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Friday, April 03, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #239 - Plant tool - Mass Planting

When you place a group of plants you have a choice to turn on Mass Planting. If you activate the mass planting option, Vectorworks will group your plants together removing all of the lines with the plants overlap. In the image you can see two groups of identical plants. The left group of plants has Mass Planting activated, the group of plants on the right has Mess Planting deactivated. You can see the difference between the two groups of plants one just shows a large shape, the other shows individual plants and it shows them overlapping.

Thursday, April 02, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #238- Levels and Simple Walls

Levels can be used to control the elevations of walls. If you set up the required levels, you can use the Object Info palette to connect the walls to the levels. If you change the level elevations, it will update the walls.

Wednesday, April 01, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #237- Attribute palette - Creating a Tile

Tiles are substantially easier to create than hatches. Where a hatch uses repeatable lines, a tile uses a repeatable set of lines, polygons, circles, rectangles, etc. This means that instead of trying to figure out how the lines repeat you can just draw what you want. Because tiles contain objects like rectangles, circles etc., you can also add colors to your tiles, making them extremely graphic.
You create a new tile by using the Resource Browser. Right-click in the Resource Browser, choose New Resource…, name the tile and then draw the repeating tile passion that you require.

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #236 - Site Modeling - Site Modifiers - Pads with Slope

When you create a pad you can choose to set that pad to a slope. You can control the start and direction of the slope using the slope indicator on the pad object. The bottom of the slope will use the elevation from the object info palette.

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #235 - Plant Tool - Placing Plants in a Triangular Array

Use this mode when you want to place multiple plants in a triangular array Vectorworks will use the plant size and spacing from the plant definition, and the plants will be placed orthogonally on the screen. Use the rotate plan tool to rotate the plan to suit the site boundary if you need to.

Friday, March 27, 2015

Architect_066 Architect Special Interest Group March 2015(pm)

In this session we looked at how to create a window with a sloping (raking) head and a sloping (raked) sill. It is possible to make a window or windoor object that has a sloping or raking head, but not a sloping or raking sill. If you create a symbol for the 3D component of the window you want, it can be used with the Vectorworks Window (Use Symbol Geometry). 

Read more...

Vectorworks Tip #234 - Levels and Stairs

When you create your stairs, you can choose to connect the start (bottom step) and the end (top step) of your stair to levels. This will allow you to create several levels to control the starting and stopping of stairs so that they matched the various levels in your project.

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Architect_065 Architect Special Interest Group March 2015 (am)

In this session we looked at note databases and how they work with the Callout tool. This includes how to place a callout, how the callout can get the text form a database, how to place the callout as a keynote and how to connect the callout to a legend. 

Read more...

Vectorworks Tip #233 - Attribute Palette - Modifying the Local Mapping of a Tile

There are times where you want to change the rotation or the scale of your tile, but just for one object. In this situation you can use the attributes palette to change the local mapping of the tile assigned to the object. You can also use the attribute mapping tool to change the local mapping of a tile on an object.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

3D Modelling Special Interst Group - March 2015

In this session we looked at as many of the standard tools on the 3D Modelling toolset. Many users do not know what the tools can be used for, so this is the first session (of several) that will look at the tools in detail.

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #232 - Site Modelling - Site Modifiers - Pads.

These are your first type of site modifier. They are usually flat, but you can add a slope to the pad if you want. Use pads to create flat or sloping areas on a site model. Pads can be square, rectangular, round, polygonal, any shape you want...

Friday, March 13, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #231 - Plant Tool - Place Multiple Plants in Rectangular Array

Use this mode when you want to place multiple plants in a rectangular array. Vectorworks will use the plant size and spacing from the plant definition, and the plants will be placed orthogonally on the screen. Rotate the plan to suit the site boundary if you need to.

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #230 - Stories and Levels - Slab Levels

Levels can be used to control the setting out of your slabs (the Z reference level). If you set this up carefully, this can be a very powerful setting to automatically control the height of your ceiling relative to the structural objects.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

What is the Archoncad Website all About?

This is a short introduction to the archoncad website. We will be looking at the resources that are there and how to use them. If you are new to my website you may find that this introduction will allow you to get a lot more from this web site.
There are several manuals, movies, podcasts, and library files here. This webinar will help you to find where things are stored and how they are tagged.
Please register for Archoncad Subscription Webinar on Mar 16, 2015 9:00 AM NZDT at:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Brought to you by GoToWebinar®
Webinars Made Easy®

Vectorworks Tip #229 - Attribute Palette - Assigning a Tile

Like the other attributes, you can use the Attribute palette or the Resource Browser to assign tiles to your objects

Saturday, March 07, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #228 - Site Modeling - Site Modifiers  Concept

Site Modifiers are used to modify the site model. they are a few tools that can create a site modifier. you generally need two parts to the site modifier, the modifier itself and an object to limit the extent of the modification.

Friday, March 06, 2015

Kensington Plug-in Keyboard

I ordered this new keyboard because I am planning on travelling again. I could use the nice little Apple bluetooth keyboard, but some planes do not allow you to use any wireless technology. This keyboard is not wireless, it plugs straight into the lightning connector, and it uses the power from the iOS device. It is marketed as suitable for the iPad, but I am using it on an iPhone 6+.


Unboxing

On unboxing the keyboard, i realised that it is substantially bigger that the keyboard that I am used to, the Apple bluetooth keyboard. I also thought that the design wasn't as nice either. 

The keyboard is sold as a full-sized keyboard, so that will control the actual size and placement of the keys, but there is a bezel around the keys that adds to the size of it. I'm not sure I will be able to carry the keyboard with me everywhere I want to. 

Using the Keyboard

When I connected the keyboard to my phone, it started working straight away. There is no software to install, no bluetooth connection to make, you just plug it in and start typing. 

This keyboard will make it substantially easier to write long notes, reports, and blogs. 

When you use a keyboard connected to an iOS device, you can use many of your familiar keyboard shortcuts, like copy (command+C) and paste (command+V). There are other shortcut keys that are inculded on this keyboard, like the Home key (that will take you back to the home screen), the Alt/Option key that changes the delete key to delete right. 

Conculsion

This is a great keyboard if you need to have a plug-in keyboard that is not wireless. After using it for about 30 min I got very comfortable with it. It is cheaper than the Apple Bluetooth keyboard. 





Vectorworks Tip #227 – Plant Tool – Placing Multiple Plants by Spacing

Use this mode to place multiple plants. This mode uses the plant spacing from the plant definition, rather than the click, and it places the plants along the path between the clicks. You can draw a line or a polygon and Vectorworks will place the plants along it for you.

Thursday, March 05, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #226 – Stories and Levels – Levels and Columns

Levels can be used to control the bottom bound and the top bound of columns. The levels can be in the current story, in the story above (the top of a column), or the story below (for the bottom of the column). This gives you a lot of flexibility to control the height of your columns automatically.

Wednesday, March 04, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #225 – Attributes – Tiles

Tiles are a great way to create graphic fills for your drawings. Tiles allow you to draw lines, polygons, circles, rectangles, etc. to make repeatable patterns.

Saturday, February 28, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #224 – Site Modeling – Simplify Polys

When you import polygons for site modelling they often have too many vertices. This command will simplify the polygons and make your site models faster. 

Friday, February 27, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #223 – Plant Tool – Place Multiple Plants by Clicking

Use this mode to place several plants. Each click places one plant (one of the group). Double-click to finish. This mode allows you to adjust the spacing between the plants but still have all the plants in one group.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #222 – Stories and Levels – Creating New Levels

If you want to create new levels, click on the New Level… button. You can create as many levels as you need to complete your design. Keep the level names short and concise.

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #221 – Attributes – Editing Patterns

Although patterns are an old technique, they might still be useful. Vectorworks can only present about 64 patterns (due to the size of the palette) but you can edit the patterns that are there. The command is in the Edit menu.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #220 – Site Modelling – Stake Objects

You can use a stake object to place a point for site modelling. I use a stake to place a 3D point to match the survey points.

Living With a Chromebook - 8

I have been without a Chromebook for several months now, but I bought one of the new HP ones yesterday. They have two models, so I made sure that I got one of the latest ones with the longer battery life. So today is my first day back with it. When I logged in, the new Chromebook had all my settings from the previous one, and all of the apps and extensions as well.
OK, i agree that the Chromebook is cheaply made, but then it is less than half the price of some other 11” laptops.
I believe that if you use google for your calendar, contacts and email, you will find the chromebook very easy to get used to. 

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #218 – Stories and Levels – Editing Default Levels

If you do not like the names of the standard design layers and levels in your story set up dialog box, you can edit them by clicking on the Edit Default Levels… This dialog box allows you to change the default layer names, level names and level elevations for the current project, but these do not change the overall default layers and levels for every project.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #217 – Attributes – Changing the Colours on Patterns

Patterns have a foreground and a background colour and each can be edited separately. Click on the appropriate button to edit the foreground or background colour. This allows you to create other colours by combining the two colours.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Living With a Chromebook 7

More manufacturers are getting into the Chromebook market now and Samsung have dramatically improved the battery life. I am very interested in the HP Chromebook, it has a claimed 9 hr battery. This is now enough for a student to last all day at school, without recharging it. My previous Samsung chromebook did not last that well, it would only get 4-5 hours before it needed recharging. 

Vectorworks Tip #216 - Site Modelling - Grid Entry Method

For some users, this is the default way of recording information on site. If you are going to use the grid entry method, it is very important that you survey the site using the same strict grid on site.

Friday, February 13, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #215 - Plant Toolhttp://learn.archoncad.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/image041.png

There are two ways to add plants to your plans. The first (and easiest) way to do this is to use the Plant tool. This tool is specifically designed to place plants and it offers 5 different ways to place plants. These different modes should suit most situations. 

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #214 - Stories and Levels - Default Levels

Vectorworks comes with standard design layer and level settings. These design layers and levels can be used in your building projects to control the elevations of the building elements, especially walls and wall components.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #213 - Attributes - Editing Hatches

If you want to change the scale of your hatches, use the technique to change the local mapping, then save the locally mapped hatch as a new hatch. If you want to change change the background fill, line colors or line weights, use the Resource Browser to edit the hatch. 

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Podcast 215 - Test Yourself Exercise - 7

Chapter 7 is an introduction to 3-D modeling. 3-D modeling is important in Vectorworks (as you will notice from chapter 2). Chapter 7 covered techniques like extrusions, add solid, subtract solid and so on. You can use those techniques to create the bracket showing here.

Saturday, February 07, 2015

Living With a Chromebook - 6

I finally sold my chromebook, because i didn’t see a need to keep it. I got a good price for it. I still think that for students at high school (that do not need to do any CAD work) the Chromebook is very useful. 

Living With a Chromebook 5

I have been reading a blog from Techsmith.com (http://blogs.techsmith.com/for-educators/chromebook-not-interactive-whiteboard/). They are betting that the chromebook will make a lasting and substantial impact in the classroom, unlike interactive whiteboards. The difference is that chromebooks are affordable for most parents (unlike a MacBook Air), but they will give most students the tools and applications that they need to work in the classroom. My daughter’s school required all the year 12 and 13 students to have a laptop computer. The recommendation was for a windows laptop (except the battery life sdoen not meet the required duration) or a MacBook. The MacBook Air greatly exceeds the required battery life, and so most students ended up with one. I’m disappointed that the chromebook was never one of the recommended options. Its a shame because it would easily fulfill my daughter’s requirements.

She needs to be able to write reports with images and photos, search the internet, and share the reports with the teacher. She also wants to watch online TV and movies. She could do all of this on a chromebook. 

Living with a Chromebook 4

When I bought this chromebook, the seller said that it had been his wife’s computer, but they were selling it because it didn’t completely replace the tablet they were using. I can see this now. I have an iPad mini. It has loads of storage, it’s connected to the internet, I can do everything that this chromebook does, and much more. The only thing that this chromebook does better than the ipad is typing, because it has a full size keyboard, and you can attach a mouse to the chromebook.

For writing reports and proposals the chromebook is better than my ipad. But for checking email, the ipad is much more capable, because it allows you to check multiple accounts in one place. The chromebook has the same problem as the android smartphones, it is great if you only want to use Gmail, but it’s a pain if you want to use Gmail and iCloud at the same time. 

iPhone 6+ as a Replacement for an iPad Mini

I've had an iPad Mini for over two years now, and i love the size and flexibility of it.  But lately i have been thinking about being able to repalce it. I wondered if i got a bigger phone, if I could stop carrying my iPad. 

I have just bought an iPhone 6+ and i thought is would be a great replacement for my ipad. In hte past i have thought about getting rid of my ipad, but the phone never seemed quite big enough. I think the iPhone 6+ is about the size where you could get rid of the ipad and just have a phone. 

I an very surprised at the size of the 6+. I knew it would be big, but it's only when you start to carry it around that you realise just how big it will be. 

Friday, February 06, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #211 - What is a Plant?


A plant in Vectorworks is a special object that has a plan representation, a model (or 3D) representation, and plant data. All these parts are bound together inside the object called a plant. When you place a plant, Vectorworks places all of these parts together in the drawing. This allows you to see the plan view, see the 3D, or create a report that shows the data.

the leader in Vectorworks training: http://learn.archoncad.com

Thursday, February 05, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #210 - Stories and Levels


Design layers might be the container for holding all of the building elements, but levels control the elevation of these elements.

the leader in Vectorworks training: http://learn.archoncad.com

Wednesday, February 04, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #209 - Attribute palette - Patterns and Printing


There is a check box that you have to choose if you want to print the patterns as they appear on-screen. If you don't choose this option, the patterns will not print the way you want them too. Even when you do choose this option, the sizes of the patterns are a bit hit-and-miss relative to what you see on the screen.

the leader in Vectorworks training: http://learn.archoncad.com

Monday, February 02, 2015

Podcast 214 - Test Yourself Exercise - 6


The purpose of chapter 6 is to have an exercise that brings together many of the drawing tools and techniques that you need into one exercise. This exercise is designed to reinforce the flow of tools from start to finish. It will use techniques that you have learned in chapters 1-5.
The object shown here is a picnic table, and is just drawn using 2-D techniques. You can use the sizes shown on this image or you can make up your own sizes. In this exercise you will start with a blank file, check the units, check the layer scale, then draw the the table. Remember to use all the techniques you have learned to speed up your work.

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #208 - Site Modeling - 2D Polys to 3D Contours

image032If you have a set of 2D polygons that represent contours, you can use the command 2D Polys to 3D Contours from the Landmark or AEC menu. This command will take your set of 2D polygons and convert them into 3D polygons at the appropriate heights. Then you can use these polygons to create your site model. Use this command with polygons that have regular elevation spacings.

the leader in Vectorworks training:
http://learn.archoncad.com

Friday, January 30, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #207 - Working Planes with Dimensions

image030Sometimes when you place a dimension, the dimension snaps to objects that you are not intending it to. In this image you can see how the dimension has snapped to the front of one object and to the rear of the other giving me a measurement of the distance between the two objects, but not the one I want. If you set your Active Plane to Screen Plane, you can measure the distance between the two objects on the screen plane, which might be the dimension you are looking for.

the leader in Vectorworks training:
http://learn.archoncad.com

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #206 - Stories and Design Layers

image031Stories are the collection of settings for each floor; Design Layers are where you draw the information. You could think of Design Layers as being the container that you store all your design work in.

the leader in Vectorworks training:
http://learn.archoncad.com

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #205 - Attribute palette - Patterns

image029Attribute palette - Patterns. Patterens are the old way to create hatches. They do not always print the way you think they will, but the top line of patterns are still useful for creating tones. I often use the ones shown in this image.

the leader in Vectorworks training:
http://learn.archoncad.com

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Living With a Chromebook 3


You are tied to using google docs, which is not bad for most things, but I’m working on a project where I have to share Word documents. This is not so easy with google documents, because some of the formatting gets lost. We are also tracking the changes in the word document, which shows up differently in the google document. So, when I’m working with others and they are using google, the chromebook will be fine, but when I’m working with others that want to use Microsoft Word,  it is not a good idea to use google.

Since I started to write this post, I found that MS Word has an app for the Chromebook. I have a subscription to Office 365, and I can use my online word docs on my Chromebook, provided that i have stored the word documents in my OneDrive. 

I have tried to access the word docs in my dropbox. I can view them online, but i have to download them to edit them, and when I do, they open in Google Docs. That's not so bad, unless i use a lot of images in my documents. If the document is converted to Google Docs, the images are much easier to edit. So that's the solution, but if i wanted to use Google Docs, why not just use them all the time and get rid of MS Word?

Your thoughts?


Saturday, January 24, 2015

Living with a Chromebook 2

I started to think that the chromebook can not be used offline, but it seems that there are some things that you can do. You obviously can’t update your website when you are off line, but you can add to and create documents using google drive. So right now, I’m writing this on the chromebook, without wifi coverage.

I use Vectorworks a lot, and you can’t use the Chromebook to run it. This means that the Chromebook will be used for the other things that I do, like maintaining my website, writing blogs, newsletters and so on.

Vectorworks Tip #204 - Site Modeling - Survey Input

image028Survey Input. There are several ways to import information into your files to use for site modeling. Some ways are more useful than others, depending on the information you get from site.


the leader in Vectorworks training:
http://learn.archoncad.com

Friday, January 23, 2015

Podcast 212 – Duplicate Along Path

This is a great technique for duplicating objects so that they follow a path. You can choose to have a number of objects evenly spaced along the path, or you can choose the spacing between the objects. The objects can … Continue reading visit http://ift.tt/1hjblTM

Vectorworks Tip #203 – Working Planes

These are fundamental for 3D work. Setting a Working Plane allows you to work directly on that plane, using all the planar and 3D objects that you need.

the leader in Vectoworks training:
http://learn.archoncad.com

Thursday, January 22, 2015

cadmovie1501_08 – Stories, Layers and Levels – Part 8

Slabs at Different Heights If I use levels to setup my wall components, what will happen when I have slabs at different heights? Previous cadmovie Next cadmovie visit http://ift.tt/1hjblTM

cadmovie1501_07 – Stories, Layers and Levels – Part 7

Complex Wall Style When it comes to creating a more complex wall style, it is very important that you have already created all of the levels that you need. This image shows a more complex wall style already created. You … Continue reading visit http://ift.tt/1hjblTM

cadmovie1501_05 – Stories, Layers and Levels – Part 5

Creating Stories, Layers, and Levels If you understand how your levels can be used, then it is time to create your stories, layers and levels. To do this you can use the Organization dialog box. level-archoncad-subscription] [/level-archoncad-subscription] Previous cadmovie Next … Continue reading visit http://ift.tt/1hjblTM

Vectorworks Tip #202 – What are Stories?

Stories are a collection of settings that control the elevations of your building projects. I used to say that stories are a collection design layers, but with Vectorworks 2015, this is not correct. Stories are made up of design layers … Continue reading visit http://ift.tt/1hjblTM

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

cadmovie1501_02 – Stories, Layers and Levels – Part 2

How Layers, Levels and Stories Work Together There is a hierarchy to the structure of layers, levels and stories. Stories control the overall building setup – the heights between the floors of the building. When you are setting up a … Continue reading visit http://ift.tt/1hjblTM

cadmovie1501_01 – Stories, Layers and Levels – Part 1

Design Layers and Classes Design Layers are an organizing concept to help you to develop your designs. You can think of layers as being containers. The design layer contains your design. Some people say “layers are where information is, classes … Continue reading visit http://ift.tt/1hjblTM

Vectorworks Tip #201 – Attribute Palette – Create Hatch from Local Mapping

Once you change the mapping on a hatch, you might want to re-use the settings of the hatch again. An easy way to do this is to Create a New Hatch from a Locally Mapped hatch. This command is avaiable … Continue reading visit http://ift.tt/1hjblTM

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Podcast 211 - Test Yourself Exercise - 4

image023I am the author of the Vectorworks Essentials Tutorial Manual. I was recently talking to a university tutor that uses this manual with the students. They wanted an exercise that would extend the students' knowledge of basic tools and commands. At the end of the fourth chapter of this manual the students should be able to draw a simple detail using basic tools and commands, including dimensions and annotation.

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Online Workshop Calendar

Users haver requested an online calendar to see the dates for the upcoming online sessions. I use a google calendar anyway, so it is possible to share this on the Online Workshops page. This should give everyone the ability to … Continue reading visit http://ift.tt/1hjblTM

Podcast 210 – Why is my Vectorworks Plant Schedule Wrong?

When you use the standard Vectorworks Plant counting schedule, it does not always count the spacing, height, and spread accurately. The problem is that multiplies the values of these by the number of plants or the number of plant groups … Continue reading visit http://ift.tt/1hjblTM

Friday, January 16, 2015

Living with a Google Chromebook - 1


I’ve just taken delivery of a Google Chromebook. I’ve been wanting to try one of these for a long time. The first thing I noticed was that it is tied to your Google Account. This is not too bad if you only have the one account, but I have two google accounts. It’s OK though, it wasn’t too hard to sort out.
As Advertised, the Chromebook starts up very quickly. I think this means that I can shut it down rather that putting it to sleep, because the startup is so quick. This should save me lots of battery time.
One of my main concerns is the constant need to connect to the internet. I’ll have to see how this works out. My quick test was unsuccessful when I tried to work offline. Shame…. That means that I have to always be connected to write a document.

Because it uses the Google Chrome operating system, you can’t run Vectorworks on it, but i thought it might be useful for blogging and maintaining my website.

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #200 – What is the Best Tip?

200! I was trying to think of something important to tell you for my 200th Vectorworks Tip. I was wondering if there was something crucial like 3D modeling, site modeling, layers and classes, etc. So what do I think is … Continue reading visit http://ift.tt/1hjblTM

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #199 - Basic Tools - Local Mapping of a Hatch

image024You can use the Attribute palette to change the angle, size, offset, and flipping of the hatch. Click on the Fill Hatch Settings button to open the dialog box, turn on Local Mapping, then edit the settings to suit.

the leader in Vectoworks training:
http://learn.archoncad.com

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Podcast 209 - Test Yourself Exercise - 3


image002
I am the author of the Vectorworks Essentials Tutorial Manual. I was recently talking to a university tutor that uses this manual with the students. They wanted an exercise that would extend the students' knowledge of basic tools and commands. At the end of the third chapter of this manual the students should be able to draw simple objects using basic tools and commands.

Monday, January 12, 2015

Should Furniture be on its Own Layer?

I’m writing my manual for the January online workshops and I am thinking about the structure of layers and stories. Traditionally I put all my furniture on the same layer as the walls. But I am thinking that if you … Continue reading visit http://ift.tt/1hjblTM

Sunday, January 11, 2015

SST_1501- Layers, Levels, and Stories

Design layers are one of the fundamental organizing concepts in Vectorworks, They are used to break the design into manageable chunks but they should not be confused with classes. Use design layers of and classes to create the structure for … Continue reading visit http://ift.tt/1hjblTM

Friday, January 09, 2015

cadmovie1073 – Creating and Managing Libraries – Part 5

There are several parts to your graphic library. We have already covered using classes for your line weights, colors and line styles. But there are other graphic things you can store in your library. Hatches, gradients and images each have … Continue reading visit http://ift.tt/1hjblTM

cadmovie1072 – Creating and Managing Libraries – Part 4

Layer and class standards are part of developing your library. When you create symbols you will use specific classes. When you create other information on the drawings you will use layers and classes. It would be easier to have a … Continue reading visit http://ift.tt/1hjblTM

cadmovie1071 – Creating and Managing Libraries – Part 3

The structure for your Library should follow a structure that you can understand and use. For example, when I am drawing details I like to have a symbol folder with all my steel sections, another symbol folder with all my … Continue reading visit http://ift.tt/1hjblTM

cadmovie1070 – Creating and Managing Libraries – Part 2

If you are going to use a library, you have to create symbols. When you create a symbol, you have to think about how that symbol will be used because this will have a major impact on the insertion point … Continue reading visit http://ift.tt/1hjblTM

Vectorworks Tip #198 – 3D Modelling – Solid Section

The Section Solid command allows you to use one object to create a section through other 3D objects. In practice this command can be a lot like the Subtract Solid command. So the technique is to make sure you create … Continue reading visit http://ift.tt/1hjblTM

Thursday, January 08, 2015

Podcast 208 – Test Yourself Exercise – 2

I am the author of the Vectorworks Essentials Tutorial Manual. I was recently talking to a university tutor that uses this manual with the students. At the end of the second chapter of this manual the students should be able … Continue reading visit http://ift.tt/1hjblTM

Wednesday, January 07, 2015

Vectorworks Tip #196 – Basic Tools – Assigning a Hatch

Use the Attributes palette to assign hatches to your objects. Click on the Fill Style pop-up and choose hatch. After choosing Hatch, click on the pop-up menu to choose the hatch from the current file or from Default Content. visit http://ift.tt/1hjblTM

Tuesday, January 06, 2015

How to Find and Download a Manual from This Website

The site contains over 80 manuals that are created in the PDF form future read are the online or off-line. If you want to read the manuals off-line you will have to download them and save them to your computer … Continue reading visit http://ift.tt/1hjblTM

Vectorworks Online Webinar – January 2015

Layers, Classes and Stories Vectorworks Uses the organizing methods of layers and classes to create your drawings, and for the last few versions it has used stories to control the three-dimensional model for architectural projects. Vectorworks 2015 has improved the … Continue reading visit http://ift.tt/1hjblTM

Welcome to 2015

Welcome to 2015 It seems to me that many parts of the world are coming out of the recession and I know many Vectorworks users are getting busy. If you are getting busy, you need to maximise your productivity in … Continue reading visit http://ift.tt/1hjblTM

Podcast 208 - Test Yourself Exercise - 2

image001 copyI am the author of the Vectorworks Essentials Tutorial Manual. I was recently talking to a university tutor that uses this manual with the students. At the end of the second chapter of this manual the students should be able to draw simple objects and extrude them to create an object. The students sometimes forget just how much they have learned from the simple exercise, so I have created a Test Yourself exercise to allow the students to taste their knowledge from the second chapter.