Importing NDW files

Using content

Program: Allplan 2016

NDW files are Allplan documents or Allplan drawing files. They can contain any elements.
Among other things, Allplan Content also provides smart symbols with textures in NDW files.

NDW is the abbreviation for an Allplan DraWing File. You can enter any name for an NDW-format file and save it to any folder (as opposed to a drawing file that always gets the name tb00????.ndw (???? = drawing file number) and that is always saved to the project folder).

You can open an NDW file as an individual file or integrate it in a project.

Tip: To differentiate visually between drawing files, layouts, NDW files and NPL files on screen, you can specify a different background color using the Options, Desktop environment, Display page.

To open an NDW file as a single Allplan document and insert the file's elements in a drawing file

1. Download the file.
2. Decompress the file and save it in any folder on your computer.

   Tip: It makes sense to use the same folder for data of the same format.

3. Start Allplan 2016.
4. On the File menu, click Open....
5. Select the folder and the file you downloaded and click Open to confirm.

   The NDW file opens.

6. If you want, you can transfer elements from the NDW file to a drawing file in one of the following ways:
   • To select the elements, click them, enclose them in a selection rectangle or use the brackets. After having selected the elements, drag them into the drawing file.
   • To select the elements, click them, enclose them in a selection rectangle or use the brackets. After having selected the elements, copy them to the Clipboard by pressing CTRL+C and paste them into the drawing file by pressing CTRL+V.

     Note: If you use CTRL+A to select all the elements in the NDW file, Allplan will also select the default planes. The copied default planes may overwrite the default planes in the target drawing file, thus changing the height settings of elements in the target drawing file (provided they are associated with the default planes).
     For more information see the section "Behavior of default planes when copying or moving elements between documents" in the help for Allplan.

     By inserting the data into the drawing file, you automatically save the textures to the project's design folder.

To save the contents of an NDW file as a smart symbol

1. Download the file.
2. Decompress the file and save it in any folder on your computer.

   Tip: It makes sense to use the same folder for data of the same format.

3. Start Allplan 2016.
4. On the File menu, click Open....
5. Select the folder and the file you downloaded and click Open to confirm.

   The NDW file opens.

6. Open the Library palette in one of the following ways:
   • Click Smart Symbol Catalog (How).
     

     Activate Smart Symbol Catalog in one of the following ways

     • Menu bar: Create Bonus Tools Smart Symbols

     • Palette: Tools Create area in the following module(s):

     Smart Symbols

   • Open the Library palette.
     If you want to see only smart symbols, click Filter and hide Symbols and SmartParts.
7. Navigate to the folder where you want to save the smart symbol.

   Note: You cannot create new smart symbols in the Default folder.

8. At the bottom of the palette, point to Insert element and click Insert smart symbol.
9. Select the smart symbol you want to save to the library by clicking it or enclosing it in a selection rectangle.
10. Select the reference point of the smart symbol.

    This is the point at which the smart symbol is attached to the crosshairs when you are placing it in the workspace.

11. Specify whether the smart symbol is to be added as an intelligent smart symbol with Snoop functionality or as a dumb smart symbol without Snoop functionality. For more information, see intelligent (smart) symbols.
12. Enter a name for the smart symbol and click OK to confirm.

    Allplan saves the smart symbol as an NMK file to the selected folder, creating it as a Smart symbol with resources.

    Note: You can use New group at the bottom of the palette to create a tree structure for the smart symbols and other library elements. Enter a meaningful name, for example, the name of the NDW file.

    The NMK file contains textures and SURF files. If you insert an NMK file into a drawing file, the textures and SURF files are automatically copied to the project's design folder.

To import an NDW file to a project

1. Download the file.
2. Decompress the file and save it in any folder on your computer.
3. Start Allplan 2016.
4. Click ProjectPilot on the File menu.

   Or:

   Press CTRL+R.

5. In ProjectPilot, right-click a drawing file folder. On the shortcut menu, choose Import NDW file.
6. Select the NDW file you want to import and click Open.
7. Select the drawing file to which you want to import the NDW file and click OK.

Saving and exporting NDW files

Drawing files can be saved as NDW files using Save Copy As or Export Loaded Drawing Files with Resources.