Vectorworks 2017 Online Courses Available

I have create 4 new courses for Vectorworks 2017:

• Fundamentals
• Architect
• Landmark
• 3D Modeling

These are not like the manuals I have previously written, these are online courses that use video to teach you. The courses are broken up into logical chapters and some chapters have several movies. When you have compeleted the lesson, you can move to the next lesson and so on until the course is completed.

Vectorworks Tip 437 - Creating A Viewport That Fades Out

I saw on the tech board, somebody was asking for a technique that would allow the viewport to fade out. I think you can achieve this now if you put an object in your viewport with a transparent gradient. In the image you can see I created a gradient that changes from solid white to transparent. I used the attribute mapping tool to control where the transparent and solid parts are, and I also used the attributes palette to change the gradient from a linear gradient to a radial gradient.

 

Vectorworks Tip 434 - How to Edit A Symbol

There are several ways that you can edit a symbol. You can right click on the symbol on the drawing area, you can right click on the symbol in the Resource Manager, or you can double-click on the symbol. Choose which part of the symbol you want to edit (2-D, 3-D, wall hole component, or symbol options). Remember the changes you make to a symbol will affect all instances of the symbol and the entire drawing.

 

Vectorworks Tip 433 - Creating a Dogleg Stair With the Simple Stair Tool

The Object Info palette gives you the options that you need to create a quick dogleg stair with a simple stair tool. The important part is to make sure that you have enough gap between the two flights of stairs.

 

Vectorworks Tip 431 - How To Create a Symbol

In the past we have had several posts about how cool symbols are. Here we will look at making a symbol. Actually, its really straightforward. Draw the 2D and 3D information that you want, select it and use the Create Symbol... command from the Modify menu.

Most of the troubles I see are from users not make the information correctly. Make sure that you have use the correct line weights, classes, and graphics.

 

Vectorworks Tip 430 - Creating a Left Stair With the Simple Stair Tool

Unlike other stair tools, the simple stair has all of its options on the Object Info palette. This makes it extremely quick to make the changes to the stair. In order to create a left stair, you can choose this option from the Object Info palette.

Vectorworks Tip 427 - Cool Tricks With Symbols – 4

Using symbols for plans and elevations. One of the earlier posts noted that a symbol instance is consistent throughout the file, so that if you update the symbol definition every instance of that symbol will update. One of the cool tricks is to use your symbol to create both a 2-D and 3-D versions of the symbols that you want. A door might be an example. You could create a symbol that had both the 2D and 3D part of the door. That way if you update any part of the door both your plan view of your symbol and your elevation view of your symbol ( in a separate design layer) would both update.

Vectorworks Tip 426 - Creating a Straight Stair With the Simple Stair Tool

For concept design, I think the simple stair takes a lot of beating. It's easy to use, it's very quick to use, and it gives you some pleasing results without too much bother with settings. Because it is a simple stair, you have very limited graphic and handrail abilities, but remember the conceptual design, you don't want to have too many options.

Vectorworks Tip 423 - Cool Tricks With Symbols 3 - Records

Some objects in Vectorworks already have information attached to them. Symbols allow you to attach your own information to them using record formats. This allows you to create a symbol that has your own specific information attached and this information can also link to text and the symbol so that when you update the information on the Object Info palette the text and the symbol will also update. I am covering this at the design summit in Chicago, so you might still have time to come in join my session.

Vectorworks Tip 422 - Creating a Complex Stair With The Custom Stair Tool

Building on from the previous posts about the custom stair tool, if you remember that the stair is a kit of parts you can assemble all the parts you need to create extremely complex stairs.

Vectorworks Tip 419 - Cool tricks with symbols 2 - Auto Class

The next amazing track with symbols is the ability to control what class the symbol will be assigned to. For example, whenever I use a symbol for a lighting switch, it is always assigned to the class that I require (services – electrical), regardless of the active class on the view bar. This means that I can activate my symbol and not have to worry about what my active classes, the object will automatically be assigned to the correct class. This dramatically improves my productivity because my objects are automatically assigned to their required classes. I will be looking at using symbols to create and manage your libraries at the design summit in Chicago

Vectorworks Tip 418 - Creating a Dog-Leg Stair With The Custom Stair Tool

Remember that the custom stair tool is designed to be used as a kit of parts. This means that to create a dogleg stair we need three parts: a straight flight, a U-Landing, and a straight flight for the final part of the stair. Once you understand that the stair uses a kit of parts, it becomes much easier to create the stair that you want.

Vectorworks Tip 414 - Creating a Straight Stair With the Custom Stair Tool

The custom stair tool is not part of the default workspace, you have to edit yourself from the legacy category. The custom stair tool is very flexible and is designed to be used like a kit of parts. In this tip will just look at a simple straight stair, but in later tips we will look at more complex stairs.

Vectorworks Tip 411 - Why Use Symbols Instead of Groups?

Symbols give you incredible abilities to attach information edit the information and control repeatable objects. In this example I've created a file with 100 tables. In the first file the tables are using the table and chair object. This file size is 10 MB. In the second example I've created one table and chair (exactly the same table and chair as the other file) made it into a symbol and repeated the symbol instance 100 times. This file size is .3 MB. This is a dramatic reduction in the size the file by using symbols. So my first reason for using symbols is that they're much more memory efficient. I will be looking at using symbols to create and manage your libraries at the Design Summit in Chicago

Vectorworks Tip 410 - Curved Stair

This is like the simple stair but for curved stairs. This means that it is useful for simpl curved stairs, but it is not useful if you want detailed stair. Like the Simple Stiar, this is great at concept stage.

Vectorworks Tip 409 - Selecting A Subdivision Handle

The subdivision handles allow you to pull, stretch, scale, or even rotate the face of your subdivision surface to change shape. When you select the subdivision handle you will get the transform widget (if using the transform mode). This is one of the basic concepts of using subdivision services, being able to select the subdivision handle that you want. You can select more than one subdivision handle and move them all together

Vectorworks Tip 407 - Symbols And Groups

Groups are a collection of objects, while a symbol is a special object in Vectorworks that is designed to be used with repeatable objects. The symbol uses the concept of an instance (a symbol on the drawing) and the definition (the information used to create the symbol). When you place a similar new drawing you are placing an instance, when you edit the symbol either from the drawing or from the resource browser you are editing the definition. When you edit the definition of a symbol every instance of that symbol in the drawing will update. I will be looking at symbols at the Design Summit in Chicago.

Vectorworks Tip 406 - Simple Stair

This tool is ideal for creating A simple stair, as its name implies. It is not suitable for creating complex tears or stairs that link between floors. This stair is available on standard landmark workspace, but it is not available in the standard Architect workspace. You can add this to your workspace by customising your workspace, you will find this stair in the legacy category. One of the cool tricks you can perform at this stair is using the Split tool on it. The stair becomes a solid object, and by double clicking on it you can go back to adjust the original stair.

Vectorworks Tip 405 - Splitting A Subdivision Surface

Starting with a subdivision primitive is all very well, but it does limit your ability to create complex shapes. What you need to be able to do is to split your subdivision into parts that allows you to stretch the design into shapes that you want. When use the edit subdivision tool, you will find several modes on the toolbar. One of these modes allows you to split your subdivision. This is what you need to do to create some of these complex shapes.

Vectorworks Tip 402 - Custom Stair

Many people do not like the custom stair tool and it has been removed from the default Vectorworks workspace. In order to find it you will need to customise your workspace, locate the custom stair in the legacy category and add it to your own workspace. The Custom Stair works differently than the main Vectorworks stair tool in that it works on the concept of parts. You add a flight, then you add a landing, the new and another flight, then you can add another landing or winder, then you can add another flight, and so on. That makes the stair extremely flexible, much more flexible than the standard stair tool.