NAVISWORKS NWDPRIMAVERA P6OIL & GAS / LNG / EPC

Generate Primavera P6 schedules directly from Navisworks models.

Sensali extracts engineering data from Navisworks (NWD) models, normalises project information, applies construction sequencing methodology and exports a Primavera P6 schedule ready for planning teams.

  • Tested on multiple combined plant models
  • Primavera P6 XER export
  • Engineering-driven sequencing
  • Generates real predecessor relationships
Pipeline schematicREV A
EXTRACTGEOMETRY01STANDARDISEENGINEERING DATA02IDENTIFYPROCESS AREAS03GENERATECONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE04EXPORTPRIMAVERA P605
02The problem

The model is digital.
The schedule is still handmade.

EPC project teams build detailed 3D models of a plant. The construction sequence and P6 schedule are still assembled by hand, one facility and one system at a time, by an engineer reading drawings and deciding what depends on what.

DURATION

Manual sequencing takes weeks per facility and is repeated for every system.

VARIANCE

Two planners working from the same model produce two different schedules.

REWORK

Every model revision requires the schedule to be reworked by hand.

03How Sensali works

Six stages, one continuous pipeline

Each stage reads the output of the stage before it. Nothing is re-keyed by hand.

  1. 01

    Extract

    Reads the Navisworks model directly. Geometry, object properties, equipment hierarchy and metadata are extracted without manual re-entry of tags or quantities.

    Input
    Navisworks NWD model
    Output
    Equipment hierarchy, properties, geometry, metadata
    NWDGEOMETRYHIERARCHY
  2. 02

    Standardize

    Creates one canonical equipment inventory by combining engineering spreadsheets, model properties and project metadata. Coverage spans structural steel, piping, electrical and instrumentation, cross-validated against the project's own cost and schedule data.

    Input
    Model properties, engineering spreadsheets, project cost and schedule data
    Output
    Canonical equipment master and item-level inventory
    STRUCTURALPIPINGELECTRICALINSTRUMENTATION
  3. 03

    Identify process areas

    Groups every item into its physical process system using model containment and connectivity data together with the project's engineering documentation.

    Input
    Inventory, model containment and connectivity, engineering documentation
    Output
    Item-to-process-area assignment across the facility
    INLET RECEIVALACID GAS REMOVALMERCURY REMOVALValidated at 98.8% accuracy
  4. 04

    Sequence

    Applies construction sequencing logic derived from real project methodology rather than generating activities from prompts. Equipment is sequenced per physical unit through erection and grouting. Piping, electrical and instrumentation are sequenced per process area, gated on every piece of equipment in that area being ready first.

    Input
    Process areas, equipment inventory, construction methodology
    Output
    Dependency-correct activity sequence with area gating
    ERECTIONGROUTINGAREA GATING
  5. 05

    Schedule

    Relationships, durations, crew sizing and resource logic are generated from project engineering data. Delivery dates, relationship type, lag and finish-to-start logic are applied across the full activity set.

    Input
    Activity sequence, delivery dates, project staffing data
    Output
    Durations, crew sizes, resources, predecessor and successor logic
    FSLAGCREW SIZE
  6. 06

    Export

    Writes a Primavera P6 XER file containing activities, relationships and resources, ready to import directly into P6. Not a spreadsheet export.

    Input
    Scheduled activity network
    Output
    Primavera P6 XER file, ready to import
    .XERACTIVITIESRELATIONSHIPSRESOURCES
04Built on engineering logic

Built on engineering logic.

Most systems generate schedules from text prompts. Sensali generates schedules from engineering models, project data and construction methodology.

Criterion
Prompt based systems
Sensali
Input
Text prompt
Navisworks model and project engineering data
Model understanding
None
Geometry, hierarchy, containment, connectivity
Dependencies
Inferred, unverifiable
Derived from process areas and construction methodology
Sequencing
Generic template
Applied per unit and per process area
Output
Text or spreadsheet
Primavera P6 XER, ready to import
05Current validation

Current system output

Measured output of the pipeline as it stands today.

4modelsFull facility models processed end to end through one combined pipeline
220activitiesConstruction activities generated
264,101.9hoursEngineering hours calculated from the models
190relationshipsPredecessor and successor links, P6 importable
98.8% accuracyMeasured accuracy of automatic process area detection
1:1staffingCrew sizing taken from project staffing data, not estimated
06Why Sensali

Engineering logic, not prompt engineering.

Construction methodology is encoded using engineering knowledge rather than relying on large language models to invent sequencing. The rules define what depends on what, and why, and are applied consistently across an entire model instead of being rebuilt by hand for every facility.

07Data handling

Designed for confidential engineering data

Plant models and project schedules are commercially sensitive. Sensali is set up to handle them on those terms.

NDA

NDA available before any model or project data is shared.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Customer project data remains confidential and is used only for that customer's work.

DEPLOYMENT

Enterprise deployment supported, including customer-controlled environments.

ISOLATION

No project data is shared or reused between customers.

08Who it's for

Planning and project controls teams

EPC contractors and owner's engineering teams running planning and project controls on oil & gas, LNG and industrial gas plant construction, where the P6 schedule has to stay connected to the engineering model.

EPC CONTRACTORSOWNER'S ENGINEERINGPROJECT CONTROLSOIL & GASLNGINDUSTRIAL GAS
09Design partners

Become a design partner

We are working with a small number of EPC and project controls teams to validate Sensali on completed projects. If you are interested in shaping how engineering planning is done, we would like to speak.

Based in Perth, Western Australia. Working with EPC and project controls teams globally.

Discovery call

Book a 30 minute session