An NWD is a published Autodesk Navisworks document: a single self-contained file holding a whole coordination model — all its geometry and object properties baked in — meant for reviewing and sharing, not editing.
NWD is the "finished, send it out" format of Navisworks. It is a snapshot: everything needed to open and review the model is inside the one file, frozen at the moment it was published.
What's inside an NWD
- Geometry for every element in the model, often federated from many source files (Revit, AutoCAD, Tekla, MicroStation and others) into one.
- Object properties — the data attached to each element: identifiers, materials, dimensions, whatever the source models carried.
- Review data — saved viewpoints, markups, clash results and comments, depending on how it was published.
Because it is self-contained, an NWD is what gets handed over at a coordination milestone, sent to a client, or archived. That is also why so many end up stranded: the recipient often has no Navisworks.
Who makes NWD files, and why
BIM coordinators and design managers publish them from Navisworks Manage or Simulate to freeze and share a federated model — one file anyone can open in Navisworks to review, without needing the dozens of native source files behind it.
NWD vs NWC vs NWF
Three Navisworks extensions, easy to mix up: NWC is a per-model cache, NWD is the published document above, and NWF is a lightweight file that only references the source models rather than containing them. Full breakdown: NWD vs NWC vs NWF.
NWD full form
NWD stands for Navisworks Document. Its siblings are NWC (Navisworks Cache, one converted source model) and NWF (Navisworks File set, the working session that only points at source files).
Which programs open an NWD
| Program | Opens NWD? | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Navisworks Manage / Simulate | Yes | Full review: properties, clashes, viewpoints, publishing |
| Navisworks Freedom (free, Windows) | Yes | View, measure, read properties — no export of any kind |
| Revit 2018.1 and later | Link only | "Coordination Model" link: geometry as a read-only reference, no element properties |
| AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Plant 3D (2016+) | Attach only | Coordination-model underlay for reference, not editable objects |
| Veksle (browser) | Yes | Renders the model in the page and gives you an IFC4 file to open anywhere |
| SolidWorks, Inventor, SketchUp, ArchiCAD, Tekla, Solibri, BIMcollab | No | Convert to IFC first, then open the IFC |
Details for each route are in how to open an NWD file.
NWD on a Mac, iPad or iPhone
Navisworks, Freedom included, is Windows-only. On a Mac the practical route is the browser: convert the NWD to IFC with Veksle, then open the IFC in a Mac tool such as ArchiCAD, Solibri or Blender. The model also renders in the page during conversion, which works on any device with a modern browser.
Password-protected or expired NWD
When publishing an NWD, the author can set a password, an expiry date and whether the file may be re-saved. An expired NWD will not open anywhere — Navisworks simply refuses it. There is no workaround on the receiving end: ask the publisher for a fresh publish with a later date or no expiry.
How to convert an NWD
Navisworks cannot export IFC, so you convert the file directly. Veksle converts the NWD to IFC4 in the browser — see convert NWD to IFC.
Turn your NWD into something you can open
Convert it to IFC in the browser — free, no Navisworks, nothing to install.
OPEN THE CONVERTER ▸FAQ
What does NWD stand for?
It is the extension for a Navisworks Document — a published, self-contained Navisworks model file. Autodesk does not expand it as words beyond that.
What program opens an NWD file?
Autodesk Navisworks — Manage, Simulate, or the free Freedom viewer. To use the model elsewhere, convert it to IFC first.
Is an NWD editable?
Not as a design model. It is a published snapshot for review and coordination — you review, mark up and measure it, but you do not author geometry in it.
How big are NWD files?
Anywhere from a few MB to well over a gigabyte, depending on how much of a federated model is baked in.
Can I convert an NWD to IFC?
Yes — not from inside Navisworks, but by converting it with a standalone tool. Veksle does this in the browser and produces IFC4.
What is the full form of NWD?
Navisworks Document. NWC is Navisworks Cache and NWF is Navisworks File set.
Can Revit open an NWD file?
Revit 2018.1 and later can link an NWD as a Coordination Model — a read-only geometric reference with no element properties. To bring the elements in with their data, convert the NWD to IFC and link the IFC instead.
Can I open an NWD on a Mac?
Not with Navisworks, which is Windows-only. 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.
Why does my NWD say it has expired?
The publisher set an expiry date when the file was published. After that date Navisworks refuses to open it, and nothing on your side can change that — ask for a new publish.