Jan 2026 - Creating and Modifying 3D Block Symbols

In this session, the discussion dives into the intricacies of architectural design using Vectorworks. The host, Jonathan, alongside experts Ben, Rob, Tali, Dave, and Dermot, explore the practical application of creating a detailed block model for a garden wall. This episode is a rich resource for design professionals looking to enhance their digital architecture skills, particularly with detailed symbol usages, site modifications, and material management.

The speakers dissect the process of crafting a garden wall block, emphasizing the importance of determining insertion points, symbol relevancy, and the usage of textures and materials for aesthetic visualization. Participants explore the intricacies of Vectorworks, discussing how particular techniques, such as symbol duplication and site elevation adaptation, can significantly impact design outcomes. This detailed exploration offers practical insights into effectively managing 3D design elements, ensuring precision in digital architecture projects.

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Jan 2026 - Curtain Wall Grids & Accurate Location

In this enlightening episode, Jonathan, alongside experts Dave and Richard, delves into the intricate world of curtain wall design using advanced architectural software tools. The discussion opens with a detailed examination of transforming a regular wall into a curtain wall style in Vectorworks, focusing on the precise configuration of vertical and horizontal grids essential for accurate architectural plans.

The conversation further explores the challenges and solutions related to ensuring precise measurements and alignment in curtain wall design. Jonathan, Dave, and Richard discuss strategies for addressing common issues like moving mullions, inserting doors, and coping with dimensional constraints within Vectorworks. By highlighting techniques such as using custom nudge settings and drawing reference grids, they provide listeners with concrete methods to enhance precision and efficiency in architectural modeling. The episode concludes with a discussion on integrating detailed 3D modeling for construction documentation, underscoring the blend of digital tools and traditional design practices in modern architecture.

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Mastering DXF DWG Export: Communication is Crucial

In this episode, Jonathan delves into the intricacies of exporting DXF DWG files, offering listeners a detailed guide on how to effectively manage and communicate project data between architects and engineers. The conversation is filled with practical tips, underlining the importance of understanding what stakeholders truly need when exchanging design files, and how to make the right export choices.

Jonathan emphasizes the importance of clear communication with clients and engineers, discussing strategies to ensure that the exported files meet the specific needs of each project collaborator. By sharing personal anecdotes, he provides a real-world context to the technical details, highlighting pitfalls to avoid and best practices to adopt. His advice, combined with Shale's questions, offers a nuanced look at how optimizing file exports can save time and enhance collaboration during the project lifecycle.

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Mastering DXF DWG Exports: Communication and Customization Tips

 Join Jonathan and Shale as they delve into the intricacies of exporting DXF and DWG files. Discover strategies for handling numerous drawings, understanding client needs, and tailoring exports for different purposes. Learn practical tips on mapping, collaborating with consultants, and managing expectations seamlessly. With real-world examples, including a memorable project in China, this episode reveals the importance of communication in efficiently exporting design files. Optimize your exporting process and make collaboration effortless with the insightful guidance shared in this engaging discussion.

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Troubleshooting Vectorworks: Managing Classes and Countertops in 2026

 Join Jonathan and Richard as they dive into the complexities of Vectorworks, focusing on unexplained anomalies in wall rendering, class and style management, and efficient use of libraries. Shale joins the conversation with questions about integrating Archon CAD standards, manipulating cabinet graphics, and mastering material and texture distinctions. This episode is rich with practical tips for architects and designers, covering advanced properties, resource management, and utilizing materials effectively. Whether you're building precise section viewports or refining countertops, this discussion promises a deeper understanding of Vectorworks' robust features.

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Headline: Why Most Architecture Projects Lose Money Before the First Wall is Drawn

Have you ever finished a project only to realize that your fee barely covered the time you spent at the computer?

In my 30 years of teaching and practicing architecture, I’ve seen the same pattern repeat: A designer gets a refined concept and jumps straight into the 3D model.

This is a trap. When you start modeling before you’ve planned your documentation, you are "guessing until the time runs out." You haven't accounted for the six extra details the building consent officer will want, or the complexity of the plumbing coordination on that slope.

The Solution: Document Content Analysis (DCA)

I’ve spent two decades refining a system I call Document Content Analysis (DCA)—or "Cartooning" the set. Before I touch a mouse, I take a stack of A4 paper. One sheet of paper for every single drawing in the project.

• Sheet 1: The Site Plan. I sketch the boundaries and the legal recession planes.

• Sheet 2: The Foundation. I mark where the point loads and drainage must go.

• Sheets 3-4: The Floor Plans. I outline the structural openings and dimension strings.

• Sheets 5-6: Roof Plans. I solve the drainage logic and weatherproofing early.

• Sheets 7-8: Elevations. I prove the materials and compliance with height boundaries.

• Sheets 9-11: Sections. I slice through the building to check headrooms and internal volumes.

• Sheets 12+: The Details. I apply my Golden Rule: Every time there is a change in plane or a change in material, I create a new A4 detail sheet.

The "Profit Check"

Once I have my stack of A4 sheets, I have a physical representation of the work. If I have 20 sheets and I know it takes a day to produce a high-quality sheet, I have a 20-day project.

If my fee only covers 10 days of work, I have two choices:

1. Renegotiate the fee based on the documented scope.

2. Simplify the design to reduce the drawing volume.

By doing this on paper, it costs pennies. Doing it in a 3D model costs thousands.

Stop Drawing. Start Planning.

DCA isn't just about drawing; it’s about software architecture. Your A4 sketches tell you exactly which Classes and Layers you need in Vectorworks before you even open the file. It turns a chaotic creative process into a linear, profitable production roadmap.

If you want to move from being a "drafter" to a Project Manager who actually makes a profit, you need to master this system.

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Ready to master the DCA workflow?

I’ve uploaded a full DCA Masterclass and a downloadable SOP Guide for my community members.

👉 Join the Vectorworks Training School Community

Or, if you have a complex project starting next week and you want me to walk you through the DCA process personally:

👉 Book a Private DCA Workshop with Jonathan

#Architecture #BIM #Vectorworks #ProjectManagement #DCA #ArchitectureBusiness #DesignEfficiency

Master Viewport Lighting Control

 

Dive into the visualization palette's potential to manipulate lighting and shadows individually for each viewport, enhancing your Vectorworks projects. Learn the intricacies of adding and adjusting lights, along with the impacts on shadows, to refine your design presentations. For those eager to delve deeper, Jonathan invites listeners to join his school community for an in-depth masterclass. Discover essential lighting techniques that could transform your Vectorworks skills.

The Efficiency Audit: Building Your Professional Office Standard

 

The Invisible Leak: Is Your Office Losing Hours?

Most architectural practices suffer from an "invisible leak"—a constant drain of billable hours caused by a lack of unified systems. We often see talented designers spending 20% of their time actually designing and 80% fighting with disorganized files, inconsistent line weights, and broken templates.

To fix this, we don't look for more speed; we perform an Efficiency Audit. We stop and ask: Is our office standard helping us win, or is it the very thing holding us back?

1. Creating the Unified Office Library (The Style System)

The most effective firms operate from a "Single Source of Truth." Instead of every staff member creating their own objects from scratch, the office must have a centralized, curated library of Plug-In Object Styles.

Take Windows and Doors as an example. In our recent Masterclass, we explored how setting up consistent Window Styles from the start allows you to maintain global control. If you need to change a frame texture or a manufacturer detail, you push that change to every window in the project instantly, rather than editing them one by one. This is the difference between "drawing" and "systematizing."

2. Developing Professional Standards (Data Tags & Classes)

A professional drawing should be readable at a glance. This requires a strict office standard for metadata and graphics:

• Data Tags vs. Traditional Labels: Using automated Data Tags ensures that if you change a window style name, the label updates across every floor plan, elevation, and schedule simultaneously.

• Automated Graphics: In Vectorworks 2026, Top/Plan graphics are derived directly from 3D geometry. Professional standards now require setting "Attributes Below Cut Plane" to specific classes, allowing you to hide walls under doorways—a level of precision that "quick and dirty" drawing simply can't achieve.

3. The Living CAD Manual (Upgrading for 2026)

If your office standards only exist in the head of your senior technician, you have a bottleneck. An effective office needs a written CAD Manual that evolves with the software.

For example, my colleague Christiaan recently highlighted a vital "To-Do List" for those upgrading to Vectorworks 2026. Without a system in place to manage these updates, your firm will face "surprises" after conversion. Essential steps include:

• Cut Plane Management: Enabling "Cut Plane at Layer Elevation" on all Design Layers (typically at 1200mm) before converting.

• Component Fill Logic: Ensuring every wall has at least one component with a set fill to prevent conversion errors.

• Detail Level Settings: Updating Door and Window styles to show more detail in the "Low" option, as 2026 handles wall component visibility differently.

The Result: The Multi-Office Breakthrough

When I worked with large multidisciplinary practices in London, like BDP or DIN Associates, these systems were the difference between chaos and profit.

By implementing a "snapped-together" project library and a unified standard, we enabled directors to work across time zones. We moved from "drawing" to "assembling" high-quality sets. This allowed the principals to focus on what they do best—designing and winning work—while the system handled the production.

Conclusion: Systems are the Ultimate Form of Effectiveness

An Efficiency Audit isn't about working harder; it's about removing the friction from your daily workflow. By investing in your office standards and mastering your "Styles" today, you are buying back your time for the rest of your career.

If you are ready to move your firm from "quick and dirty" drawing to high-performance systemized production, let's build your roadmap together.

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Take Action:

• Master the Systems: Join our community to access the full Masterclass on Window/Door styling and the 2026 upgrade guide. 👉 Join the Vectorworks Training School Community

• Personalized Office Audit: Book a private training session to review your office standards and templates. 👉 Book Training with Jonathan

Visualization Palette Intro

 

The video highlights the utility of the Visualization Palette for managing lighting in Vectorworks and encourages viewers to subscribe or join Pickup's training program at skool.com for more advanced instruction.

Mastering the Core: Why Foundations are the Secret to High-Performance Design

 

The Professional Athlete’s Secret

In the fast-paced world of architectural design, the pressure to be "fast" often leads professionals down a dangerous path of shortcuts. We call this the "quick and dirty" way—using a tool just to get a shape on the screen without understanding the underlying logic.

However, if you look at the world’s most elite sports teams, they don't treat the basics as something they "get past" in the first week of training. A professional basketball player will shoot hundreds of basic free throws every morning. An elite rugby team, like the All Blacks, will spend hours perfecting the fundamental mechanics of a pass or a tackle long after they’ve reached the top of their game.

They understand a truth that many CAD users miss: Elite performance is simply the result of perfectly executed fundamentals.

The "Drill" Mentality: Effectiveness over Efficiency

Efficiency is often mistaken for effectiveness. Efficiency is performing any task in the most economical manner, but effectiveness is performing the right tasks that move you closer to your long-term goals. In programs like Vectorworks or ArchiCAD, "practicing your fundamentals" means:

• Precision over Speed: Understanding exactly how Layer Elevations and Classes interact before you ever try to build a complex multi-story model.

• Muscle Memory: Mastering selection and snapping tools so you aren't fighting the software just to align a wall.

• Program Logic: Learning the "Why" so that when a project gets complicated, your foundational knowledge keeps the file from falling apart.

Just as a sports team that fumbles the basics will lose the game in the final quarter, a designer who skips the foundations will find their model "breaking" when they reach the high-pressure deadline of the documentation phase.

The Cost of the Self-Taught Path

Many designers attempt to be self-taught, but without a coach, you often end up practicing bad habits. This leads to common professional pain points:

• Loss of Time: Thousands of hours are wasted struggling with basic operations.

• Lack of Productivity: Without a system, every project feels like reinventing the wheel.

• The Learning Curve: The frustration of "so much to learn" often stems from a lack of foundational structure.

A Story of Discovery: From 1970 to the Digital Boom

My journey toward mastering architectural technology began in 1970 when I first visited an architect’s house in Philadelphia. I knew then that I wanted to create spaces, but my career truly shifted when I began managing staff and hundreds of drawings for large multidisciplinary practices in London.

I was at the leading edge of the transition from manual pencil-and-ink drawings to CAD. In those early days, we worked on UNIX systems that didn't even have a graphic user interface. Whether it was MicroStation, MiniCAD, or ArchiCAD, I realized these weren't just drawing tools—they were Building Information Modeling (BIM) programs meant to store, report, and visualize complex data.

The Power of a System: The DIN Associates Breakthrough

The real power of foundational mastery is best seen in my work with DIN Associates in London. They were hand-drawing beautiful perspectives but struggled to implement CAD effectively.

I implemented a project library with "snapped-together" units for their high-end retail clients. This systemic approach allowed one of their directors to fly to Los Angeles, measure a building in the morning, design and print the drawings by the afternoon, and meet the contractor on-site the next day. They achieved a level of speed and precision that was impossible without a foundational office system.

My Strategy: The Manual and Movie Approach

Because architects and designers are visual thinkers, standard instruction manuals don't work. Over decades of training thousands of professionals, I developed a specific "coaching" strategy:

• A Screenshot for Every Instruction: Most trainers use one image for several steps. I provide a screenshot for every single move, allowing you to skim the manual and learn visually.

• Embedded Movies: Combining written manuals with embedded movies allows users to see the technique in action, reinforcing the muscle memory needed for mastery.

• Focus on the "Why": We don't just teach you how to draw a line; we teach you why you are using a specific tool, ensuring your model is accurate from the start.

Conclusion: Invest in Your Mastery

Whether you are using Vectorworks or ArchiCAD, don't underestimate the power of the basics. It is the bedrock of your office system and the only way to move from being "quick" to being truly effective.

If you want to play at the professional level, you have to train like a professional. Focus on the foundations, and the speed will follow. Join me on Skool.com

2025 Year in Review: From Drafting to Data-Driven Mastery

As we close out 2025, it’s incredible to look back at how far our community has come. This year, our focus wasn't just on "how to draw" in Vectorworks, but on how to work smarter by leveraging the "I" in BIM: Information.

❤️ A Heartfelt Thank You

I am incredibly grateful for the support I’ve received this year. To those of you who read my newsletters, watch my YouTube videos, and engage in my community: Thank you. Your questions and feedback keep me motivated. It is a privilege to help you master your craft.

🚀 2025 Milestones: A New Home for Kinship

The biggest evolution in our community this year was moving our home from our traditional WordPress site to the Skool.com platform.

This wasn't just a technical upgrade; it was a shift toward kinship. Our members no longer learn in isolation. We now have a living, breathing community where designers troubleshoot in real-time and share the "small wins" that lead to big productivity gains.

🏗️ Technical Highlights: Systems Over Guesswork

If you’ve been following our weekly newsletters, you know that 2025 was about moving away from "drafting" and toward "systematic management":

• Data Mastery: We leveraged Database Worksheets and Data Visualization to manage information visually.

• File Health: We killed the "silent killers" of speed using the Invert Selection cleanup method.

• Precision: We stopped "nudging" and started using Move by Points (Duplicate & Distribute) for instant accuracy.

• Coordination: We mastered Design Layer Viewports (DLVPs) to create live, error-free references.

• Profitability: We introduced Document Content Analysis (DCA) to ensure every project remains profitable.

🚀 Looking Ahead: Your 2026 Roadmap to Mastery

If 2025 was the foundation, 2026 is about high-speed execution. Here is our scheduled Masterclass lineup for the first half of the year:

March: The Plant Database Duel

Landscape and site designers often struggle with which database to use. We will dive deep into both:

• FileMaker Pro Engine: How to set up and connect to this graphically-rich database.

• Text-Based Database: Exploring the faster, streamlined engine for high-speed documentation.

• The Workflow: How to connect your Vectorworks plants to these sources correctly.

April: Drawing Production 2 (Systematic Modeling)

This session focuses on pure modeling speed. We will master:

• Smart Styles: Efficiently creating Wall, Door, Window, Roof, and Slab Styles.

• Project Grids: Setting up projects using Grids to anchor your design from day one.

June: Drawing Production 3 (Professional Output)

The "production" finale where we bring the documentation to life:

• Viewport Mastery: Setting up Site Plans (and finally solving where to put annotations!), Floor Plans, and Sections.

• Linked Details: Creating Elevation and Detail Viewports that are perfectly coordinated and linked throughout the set.

Lock in Your 2026 Growth Today

To support this expanded curriculum and our new community platform, membership rates will increase by 5% on January 1, 2026.

Sign up or upgrade this week to lock in your current rate. If you move to the VIP Tier, you'll also save $40/month compared to booking individual coaching—the perfect way to have an expert by your side as you implement these 2026 workflows.

Thank you for an incredible 2025. I wish you a peaceful holiday season and a productive start to 2026!

#Vectorworks #BIM #SkoolCommunity #Architecture #LandscapeDesign #DCA #Vectorworks2025 #ProfessionalDevelopment #ThankYou

The Last-Minute Title Block Panic

We've all been there: it's the last day before the office closes for the holiday break, and you're racing to issue a final drawing set. You realize you need to change the issue date, project number, and revision index across 40 different sheet layers. That last hour turns into a panic-induced administrative disaster. Your title block should work for you, not against you.

Quick Fix: Standardizing Your Title Block

The first step to efficiency is using the standard Vectorworks Title Block Border tool. This allows you to manage fundamental data (like Sheet Title and Sheet Number) from the Object Info Palette (OIP), ensuring that data is consistently linked to the sheet.

• Select the Title Block

• Go to the Object Info palette
• Click on Edit Title Block Settings...
• Edit the settings
• Click OK.

The Premium Advantage: The Title Block Manager

The Title Block Manager command allows you to control the data for every single title block in your project from one central spreadsheet-like window.

Advanced Tip Preview (Community Exclusive): The Title Block Manager allows you to select 40 sheets and enter a new Issue Date once, updating all 40 title blocks instantly.

• Go to the Menu Bar.
• Click on File
• Click on Title Block Manager...
• Click on Load all opened files.
• Click on Select Sheets to Use...
• Select the required sheets
• Click on Sheet Data
• Click on Today's Date to update the drawing date
• Click on the OK button to finish.

Did You Miss Our Masterclass? We covered this essential workflow in-depth recently in our recorded session 'Drawing Production and Masterclass for Controlling Revisions.' Premium members can watch it right now!

We've all been there: it's the last day before the office closes for the holiday break, and you're racing to issue a final drawing set. You realize you need to change the issue date, project number, and revision index across 40 different sheet layers. That last hour turns into a panic-induced administrative disaster. Your title block should work for you, not against you.

Quick Fix: Standardizing Your Title Block

The first step to efficiency is using the standard Vectorworks Title Block Border tool. This allows you to manage fundamental data (like Sheet Title and Sheet Number) from the Object Info Palette (OIP), ensuring that data is consistently linked to the sheet.

• Select the Title Block

• Go to the Object Info palette
• Click on Edit Title Block Settings...
• Edit the settings
• Click OK.

The Premium Advantage: The Title Block Manager

The Title Block Manager command allows you to control the data for every single title block in your project from one central spreadsheet-like window.

Advanced Tip Preview (Community Exclusive): The Title Block Manager allows you to select 40 sheets and enter a new Issue Date once, updating all 40 title blocks instantly.

• Go to the Menu Bar.
• Click on File
• Click on Title Block Manager...
• Click on Load all opened files.
• Click on Select Sheets to Use...
• Select the required sheets
• Click on Sheet Data
• Click on Today's Date to update the drawing date
• Click on the OK button to finish.

Did You Miss Our Masterclass? We covered this essential workflow in-depth recently in our recorded session 'Drawing Production and Masterclass for Controlling Revisions.' Premium members can watch it right now!