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Visualizing Scaffold Design in Autodesk Navisworks with Avontus Designer
If your teams coordinate models in Autodesk Navisworks, you can integrate your Avontus Designer® scaffold designs into the master project model to validate access, detect collisions, and align erection and dismantle sequencing earlier. By using Avontus Designer as your scaffold-specific design engine and Navisworks as your coordination hub, you can reduce redesign, improve visualization, and keep the plan buildable.
Autodesk Navisworks is widely used to visualize, coordinate, and manage the construction and maintenance of complex facilities—from small chemical plants to large LNG projects. Scaffolds designed in Avontus Designer can be inserted into Navisworks, where they can be moved, resized, and reviewed in context with other building elements. With Navisworks Simulate and Manage, you can seamlessly integrate your scaffold designs into full-scale BIM (Building Information Modeling) environments.
Leading scaffold companies have increased their project win rate
Stay ahead of competitors using Avontus.
What is Autodesk Navisworks and why do professionals use it?
Autodesk Navisworks aggregates models from multiple disciplines into a single environment. This enables teams to review design intent, visualize constraints, and make data-driven decisions—especially in congested industrial environments where space is at a premium.
In day-to-day scaffold planning, the most critical Navisworks features include:
- Model federation & review: Seeing structure, piping/MEP, equipment, and access constraints together in one view.
- Clash and interference awareness: Identifying conflicts between temporary scaffolds and permanent structures before they turn into costly field rework.
- 4D Sequencing Support: Pairing model elements with schedule logic using TimeLiner so teams can visualize “what exists when.”
How you can use Autodesk Navisworks with Avontus Designer
A simple workflow looks like this:
1. Design the scaffold in Avontus Designer (scaffold-first modeling)
Use Avontus Designer to build accurate scaffold models intended for real-world use. Scaffolding-specific platforms are often the most practical option for consistency, speed, and clarity. Once the design is complete, export your design as an i-model or DWG to import into the Navisworks coordination environment.
CAD Workflows: If your team currently relies on AutoCAD, see how Avontus Designer cuts drawing and counting time by up to 90%.
2. Visualize and review in Navisworks Once the scaffold design is in Navisworks, teams can review it against other building elements, confirm access and working clearances, and detect collisions early. Because the scaffold was created in Avontus Designer for real-world use, the visualization in Navisworks provides a high-fidelity look at how the temporary works will interact with the permanent structure.
3. Align sequencing with TimeLiner When the job requires clear sequencing, Navisworks’ TimeLiner can link model elements to schedule logic so teams can visualize erection and dismantle timing. This is especially useful when scaffold configurations change between project phases, access requirements change, or multiple trades compete for the same space.
The value of 4D visualization
The display of individual scaffolds can be toggled on/off and tied to specific dates using Navisworks’ TimeLiner 4D Simulation. This animates the project lifecycle, allowing safety managers to spot potential hazards months before a boot hits the ground.
Research on BIM safety planning shows that including temporary structures in your work sequences helps teams identify hazards earlier and improves overall site safety.
Overcoming industry challenges
In scaffold planning, the biggest design challenges usually aren’t “can we draw it?” They are:
- Late discovery of clashes and constraints (structural steel, piping, equipment, or MEP).
- Access uncertainty (the scaffold exists on paper, but doesn’t serve workplace safety or actual reach requirements).
- Collaboration gaps (different stakeholders see different versions of the plan).
- Sequence drift (temporary works not aligned to the master schedule intent).
Combining Autodesk Navisworks with Avontus Designer helps overcome these design challenges by improving early project review and enhancing visualization capabilities:
- Better Stakeholder Clarity: Teams review scaffolds in the same coordination environment used for the rest of the BIM model.
- Early Risk Discovery: BIM-based safety research shows value in modeling scaffolds and crew movement to detect hazards and plan prevention.
- More Confident Sequencing: 4D planning supports clearer discussions around what needs to be built, when, and how space constraints evolve.
“Our continued investment and vision into the BIM space shines with Navisworks. Our customer base can expect to see further integration with BIM visualization software from Bentley Systems and Intergraph,” says Brian Webb, CEO and Founder of Avontus.
Ready to streamline your coordination? Contact us today to learn more about how you can stay on the cutting edge of scaffold design and planning.
How do I export my scaffold design from Avontus Designer to Navisworks?
The most efficient way is to export your completed scaffold design as an i-model or a DWG file. Once exported, you can simply “Append” the file within the Navisworks environment to see your scaffolding alongside the rest of your project’s structural and MEP models.
Can I run clash detection on scaffolding in Navisworks?
Yes. By bringing your Avontus Designer models into Navisworks Manage, you can use the Clash Detective tool to identify interferences between temporary scaffolding and permanent structures. This helps prevent costly field rework and ensures that access points are clear before equipment arrives on site.
Does Navisworks support 4D sequencing for scaffolding?
Absolutely. Using the TimeLiner tool in Navisworks, you can link your scaffold models to your project schedule. This allows you to visualize exactly when scaffolds will be erected and dismantled, helping to coordinate space between different trades.
