Back at Work?

I know it looks like I’ve been on holiday. The truth is that I’ve been working on manuals fir the VectorWorks 2008 upgrade and I’ve been busy doing that, and the user group manual for January 2008.

I did take a  day off work yesterday to indulge myself and family. We went to a fantastic place in New Zealand for an old fashioned morning tea. If you are ever in the neighborhood you should book for morning tea or lunch:
http://www.oruawharo.com/

Tell Peter that you hear it from me.

cadsupportonline user group topics 2008 for Vectorworks

I have just finished the cadsupportonline user group notes for January 2008. The user group notes are much more like a manual than notes, so from now on I’ll be referring  the notes as a manual, or monthly manual. The January manual covers 30 productivity tricks that you should be using. Starting at the beginning of the year using VectorWorks productively seemed like a good idea to me and some of the users agree...

“I have been working my way through the latest issue of cadsupportonline - slowly as there are a lot of interesting points. So far I have thought "Yes I know that" but in quite a few cases there has been an extra bit that will make things so much faster.

Thanks for starting the year with such a good topic and I look forward to staying in touch and learning heaps more.”

I have a list of topics for the user group manuals for 2008, but there is room for your comments and suggestions. Leave comments here. Thanks
Jonathan

PS. If you are not a member of the cadsupportonline user group you should visit this page to join.

http://www.archoncad.co.nz/usergroup/join_int.php

Landscape Tutorial Manual for Vectorworks now shipping!

6tth January 2008 (Napier) Archoncad announce that the Landscape Tutorial Manual for VectorWorks 2008 is now shipping. This is the long awaited upgrade to the successful landscape tutorial manual for VectorWorks 12.

for more information please visit:
www.archoncad.com

Drawing by hand, or drawing with the computer?

I’m working on a quick concept drawing for a client and they had some minor comments. Move this, add windows here, move this over there... you know how it goes. It took me about 15 minutes to make the changes, update the plans, elevations and 3D views, then email it to the client. This is not a lot of time.

Over breakfast I got to thinking, it was a lot of changes in a short amount of time. I used to have clients complain as they were learning VectorWorks that they were quicker when they were drawing by hand. But the changes I made to the concept plan could not have been made in such a short time by hand, and you could not have scanned the plant and emailed it...

When you think you are quicker drawing by hand you have to remember that drawing on the computer lets you generate 2 or 3 alternatives with very little extra work, and any changes can be made quickly, much more quickly than a hand drawing.

If you are using VectorWorks yet, and you are still drawing by hand, change now! Start the new year with a new purpose, with a new business tool, start using VectorWorks effectively.

I can help:
www.archoncad.com
jon@archoncad.com

VectorWorks 2008 updated

One of the new features of VectorWorks 2008 is the ability to keep it up to date. On the About VectorWorks screen is a button now to check for updates. 

On a Macintosh you should :

Go to the Menu Bar

Choose VectorWorks > About VectorWorks...

On a Windows machine you should:

Go to the Menu Bar

Choose Help > About VectorWorks...

If you have installed the first version of the Service Pack 2 then you will see this Check For Updates... button. 

Click on this button to check for updates. 

You will be taken to a web page that will tell you if your software is up to date or not. 

If you nee to download a new version, you will be given the instructions you need. 

My only concern is that the latest update is called Service Pack 2. This is not the first time the update has been called service pack 2 and my clients are starting to get confused about their updates...