iPhone or Android phone?

I have bought an Android phone to test some of the apps that I use on my iPhone. So far, I have found that several of the iphone apps I like to use are available on the Android phone, so it looks (on the face of it) that you could choose the iphone or an Android phone. There is more to it than that, but for what I paid for the phone, it does a lot.

This is the phone I bought. It was on sale recently for $189NZ ($155US) for an unlocked phone. It runs Android 2.3, which I thought is better than Android 2.2. 

I have an Android Tablet running 2.2 and i do not like it al all. This phone is another story, it works well. 

The Android market allows you to find and download thousands of apps. I found I could quickly locate all the apps that I was used to using on my iPhone. These apps (Kindle, Skype, Evernote and Dropbox) are indispensable for my work, and to be able to download them to my cheap smart phone means I could  run my business, even if I lost my other phone. 

I have had arguments with people that say the Apple ecosystem (Mac/iPad/iPhone/iCloud) is a closed system, and does not play with others, whereas the Android ecosystem is an open system. That is not quiet true. Calendar, Contacts, emails, photos, and a lot more sync well using the Apple system, but if want to use Apple for your emails and Google for the calendar, you can do that. I find with the Android phone, it like to work with Google and nothing else. If anything, it is more of a closed system than the Apple way, but if you use gmai, google calendar and google+ you will be happy with an android phone.

This phone has voice search, and voice dictation built in.

Special Interest Groups for Focused Vectorworks Training

A few months ago, archoncad changed the structure for the subscription meetings to have workshop meetings one week, with special-interest group meetings the following week.

Each month, we have a series of workshop meetings. These meetings follow the structure of the PDF manual closely, but still allow time for Q&A based on the workshop topic. These are working extremely well, allowing users to question topics from the workshop (following along the PDF manual) or ask questions when more clarification is required.  the PDF manual has links to movies. This allows the user to read the manual, click on the link and watch a movie that covers that part of the manual.

Unlike the workshop meetings, the special-interest group meetings do not have a PDF manual, therefore we not limited to the topic. This allows users to choose the topic for the meeting, allowing them to focus on the most important areas of Vectorworks that they need to resolve. Users are responding well to these special interest groups. They are enjoying the ability to ask questions on a range of topics, but focused on their industry group.  These sessions are recorded, allowing users that were unable to attend to still learn from the sessions. After each special interest group session, I get several users sending me e-mails or messages, telling me how much they got out of the session, such as this email.

What is the Value of Free Information?

I was reading a blog recently about the value of free things. I thought this was an interesting blog because the questions the concept of free and whether we should give away free information.

A few years ago, I used to give away a lot of information on my free blog. In fact,I used to provide about 10% of the paid manual for free.  When the manuals were 10 or 15 pages long,this ended up with a blog about a page long.  When the manuals were much longer, say, 40 or 50 pages long, this ended up with a blog four or five pages long.  I am sure they felt that I was giving away all the information that I had.  In reality, I was only giving away about 5 or 10%. So the question was, " how much do the readers value this free information?"

If you are disappointed with the amount of free information I give away, I understand.  However, the information I have is valuable.  Since that information has a value, I feel justified in giving away a very small amount for free, but allowing users to subscribe to a service that has all the information for a small charge.


My feeling, is that if you pay nothing for  information, it is probably worth what you paid for. I often give information freely on the Vectorworks tech board and on the Vectorworks e-mail list. Recently, a user posted a question on the Vectorworks e-mail list. Only part of the information was given. The user then complained that the free information he received back was somehow substandard. Had the user posted the complete and full information we needed, I certainly could have given a better answer. However, what surprised me, was that the user complained that the free information should have been better. This has caused me to rethink my contributions to these areas.

There is a theory that says information should be freely given to anyone who needs it. The challenge I see with this, is that it does take me time to give that information to another person, and also took me time to learn that information. That means this information was not acquired freely, so why should it be given freely?

Introduction to 3D Modeling in Vectorworks 2012 [Kindle Edition]

I have just completed my new Kindle book: 027-2012 Introduction to 3D Modeling (Short Sharp Manuals) [Kindle Edition]. This Kindle ebook is based on the Vector-workout Subscription manual for February 2012. 


Extract:
In Vectorworks you can use different ways to create 3D work, but for all of them there are basic principles that you have to understand. Working planes are the basis to start a 3D object, whilst extrusions are the primary tool to create a 3D object. Once you understand this it all gets much easier.


You can find more information about this ebook at the Kindle Store.

Repetition is Important When Learning Vectorworks

Prior to running my Vectorworks courses online, I used to run them in a classroom. At the time it seemed like the best thing that I could do. I was aware at the time that repetition was important, and the way the courses were structured, it allowed time for the attendees to practice, while I would circulate the room, helping any users that were struggling.

For a long time this worked well. I did notice though, that after a few days of training, the users could follow instructions, but the instructions were not sinking in. The users could not remember the instructions they had been give ten minutes ago. One user said to me that he was suffering from "brain-fade".

I know that the human attention span is 60-90 minutes. After this, it is hard to keep concentrating. So, stopping my lessons for a break every 90 minutes would be the answer, but the feed back from the users was that they want to learn, and they do not want too many breaks in the day.

When I was able to use online training with GoToMeeting, it gave me the change to completely I change my training system. I was able to shorten the lessons to 60-90 minutes, and I was able to get users to practice at least once a day. This has had a huge impact to the success of the course. I am now finding that when users have completed the course, they are able to retain more information, and understand more about the concepts in the course.

I have recently started reading a book called Smart Thinking: How to Think Big, Innovate and Outperform Your Rivals [Kindle Edition] by Art Markman. This is a great book and it sets out how the brain works and how we learn. And, repetition is vital to learning. It turns out that the brain likes to work on auto-pilot as much as possible. For example, if you learn the keyboard shortcut for the Selection tool (x) then every time you need it, you can hit the x key without thinking about it. This will make it easier to use Vectorworks, and it makes it easier on your brain, because it doesn't have to think too much. Repeating exercises allows the brain to remember the instructions and understand them.

It appears from reading this book, that the online structure for the course has a big advantage. Each session is short, just 60 mins. The user then has at least two days before the next session, allowing time for repetition. The user can put in as much effort as they want, and every time they repeat the lesson, they get better at it. This allows the user to build their skill incrementally, building each session on the foundations of the last one.

Upskill yourself, join a course now.

Happy Vectorworks User says "Wow!" About Subscription...

All of my subscribers are happy with the Vector-workout Subscription service. It is the best way to get productive with Vectorworks, but this email arrived the other day from a subscriber who wanted others to know how valuable the service is. This is an unsolicited recommendation...

Jonathan;

Just a note to follow up on my last post regarding ideas for the subscription groups and the Landmark Special Interest Group.  I’m not including any additional topics exactly, but I wanted to add a few points:

1.       I think the online subscription group works very well for a lot of Vectorworks users at all levels of experience and expertise, but especially in my case where I’m switching from hand drafting and had very little real-world CAD experience.  I think a multi-pronged approach to learning is critical, but I wish I had included the subscription service right away, since I would be much further along now.  Here’s the thing:  There’s a huge amount of information to sort through just to get started.  Prioritizing what to focus on, then working with the program enough to start learning even a fraction of its full potential is a daunting task.    I did work through the Getting Started guide for Landmark 2010 and followed that up with your Landmark Manual which was a good start and did point me in the right direction.  I also attended the various official Vectorworks webinars as I could which were also helpful.  But for me your subscription service has proven critical on an entirely different level.  Here are some things I’ve appreciated:

• You emphasize Workflow and Productivity in your live sessions, and this overall philosophy is reflected consistently across all your training materials.   This is nearly impossible to convey in a help menu.
• On a similar theme, you share learning tools  that help organize Vectorworks concepts and put them into perspective.  For example, your 3 rules for managing classes to control visibility, graphic style or to schedule information; your 4 rules for layers;  or your analogy of a group as a container object.  I think you should collect these together and have Vectorworks publish them as an expansion of the “cheat sheet” they already provide on keyboard shortcuts. 
• The sessions are truly interactive, giving the group members a chance to ask questions and clarify things in real time as your presenting them. 
• It’s usually equally as valuable to me when someone else in the group asks a question, because It’s usually one I also need answered, or more likely, one I never thought to ask. 
• You clearly work hard to stay current in the latest Vectorworks Program features, but still have the depth to answer questions from someone in an older version.
• The session times and dates are very accommodating for my schedule (which works better late at night)
• You record the sessions and make them available for download, complete with supporting material.
• And perhaps for me the most important thing; the regular schedule of 2 different sessions per month was vital to keep me actively using the program even during the busy summer months when I abandoned the Computer for hand drawing.

2.       This is a bit redundant, but I purchased Vectorworks Landmark in the fall of 2010, and even that first winter when I would have had time to focus on learning the program, I never truly engaged or committed enough time to bring my skills up to a useful level, so that following spring and summer, I resorted to hand drafting for most of my work.  That was clearly a lack of discipline (and planning) on my part, but for some reason, the subscription group turned all that around.

3.       Now that I’ve had a little experience with actually creating drawings, I noticed I’m no longer turning to the drafting table for new projects.  That’s a very big change for me.  As you recommended in one of your blog posts, I have created a set of goals for my Vectorworks learning, so I thought I’d share them with you, as added incentive to get to work on them.  They are in two categories; setting up systems, and ongoing learning goals.  I have downloaded and saved most of your previous SST manuals, and I know they contain the information I need to reach most of these goals.

In case I didn’t say it directly, above, thanks for all your help and advice!    


John M.

Join today!

Taking CAD beyond the drawing Board with Vectorworks

My friend Bill and I have been involved with several Vectorworks clients helping them to integrate Vectorworks into other aspects of their business.

In this case the client sells solar hot water systems and solar PV systems. The client would like to know the orientation of the house relative to the sun, how big the roof area is, and how many panels could reasonably be placed on the sloping roof. We can in fact do far more!

The answer is to get an image from the Internet showing the house and orientation to North. You then use the Vectorworks tools to create a 3-D model of the roof and walls. Using the 3-D model of the roof you  place the solar water and PV panels. When you place the panels on the roof they  align to the slope of the roof, so you know exactly how many panels you can place. 

The panels are linked to a worksheet. With the panels in place, simply update the worksheet  which will show the cost of each panel, the total cost of all the panels, cost of installation, council permits etc. So your 2D drawing  has generated a quotation!

Bill and I have trained several clients to use these reporting and quoting functions inside Vectorworks. Clients like IceBreaker find that Vectorworks can change the way they do business.

For more information please contact Bill…  bill@megabits-ANZ.net
Jonathan at jon@archoncad.co.nz

Novedge Webinar Series Episode 39: Introduction to BIM with Vectorworks Architect

Earlier on today I was presenting a webinar for Novedge, a Vectorworks reseller in America. The topic was an introduction to BIM using Vectorworks architect.  the webinar was recorded and you can now watch this recording on YouTube.

One of the main concepts in using Vectorworks Architect is called Building Information Modeling (BIM). What this means is that as you draw a wall in Vectorworks, it is more than a plan representation of a wall. The wall has texture, knows when a window is inserted, and can have information attached to it. Many parts of the Vectorworks drawing are like this: they are much more than they seem. A door, for example, is more than the plan representation of the door. It has a model part, and you can attach information about the door, door hardware, or even the supplier and cost of the door. This information can be generated as a report whenever you want it.

Many of the topics that I showed during this webinar have been covered in my monthly subscription service.  So if you are a subscriber you will recognize many of the tricks I have shown you, if you are not a subscriber you might notice there are lots of quick tricks that I use.

Almost all of today's webinar is covered in the Vectorworks Architect Tutorial manual sold by Novedge on the website. Check it out here.

Icebreaker Breaks New Ground

I was really pleased to see this case study about Icebreaker.  Icebreaker has been a client of mine for some time,  and so I was really pleasing to see Vectorworks do a case study about how they have implemented the training I have completed with them.

The case study is worth reading. It is amazing to see the changes the icebreaker have implemented by using Vectorworks. It has really changed the way they design the shops, price them, report on the clothing in the stores, and present their proposals to their clients.

Icebreaker started with a new sales team leader, and he wanted to know how best to put Vectorworks in place.  To start with,  I had him attend one of my Essential Tutorial courses so that he would learn the basics of Vectorworks in a structured way. Next we set up a series of ten online sessions that would allow us to work through one project, implementing Vectorworks in a way that they had never seen before. Icebreaker set out several things that they would like to achieve with Vectorworks. Not only were we able to achieve these things, but we were able to do much more.

I thoroughly recommend downloading and reading this case study. I hope it will change the way you think about Vectorworks.

If you would like to change your business like icebreaker did, please get in touch with me, I know I can help you.

Introduction to BIM with Vectorworks Architect

One of the main concepts in using Vectorworks Architect is called Building Information Modeling (BIM). What this means is that as you draw a wall in Vectorworks, it is more than a plan representation of a wall. The wall has texture, knows when a window is inserted, and can have information attached to it. Many parts of the Vectorworks drawing are like this: they are much more than they seem. A door, for example, is more than the plan representation of the door. It has a model part, and you can attach information about the door, door hardware, or even the supplier and cost of the door. This information can be generated as a report whenever you want it.

Time: February 15, 2012 from 11am to 12pm
Location: Online (PDT)
Website or Map: http://www.novedge.com/webina…
Event Type: webinar
Organized By: NOVEDGE LLC.

Register for the webinar now...

Vectorworks Architect Online Test

When you employ staff, wouldn't it be nice to know that the new employee has a good level of Vectorworks skill?

When you think about training your staff, wouldn't it be great to know where the training was needed?

Now you can.

I have created an online Vectorworks Architect test. This test covers 9 major areas with 63 questions.

I would expect the test to take about 30 mins if the user is very competent.

I completed the test in 18 minutes, but then I knew what all the questions and answers would be.

There are a range of questions using True/False statements, Multiple Choice, Multiple Correct, and questions where the user has to label images.



This test is ideal for:

• employers to test new employee
• employers that want to know where to invest in their staff
• school and university leavers 
• employment agencies

Screen Plane/Layer Plane with Plant Graphics

I am currently making the movies for my new Landmark Tutorial Manual for Vectorworks 2012. I was making a movie showing how to edit the plant graphics and I got caught you by the screen plane/layer plane ability.

When you edit the plant graphics in Vectorworks, one object in the plant controls the Mass Overlapping Plants. If you separate the plant components, you will find that there is a stacking order to the plants. It is important that you respect this order. If you do not, you will find that groups of plant with mass overlapping plant activated do not look the way you want them to.

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

Become a subscriber....

Storing Worksheets in your Vectorworks Library

You should use worksheets to count and report objects in your Vectorworks files, but sometimes you forget which file had the worksheets you want. You should store your worksheets in your library so that they are easy to find.

You should store a copy of your worksheets in your library, but if you store the worksheet file in the correct location, you can access the worksheet from any file, without using the Resource Browser to look for it.  In Vectorworks Landmark and in Vectorworks Architect you store the worksheet in the same location, but you use a different menu command to access the worksheet.

If you are not familiar with worksheets, you need to learn about them. There is a good introduction to worksheets in the Vectorworks Essentials Tutorial Manual from Nemetschek Vectorworks. This manual will show you the basics. An older version of chapter is available as a CPD manual on the subscriber web site.

The subscriber web site also has a CPD manual on intermediate worksheets. This manual will show you a lot of the tips and techniques you need to make sophisticated worksheets. This manual is strongly recommended.

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


You can become a subscriber here.

Did you Get a Kindle or iPad for Xmas

If you got a Kindle or iPad for Xmas, Well Done!

Now you can justify this by filling it up with useful Vectorworks manuals. I have written about 28 short manuals for the Kindle, there are architecture and BIM manuals available.

The kindle reader now has several variants with the greyscale screen and one with a color screen. The greyscale versions are just e-book readers (they do this really well).

There is now a color version of the kindle, called the Kindle Fire. This  has the ability to do a lot more than the standard  greyscale kindle, (but only if you live in USA).

The iPad has thousands of applications, one useful one is the Kindle ebook reader. This app allows you to read all the kindle books on your iPad, if you downlaod the Kindle ebook reader, or if you use the Kindle cloud reader.

Some people have asked me why I have written books for the Kindle system. Many people think that they need to own a Kindle device to read a kindle book. This is wrong, you can read kindle books on many different devices, including your computer, phone, and so on. The books will sync across the different devices, so you will always be up to date.

With many associations requiring Continuing Professional Development (CE), a Kindle or tablet device is a great way keep your books with you.

You Can Attend Online Vectorworks Training From an iPhone or iPad

I use GoToMeeting to run my Vector-workout training sessions.  


Normally uses attend these online sessions from their computer. This allows me to share my computer screen to my online subscribers, and interact with them.  

GoToMeeting have released an application for your iPhone  and iPad.  You can download this from the appstore. This application allows you to attend online sessions without having to go to your computer. 

When you start GoToMeeting, you need the webinar, you just need the meeting or webinar ID, your name and email. 

When you click on the Join button, this app quickly takes you to the meeting. If the webinar is going, you will see the shared screen. If the meeting has not started, you will see this screen. 

When the session starts, you will see the screen of the presenter.  I recommend an iPad, because that makes it easier to see the screen.  I have had a user attend my meetings using an iPhone 3GS.  He found he could keep up with the meeting but because the iPhone has such a small screen he found it hard to see what I was showing. 

When the meeting is closed, you will see this screen. 


For more information about courses, please see my web site.

Not eBooks, vBooks! vbooks are the best way to learn Vectorworks

Some people describe my manuals as eBooks.  I am not sure this really describes my manuals.  I think the eBooks sounds like an electronic book with lots of words and pages. My manuals also contain a lot of video.  So I think of my books as being Video books (vBooks).  I think this describes my books better.

You want vBooks to learn Vectorworks effectively, not eBooks. It is the combination of the written manual along with the videos that make these manuals the most effective way to learn.

One customer said that the difference between my manuals with the movies and other Vectorworks training manuals is like the difference between listing to the radio or watching television. 

Get vBooks from http://www.facade-it.co.uk/,  or http://www.novedge.com/brands/128

Using a Bluetooth Keyboard with iPhone

I bought myself an Apple wireless keyboard yesterday. I really bought it to use with an iPad. But I also found that I  can use bluetooth to connect it to a phone. I'm using an iPhone and it has made typing on the phone really easy.

All you have to is go to the bluetooth settings and connect the keyboard. Once it's connected, you can type away on your phone with a full sized keyboard.

I have started to use the keyboard for writing blogs (this one) and texting. It is very quick to use. Highly recommended.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

Thank you to all my customers and blog readers. 2011 was a good year for me thanks to you. Blog visits have gone up substantially, subscribers to my Vector-workout Subscription increased dramatically, manual sales were up slightly, and other work has kept me very busy. The year was not without some major challenges, but since they are being dealt with, I don't want to dwell on them.

I see 2012 being a good year for many parts of the world. Where I live, the city of Christchurch will start to re-build after last year's devastating earthquakes. That will take ten or twenty years to rebuild. Many of my clients around the world are busy, and there is some positive employment data from USA. England and Europe still look fragile, but I hope they have now turned the corner and will start to improve.

At this time of the year many people take the opportunity to make New Year's Resolutions. I'm not sure resolutions work, but I am positive that if you set goals for the year, and plans to achieve your goals, then you will achieve your goals.

I use this time of the year to set goals for my business and personal life. If you are setting your goals or resolutions, I hope you will be including Vectorworks, because I have a way to improve the way you use Vectorworks:

• learning new techniques each month
• joining online sessions to drill down into the details of a topic
• getting access to library files and plug-ins

I'm talking about the Vector-workout Subscription service, a training system to get the best from your investment in Vectorworks. Last year we had a dramatic increase in subscribers, I rebuilt the website for the subscribers, so they could access all the old movies, download old manuals (about 50 of them), have a private blog, and access library files and plug-ins. 

Special Interest Groups for the Vector-workout Subscription (Vectorworks Training)

Archoncad announces Special Interest Groups for the Vector-workout Subscription

Starting in February 2012, the Vector-workout Subscription will be offering Special Interest Groups as part of the subscription. The purpose of the SIG will be to have online sessions that are suited to a particular part of Vectorworks, and will generally follow on from the topics discussed in the workshop sessions. 

For example the Landscape SIG would focus on Vectorworks from a Landscape perspective, so when we look at building your office library, we would look at a library of plants, or hardscapes, for example. If we were looking at libraries with the BIM Special Interest Group, we might be looking at how wall and slab styles can be saved into your library. There will not be a manual, but the sessions will be recorded and linked to the monthly manual. 

The Special Interest meetings will be the week after the interactive workshops so that issues raises in the workshop can be expanded in the group meetings, and explained with examples to suit that group. 

Initially, I am planning a BIM and Landscape Special Interest Group. If these are successful, there will be more groups for 3D Modeling and others as they are needed.

The Special Interest Groups are only available to Vector-workout Subscribers. If you are a subscriber, log onto Vector-workout Subscriber site. 

Become a subscriber here and enjoy a monthly manual, special online webinars, blogs, and extras. 

Using Your iPhone on a Tripod

I have tried to use an iPhone and an iPad to shoot video, but the results are not great. What I really want to  is to mount the iPhone on a tripod. A standard tripod has a bolt to connect a camera, but the phone and tablet do not have the threaded hole for the bolt.

I've made a bracket to connect the phone to the tripod. It is reasonably straight forward to create the bracket.

I have found the hard case I needed for the iPad, so now I can use the ipad on my tripod to shoot video. The iPad cover just needs to be a hard case, so you can stick the velcro to it.

All the instructions are on my subscribers web site.



You can become a subscriber here.