure what we will do.

[Packin31]

Well we will have training the next two days so we are going to hit up the trainer with all these question on how we can send a file to the client/customer.

I have another customer that wants our 3d AutoCAD Piping files in native Microstation Version 7.0 or 7.2. Urgggg

[dave]

Tom, great to hear about the training. I'd love to hear what they say.

For the Autocad thing, can't you open the drawings in microstation and just save as .dgn for that? That sounds too easy.

[Packin31]

Hi Dave,

That is what we are going to do is open them up in v8 and save them back to version 7 and send off to client and see if they can open them.

Will keep you all inform on what we learn in training.

[Zortar]

When you did the 3-for-1 upgrade to Navigator, did they let you keep your Explorer licenses as node-locked? I've heard that they might do that...

[Packin31]

J,

We can still use 2004 explorer as long as I load the old license manager.

[PMARI]

Hi,

we also used Explorer for several years, and now migrated to Navigator but there are a lot of frustrations
- PW is not user friendly
- possible file size (big model with more than 100 xrefs)
- exporting 3D-PDFs is only possible for very small models.. (not usable in the real world)
- to complex for occasional users (rad not CAD users)

regards

[san]

navigator v8 xm is not good for large projects.When we compare it with nevis works, then we find navigator is way back than nevis works.
We are also waiting for v8i release of navigator. Which is i think planned september end.