Is It Worth Upgrading to Vectorworks 2011

A lot of people ask me if they should upgrade to Vectorworks 2011. Is it worth the upgrade they ask? I'm very happy about the changes and new techniques in Vectorworks 2011, and I think these will save you a lot of time.

I guess you have to ask what your time is worth. I have a client with a large file (44.8MB) with several viewports and 30 sheet layers. When it's time to update all the viewports my client uses Update All Viewports command.

In Vectorworks 2008 this file was incomplete after 13 minutes of updating. In Vectorworks 2011, this file was completed in 3.5 minutes. So, that would be a saving of 10mins. If you update the file, or files like this, everyday, then you can save yourself about an hour a week. Just on the speed of updating viewports. This should be enough savings to pay for your upgrade. At 50 weeks, an hour a week at $40/hr, that is a saving of $2000!

There is no doubt in my mind that Vectorworks 2011 is a major upgrade. The changes to 3D modeling with the Pus/Pull tool and planar objects will change the way you model. It is so much faster to model in Vectorworks 2011, I can't go back. The interaction between walls and slabs will change the way you create buildings. They will become faster to draw and model.

Text Styles in Vectorworks 2011

I have been using the the new text styles in Vectorworks 2011 for a short time, but already I love them. Today, I had to teach a Vectorworks user on Vectorworks 2010, and I wanted to use a text style to change the text on the drawing. Of course you can change the font, size and so on with Vectorworks 2010, but it is just is much quicker in Vectorworks 2011.

In Vectorworks 2011, text has a style assignment. So, when you create text you can tell Vectorworks what style each block of text should use.

When you specify a text style, the block of text will always use the settings from the text style. If you edit the text style the block of text will update.

Text styles are resources and can be imported from a library. You can drag and drop a text style from your library to a block of text on the drawing.

Locate the text style in your library.

Drag and drop the text style onto the text object (dimension, plant, hardscape, etc.). The text will then use the setting in the text style. If you edit the text style, all the text in your drawing that uses this text style will update. This will give you global control of all your text in your drawing.


I have posted  youtube movie giving you a quick introduction to text styles:

Vectorworks 2011 is now released

Nemetschek Vectorworks have now announced Vectorworks 2011, and they have released a lot of feature movies on their YouTube web page.

The Vectorworks tech board and email list are full of comments about this upgrade. So far, the comments have been, on the whole, positive. I should think so, this release is one of the most exciting I have seen. There are many, many little improvements to the usability of Vectorworks, and some very big, major changes. The small changes are just nice, and they make it easier to do what you used to do. The big changes will get you thinking about your workflow, because of the changes to walls, slabs and especially the planar graphics.

If you are not drawing the walls using components at the moment, you should. Wall components have had classes for a while, now they have individual 3D control over components. This will let you create complex walls, where the 3D parts have different heights. Setting up floor layers and slab layers can be different, because walls and slabs work together. I've always used a wall layer that goes from finished floor to finished floor. Now when you place a slab, the wall will adjust according to the slab settings. I'm so happy, at last my walls will look correct in 3D.

I ran two webinars yesterday on Vectorworks 2011, one for www.Novedge.com and the other for the New Zealand distributor, www.megabits.co.nz. I recorded the megabits session and you will find a movie of the Novedge webinar at vimeo.

What’s New in Vectorworks 2011 - for www.megabits.co.nz from Jonathan Pickup on Vimeo.

The novedge movie:

Novedge Webinar Series: What's New in Vectorworks 2011 from Novedge on Vimeo.

Monthly Support for Vectorworks

Many people do not know that each month I write a manual for Vectorworks that includes linked movies. I have been writing the manuals since the beginning of 2007, which means that I've written about 43 monthly manuals since I started. Until recently, I was only able to keep about a year's worth of manuals and movies on my web site.

But this week, I found out how I can keep the movies (and there are over 633 of them since I started) safe for my subscribers. This means that I can free up room on my web site, for storing more of the back issues. At the moment I have uploaded all the manuals back to the start of 2008, which means there are 32 manuals on my web site for my subscribers.

This should make it easier for my subscribers to get the back issues, and they will be able to get access to all the movies. Eventually, subscribers will be able to access all of these movies.

Only subscribers are able to access these manuals and movies, so for the best Vectorworks monthly support, you should be subscribe to my online user group. Subscribe here...

Vectorworks 2011 Delivers...

UPDATE: September 15th
Nemetschek Vectorworks have announced the release of Vectorworks 2011, so now it's official. they have updated tier web site with lots of information and there will webinars all over the place to announce the release.

Novedge in CA will have a webinar and you can register here.
Megabits in NZ will have a webinar and you can register here.


Nemetschek Vectorworks (formerly Nemetschek North America) have announced that Vectorworks will be updating to Vectorworks 2011. I have been watching the videos that are available and it looks huge. I can't wait to get my hands on it.
First video:




Second Video:


Third Video:


Video number 4:

Newsletter from Chris Brogan

There are a few business people that I listen to. Chris Brogan is one of then. I like his books, blogs and newsletters. He has started a new newsletter focusing on personal development. You can subscribe to his newsletter here. http://www.chrisbrogan.com/newsletters/


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Vectorworks Plant Database on Your iPad

The Vectorworks plant database is made with with a program called Filemaker. Filemaker is a database program, so it is ideal for making the Vectorworks plant database. On your computer, you can search for plants, tag plants for a project, add your own plant images and add your own comments on each plant. This is great when you are in your office, but what are you supposed to when you leave the office to go on site? If you have a laptop, you could carry it with you, it's just that it is not that easy to hold a laptop in one hand a type on it with the other.

An iPad, now if only you could carry the plant database on your iPad....

Filemaker has released a version of their software that works on an iPad called Filemaker Go. You can read more about this here. This software allows you copy your plant database onto your iPad. When you buy Filemaker, you use iTunes to add it to your iPad. After that, you can tell iTunes to copy files to your iPad to carry with you. When you do this, you take a copy of the file, and any changes you make on the iPad are not automatically copied back to your computer. So, you can't really carry your original plant database but you can carry a copy. This means that any changes you make to the plant database are NOT copied to your original, but you can copy the copy the plant database from your iPad back to your computer (overwriting the original).




On the iPad, you start Filemaker Go. Then you choose the database that you want to open. You might notice that I have copied the USR portion of the plant database. This is the part that has all the plants in it.




When you open the plant database, you have all the records, you can edit them search and so on. Now you can take your plant database with you in the field.

Creating a Gable roof with Vectorworks 2010

This is the starting shape for the roof, the plan of the walls. We want a roof with two roof planes, and a gable to the left and right.

This post has been moved here...

Creating a Dutch Gable, or Truncated Hip?

I have been on a Vectorworks chat list lately, and the users were asking about making a Dutch Gable.

Vectorworks will make one easily if you start with a standard Vectorworks roof and edit the roof plane.

This post has been moved to here...

Books are cast in stone, ebooks are wet clay

I have been listening to This Week in Google with Leo Laporte, Gina Trapani and Jeff Jarvis. Jeff Jarvis was talking about books in the old days of scribes and moveable type. He said that errors used to occur and so errata became a common way for correcting mistakes.

It seems to me that books and manuals like the ones I write, are not designed to be updated each month. Once the books have been proof read and sent to the printer, they will not be updated.

At the moment, I am updating my four major tutorial manuals so they will be ready for the next update to Vectorworks. Once completed, they will not be updated for another year. In this way these manuals are cast in stone (not easy to update).

Ebooks can be updated easily, and downloaded when you want them. If I make an error in an ebook, I can correct it and make it available to everyone. In this way an ebook is not cast in stone, it is wet clay (easily editable).


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New Kindle Announced

Amazon has announced a new kindle device. This is a development of the 2nd generation Kindle device, which WILL be available in NZ, with WIFI only.

They have improved the screen, memory size, speed, button location and they added WIFI. I think these are great improvements, especially the WIFI. (this image is from the amazon web site). The overall size is slightly smaller, making it even easier to carry around.

Now that there are several Vectorworks manuals available for the Kindle, you have a good reason to buy one.

Vectorworks Manuals Available online at UK Amazon store

I have just found out that you can now get Kindle books on Vectorworks at the amazon store in the UK.

If you go to http://www.amazon.co.uk and search for Vectorworks in the Kindle store you will find several kindle books.










Kindle books can be read on your Mac, PC, Kindle, iPad, iPhone and Android phone. One of the things I love abut kindle books it that you can read the same book on all these different devices, but you only have to buy the book once.

spam bastards using yousendit...

I always get spam emails and sometimes the bastards use my domain name to spam others. Today a got a new spam that I nearly opened. The subject line used yousentit.com to make it look like a genuine message for me.

When I checked the email, it was not to my correct address, so I was cautious, and I deleted it. 

Creating A Renderworks Background Makes Such a difference

I'm writing the manual for my online user group, I write a different manual for them every month. This month I writing about Rendering and Lighting.

I was showing the local Vectorworks salesman the difference a Renderworks background can make, and he was so surprised, I thought I could share it with you. When you create a rendered view without a background, you end up with a distracting white background.

Use the Resource Browser to create a Renderworks background.

One of my favorite Renderworks backgrounds is the two color.

I use a very dark blue for the first color, the top color. And I use a red or orange for the second or bottom color. This can make the background look like a sunset.

Assign the background by dragging the background from the Resource Browser to the rendered scene. 

When you render the scene, the results are much better, and I think this is a huge improvement. 

Now, all you have to do is add a few image props of people and trees, add some street furniture and the results are really great. The bus stops in this image is from the 3D Modeling in Vectorworks 2010 manual from the Vectorworks web site. The textures and image props I covered in my user group notes a couple of months ago, which will be available on line shortly, and this month, my user group is covering lighting and rendering. You can join here....

eBooks on the iPad - with movies

It has taken me a little while, lots of research and help from my friend Steve Scaysbrook at Konstrukshon.com to find the answer, but I have done it! I have found out how to embed movies into eBooks!

I think this is a fantastic break-through. You can now buy Vectorworks training manuals in eBook form, with movies in them. you can carry them around on your iPad, and watch the movies when ever you want. The great thing about the eBooks on the iPad, is that it is like having a book next to you. Instead of changing applications on your computer, you can keep the eBook open on your iPad and then look at the computer screen, back to the iPad, back to the computer screen and so on.

The manuals have a table of contents page that shows the cover and table of contents. The chapter headings are links to the chapters in the manual. So if you tap on a chapter, you are taken to the correct location.

When you get to the chapter you want, you might see a movie. Movies are shown in the body of the manual and they look like an image, except that the movies have a play button in the center.

When you tap on the play button, the movie starts. You can pause, fast forward or go back over the movie. With movies they don't call this fast forward anymore, the call it scrubbing.

If you pinch the movie to zoom, the movie becomes full screen, especially when you have the iPad in landscape mode.

In full screen mode ii is easier to scrub the movie forward and back, pause and play the movie, and even change the volume.

When the movie finishes, you are taken directly back to the eBook, so you can carry on reading.

I have not had success getting my eBooks on the Apple iBookstore, but there is a way around this. iTunes allows you to add eBooks to your iTunes library by dragging and dropping a downloaded eBook to the library.

Once it is in the library, tell your iPhone or iPad to sync all books. Every time you add a book to your library, it will be added to your device on the next sync.

The eBooks are very handy to carry with you. The manuals are stored in the iBooks application. Just tap on a book to open it.

You can buy my eBooks here... 

Short Sharp Training (Monthly) - August 2010 Lighting and Rendering in Vectorworks

I think rendering is one the really fun parts of Vectorworks. It can really look like your building is coming to life, but without good lighting, all your work can be wasted. Good lighting can even make a dull model come to life.

This webinar will work though the rendering options and show you when each one should be used. Then we will look at the lighting options and see when we should be using each type. Finally we will look at a couple models and look at applying the lighting and rendering to get the best results. 

Presentation 60 minutes. Q&A about 15 min.

If you are a subscriber, book your session from the links below, no cost for these webinars for subscribers. 

Session 1  Monday, August 16, 2010, Time: 4:30PM - 5:30 PM NZST Register : https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/410936562

Session 2  Wednesday, August 18 , 2010, Time: 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM NZST Register https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/226187370

Session 3  Friday, August 20, 2010, Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM NZST  Register : https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/698639667

Newsletter from Chris Brogan

There are a few business people that I listen to. Chris Brogan is one of then. I like his books, blogs and newsletters. He has started a new newsletter focusing on personal development:

Personal development. Small business development.
Sometimes it'll be marketing. Other times, it'll be ideas to improve your day. It'll be a mix.
If that's exciting to you, I'm inviting you to sign up to my new newsletter:
http://chrisbrogan.com/newsletters


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Viewing PDF files on iPad

I am getting closer to getting movies into my ebooks. I have successfully linked the movies in my monthly user group manuals.

To get the PDF files onto you iPad or iPhone, you use iTunes. Drag the PDF file to iTunes, and it will be added to your iTunes library. When you sync your iPhone or iPad, the pdf file will be uploaded.

This post has been moved here...

3D Modeling in Vectorworks Builds trust with your Clients

I'm a huge fan of working in 3D (modeling) in Vectorworks, and I think it is one of the fun areas. But is there more to it than just having fun?

I think there are so many reasons to model your projects, that there really is no other way. Some of my clients think of plan drawing first, and then modeling, if they have time. This is so wrong. I believe they should be thinking of creating a quick model for the conceptual model, and the developed design, and then think of plan drawing (2D) for the construction drawings.

I wrote a blog recently on Conceptual Design and ran a webinar, which I recorded. The aim of the webinar was to show why it is better you create a model of your concept. It is really quick. If you watch the webinar movie, you will see that in twenty minutes I have enough information to check my concept against the set-back or recession planes, check the proximity to neighbors and create a solar study. These things are not just for fun, they help you to make a choices. You can look at these constraints and make your choices about your concept, in a very small amount of time.

How does this build trust? Well, if you were following the client's brief, but it was clearly wrong, you could use the concept model to show them why you needed to make some changes. You could show them how much better your concept would be, and you could show them with models and movies. You can take them along with you.

As the project moves into the early design phase, you should still be showing the client the model. Some of my clients create detailed models for buildings.

My clients have found that when they create rendered views of building and landscape projects, their clients respond much better to their proposals.

One of my landscape clients found that creating rendered views of projects had a huge impact on their business. Before providing rendered views, about 40% of clients would be converted from concept drawings to on-site construction. After providing rendered views, they found that 90% of clients would be converted form concepts to on-site construction. That is a 2.5x increase in on-site work, with the same number of clients.

This image is from the office of Albert van Vliet Architectural (albert@watchdog.net.nz). The building is modeled in Vectorworks 2009 and rendered in Artlantis.  Albert states that when you work on a project it is essential to bring the clients along with you. The clients are often spending substantial sums of money on a building, thus they really want to know what they will be getting.

The images supplied to the clients help  Albert van Vliet Architectural to develop trust with the clients.  The clients no longer have to image what they are getting, they can see what they are getting.  Albert reports that from a business point of view, there is no better way than modeling the buildings in 3D.

I have spoken to several clients about this topic. So far, all of them support this concept. I was chatting to a client last night and he could not believe that there was any other way to work. Using Vectorworks in 3D at the very beginning of the project may be a change in your business model, but there are many people that are already doing this. If they are in your market, they are getting better results, they are getting paid more promptly, and they are creating more trust with there clients.  Can you afford not to?

If you want help moving your business to 3D, contacct me, I've helped 100's of clients.

Short Sharp Training (Monthly) - July 2010 Creating a Plumbing Schematic in Vectorworks - Feedback

The feedback this month was very pleasing. I've had a few people just send me thank-you's for the training this month. The funny thing was, I was concerned that I had covered enough information to keep every one occupied for the hour online. As it turned out, we used any extra time with other questions and answers.

In one meeting, the people online wanted to discuss creating a Vectorworks library, and we ended up talking about adding extra tools to your Vectorworks, and where to find the tools in Vectordepot.com. Some of the tools are mine, and freely available at vectordepot. One of the online users, Steve, made a list of useful things he learned at the meeting, and he has allowed me to post a copy of his list. Steve got 6 useful tips from the session, which he says more than pays for the cost and the time spent.

Two other users just emailed me out of the blue to say thanks, what a great session...

Join these users each month and learn to use Vectorworks better.