Navisworks 2012 Deployments with Service Pack 1

With the latest Service Pack/Update 1 for Navisworks 2012, there have been some questions on how to add this to Navisworks 2012 deployments.  When you go to modify an existing Navisworks 2012 deployment (or even create a new one), the option to “download” the service pack isn’t available…the only option you have is to append or merge the .msp file(s).  Typically, this is okay but not for Service Pack 1 for Navisworks 2012.

Service Pack 1 actually has multiple .msp files buried inside the exe you download.  Which again, for appending/merging into a deployment is typically okay to do.  But, Navisworks SP1 also includes a few odbx.msp files that are not supported by the append/merge method as they cannot be added to the deployment image through the installer framework.

Because of this, you cannot modify an existing deployment of Navisworks 2012 to add in the full contents of Service Pack 1 OR even create a new deployment for Navisworks 2012 to include the full contents of SP1.

The only way to have Navisworks 2012 installed with all of the contents of SP1 is to install SP1 separately after Navisworks has already been installed.  For me, this means just run the exe you’ve downloaded to install the SP on each computer.

Navisworks Exporters Not Installing

Have you ever installed Navisworks and when you go to Revit, AutoCAD, etc. and the NWC (or  NWD for AutoCAD programs) exporting option isn’t there?  Examples…In Revit 2009 it would be in the Tools->External Tools pull-down menu.  In Revit 2010 it would be in the Add-Ins Ribbon Panel.  In AutoCAD products it would be available by typing NWCOUT or NWDOUT.  But what do you do when those options are not available after you’ve installed a Navisworks program (except Navisworks Freedom)?

Some think they have to uninstall and reinstall the Navisworks program, or try and do an Add/Remove Programs to change the install.  Well, the second option is the way to go, but it’s not a change of the Navisworks program.  It’s actually a change to the Autodesk Navisworks Exporter Plug-ins option.

Autodesk call this “prime the exporters” in Navisworks.  Just in case you aren’t familiar with making changes to a program, here’s how you can access the Exporter Plug-ins and Prime them (using Navisworks 2010  and Revit as the example)…

1.)  In Windows XP: Access the Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add Remove Programs option.

-or-

       In Windows Vista: Access the > Settings > Control Panel > Programs and Features option.

2.)  Click the Autodesk Navisworks 2010 32 bit/64 bit Exporter Plug-ins option.

3.)  Click the "Uninstall/Change" button and the Exporter Plug-ins dialog will open.

4.)  Click "Add or Remove Features".

5.)  Click "Restore Defaults", or manually check the Revit entry.

6.)  Click "Next" and follow the prompts to install the applicable exporters.

Depending on how the program was installed, deployment/disk/download, or how it was installed, the exporters may not install with the program initially. When you prime the exporters they should work just fine.