Open an NWD file online — view Navisworks models in your browser, no Navisworks needed
A coordinator sent the federated model as an NWD, and you don't have Navisworks. Drop the file here and BIMCamel converts it to IFC on its servers, then opens it in the browser viewer with its selection tree, properties and colours. Nothing to install and no Autodesk licence, on Windows, Mac or a site laptop alike.
Viewing is read-only, so the NWD is never changed, and the IFC it was turned into is yours to download, keep in your workspace, or run through clash detection and the other IFC tools.
How to open an NWD file without Navisworks
- Drop the .nwd on the Navisworks converter, on the viewer, or on any upload area on BIMCamel. They all send it to the same place.
- The file is read on the server and written out as IFC, keeping its properties, materials and hierarchy. The page shows how far it has got.
- The model opens in the viewer by itself when it is done. Signed in, save it to your workspace, where it is listed as an NWD next to your IFC models.
What you see once it's open
- The selection tree as the model tree, so the files, layers and groups of the federation are where you expect them, not one flat list of shapes.
- The properties of each item as property sets, so you can still read, search and filter by them.
- Colours, transparency and materials as they were in Navisworks, with sections and measurements in the viewer.
Where it stops
- .nwd files only. Save an .nwf or .nwc as an NWD in Navisworks first, or export IFC with the free Navisworks plug-in.
- An NWD is a published snapshot, so geometry comes in as meshes. You can look, measure and check, but not edit the original authoring model.
- Element classes are worked out from the information in the file; an item with nothing to identify it becomes a generic proxy.
- Very large federations take longer. Navisworks files can be up to 25 MB without an account, 100 MB with a free one and 200 MB on a paid plan. In the browser viewer, models open up to 25 MB without an account, 50 MB with a free one and 80 MB on a paid plan; larger ones convert to an IFC you download. Conversions run a few at a time, so at busy moments you may wait in line.
Frequently asked questions
Can I open an NWD file without Navisworks?
Yes. Drop the .nwd on this page's converter or on the viewer. It is converted to IFC online and opens in the browser with its tree, properties and colours. You don't need Navisworks, Navisworks Freedom or an Autodesk account.
What about NWF and NWC files?
Those aren't opened here. An NWF only points at other files, and an NWC is a cache. Save the model as an NWD in Navisworks, or use the free Navisworks to IFC plug-in, and open the result.
Is it free?
Yes. Opening an NWD works on every plan, including as a guest. Each conversion counts as one run of your daily allowance, and paid plans are served first when conversions are queued. File size is capped per plan.
Can I run a clash check on it?
Yes. Once the NWD is open it is an ordinary IFC to BIMCamel, so clash detection, the health check and every other IFC tool work on it without another upload.
What happens to my file after processing?
Your file is uploaded over HTTPS and processed on our servers. Guest uploads are stream-only — the working files are deleted as soon as your download finishes. Free accounts keep results for 7 days; Pro keeps them 90 days and Team 180 days. Files are never shared with third parties or used to train AI.