Trimble Business Center

I tried the export function(.DWG) and all i get in CAD is a polyline. Bringing everything into trimble is not an option as I am building a model that needs to be compared to design files in Navisworks. Thanks in advance for any information.

Use a LandXML Export that should take the Pipes and Structures and Fittings across to Autocad C3D

Alan

I have tried that but it always says nothing was exported.

Steve

I just ran a test from BC-HCE to Export a Utility Network to LandXML. Here is the LandXML that was created. It seems to work OK for me. I selected the Pipe and Node objects from the Graphics View (Window Select), but you can also select the Pipes and Nodes that you want to export from the project Explorer.

The main challenges with Export of Utilities are that Pipes, Box Culverts, Manholes, Box Structures are relatively straight forward to export as solids, but when you get to Pipe Fittings and Custom Shapes (Arch Pipes, Flow Channels and Objects represented as Blocks such as Fittings and Headwalls etc. they cannot easily be transferred using LandXML format because it really doesn't support Solid Objects or Blocks at all (so you can transfer names and attributes and then rely on the receiving software to assign what they want to use to represent the objects). And because while they are defined using Blocks in BC-HCE, once created in BC-HCE as a Utility Node they cannot be exported to AutoCAD DWG as Blocks - the AutoCAD export comprises Point and Line Objects primarily.

I would agree that an IFC type export (Shaded Solids with Attributes) or as solids to AutoCAD DWG format would be better however LandXML is what we have available today and that will round trip the data. When you import this LandXML back into BC-HCE the Fittings (Valves, Ts, Bends etc are created as Undefined Site Improvements and those are represented as a Square Box) - you can select those and add a Site Improvement to them so that they take on the form of the correct Utility Node. 

In order to get data into Navisworks (and I am not 100% sure on what data formats it can read - I will look into that - you may need to read the data into e.g. Civil 3D and get it as you need and then export to Navis or save a DWG that has the solids in it and then open that in Navis.

I will feed this back into development

Alan

Alan,

Thanks for the help once again. I appreciate you taking your time to offer me great support with the product.

Alan,

Is there a way I can save your MSI File that is attached to the Project that you sent me?

Got it to work. Awesome thanks for the support. Is there a way I can save your MSI file that is attached to the file you gave me?

Steve

If I know which Project I shared with you I can likely send you the MSI file (I enclose one here and there was also one in the PUG Training Materials that I gave you in the Setup Files on Day 1 materials folder). 

To create a MSI Library from an "Internal MSI Library) from the MSI Manager you have to first Create an External Library (this defines the location and file name) and then you can Drag and Drop content from the Internal Library to the External Library. Once you have what you need you save your External Library.

I am currently working on a master MSI Library that I will also share in due course

Typically people create an External Library and manage that centrally in work groups and then import by Drag and Drop into Projects as you need the content. That way you dont have to have the entire content of your MSI Library in every Project.

All the above is done from within the MSI Manager

Hope this helps - attachment will be here shortly

Alan

Thank you Alan!