Elon Musk announced the Tesla Cybertruck just 2 weeks ago and the design was so polarizing that it no doubt was brought up at your Thanksgiving. If you haven't seen or heard, the Cybertruck is pretty revolutionary.
Instead of having a typical body on a frame, the body is the frame, meaning the manufacturing/assembly process is much cheaper, and the straight faces and panels means even greater savings. With the price being so low, and the specs and toughness so high, the Cybertruck will get at least some consideration from even the most die-hard classic body-on-frame pick up fans. Another way to put it: this is not a car for the elite, this is a truck for the masses. Even this writer, who doesn't currently own a car, is considering one of these for when the time comes.
However, being revolutionary usually brings some controversy, and in this case there was no shortage. The Cybertruck design has generated so many jokes and memes that it's pretty hard to avoid the hype.
We at Buildfore have a pretty good winter treat for you. We've gotten our hands on a model of the Cybertruck and want to show you how you can drive it, yes drive it, in Navisworks. Here's what you'll need:
- Autodesk Navisworks Manage (or Navisworks Simulate)
- CtrlWiz / Xbox Controller for Navisworks
- This Cybertruck Avatar
You'll be able to set the Cybertruck as your avatar in Navisworks Freedom (which is Free), but you'll need Navisworks Manage or Simulate (which is definitely not free) to use the Xbox Controller plugin.
Once Navisworks is installed go to C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Navisworks Manage 2020\avatars and paste the unzipped Tesla_Cybertruck folder in the avatars folder.
Next you'll need to restart Navis a few times here but it'll be worth it:
- Install Navisworks Manage
- Install the CtrlWiz / Xbox Controller plugin (works without an avatar too)
- Launch Navis
- Click the big N, and go to Options > Interface > Viewpoint Defaults > Click on Settings
- Click the checkbox in the Third Person box next to Enable (uncheck Auto Zoom)
- Hit dropdown for Avatar and select the Tesla Cybertruck
- Make sure to change the Radius and the Height to 4ft and 8ft, respectively. See Pro Tip #2 if you have issues.
- Hit OK twice and Restart Navisworks
- Connect an Xbox Controller to your PC
- In the ribbon, go to the CtrlWiz tab and click on Activate Controller (your controller should rumble)
- Start Driving (the two triggers control your elevation)
Pro tip #1: Go to Settings > Interface > Viewpoint Defaults > Settings > Uncheck Enable under Third person to remove showing the avatar by default. You can always add the avatar on the fly in the Ribbon > Viewpoint Tab > Navigate > Realism > Third Person
Pro tip #2: If the Cybertruck seems like the wrong size, you can figure out the right size by adjusting the Radius/Height in the Collision Settings (you can edit current viewpoint to save time from having to constantly restart). You may need to change units to Feet and Inches Fractions under Options > Interface > Display Units.
