ClashWise
A clash title should help someone decide what to open. In a list of 200 results, a stable reference and a few useful details can save the reader from opening every viewpoint to identify the discipline or location.
This guide sets out a naming convention for Navisworks clash coordination, with examples you can adapt to your project's terminology.
What a name has to do
Aim to answer these questions briefly:
- Where is it? Use a level, zone or grid reference when available.
- Which disciplines are involved? Use agreed terms or abbreviations.
- Which elements are involved? Include the type and useful dimensions.
- Is a severity hint needed? Keep formal priority in its own field so it can change without rewriting the title.
Keep the stable clash number alongside the title. In ClashWise, #N is the permanent reference within the published set.
A convention that works
A useful starting structure is:
[Level] — [Discipline A] vs [Discipline B] — [Element A] / [Element B] — [Zone]
Illustrative examples:
L02 — MECH vs STR — 12" supply duct / W21x44 girder — west bay
L05 — PLBG vs ARCH — 4" sanitary stack / restroom partition — core C
B01 — ELEC vs MECH — 600A bus duct / 24" return — main electrical room
The level and discipline pair help readers scan the list. Element details distinguish similar issues, and the zone adds context for the meeting. Check the resulting length in the tools receiving your titles; display limits vary.
What doesn't work
An ID without context. Clash847 identifies an entry but does not describe it. Keep the reference and add a readable title.
Inconsistent discipline names. M, MEC, MECH, Mechanical and HVAC may mean the same thing to different authors. Agree one vocabulary and document it.
Uncertain descriptions. "Big duct hits beam near the west wall I think" leaves the recipient guessing. Check the model and use the available element and location data.
Dates inside titles. Put the date in metadata so the name can continue describing the same issue across reviews.
Levels and zones
Source models may use different level names: L02 in one and 2F in another. Agree how those names map to the project's coordination levels and check the mapping when models change.
For zones, use reliable project references such as grids, named areas or room numbers. Ask several reviewers to name the same clash. If their location descriptions differ, clarify the convention before applying it to the whole list.
Disciplines at the right resolution
Choose abbreviations the team recognises. This example list is a naming aid, not a classification system built into ClashWise:
| Code | Discipline |
|---|---|
| ARCH | Architecture |
| STR | Structure |
| MECH | Mechanical (HVAC) |
| PLBG | Plumbing |
| ELEC | Electrical |
| FP | Fire protection |
| LV | Low-voltage |
| CIV | Civil |
| LAND | Landscape |
Put more detailed descriptions, such as supply air or hydronic return, in the element part of the title when they help distinguish the issue.
Element naming
Useful element details include:
- Type: supply duct, sanitary stack, sprinkler main, bus duct, beam or column.
- Size or designation: 12", W21x44 or 600A, where present in the source.
Do not infer a size or system that the data does not supply. Check the source properties used for naming, especially where models use different parameter names.
AI naming can draft titles from that metadata. Review a sample before running it across a large set, then correct missing or misleading input properties. Try the naming workflow on a real clash test.
Picking a standard instead of inventing one
ClashWise offers six naming standards. Choose one, generate a sample and check whether the output gives your reviewers enough context:
- Basic: a concise starting point.
- Detailed: more element and location detail where available.
- Component ID: includes component identifiers.
- By Discipline: organises the title around disciplines.
- AI Preferred: lets the AI choose the title structure.
- Mixed: combines naming approaches.
The standards guide generation. Review the output for missing details and inconsistent terminology.
Multi-language teams
Choose the working language agreed for the issue record. If reviewers need translated titles, check that technical terms, units and references still match the source.
ClashWise supports title generation in 11 languages. Local AI naming can run on the workstation. Review the local provider, fallback settings and audit-data behaviour before using it on restricted project data; local inference is not a promise that every product operation is offline.
Enforcement
Write the convention into the BEP and decide who can change titles. For small lists, a coordinator can review each name manually. For larger lists, generation reduces repeated typing but still needs a sample check and a way to correct exceptions.
Check the convention again after changes to model properties, project terminology or naming settings.
Where to start
Document the structure with a few accepted examples, apply it to one test and ask the receiving consultant to review the list. Adjust the convention before extending it across the project.
Download the ClashWise plugin to try generated names, or start a 14-day trial and compare the reviewed output with your current titles.
Tags: Naming, Standards, Coordination, Best Practices
