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Permalink Reply by Trevor Carroll on October 5, 2011 at 3:26pm

Hi.  Relatively new to Vectorworks. Using 2011, but hanging out to get 2012. Have been checking out CAD Software for about a year for MAC. I've been using Turbocad 18 on my MAC with Parallels. Ok, but just not quite up what I wanted. Love Vectorworks. At the moment I'm designing an extension to our Preschool in Architect. I also design sets for a region theatre company, so I'm spending as much time as possible checking out tutorials for Spotlight.

I'm impressed with the amount of support material available for VW. Most questions I've googled I've found some form of reply for.

I live in Orange NSW Australia.

Regards to all

Trevor

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Permalink Reply by Vince Johnson on October 6, 2011 at 9:18am

Thanks for your input!

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Permalink Reply by Neal Pann on October 7, 2011 at 11:01am

I’m “tuning” in from the center of the technology world in the San Francisco Bay Area and have Vectorworks 2011. I do find it difficult to learn in a vacuum and haven’t really progressed in learning the program.

 

I’d had some prior experience with AutoCAD and since they have come out with a Mac version, I’ve found myself using that again. It’s not what I want to use, but I find so many of the people I know using it. Having that experience has helped me when looking for work and since few firms in my area use Vectorworks having AutoCAD experience is beneficial.

 

What I would like from VectorWorking is to help meet others in my area that also use Vectorworks, so that I can build up my base of people to help on projects and finally kick AutoCAD to the curb.

 

Thanks,

 

Neal

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Permalink Reply by Vince Johnson on October 10, 2011 at 11:40am

Great! Thank you for your input!

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Permalink Reply by Lloyd NB on October 13, 2011 at 8:26am

I am one of those "Smart-Sized" firms VW is said to be great for -- a one person firm with an occasional helping hand. Because I have to wear a lot of hats here, I don't have as much time to spend with Vectorworks as I'd like to. Many of us Smart-Sized firms have this problem. Getting training - with the user interface primarily - that is affordable is an issue. Functions/options/related tools seem to be buried here and there. I still don't know if I've exhausted all the possible options and uses of some tools. Often I get the feeling I have discovered some kind of workaround.

 

From VectorWorking, One thing I'd really appreciate knowing more about is the perspective camera. It still seems clunky (especially after using Cinema 4D and Rhino for years) and I'm sure I don't know where all the options are. How about a Novedge Video on the camera - "Everything there is to know about the VW cameras including creative options" Also, is it possible to export a VW generated fly-around or walk-through into Cinema 4D?

 

One tool I'd really appreciate from VW, or even as a plug-in which Novedge might commission and market, is an intuitive 3D PERSPECTIVE VIEW option layer plane workspace - just like the iso views but in perspective w/stacked layers and renders. Add to this the ability to manipulate building sections live in perspective views and I'd really be pleased.

 

The informational vids from Novedge (and VW) are getting so much better since my first use in early 2010. I do appreciate Novedge webinars because the cost of training from VW itself is not an option at this time and the user base here where I live and work is nearly zero, most of them hanging on to older 2D VW versions.

 

So - Great Job VectorWorking!

 

Related software I presently use:

Vectorworks Designer 2011

Cinema 4D r.11.5

Autodesk Architecture

Photoshop

Corel DrawX5 Suite

SiteSpinner Pro

Rhino 3D r4

Video Studio Pro

Revit 2010 (use others when consulting in office)

IMSI DoubleCad XT Pro2

VIZ-07 (yukk)

 

edited - why is this text so large?  sorry about this...just did a copy/paste from open office....

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Permalink Reply by Vince Johnson on October 13, 2011 at 9:50am

We greatly appreciate your feedback. I can answer your question about fly-arounds and walk-throughs in Vectorworks: You can export a 3D model from Vectorworks into Cinema4D and then through Cinema4D conduct your fly-arounds and walk-throughs. Unfortunately, there is no way to do this in Vectorworks to my knowledge. I will look into this for you.

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Permalink Reply by Luisa manfredini on October 19, 2011 at 9:06pm

HI, I'm working from Sydney, Australia on VW2011 Architect on PC. we are a 2 person firm with a contract VW draftsperson doing residential additions and alterations. Generally happy except for problems with a few things:

1. my partner is a microstation user and exporting Vw so he can use a file is extremely difficult. There seems to be no system where I can export a sheet file into lines for him to edit. I have tried to get advice in sydney to no avail. I have tried using all the different options in the export window to no avail. the only thing that works is for me to go to each design file, copy each drawing to a seperate file with nothing else on it, rotate each drawing and crop and set up as it was on the sheet file. then copy the titleblock and paste it in the same place. then send it to him. this took about an hour for a timber screen detail drawing with about 8 viewports in different scales. he complains that when i export a drawing with other layers on it - that he receives them with the other layers visible and stuck to the drawing he needs. 

 

2. i have ongoing problems with the location of drawings on the page. I set up all my drawings fromthe beginning with a boundary corner at x = 0 , y = 0 . so I can copy and 'paste in place' when necessary. there comes a time when this all gets lost. the drawing or the sheet ends up at x or y  = in the 100,000,000,000's. I have to drag either the page or the drawing to 0/0 and spent time panning and draggin every time I change layers. what is the command to move the page outline? to move a drawing I group it, and change the X/Y values to 0/0 in the object info palette, then ungroup it. but with the page I need to find it and drag it. are there any videos to explain this?

Any assistance with the above would be greatly appreciated.

 

thank you,

Luisa

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Permalink Reply by Matt Bowyer on November 15, 2011 at 1:03pm

Hello,

Recently purchased VW Fundamentals for use as my personal CAD program. Planning some remodel projects on my house, and since I dumped my old PC, I wanted a capable, Mac native, affordable 3D modeler. Also, will be doing some product, furniture, and mechanical design work with it. Like all CAD programs, and especially solid modelers, getting up to speed is a challenge. No matter how "intuitive" the interface is supposed to be, you definitely find yourself running into walls at times. Hopefully, this forum will help overcoming the inevitable road blocks  and head-scratching moments. Anyone with good suggestions for reference books, tutorials, feel free to chime in. 

Cheers,

Matt

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