Publish a Model to Procore with the Navisworks® Plugin

Coordinated models are often stuck in the office, accessible only to BIM teams on desktop computers. Publishing models to a Procore project connects office staff with field personnel. This gives field teams mobile access to the models, helping them reduce installation errors and boost productivity.

• Required User Permissions:

  • 'Admin' permissions to the Models tool.
    AND

  • 'Read Only' or higher permissions to the Drawings tool to add and map 2D drawings to the model.

• Additional Information:

  • Model files uploaded with the Procore VDC Plugin cannot exceed 5GB.

  • You can only publish NWD or NWF files from Navisworks®.

  • Use Section Boxes in Navisworks® to publish specific areas or views of your model. See Add a Section Box to a Model. Section Planes are not supported and can't be published to Procore.

• Ensure the model file you intend to publish is open in Navisworks®.

• Download the Procore Plugin for the Models Tool

Follow the steps below to publish a model to Procore.

• Step 1: Launch the Procore Plugin in Navisworks®

• Step 2: Select the Publish Action

• Step 3: Enter Model Information

• Step 4: Configure Viewpoints

• Step 5: Add a 2D Sheet

• Step 6: Map the 2D Sheet to the Model

Step 1: Launch the Procore Plugin in Navisworks®

1. In Navisworks®, click the Procore tab to open the plugin ribbon.

2. Click Publish to open the Models window.

Step 2: Select the Publish Action

In the Models window, choose one of the following options:

• To publish a new model, click New Model.

• To publish a new version of an existing model, hover over the model in the list and click Publish Version.

Step 3: Enter Model Information

Enter information about the model as follows:

1. Choose the appropriate option:

   • For a new model, enter the name that will be displayed in Procore in the Model Name field.
     OR

   • For an existing model, keep the existing name.

2. Select the Status of the model from the drop-down list:

   • Coordination. For reference only. Not approved for construction.

   • Construction. Fully coordinated and approved for field installation and layout.

   • As-Built. Updated to reflect final, field-verified conditions.

Step 4: Configure Viewpoints

Set the Home Viewpoint

The Home Viewpoint is the model's default starting view and thumbnail image. For best results and easy navigation, choose a clear, general overview of the project.

1. Set the initial viewpoint:

   1. In the viewer, navigate the model to your desired starting position.

   2. Click Add.

   3. Click Save to confirm.

2. Optional: Update an existing viewpoint:

   1. Navigate the model to the new position.

   2. Click Edit.

   3. Click Save to apply the changes.

Add Saved Navisworks® Views (Optional)

You can upload specific viewpoints to make them available in Procore.

1. Add a saved view:

   1. Click Add.

   2. Mark the checkbox next to each view you want to upload.

   3. Click Add to confirm your selections.

2. Optional: Remove a saved view:

   1. Click the delete (x) icon next to the viewpoint.

Step 5: Add a 2D Sheet

Use these steps to link a 2D drawing sheet to your 3D model by setting its location and elevation.

1. Select the drawing sheet:

   1. In the 2D Sheets section, click Add.

   2. If your project uses drawing areas, you must first select an area from the Drawing Area drop-down list.

   3. Select your drawing from the Drawing drop-down list.

2. Set the sheet's elevation. This sets the vertical position of the sheet within the model:

   1. To use an existing level, select a predefined level from the Level drop-down list.

   2. To set by model selection, click directly on an element in the 3D model. The elevation will be calculated automatically based on the point you clicked.

   3. To create a new level, click Create New and enter the details for the new level.

3. Proceed to the next step:

   • After setting the elevation, click Next.

   • Now, you must map the sheet to the model. See Step 6: Map the 2D Sheet to the Model.

      Important

     Before adding another 2D sheet, you must complete the mapping process for the current sheet and then repeat these steps.

Step 6: Map the 2D Sheet to the Model

This step aligns the 2D drawing with the 3D model by asking you to select two common reference points on each.

1. Select reference points on the 2D sheet:

   1. Click Start to begin.

   2. Select two opposing reference points on the 2D drawing. The points will be labeled 'A' and 'B'.

   3. To re-select your points at any time, click Clear.

   4. When you are satisfied with your points, click Done.

       Tip

      For the best accuracy, choose grid line intersections that are located within the main project footprint.

2. Select matching points on the 3D model:
   Now, you will select the same two points on the 3D model.

   1. Click Start to begin selecting points on the model.

   2. Select the same two reference points on the 3D model that correspond to points 'A' and 'B' from the drawing.

   3. Click Save to confirm the points.

       Important

      The reference points selected in the 3D model must exist on the Z-axis (vertical plane). You cannot choose points on a flat floor or a 2D object. For precision, Procore recommends turning the Navisworks® grid ON by selecting View > Show Grid.

Step 5: Publish the Model

Before finalizing the model, decide whether to process it using Procore's cloud servers (recommended) or your local computer.

1. Choose your publishing method:

   1. Cloud Publishing (Default & Recommended)

      • How: Leave the Publish Locally checkbox cleared.

      • Description: This is the fastest method. Procore's servers do the heavy lifting, which frees up your computer. You can monitor the progress on the Uploads tab in the Procore BIM plugin.

   2. Local Publishing

      • How: Mark the Publish Locally checkbox.

      • Description: This option is significantly slower. Procore recommends using it when publishing a locked model file or when troubleshooting issues with the Navisworks® Appearance Profiler.

2. Finalize and view:

   1. When ready, click Publish.

   2. After the model has successfully processed, a confirmation message will appear. Click Done.

   3. View your model in the Models tool on the Procore web or mobile app. See View a Model (Web), (iOS), or (Android).