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The Complete Works

Editorial Type: Case Study     Date: 11-2013    Views: 7801   






To really get to grips with the latest version of Vectorworks, David Chadwick decided to embark on a personal project from scratch - an ongoing commitment

I was chatting to one of the delegates at the recent Vectorworks conference in London, and he told me that in spite of having access to both Bentley software and Autodesk Revit, his preferred architectural package - the one he did most of his work in - was Vectorworks. Having used it in the past as well, and with an older version still on my system, I decided to refamiliarise myself with the software by downloading the latest version, Vectorworks 2014.

The problem with reviewing architectural software is that once downloaded, the packages will typically only be used by the reviewer for no more than a couple of weeks to confirm that the new features they mention do actually exist and function properly - and then it's on to the next solution.

Each time a new application is opened the usual reorientation has to take place. I currently have installed Autodesk Revit, ArchiCAD, Tekla Student Learning Edition, SketchUp, an older version of Vectorworks, and the usual raft of basic CAD and graphics packages, plus a couple of PDF applications - and that doesn't include ships that have passed in the night and were deleted once I'd played around with them for a bit! I am eternally grateful, therefore, for software developers who accompany their new releases with a series of videos and YouTube clips that show how they work.

As my chosen Vectorworks project was an entirely personal one - the creation of a 3D model of my house with its somewhat irregular shape, and the chunk of hillside that I had recently, and manually, carved a trench through - the availability of Vectorworks and its complete set of tools, from terrain plotting and development through to model building and final rendering, was very apt. I had physical data with which to test each new element of the software.

Are you going to see the results of my endeavours? Not just yet I'm afraid as it's an ongoing project, but it is testimony to the usability of the software that I could even conceive of embarking on such a project as a non-practising architect. I was very quickly able to reacquaint myself with the general operation of Vectorworks, and to work my way through the old plans of this listed building to lay out the ground, grade the site and position it correctly on the plot. Now I am figuring how to bend walls in the middle of their run, create vaulted bedrooms and add velux windows and other features to the roof - and the new version appears to have tools that might just help with some of these.

VECTORWORKS 2014
Foremost amongst the software's enhancements is visual interaction with building models. With the latest Renderworks application and OpenGL graphics you really expect models to work in real-time, with interactive light aiming and proper shadows in navigation, without degrading performance and speed. This extends to walkthroughs, where you can even set the height of the viewer. Here navigation tools have been simplified and streamlined, including the ability to easily switch between 3D and rotated Top/Plan views. As for realism, displacement mapping in the latest Renderworks version can be used to provide realistic renderings of grass, carpets, water, bricks and stone.

If detail rather than realism is what you need, users can create model viewpoints from either design or sheet layers directly from the interactive Clip Cube, and edit them once createdl. Alternatively, flattened views of a section viewport from a design layer can provide a snappable background for creating section drawings or details.

FEATURE ENHANCEMENTS.
Quite a few new features have been added to the modelling function, including a fascinating new tool for twisting solids, solid faces and NURBs to specified angles - handy for wall sections in an old house that has evolved with time. Another tool allows users to taper the faces of 3D objects with single steps. I have a pretty unusual roof configuration with gables and velux windows dotted about, and I expect to use the new Clip Surface command with its Clip tool to add holes directly to the roof face and other roof objects, which will enable me to add the velux windows and customise my gable configurations.

Windows come in a variety of shapes and sizes in Vectorworks 2014, available with parametric controls accessible directly from window settings. Users now have control over top panels and vision panels for doors - a useful feature if you need to create customised doors or replicate commercial-grade door configurations. Stairs have not been neglected either, as wider stairs can be configured with a third stringer. Each of these may appear to be minor enhancements - but they will be widely welcomed by many architects.



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