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Navisworks uses three file formats for saving data:
NWC - These are simply cache files that are written when reading in non-Navisworks file formats, such as DWG and 3DS. These files contain the converted 3D geometry from the non-Navisworks files. They can also be written directly from exporter utilities in products like AutoCAD Architecture and Revit.
NWD - These files contain the 3D geometry plus specific Navisworks data such as viewpoints, comments, etc.. These files are created by the application exporter utilities in products like AutoCAD Architecture, as well as internally by Navisworks with the Publish feature.
NWF - These files simple reference a collection of other files and do not contain 3D geometry. Hence, they are relatively small and to view these files, a user must have access to the original source data.
Consider the diagram below:
The Source Files could be a collection of non-Navisworks files (e.g. DWG & 3DS) as well as native NWC and NWD files. These would then be combined into a single Master NWF file. To combine them together, open the first file, then append all the others, then save as an NWF file. If you want to share this information outside the organisation without distributing the original source files, this file could be published as an NWD file with the added benefits of being able to include password protection and an expire date.
When working on this data in Navisworks it is then advisable to separate the various work processes into a number of Work Process Files, that way, any work related Navisworks information is stored in a relevant NWF file. The sort of work processes in mind relate to the main modules of Navisworks - e.g. Clash Detective, TimeLiner and Presenter. These too can be published to NWD files if necessary for sharing.
Finally, if you want to combine all the work process data into a single file, you could create a Merged NWF File. First open the first Work Process NWF File and then merge in the others - Navisworks will sort out what data needs to be included to avoid duplication. Once again, this file could also be published as a single NWD for sharing with others.
The whole principle is similar to the way you can work with external references in AutoCAD, in that changes to the original source files will update the downstream NWF files.
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