HOW TO OPEN
AN NWD FILE.

An NWD is a published Navisworks document — a self-contained snapshot of a coordination model. Nothing but Navisworks opens it directly, which is why a stray NWD feels like a dead end. It isn't.

Option 1 — view it (Navisworks Freedom, free)

Autodesk's Navisworks Freedom is a free viewer that opens NWD and NWC. You can orbit the model, read element properties and step through saved viewpoints. It is the quickest way to simply see what is in the file.

The limit: Freedom exports nothing — no IFC, no DWG, no data, no scripting. You can look at the model, but you cannot get anything out of it or bring it into another program. If all you need is a look, this is enough.

Option 2 — use it (convert to IFC)

To open the model in your own tools — Revit's IFC link, Solibri, BIMcollab, Dalux, Revizto, Blender — you need it in a format they read. Navisworks has no IFC export (why), so you convert the NWD directly. Veksle converts the .nwd to IFC4 in the browser, with no Navisworks anywhere.

Open an NWD in Revit, AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Inventor, SketchUp…

You want it in	Directly?	Route
Revit	Reference only	Revit 2018.1+ links an NWD as a Coordination Model — geometry, no properties. For real elements with data, convert to IFC and link the IFC (steps).
AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Plant 3D	Reference only	Attach as a coordination model (2016+) to draw against. For objects you can select and query, go through IFC.
Inventor, SolidWorks	No	Convert to IFC, then import the IFC (both read IFC).
SketchUp	No	Convert to IFC; SketchUp Pro imports IFC.
ArchiCAD, Tekla, Allplan	No	Convert to IFC; all three are openBIM tools and read IFC natively.
Solibri, BIMcollab, Dalux, Revizto	No	Convert to IFC; IFC is their home format. See Solibri below and BIMcollab.
Blender	No	Convert to IFC and open with the Bonsai (BlenderBIM) add-on.

One conversion covers every row: convert NWD to IFC.

Open an NWD in Revit

Revit has two routes, and they give you different things.

1. Insert → Coordination Model (Revit 2018.1 and later) links the .nwd or .nwc directly. You get geometry to look at and snap to. You get no properties, no categories, nothing to tag or schedule, and it does not take part in Revit's interference check.
2. Convert the NWD to IFC above, then Insert → Link IFC (or Open → IFC for a model of its own). Revit builds the IFC into linked categories: beams, columns, slabs, ducts and pipes arrive as their IFC classes with every Navisworks property set, their storey and their Revit system. You can tag them, schedule them and run interference checks against them.

Neither route gives you editable Revit families. An NWD never carried the authoring data for that, so this is the right shape for coordinating against a model someone sent you, not for redrawing it.

Open an NWD in Solibri

Solibri is an openBIM tool and lives on IFC. It has no NWD reader at all, so the conversion is the whole answer.

1. Convert the NWD to IFC above. One file, nothing to install.
2. In Solibri, File → Open Model and pick the converted .ifc, or add it to a federated model next to the discipline models you already have.
3. Run your rulesets, clash and coordination on it as on any IFC. The classes, property sets, storeys and systems come across, so classification-based rules work on the model, not only on the geometry.

The same three steps work for BIMcollab, Dalux and Revizto.

Open an NWD on a Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android

Navisworks and Navisworks Freedom are Windows-only, so there is no native NWD opener on macOS or mobile. The browser route works everywhere: upload the NWD, watch it render in the page, download the IFC. On a Mac you then open the IFC in ArchiCAD, Solibri, Blender or any IFC viewer.

Free NWD viewers, side by side

	Navisworks Freedom	Autodesk Viewer (web)	Veksle
Cost	Free	Free, Autodesk account needed	Free while we launch, no account
Runs on	Windows only	Browser	Browser
Install	Yes	No	No
Gets the model out	No	No	Yes — IFC4 download

Just want to see it in your browser?

Converting also renders the model in the page, so you can inspect it without installing anything — see NWD viewer online.

The NWD will not open at all?

Published NWDs can carry a password or an expiry date set by whoever published them. An expired file refuses to open in every Navisworks product and cannot be revived on your side — ask the publisher for a fresh publish.

FAQ

What opens an NWD file?

Navisworks (Manage, Simulate or the free Freedom viewer) opens it directly. To use the model in any other program, convert it to IFC first.

How do I open an NWD without Navisworks?

Convert it to IFC in the browser with Veksle, then open the IFC in whatever BIM tool you use. Nothing to install, free while we are in launch.

Is Navisworks Freedom really free?

Yes — it is Autodesk's free NWD/NWC viewer. It opens and inspects the model but cannot export or extract anything from it.

Can I open an NWD in Revit?

Only as a Coordination Model link, which is geometry without properties. For elements you can tag, schedule and clash, convert the NWD to IFC and use Insert → Link IFC.

Can Solibri open NWD files?

No. Solibri reads IFC and has no NWD reader. Convert the NWD to IFC first, then File → Open Model in Solibri.

Is it safe to upload the file?

Your upload and the IFC it produces are deleted from the server the moment the conversion finishes, and no account is needed.

Can I open an NWD in AutoCAD?

Only as a coordination-model underlay for reference (AutoCAD 2016 and later). To get objects you can select and query, convert the NWD to IFC and import that.

Can I open an NWD in SolidWorks or Inventor?

Not directly — neither reads NWD. Convert it to IFC first; both import IFC.

Can I open an NWD file on a Mac?

Navisworks is Windows-only, so not natively. Convert the NWD to IFC in the browser and open the IFC in a Mac application, or view it in the page while it converts.

Is there a free NWD viewer online?

Yes. Autodesk Viewer shows an NWD in the browser with an Autodesk account, view-only. Veksle renders it in the browser with no account and also gives you the IFC to take away.