Navisworks has no IFC export, so an NWD cannot be saved as IFC from inside Navisworks. Veksle converts the NWD to IFC4 — upload the file, preview the result, download the .ifc. No Autodesk software involved.
You were sent an .nwd and you need it as IFC — for Solibri, BIMcollab, Dalux, a Revit link, or an openBIM handover. Here is how to do it, and what actually comes across.
How to convert an NWD to IFC
- Open the converter and drop your single
.nwdonto it. Files up to 2 GB, one per conversion. - Leave units on Auto-detect. The unit is read from inside the model. On the rare file that stores no unit, the converter refuses rather than guessing — pick the units and run it again.
- Convert. The converter turns your file into IFC4 Design Transfer. No install, no licence anywhere in the process.
- Preview and download. The IFC renders in the browser so you can confirm the geometry before it saves to your machine.
Convert your NWD now
Free while we are in launch. No account, no install, files deleted after every conversion.
OPEN THE CONVERTER ▸What comes across in the conversion
The output is IFC4 Design Transfer. Every element arrives as an IfcBuildingElementProxy carrying its triangulated geometry and the properties it had in Navisworks, placed in the coordinate system it came from.
| What you had in the NWD | What you get in the IFC |
|---|---|
| Element geometry | Triangulated solids, placed in the model's own coordinates |
| Object properties / property sets | Carried onto each element as IFC properties |
| Model units | Read from the file, not guessed |
| Federated / appended models | Converted together from the one published NWD |
It is a coordination and viewing model — geometry and data preserved and correctly placed — not a re-authored model with walls typed as walls. That is the right shape for clash detection, coordination, quantity review and handover, which is what an NWD is for.
Why you can't just export IFC from Navisworks
Navisworks imports and appends IFC but ships no IFC export in any edition — not Manage, not Simulate, not the free Freedom viewer. That is the gap this fills. Full explanation: does Navisworks export IFC?
NWC as well as NWD
If what you have is a cache file rather than a published document, it converts the same way — see convert NWC to IFC. Not sure which you have? NWD vs NWC vs NWF explains it.
FAQ
Is it really free to convert an NWD to IFC?
Yes, while we are in launch. No account, no install, no card. Your upload and the IFC it produced are both deleted from the server as soon as the conversion finishes.
Do I need Navisworks installed?
No. It needs no Autodesk software, no Navisworks licence and no install. A computer that has never run Navisworks converts a file exactly the same way.
How big an NWD can I convert?
Up to 2 GB, one file per conversion, with a 30-minute ceiling per run. Expect the IFC to come back several times larger than the NWD — triangulated geometry in text-based IFC is bulkier than the Navisworks file.
Which IFC version does it produce?
IFC4 Design Transfer. Elements arrive as IfcBuildingElementProxy with triangulated geometry and their Navisworks properties — a coordination model, not a re-authored one.
Which programs open the converted file?
Any openBIM tool — Solibri, BIMcollab, BlenderBIM, usBIM, Navisworks itself, or Revit's IFC link.
Are my files kept on the server?
No. The upload and the generated IFC are both erased the moment a conversion ends, and no account is needed. A desktop build is available if you would rather the model never left your machine.