Vector-workout Guide to Productivity 2011

I have called this the Ultimate Productivity Guide for Vectorworks, and the reason I say that is that it has all my tips and tricks for using Vectorworks in one place. There are over 180 movies with a total running time of over 5 hours.

Changing your productivity in Vectorworks could save you five or ten minutes every day. Five minutes a day is thirty minutes every week, or 2 hours each month. 

But it is not just about saving time, it's also about having more enjoyment and less stress when you are drawing. Some of these Productivity techniques only save you a click or two, but they save you a lot of thinking, which, at the end of the day, saves you a lot of brain-work. 

I have organized the guide into a series of sections, with each section dealing with a topic. There are about 19 topics, and each topic has a few, or several movies. 

For example, Dealing With Roofs. There are 19 movies dealing with many aspects of dealing with roofs. 

Many of my clients love this part of the manual. They keep the manual on the desktop, and then open it when they have a issue with roofs. They dip into the movies to find the solution, then carry on with their work. In a situation like this, it can save them a hour of mucking around. 

The Vector-workout Guides are movie-based manuals. This means that they are movie rich, without too much reading. When you click on the bookmark on the left, or on the table of contents, you can see the page of the manual. 

There is only a small amount of reading to do, the large image on each page is the movie. Click on the movie and it begins to play. This is like have a tutor whenever you need it. 

I've Just had an email from a satisfied client:

• I just finished your VW Architect 2010 Productivity manual; wonderful! I'm absolutely "hooked" on your help; thank you very much! You're a natural-born teacher. - Judy

185 movies, 05:05:10 total running time

Buy the Manual here...

Australian Native Trees and Plants for Vectorworks, Part 1

My good friend Andrew over at Envirographic has created a small group of Australian plant images, and i have converted these into Vectorworks image props. To show these, I have places the 7 plants around a simple building model.

Here is what Andrew says:

This first part includes 5 new trees. As a bonus, we decided to include the Eucalyptus and Swamp banksia from the free page in all available file formats - exclusive to this product.

1 Eucalyptus platypus (Moort)

1 Casuarina cunninghamiana (River oak)

1 Ficus macrophylla (Moreton Bay fig)

1 Eucalyptus polyanthemos (Red box)

1 Xanthorrhoea australis (Grass tree)

1 Eucalyptus free 

1 Swamp banksia free

As with all our products, each plant is hand traced and every edge is re-touched to guarantee the highest quality. The Casuarina alone took just over 200 hours to complete from start to finish. 

Buy these plants from this web site...

Vector-workout Guide to Quick Conceptual Design

Earlier this month, my Vector-workout Subscription covered quick conceptual design. I felt that this is a very powerful area, and I wrote a lot about the session on this blog, so please visit that page for a long description about this.

I have expanded on these notes and combined them with my earlier manual on Residential Conceptual Design, to create a new Vector-workout Guide to Quick Conceptual Design.

This manual covers all the steps from editing your workspace to make Vectorworks quicker to creating a solar animation movie of the project.

Briefly, Vectorworks is very powerful in the early stages of a project. We can use Vectorworks to check our building areas to make sure that the project of this size and bulk, can be placed on the site. This is very effective for small complex sites, and for larger commercial projects where land coverage is important.

Once you have the building area, it is a simple task to add the cost of the building. This can be completed in a short time, so you can see if the project is acceptable. This is like a short feasibility report, where you can tell the client the rough (very rough) order of costs for a building of this area and level of quality.

Using massing models, you can check the sun and shadows on the project, to see if you will have the spaces you think you want.

You can import or create a 3D site model and use this to create 3D planes that show you the restrictions on your site. This is a quick visual way to see how close to the boundary you can build and what height is allowed in the project location.

You can use space objects, or 3D modeling to create a 3D concept model. 3D modeling is now very quick and powerful if you use the Push/Pull tool and working planes. So, I have added these techniques to the manual.

As you model, you can check the model against the site restrictions, and create solar studies for different times of the day, and days of the year.


The Vector-workout Guide to Quick Conceptual Design covers all this, and it covers it with a movie-based format. This format makes it easy to get the information quickly, without a lot of reading.

Buy the manual here...

Review of this manual posted here...

Productivity Techniques in Vectorworks

In April 2011, the Vector-workout Subscription webinars will be looking at productivity techniques. I believe that if you make sure you are using these techniques, you can save a lot of time. If you are not using these techniques you are loosing over thirty minutes every day (over two hours a week, a day a month...).

The productivity techniques fall into categories:

1. Make your workspace more efficient. Get rid of tools you don't need, make others easier to find. 
2. Learn the basic tools really well, they will power your Vectorworks.
3. Learn about the other tools, the ones that don't look so easy. 
4. Set up your Vectorworks system to make drawing productive.
5. Use Vectorworks everyday, even if it's only to practice.
6. Stay up to date with the software, update when a new patch comes out, upgrade when you can.
7. Stay up to date with training. Attend monthly meetings and the online communities. 

For our online webinar, we will be looking at all these topics. Some of the topics are easy to cover, like the last 2, but others require a lot of demonstration, so most of the webinar will be focusing on the first four topics. These topics are the ones that are the hardest to discover on your own. 

As an example, in last month's webinar on the quick site analysis, I showed a few tricks for drawing polygons quickly, and then reshaping them. This trick saves me a few seconds, but it also saves me a lot of aggravation. For me, saving the aggravation is as important as saving time.

So, the aim of the webinar is to make you more efficient, to make Vectorworks easier to use, to to make it more fun to use Vectorworks. 

If you are a subscriber, you can book now for the April online sessions.

If you want to find out about subscribing, read more at this web site. 

Vector-workout Subscription - More Online Sessions

We have been building up the number of subscribers in the Vector-workout Subscription. This is really pleasing. I have been running this service for over four years now, and we have now got to the point where we are getting all the online sessions filled up.

Ever since the service started, we have had online meetings (workshops I call them). I initially started with 3 online sessions each month, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, at different times of the day, so users can choose what suits them. This month there are so many users wanting to be in those meetings, it seems time to introduce more online sessions. So In April I will be trying out sessions Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, still at different times of the day. These sessions are designed for everyone, from beginner onwards. I always create a manual for these sessions, so you can follow the topic, and so you have something you can come back to.

A few months ago, I started a new type of session called Beyond Beginner. These sessions are not for experts, but they are not for beginners, and they focus on questions and answers around a topic. I'm happy to report that these sessions are becoming as popular as the workshops. Initially I started with just two Beyond Beginner sessions a month, but from April that will be increasing to three sessions a month. So, you will be able to find a session on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Check out the calendar here...

Starting A Project Quickly with Vectorworks

This month, I am running online webinars on how to get started with a project quickly in Vectorworks. I have been asked to show how to get started. The project I will be looking at will be a domestic project, but you could easily apply these techniques to commercial projects. We will start with a site with a building on it. We need to make sure that our current site complies with the the site coverage. Then we will split the site in to two sites, one with the existing building, and one with a new building. We need to find out how much building can be placed on the new site, while still complying with the site coverage requirements. My belief is that you should be able to do this quickly, say within 30 mins. If the building does not comply, you are wasting all you time on the project. It would be better to phone the client after 30 minutes and tell them that unless they change the size of the house, the number of stories, or their requirements, the project can not proceed.

Vectorworks has the capability to to this analysis easily, using worksheets. We will be learning to set these up correctly, so we can make any adjustments and check the calculations. We will be able to add extra buildings, like garages and sheds, edit the floor plan of the proposed building and so on. We can check our calculations almost instantly to see if we are still complying.

That is all pretty cool, but it gets better. After playing with the layout, we can quickly jump to a 3D view of the proposal to change the solar animation for different times of the year. So, after getting our areas right, we will be getting our design right, taking into account the adjoining properties and sun.

I think that Vectorworks makes all this so easy. The presentation to this point takes about sixty minutes, but if you practices this, it could be less, maybe thirty minutes. If you learn these techniques, you could be calling the client within half an hour to report the coverage on site that would comply, the cost of the project and issues with the sun and shading. That is powerful stuff.

I have now created a movie-based for this, called the Vector-workout Guide to Quick Conceptural Design, which you can buy from this web site....


If you are not a subscriber, you are missing out on this type of training each month. Subscribe here...

Join Vectorworking.com

Vectorworking.com is an independent online community for Vectorworks users. It has forums, events, blogs, and so on. The community has been set up by a friend of mine and I want this community to grow. There are nearly 1000 members, and we need more.

Please visit http://www.vectorworking.com/ and join. Once you've joined, add me as a friend.

Quick Conceptual Modeling in Vectorworks 2011

I have many clients that use other programs to start a conceptual model, but I believe that Vectorworks is very capable at conceptual modeling. Not only that, if you can start your model in Vectorworks, you can carry on with Vectorworks until the project is completed, saving you all that re-drawing time. Conceptual models can be spaces, volumes, (and with the new planar objects and Push/Pull tool in Vectorworks 2011, and shapes that can be changed quickly.

In this webinar, I will be creating a quick site model with 3D building constraints. I will create a quick conceptual model and link this to the site. There are ways to do this so you can edit the model directly on the site to make sure you maximize the concept for the sun, the 3D constraints and the adjoining properties.

Read more and book now...http://www.novedge.com/webinarseries/?WebID=16

Helpful Appication for Importing AutoCAD Files into Vectorworks

I saw this tip on the Vectorworks discussion list. I looked into this a bit more, and I have added screen shots so that it makes more sense.


Read more... (you have to be a subscriber to follow this link).


(read more about being a subscriber)

Seattle Vectorworks User Group Meeting

I have been invited to attend the Seattle Vectorworks user group. I will be using a live internet hookup to join the group as a guest presenter.

We will be looking at layer plane, screen plane, working plane, Push/Pull tool, and if we get time, planar graphics. These new concepts can cause some confusion, but they will make your modeling and drawing creation quicker.


Meeting place and time:
Thursday, Feb. 24, 6:30 PM (PST)
7001 31st Ave NE.
Seattle

Call (206) 524-4317 if you get lost.

If you have the time to put together and bring a small snack,
that might be appreciated by those coming straight from work.

Also of note, Benson Shaw, an environmental artist with very strong Vectorworks skills,
is coming. He's been selected as the Public Artist in the project to rebuild the Central Seattle
Community College Wood Construction Center. He'll have plans from that project to show us and,
hopefully, tell us a bit about his own design experiences.
http://www.bensonshaw.com

Progress on Vectorworks for Museum and Exhibit Designers

The Vectorworks course for Museum and Exhibit Designers is going really well. The attendees are getting heaps out of the course and having a lot of fun as well. We are 3 sessions into part two of the course. We have imported a DXF/DWG file from the Internet, rescaled it to make it accurate.

Now we have converted it into 3D. Vectorworks has some really quick tricks for converting the plans into a model. I rendered this in Renderworks, and was really amazed with the rendering, the light looks subtle. We will be looking at rendering soon, but I wanted to see what we have created so far.

The course has almost finished now. All the online teaching has been completed, but the students decided that they wanted time to finish off the projects and be graded on their work.

The students have really enjoyed this course and they have made fantastic progress. I'm very happy.

Creating a Swimming Pool

This month the Vector-workout Subscription CPD manual will be focusing on building a swimming pool. The manual is currently being written, and as I write the manual, I make the object in Vectorworks to make sure I get the best screen shots. I hope you can see from this image, the pool is looking really nice.

It is reasonably easy to use some standard textures for the pool edge and inside, but I did spend some time making a water texture. Here is the pool without the water. The 3D modeling does not take that long. Vectorworks has some really great tools to make it easy to create this.

We will be linking this pool to a site model, and use some site modifiers to get it to sit correctly in the site model. If we added some  trees and a building, it

So, if you are a subscriber, book now for the online sessions, it's nearly too late.

If you want to subscribe, you can join at this web site...

How to Search a Web Page

A friend of mine showed me this trick the other day, and it makes it so easy to look through a web page to find what you want. On my subscriber web site, there is a page with all the back issues. It can take a long time to look through all the topics to find what you are looking for. This trick makes it so easy to find the right topic.

Read more... (you need to be a subscriber to follow this link)

Read more about being a subscriber....

Reset Your Windoor Settings

I have been having a small issue with Windoor (http://www.ozcad.com.au), the magic window and door plug-in from Australia. I had played with the class settings on the doors and windows, and the opening indicators were not being assigned to the class I wanted.

The author of windoor, Julian Carr, told me to use the reset buttton. I have never used this before, but it worked brilliantly, and not all my windoor functionality is restored!

On the dialog box to edit the Pens and Classes, there is a Reset button. This is the button I was instructed to use.

So, if you are having trouble with your windoor classes, try the Reset button.

Webinar: Custom Renderworks in Vectorworks 2011

I have been playing with custom Renderworks in Vectorworks 2011, and I really like it. The new Renderworks is very subtle, and you have a lot of control over the rendering quality, texture quality, and lighting quality.

Wouldn't it be great to understand how to how to edit the Custom Renderworks options, how to change the quality of the lighting, and how to add environment lighting. In this special one hour webinar presentation you will learn about the options, and you will learn how to set the options to get the best from Renderworks.

Topics covered:
Introduction to Rendering
Introduction to Applying Textures
Why use Custom Renderworks, not Final Quality Renderworks?
How to test the Rendering
Setting Custom Renderworks Options
Creating a Renderworks Background
Setting a Directional Light
Setting a Spotlight
Creating Environmental Lighting
Editing the Environmental Lighting
Final Rendering

Cost $35US (about $45NZ, $35 AUS, €25).
With this webinar, there are no notes or manuals.

Course dates:
Wendnesday 16th February 2011 7:30am (NZDT
   (15th February 2011 2:30pm EST)

Wendnesday 23rd February 2011 7:30am (NZDT

   (22nd February 2011 2:30pm EST)

Online Vectorworks Course for Museum and Exhibit Designers

Part 2 of this course starts next week, so if you want to book onto this course, you're not too late, but you are running out of time.  If you are in the museum or exhibit design area, this course will be really exciting for you. 

We start off with a blank file and we import the clients PDF or DXF file for the outline of the project. This will give us the accurate information we need to work with. There can be several challenges with importing information, so we will make sure we cover those so that when you are working on a real project, you know what to look out for. 

We will convert out imported drawings into 3D using a series of techniques. We will learn which techniques are useful, and when to use each one. This will give us a 3D model that we can walk around. So, we will also learn how to do that and how to turn our walk through into a movie to present to the client. 

I can be important to make 3D objects, so we will make some 3D objects, and we will also be looking at techniques that allow you to quickly make complex shapes, using images. This will make it very fast to create all your catalog objects, and you can use this to put pictures on the walls. We will also add data to to these object so we can count and schedule all the objects in the exhibit. 

After we have learned about textures, lighting, and rendering, we will look at setting up views of the exhibit. We also look at the walkthough again and create a new movie, walking through the exhibit with lighting and textures, so you can show prospective investors what you have in mind.

If you are working in Museum or exhibit design area, you might be wanting you use Vectorworks, but do not know how to get started. I have been talking to museums for some time, and I now have a course outline, exercises and a calender organized. This course has been tested at the main New zealand museum called Te Papa, using an online classroom training system, so I know this works.

The course is offer in two parts, so you can choose which one you need to attend. Choose part 1 if you are a beginner, and choose part 2 if you have some knowledge of Vectorworks.  Each session approx. 60 mins duration online, with approx. 60 min homework each session. Each session has a limit of  4 people which will allow time for some individual training.

Course Outline

Part 2

Session 9 - Introduction to Worksheets

Worksheets are so important. They allow you to count and report items in your exhibits. This sessio is needed to get you started.

Session 10 - Importing DXF and PDF Plans

You often have to work with other consultants, or with existing information. In this session, we learn how it import and manage this information.

Session 11- Converting Imported Plans into BIM

After we have imported the plans, we can make the building in to a model. This will allow us to walk though the model, as well as using the model to create floor plans, elevations, and sections.

Session 12 - Creating 3D Views and Walk Throughs

Now that we have our model, we can set up 3D views of the exhibit, and make a walk-though movie of the exhibit.

Session 13 - Symbols and Image Props

In this session we will learn how to make a photo into an object for the exhibit. This could be a painting, sculpture, or jewelry. These techniques will speed up your exhibit production, and allow you to create a report of all the objects. If you use a rail system for your exhibits, we will use this an an example for creating symbols and image props.

Session 14 - Attaching Data to The Exhibit Pieces

Building on form session 14, we will attach information to our exhibit pieces, so we can count or report them.

Session 15 - Textures and Rendering

Making textures and rendering is really fun, and you can see what you exhibit will look like.

Session 16 - Questions and Answers

This session is to wrap up the training and answer any outstanding questions. You will need to complete a final project to pass this course.

Course starts in the new year. Each Session approx. 60 mins duration online, with approx. 60 min homework each session.

Cost $249.50US

View calendar...

If this course does not satisfy your needs, please comment so I can adjust the course.

Always Compress Files When Emailing/Uploading

I have just been reading a technical board topic, where a Vectorworks file would not open. There was a lot of conversation and effort devoted to the problem, with no solution. The file had been sent to the Vectorworks support person in an uncompressed way, and the email had corrupted the file. When the file was re-sent in a compressed format, the file open easily, the first time.

Now, if the file had been sent compressed, many people would have been saved the effort of trying to figure out this problem, and the original support person could have got straight onto solving the real issue.

Always compress your files before you email or upload them to a web site, they transmit more cleanly, and faster too, saving you time.

New Plug-in Posted on the Subscriber Website

Today, while I was drawing a plan, and I got frustrated with editing the class attributes. I found I would have to click on the object, then look at the Object Info palette to see the class of the object. Then, open the Organization dialog box, find the class and then, finally, I could edit the class attributes.

If you know me at all, you will know that I hate this sort of repetitive task. So, I made a plug-in tool. To use this tool, you click on the object, Vectorworks then checks the class of the object, makes that class the active class and then it opens the Organization dialog box, ready for you to edit the class. This tool makes it really quick to edit the class attributes.



The tool is now uploaded to the subscribers web site. If you are a subscriber, you can find a the tool here... http://www.archoncad.co.nz/cadsupport/downloads-3/plugins2009.html

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe here... http://www.archoncad.co.nz/subscription.html

Creating Line Drawings for a Section (Vectorworks 2010 and earlier)

When you want to develop your drawings in detail, you can use your 3D model to start the process by converting your model to a line drawing. Then you can add details and information to the model.

Read More... (you must be a subscriber to follow this link)

Read more about subscribing here...

Vectorworks Workshop Sessions for February 2011

Every month the Vector-workout Subscription has a series of online workshops. In February, the main topic is to draw a swimming pool, with steps and a border as a series of 3D objects and apply these to a site model. 

The aims of the sessions are to gain an understanding of 3D modeling and how this can be used with a site model to create cut and fill.

There are Beyond Beginner sessions that will be looking in detail at screen plane, layer plane, and working planes. Working planes are becoming fundamental to working in 3D and these sessions will answer all your questions.

You have to be a subscriber to attend these online sessions. Book here...