[Archoncad] Weekly Digest 10 (blogs and movies for Vectorworks)

This week i posted the following blogs:

Landmark_SIG_017 Special Interest Group December 2012
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10679/landmark_sig_017-special-interest-group-december-2012/

This is the last  landmark special interest group session for 2012. It gives us
the opportunity to wrap up anything that's outstanding for the subscribers this
year.  A consistent theme for the Landmark special interest groups this month
has been planting. Vectorworks 2013 has a new dialog box for creating your
plants and the new concept for the definition and the settings for each plant.

Build Your Gingerbread House Today using Vectorworks
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10667/build-your-gingerbread-house-today-using-vectorworks/

At this time of year my family makes a gingerbread house. When we started to do
this, we decided that a store bought ginger bread house wasn't acceptable, we
could design our own house. I didn't take me long to realise that I could use
Vectorworks with BIM principles to create the model and drawings for the
gingerbread house.

Landmark_SIG_016 Special Interest Group December 2012
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10659/landmark_sig_016-special-interest-group-december-2012/

In this session we looked at two major topics; creating a landscape budget using
landscape areas, and creating plants and adding them to your library.
Vectorworks makes it very easy to find areas and calculate the percentages of
areas in relation to each other. If you create your plants and store them in
your library, it becomes very quick to use them.

epodcast168 - Changing the Computer File Extensions
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10656/epodcast168-changing-the-computer-file-extensions/

When you install a new computer program, the program uses something called the
file extension (the three letters after the dot on the filename). Often, when
users install a new version of Vectorworks, they do not want the new version of
Vectorworks to open the old files, so they choose to keep the Association with
the old version of Vectorworks.

But what can you do when you want all your Vectorworks files to open with the
new version of Vectorworks?

Online Workshops For January Now Available for Bookings
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10641/online-workshops-for-january-now-available-for-bookings/

At this time of the year everybody is rushing to finish projects that need to
finished before the holidays. But this is also a good time of the year to think
about making next year very productive.

BIM_SIG_015 Special Interest Group December 2012
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10644/bim_sig_015-special-interest-group-december-2012/

The session was intended to be an open question-and-answer session. My aim was
to cover several topics. However, there were two main topics that came up in the
session. The first topic was space subjects and how to edit the labels, and the
second topic was default content.

Build Your Gingerbread House Today using Vectorworks

At this time of year my family makes a gingerbread house. When we started to do this, we decided that a store bought ginger bread house wasn't acceptable, we could design our own house. I didn't take me long to realise that I could use Vectorworks with BIM principles to create the model and drawings for the gingerbread house.

Online Workshops For January Now Available for Bookings

At this time of the year everybody is rushing to finish the projects that need to finished before the holidays. But this is also a good time of the year to think about making next year very productive.

BIM_SIG_015 Special Interest Group December 2012

The session was intended to be an open question-and-answer session. My aim was to cover several topics. However, there were two main topics that came up in the session. The first topic was space subjects and how to edit the labels, and the second topic was default content.

Comments on Dealing with Walls - Part 1

A subscriber has just sent me  a comment on my web site. It's nice to hear from satisfifed customers...

Thanks. I’m a late starter to your subscription but wanted to say how great it is!! First wanted to say that I subscribed because of the story you posted about the fellow who took your advice about taking the time during the “down-time” of the economy = workload and really learning vectorworks. As soon as I subscribed I got a couple jobs and have been eager to learn what you are presenting. 

Read more... 

[Archoncad] Weekly Digest 9 (blogs and movies for Vectorworks)

Interactive Workshops December 2012

http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10614/interactive-workshops-december-2012/

Each month we have a series of online webinars based around the short sharp training manuals that I write each month. Several clients have asked if I'm recording the session so they can watch it later. This month I decided to try recording each session and posting it here so that all the subscribers can see it.

Interactive Workshops December 2012

Each month we have a series of online webinars based around the short sharp training manuals that I write each month. Several clients have asked if I'm recording the session so they can watch it later. This month I decided to try recording each session and posting it here so that all the subscribers can see it.

Interactive Workshops December 2012 | Archoncad

[The iPad Tutor] Weekly Digest 04

This week, the following posts were added to theipadtutor web site:

Android vs iOS
http://theipadtutor.com/2012/12/03/android-vs-ios/

 Last Christmas I had an argument with my brother about android vs iOS. He
believes that the closed system of iOS is bad, and the open system of Android is
better. I don't believe it's as simple as saying one is an open system therefore
it's good, the other is a closed system therefore it's [...]

0056 Google Currents
http://theipadtutor.com/2012/11/28/0056-google-currents/

Google currents is a news reader for your tablet or smartphone. It allows you to
choose online news providers that you want to follow. Google currents will then
reformat the information for your device. This allows you to choose several
sources of information and have that available to read quickly and easily on
your tablet or phone.

Guide to Residential Concept Design for Vectorworks

Many of my clients want to use Vectorworks just for conceptual design.This means that the users often want a cut-down Vectorworks interface that just shows the tools they want, to make it faster to draw.

Often these users do not want to draw the walls of the building, they want a quick way of modeling the building, a way to see the building on the site, and they want to be able to check the building with a solar study.

Read more...

[Archoncad] Weekly Digest 8 (blogs and movies for Vectorworks)

This week, the following posts were added to the learn.archoncad.com web site.

Guide to Residential Concept Design
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10442/guide-to-residential-concept-design/

Many of my clients want to use Vectorworks just for conceptual design.This means
that the users often want a cut-down Vectorworks interface that just shows the
tools they want, to make it faster to draw.

Often these users do not want to draw the walls of the building, they want a
quick way of modeling the building, a way to see the building on the site, and
they want to be able to check the building with a solar study.

Building with Walls, Roof and Windows - Part 3
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10596/building-with-walls-roof-and-windows-part-3/

Simple Roof
- You can create a roof from the walls. the roof may need some editing to get what you want.

Building with Walls, Roof and Windows - Part 2
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10595/building-with-walls-roof-and-windows-part-2/

Quick Doors and Windows
- You can easily make the spaces into walls with a command. It needs some editing after, but it is still quick.

Building with Walls, Roof and Windows - Part 1
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10591/building-with-walls-roof-and-windows-part-1/

Creating Walls from Your Model
- You can easily make the spaces into walls by tracing around them.

Visualization - Part 7
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10588/visualization-part-7/

Solar Animation
- You can see the sun on your model, from sunrise to sunset, in a movie,
which you can share with others.

Visualization - Part 6
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10584/visualization-part-6/

Solar Study - Creating a solar study lets you see the way the project will work
with the sun.

Visualization - Part 5
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10581/visualization-part-5/

Set Sun Position - You can add a sunlight to your model.

Visualization - Part 4
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10577/visualization-part-4/

Walkthrough Tool
- The Walkthough tool is great for walking into your model.

Visualization - Part 3
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10573/visualization-part-3/

Flyover Tool
- The Flyover tool is great for changing your view interactively.

Visualization - Part 2
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10570/visualization-part-2/

Renderworks Camera
- The Renderworks Camera is like the set 3D view command, but it’s more flexible and easier to edit.

Visualization - Part 1
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10567/visualization-part-1/

Set 3D View
- To see your model in perspecive, use the Set 3D view command.

Creating A Complete Model - Part 4
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10564/creating-a-complete-model-part-4/

Massing Model
- The Massing Model tool allows you to quickly create adjoining properties.

Creating A Complete Model - Part 3
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10561/creating-a-complete-model-part-3/

Using Unified View 2
- The unified  can be used to view the concept on the site, but you have to have all the layers the same scale.

Creating A Complete Model - Part 2
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10556/creating-a-complete-model-part-2/

Using Unified View
- The unified  can be used to view walls and roof together.

Creating A Complete Model - Part 1
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10551/creating-a-complete-model-part-1/

Creating a DLVP
- A Design layer can be used to link your spaces to the site model, this works well when your site has large elevations.

Site Modeling - Part 9
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10549/site-modeling-part-9-2/

Texture for Recessions Planes
- The recession planes are easier to see and use if you give them a translucent texture.

Site Modeling - Part 8
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10544/site-modeling-part-8-2/

Recessions Planes
- You can make a symbol for your recession planes, and use this to create a 3D representation.

Site Modeling - Part 7
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10540/site-modeling-part-7-2/

Pads and Boundaries (Grade Limits) - Pads and boundaries (grade
limits) are the main tools for site modifying. The pad creates the 3D site modifier and the boundary (grade
limit) tells Vectorworks how much of the site will be affected.

Site Modeling - Part 6
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10537/site-modeling-part-6-2/

Edit the Extent of the Site Model
- You can edit the site model to show just the parts you want.

Site Modeling - Part 5
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10532/site-modeling-part-5-2/

Edit the Site Model Data
- If the Site model data is not as close to the original data as you wanted, you can add additional points to correct the site model.

Site Modeling - Part 4
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10528/site-modeling-part-4-2/

Site Model From a Survey and 3D Points
- You can use a combination of tracing over the contours and placing spot levels.

Site Modeling - Part 3
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10525/site-modeling-part-3-2/

Creating a Site Plan From a Polygon
- If you can draw a polygon of the site, you can make it into a Property Line.

Site Modeling - Part 2
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10522/site-modeling-part-2-2/

Drawing Simple Site Plans
- The Property Line tool makes quick work of simple site plans. If the Sites do not have curves use this method.

Site Modeling - Part 1
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10520/site-modeling-part-1-2/

What is a Site Model? -
A site model is a way of looking at 3D data (spot levels or contours) in a way that allows you to see complex 3D models and 2D representations. VectorWorks uses the 3D information to create the models based on the data to help you understand the 2D and 3D nature of your site.

3D Modeling - Part 5
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10513/3d-modeling-part-5/

Editing The Concept to Match the Site Model - Using the Move by Points
tool to get the model to sit on the site.

3D Modeling - Part 4
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10509/3d-modeling-part-4/

Split Tool
-This is not just a 2D tool, you can use it for 3D modeling.

3D Modeling - Part 3
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10505/3d-modeling-part-3/

Push/Pull Tool
- This tool allows you to push and pull your shapes around.

3D Modeling - Part 2
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10502/3d-modeling-part-2/

Creating a Tapered Extrusion
- Another way to create simple shapes, where the shape changes from top to bottom.

3D Modeling - Part 1
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10500/3d-modeling-part-1/

Creating an Extrusion
- You can create simple shapes with this technique.

Creating Spaces (Rooms) - Part 4
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10494/creating-spaces-rooms-part-4/

Creating a Space Object Report
- A space object carries additional data, and this can be reported.

Creating Spaces (Rooms) - Part 3
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10490/creating-spaces-rooms-part-3/

Editing a Space Object
- After a space object is created, it is easy to edit it.

Creating Spaces (Rooms) - Part 2
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10475/creating-spaces-rooms-part-2/

Creating a Space Object from Polygons
- This is the easy way to create spaces, drawing polygons first, then creating spaces.

Creating Spaces (Rooms) - Part 1
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10483/creating-spaces-rooms-part-1/

Creating a Space Object
- A space object in Vectorworks is useful  for creating a quick 3D object like a room.

Document Set up - Part 7
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10478/document-set-up-part-7/

Save As Template
- A template is a great way to start a file. It can contain all your layers and classes you need, and it can save all your tool settings.

Document Set up - Part 6
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10473/document-set-up-part-6/

Setting Up Layers for the Building
- You can set up the layers at any time. But, you will find it easier to set up the layer heights as soon as you can. The layer settings affect the walls and roof.

Document Set up - Part 5
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10470/document-set-up-part-5/

Creating Custom Dimension Standards
- Custom dimension styles can be used instead of the standard dimensions. This allows you to create a dimension style that you like.

Document Set up - Part 4
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10466/document-set-up-part-4/

Setting Up Units For Primary And Secondary Units
- Vectorworks has two settings for dimensioning, primary units and secondary units.

Document Set up - Part 3
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10462/document-set-up-part-3/

Setting The Smart Cursor Settings For Faster Drawing
- There are several Smart Cursor settings. If you adjust them to suit your drawing style, you will find Vectorworks works very fast.

Document Set up - Part 2
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10459/document-set-up-part-2/

Setting Up The Page Size
- You will find drawing quicker with Vectorworks if you set up the page size. The page settings will depend on your computer and printer.

Document Set up - Part 1
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10457/document-set-up-part-1/

Creating A New File
- Creating a new file is easy, you can create a new blank file, or you can create a file from a template.

Workspace Editing - Part 4
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10454/workspace-editing-part-4/

Editing the Workspace - Changing Tools
- You can edit the tool, adding or deleting toolsets and making it easier to use Vectorworks.

Workspace Editing - Part 3
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10443/workspace-editing-part-3/

Editing the Workspace - Changing Menus
- You can edit the menus, adding or deleting menus and making it easier to use Vectorworks.

Workspace Editing - Part 2
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10447/workspace-editing-part-2/

Editing the Workspace - Creating a New Workspace
- It is not a good idea to edit an existing workspace, it is a good idea to copy an existing workspace for editing.

Workspace Editing - Part 1
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/12/10440/workspace-editing-part-1/

What is the Workspace
- The workspace is the arrangement of the tools and menus.

[Archoncad] Weekly Digest 7 (blogs and movies for Vectorworks)

This week, the following posts were added to the learn.archoncad.com web site.

Online Workshops For December Available for Bookings
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/11/9714/online-workshops-for-december-available-for-bookings/

The December online workshops will be looking at all the topics we covered this
year. What a year it has been for the subscriber site. The website changes have
been dramatic, the site is searchable, and many more movies have been added.

epodcast167 - Wall Framing Core of Wall
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/11/10423/epodcast167-wall-framing-core-of-wall/

In previous versions of Vectorworks, you were unable to tell Vectorworks where
in the wall you should put the wall framing.

Landmark_SIG_015 Special Interest Group November 2012
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/11/10414/landmark_sig_015-special-interest-group-november-2012/

In this session we looked at getting started with the project, based on
information that had been measured on-site. In the situation the information was
not imported from a survey, it was actually measured by the people in the office
when they visited the site. The methods of measuring were a theodolite and a
tape measure. This is enough information to give the heights in the setting out
from known points on the site.

Landmark_SIG_014 Special Interest Group November 2012
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/11/10396/landmark_sig_01-special-interest-group-november-2012/

In this meeting we continued our series on getting started with Vectorworks
Landmark. An important part of creating a landscape plan is creating plants. In
Vectorworks 2013, the plant preferences have been changed. There are now two
dialogue boxes that control plant settings. The new settings with the two
dialogue boxes allows for more flexible plant placement.

Guide to Productivity
http://learn.archoncad.com/2012/11/10398/guide-to-productivity/

Vectorworks is extremely powerful when you use it correctly. There are many,
many productivity techniques you can use to make Vectorworks faster. But it's
not just about customizing Vectorworks, there are many  basic techniques that
will make you faster. In this post there are over 180 links to movies. I believe
that these are the tools and techniques that you need to learn. If you learn
these tools and techniques you will find that it's not just more productive to
use Vectorworks, you will also find it's more fun.