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Online Video Library
Select a video from our library to experience our various feature demos, product tours and video tech tips.
Vectorworks 2010 Feature Demos
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New Unified 2D/3D Environment
Building upon the Parasolid modeling foundation we laid in 2009, Vectorworks 2010 has a new unified view that makes it an ideal 3D modeling environment. When you're working in unified view, it allows you to select and modify objects on any layer.
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Improved 3D Snapping
Now more than ever, Vectorworks users are investigating the potential of 3D. As a result, you'll notice improvements in the overall usability and reliability of 3D snapping. With the 3D cursor and new working plane graphics, you can reliably acquire your snaps, so it's easier to select, modify, and align your objects in 3D.
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New Dimensional Constraint Manager (DCM)
Make life easier with more reliable parametric constraints. The new and robust Dimensional Constraint Manager provides bi-directional associativity, so you can interactively make edits to either objects or their constraints and have the changes automatically reflected.
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Interactive Dimension Editing
Great new feature alert: now you can directly edit object geometry by changing its dimension value! Just edit the dimension value and when you press Enter, both the dimension and the associated object automatically update.
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Improved Wall Networks
The Dimensional Constraint Manager allows associated relationships and constraints between walls. This means more robust and reliable wall networks and connections that work exactly the way you want.
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Improved Drawing Coordination
Vectorworks Design Series users will enjoy the automatic coordination of sheet numbers and drawing numbers among sheet borders, drawing labels, and section markers.
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New Stair Tool
Introducing a fantastic new stair object with improved performance and reliability in both 2D and 3D views! The new stair options let you tailor the settings to your specific needs, and then transfer the parameters from one stair to another with a single click.
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Enhanced Wall Joining
Complex wall joins are now made routine. Specify the "core" wall component, and watch as the wall components match correctly to their counterparts in the joining wall. And wall caps now can display using component line attributes.
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New Notes Manager Capabilities
We've made drawing notation callouts and keynotes easier. You'll see:
- new bubble and leader styles for the Callout tool, giving you more control, while adhering to office graphic standards;
- keynote display counters can be numeric or alphabetical and are reflected in the keynote legend;
- the ability to link a keynote to any legend in the file;
- easy updating of keynote legends;
- multiple columns for keynote legend text;
- the ability to display and sort the keynotes notes by key tags; and
- automated sorting of keynotes in the Notes Manager.
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Improved 2D Reshape Tool
Here's a new trick: when you use the 2D Reshape tool to make a marquee selection and hold the Shift key down, you can select object vertices even when they are over another object.
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Connect/Combine Tool Support for Multiple Objects
We introduced a new mode that lets you extend multiple objects to a single boundary object in just one click. Voilà!
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Chamfer by Length Option
Now you can precisely define the length of the chamfer line.
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Easy Mapping of Associative Hatches
Now you'll have greater control over modifying an object's associative hatch fill—you can more easily identify the origin, and precisely set the hatch origin, rotation, and scale.
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New Select Similar Tool
Super time-saver alert! The new Select Similar tool enables you to select the objects you need with just one click, regardless of class or layer. You can select all similar objects based on any combination of 27 criteria, define saved settings, and save, load, or delete your selection settings – easier done than said.
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New Event Planning Suite
Introducing a new event planning suite! This complete set of automated tools and menu commands makes it a breeze to create rooms for events ranging from banquets and corporate presentations to large-scale shows and exhibits—and everything in between. Now you can easily create the room, stage, steps, lectern, video screens, and seating. Plus, you can create standard views to show your client, and generate reports for the total number of tables and chairs in the room. We’ve made event planning a lot less painful.
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New Video Screen Objects
Use these first-class tools to add and visualize television screens, video projectors, video screens, and edge-blended projection screens. Each produces intelligent objects that can display images in rendered views (Renderworks required), indicate the optimum viewing area, and display custom values and stand configurations. Adding video screen and projector elements to your design just got a whole lot easier.
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New and Improved Parking Tools
Try the new parking tools that make it easy to create intelligent and reportable parking spaces. The Parking Along Path tool creates parking spaces along curved paths. The Parking Area tool fills an area with parking spaces and adjusts the spaces for tree islands and handicap spaces.
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New Hardscape Capabilities
Now it's even easier to create custom patios, walkways, driveways, and other landscape elements with the improved Hardscape tool. We've made improvements in the tag, in turning off border segments, in 3D texturing of hardscape borders, in placing openings with borders, and in the way that hardscapes modify the site model.
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Improved Landscape Area Object
Two for the price of one. Now you can create a concave cloud edged landscape area, and get an improved 3D visualization of the land area you've created.
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Adobe AIR for Online Help
Our totally redesigned help system now uses Adobe AIR; this eliminates browser issues and includes nifty Web 2.0 features. You'll enjoy superior search capability, adding web and RSS feed links, and including custom notes to the help topics that will benefit every Vectorworks user in your office.
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New Blur Reflectivity Shaders
You can now add a blur factor to the simple glass and mirror reflectivity shaders. With these shaders, reflections will look so realistic, you might have to touch them to see if they're real.
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Improved Texture Mapping Controls
You'll enjoy the improved 2D and 3D texture mapping. We've merged intuitive mapping controls into a single tool. Nice and simple.
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In-Place Reference Editing
Here's a big time-saver: now you can modify referenced resources in place and in context with the right-click edit option, and even save the changes directly to the referenced file. Use this option for referenced gradients, hatch definitions, record definitions, render backgrounds, symbol definitions, textures, and, for Design Series users, sketch styles and wall styles. This feature will also allow you to modify referenced symbols in context.
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Improved Viewport Crop Editing
When creating or editing viewport crops, the cropped area that was previously invisible is now visible in either wireframe or light grey. This allows you to snap to objects outside the crop while reshaping or moving the crop object.
Vectorworks 2010 Tips & Tricks
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Top 10 Tricks in Vectorworks 2010 Architect
Looking for ways to design smarter and save time while working in Vectorworks Architect 2010? Wes Gardner and Luis Ruiz, architecture industry experts with Nemetschek N.A., have put together this hour-long webinar to reveal the top 10 tricks in Vectorworks 2010 Architect.
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Top 10 Tricks in Vectorworks 2010 Fundamentals
Are you ready to increase productivity and perfect workflows while designing in Vectorworks Fundamentals 2010? Donald Ward, training expert with Nemetschek N.A., discusses his favorite tricks in Vectorworks 2010 Fundamentals in this hour-long webinar.
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Top 10 Tricks in Vectorworks 2010 Spotlight
Frank Brault, national training director with Nemetschek N.A. and theatrical lighting professor at Towson University, has put together this hour-long webinar to uncover the top 10 tricks in Vectorworks 2010 Spotlight. You’ll learn how to increase workflow productivity and incorporate best practices, while designing theatrical lighting.
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Top 10 Tricks in Vectorworks 2010 Landmark
You’ve made the switch from hand drawing your landscape designs to leveraging a CAD solution. Now you’re ready to learn useful hints to help you work smarter in Vectorworks Landmark 2010. Eric Gilbey, landscape architecture industry expert with Nemetschek N.A., reveals his favorite design tricks and shortcuts in this hour-long webinar.
Vectorworks Video Case Studies
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Seven Shades of Green with Vectorworks Architect
Designer François Lévy demonstrates seven easy strategies for green design within Vectorworks Architect.
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Integrating CAD & Green Design
Nathan Kipnis, AIA, of Nathan Kipnis Architects, Inc., demonstrates their methodologies for how to realize the environmental and economic benefits of going green with Vectorworks Architect.
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Sustainable Design Tools
This twenty minute video describes how Vectorworks can be integrated into your “green” designs. From locating your building on a site and creating a DTM (digital terrain model) several studies such as analyzing slopes, cut & fill calculations and water run-off can easily be achieved. We then describe how to optimize the size and placement of glazing within the building model as well as creating ventilation scenarios using the stack effect. And finally, a look at using solar animations to make decisions regarding roof overhangs completes the film.
Vectorworks 2009 Feature Demos
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Vectorworks 2009 Product Demonstration
This demonstration will highlight some of the features found in Vectorworks 2009, focusing on the areas of usability, productivity, workflow, 3D, and rendering.
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3D Modeling Improvements
We’ve incorporated Parasolid functionality into several 3D Power Pack tools and commands, including: Create Fillet Surface command, Stitch and Trim Surfaces command, Project tool, Loft Surfaces tool, Protrusion/Cutout tool, and Fillet Edge tool.
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Protrusion/Cutout Tool Enhancement
Try your hand at the improved protrusion cutout tool. It's more flexible with improved modes that allow for easy manipulation of solid models.
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3D Wall Improvements
Walls take advantage of Parasolid technology for improved precision, reliability, and speed. Now, symbols inserted into walls can cut holes of any shape in 3D walls.
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Variable Radius Fillet across Tangentially Connected Edges
You can now create a variable radius fillet along tangentially connected edges.
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Improved Snapping
Keep it snappy. With a first-class snapping system that provides feedback from your cursor, you can draft and model with more precision and greater accuracy. New preferences allow the appearance of snapping elements to be customized.
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PDF Snapping
You can snap to imported PDF files and use them more effectively as a basis for your designs.
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Pre-Selection Indication
Highlight the objects you may wish to select before you ever click the mouse. You’ll know which objects will interact with your selected tool. Highlighting appearance can also be customized.
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Design Layer Viewports: Eyedropper Support for Viewport Attributes
In complex designs, we provide the ability to transfer attributes between design layer viewports.
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Duplicate Array Command for Objects in Walls
Now you can insert symbols into straight and round walls with the Duplicate Array command.
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Improved Offset Insertion Mode for 2D Symbol Insertion
A new 2D Symbol Insertion mode allows you to specify an exact point on a symbol when offsetting it, and supports angular and linear offsets for objects inserted in round walls.
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New Landscape Area Tool
There’s no need to draw generic plant groupings or calculate landscape areas. Now, you can specify mixed planting areas that are calculated with specific plants included in your plant lists, gaining you valuable time. Conceptualization and analysis is made easier by subdividing sites for proposed uses—from small residential to large, mixed-use master plans. And, the ability to assign cost to areas will make project budgeting even faster.
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Polyline Arc Improvements
Two new modes in the Polyline tool enable you to create precise arc segments for greater control and flexibility when drawing free-form shapes like planting beds and layout plans.
Vectorworks 2009 Product Overviews
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Architect Commercial Building Overview
Take a test drive of Architect using a recent project created by Vectorworks user Shook Kelly.
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Architect Residential Building Overview
Using a small residential design, see how Architect can handle your projects from start to finish.
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Landmark Overview
See how Vectorworks Landmark allows landscape design professionals to work efficiently throughout the project development process.
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Spotlight Overview
See how Vectorworks Spotlight is tuned to meet the needs of the lighting design professionals.
Vectorworks 2008 Feature Demos
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Standalone Plant Database
An improved plant database complements the improvements to the Place Plant tool in Vectorworks Landmark. The plant database is now a stand-alone, full-featured database. It's much easier to import new plant data from external sources or existing plant databases, and perform sophisticated plant searches. In addition, plant records can include both botanical data and a pictorial representation. Without leaving the database, you can quickly navigate to sites such as Google™ Images, Wikipedia, or university or government sources, such as the USDA plants database. Now, it's easy to create custom plant lists or catalogs that are linked directly to the Place Plant tool.
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Viewport Layer Overrides
Draw your design once and present it in many different ways with class overrides, and now layer overrides in viewports. Overrides allow you to assign attributes to different viewports without affecting the look of other viewports in a drawing set. Overrides are great for presenting clients different design options, as well as for allowing you to easily create different drawings from your plans.
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Improved 2D Reshape Tool
You can now reshape 2D objects by deleting multiple vertex points at one time-a huge time saver when simplifying polylines. And, you can reshape, move, and delete holes from polylines. This works on all 2D polylines and 3D objects that are based on 2D polylines such as extrudes, hardscapes, floor, and roof faces.
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New View Bar
The new View bar simplifies the interface and improves usability by centralizing Vectorworks' many organization and viewing controls in one convenient location.
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Heads-up-display
The new heads-up data display puts the action where the cursor is, allowing you to quickly create and edit objects to exact dimensions. Need a 22" line at 43 degrees? Simply click to start the line. Next, type 22" to set the length. Then, tab over and enter 43 to define the angle. Finally, press Enter or click to end. Drawing in Vectorworks has never been this fast.
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Design Layer Viewports
You asked for it, and now you've got it! With Vectorworks Architect 2008, you'll be able to create viewports on design layers. Compared to traditional layer links, design layer viewports provide an easier and more robust way to handle linked and referenced views. Vectorworks design layer viewports:
- Are able to represent more than one layer,
- Allow layer and class visibility control,
- Support layer and class overrides, and
- Are croppable.
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Two Way Worksheets
Two-way editing between worksheet and objects in a drawing is now possible in the Vectorworks Architect 2008. Now, when you change an object's data in a worksheet, it will automatically reconfigure the object in the drawing, even for multiple objects.
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Global Object Editing by Criteria
With the new Custom Modification command, you can simultaneously edit the properties and graphical attributes of multiple objects, regardless of which layer or class they are in, their scale, or their selection or visibility status-it even works for objects in walls.
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Rotatable 2D Views
A long-requested feature, the new Rotate Plan command allows you to rotate the page to make it easy to work on parts of a design that lie at odd angles, while still drawing orthogonally.
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New Scale Object by Distance Option
A new option in the Scale Object dialog box allows users to easily scale objects by defining a real-world distance.
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Improved Navigation between Crop and Annotation Modes
This enhancement will make working with viewports easier and faster. Now our view is maintained. So, if zoomed in tight, you'll remain zoomed in as you navigate between the Annotation and Edit Crop modes.
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Improved Plant Tool
Plants in Vectorworks 2008 now behave like other symbols in Vectorworks. You can easily import them from other drawings, as well as export them to your firm's plant symbol library. And, new right-click editing makes it easy to edit the 2D look, 3D look, and plant data.
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Support for Worksheets in DXF/DWG Export
In Vectorworks Architect 2008, embedded worksheets can be exported along with the drawing. Worksheets images are exported as blocks of lines and text so they can be edited after export.
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Improved Navigation between Design Layers and Viewports
To navigate seamlessly between viewports and design layers, a new option in the Create Viewport dialog box allows you to maintain your view when navigating from a viewport to a design layer. And, once on the design layer, a new on-screen button makes it easy to navigate back to the viewport from a design layer edit.
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New Move/Duplicate/Distribute by Points Tool
With Vectorworks 2008, you can quickly move an object by clicking any two points on screen. New modes allow you to move by points, duplicate by points, or distribute objects evenly between two points.
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Automatic Object Centering when Editing
For easier object editing, Vectorworks 2008 automatically centers objects in the middle of the screen when in an edit mode or when switching views.
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Draw and Edit Walls in 3D
Now you can draw and edit walls in 3D just as easily as you can in 2D. New 3D wall technology allows you to quickly create, move, join, and reshape walls in any 3D view. And improvements to the 3D Symbol Insertion tool make it possible to insert symbols into a wall while in a 3D view.
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Unlimited Color Choices
The completely redesigned colour palette menu manages and organizes unlimited colour choices. In addition to the standard operating system colour pickers, you can create custom colour palettes or select from colour palettes included with Vectorworks.
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New Polygonal Selection Mode
New polygonal selection and reshape modes aka, Fence Selection for you AutoCAD switchers, makes complex selections easier. These options give you more flexibility than the marquee selection mode and are faster than freehand selection mode.
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Improved Library Management
A new Export Resource command allows you to quickly move resources from the active document into another file without having to open the file-another huge time saver.
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Support for 3Dconnexion SpaceNavigator
The SpaceNavigator is a new 3D mouse that provides a powerful way to navigate around your model. With it, you can simultaneously pan, zoom, fly around, and walk through your models. Vary the amount of pressure on the SpaceNavigator to speed up or slow down.
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Support for Associative Dimensions in Viewport
This improvement to Vectorworks 2008 saves time and reduces drawing errors. Now dimensions in viewports can automatically update as design layer objects change.
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Support for Geo-Referenced Image Files
Vectorworks Designer can now import geo-referenced image files, giving you a great new presentation capability. Easily overlay GIS images (bitmap maps, aerial photographs, etc.) with GIS .shp (Shape) data to create compelling and informative presentations. Because the images and .shp data are geo-referenced, the imported images and .shp data come in perfectly aligned.
12 Product Tours
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Residential Product Tour
This overview demonstrates how to create plans, perspectives, and elevation views using the features of ARCHITECT.
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Commercial Product Tour
This overview demonstrates how to create floor plans and a 3D model of a small commercial building using the powerful but easy-to-use capabilities of ARCHITECT.
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Landscape Design Product Tour
This overview will show you how to create a residential landscape design using the powerful, easy-to-use tools of LANDMARK.
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Site Modeling Product Tour
This overview demonstrates how to create a site model, complete with a referenced building and both soft and hardscape elements, all within LANDMARK.
Vectorworks 12 Feature Demos
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New Arc Tool Mode
A new mode for the Arc Tool, Arc by 2 Points and Point on Arc, makes it even easier to create arcs.
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Circle by 3 points
A demonstration of a new method for creating a circle from any three reference lines.
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Offset Tool Improvements
New modes allow for speedier and more advanced options for using the offset tool.
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Grey Layer Improvements
An overview of improvements made to the interaction of objects in greyed layers.
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2D Tool Improvements
A brief overview of new drawing functions for popular 2d tools such as arc, circle, split, and add & clip surface.
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Live Sections
Now you can easily create section views that update automatically as your model changes. You no longer have to redraw or recreate section drawings manually.
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New Worksheet Formatting Options
New options allow you to get the worksheet formatting you need without having to export data to Excel. With these improvements, you’ll save time and eliminate extra steps in your workflow.
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Quicker Access to Tools and Easier to Understand Menus
Simplified Vectorworks tool palettes and menu commands help you work more efficiently. New options make customizing the Vectorworks interface much easier.
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User Interface
A dramatically simplified Vectorworks interface helps you quickly find what you need. The result is a much cleaner interface that is easier for new users to learn and allows existing users to work more efficiently.
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New Forced Object Selection and Layer/Class Activation Commands
With the new Force Select command, if you can see it, you can select it, even if the object belongs to a grayed layer or class, or resides on a differently scaled layer. The new Activate Layer and Activate Class context menu commands let you jump to the layer or activate the class of any visible object.
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New Shapefile/SHP Import/Export Command
Now you can import and export GIS maps and data. With support for Shapefiles or SHP files, you can import geo-referenced maps and map data to your drawings.
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Window & Door Improvements
Improvements made to the window and door objects are substantial. Not only will you be able to create windows and doors that you simply just couldn't create in prior versions, but you can also do so with greater ease.
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New Custom Stair Object
The groundbreaking new architectural custom stair object supports an unlimited number of configurations to create even the most complex staircase.
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Dynamic 3D Roof Reshaping
With the 3D Reshape tool, you’ll now be able to completely reshape a roof in a 3D view. You can easily reshape the eaves, slopes, and roof edge, using the different reshape handles.
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Class Overrides for Viewports
New viewport class overrides allow you to change the class attributes of a viewport without affecting the look of other viewports or design layer drawings. So your viewports can have completely different looks.
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New Detailing Objects
Thanks to two new high-level detailing objects, you can quickly produce construction documents spend less time and energy drawing details.
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Improved Drawing Borders
We streamlined the Vectorworks interface by combining all products' drawing borders into one universal Drawing Border object; you can also create a custom title block. The new Drawing Border is much easier to customize and makes adding and managing title block data a snap.
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Improved Plant Object
To help you work more efficiently with plants, we made several improvements to the workflow and performance of the Place Plant tool.
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Improved Digital Terrain Modeling
The Digital Terrain Modeler (DTM) is now a plug-in object thus simplifying the DTM concepts and eliminating the layer and class dependencies and controls of the existing DTM.
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New Create Drape Surface Command
You'll be able to create NURBS surfaces that drape over objects with the new Create Drape Surface command. The results are similar to dropping a piece of cloth over a 3D model.
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New Text Along Path Command
With the new Text Along Path command, you’ll be able to create 3D text objects that follow the path of a curve.
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Radiosity
You can create more photorealistic renderings with the indirect and soft lighting effects radiosity provides at a fraction of the cost of other visualization packages.
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Volumetric Lighting
New improvements make it easier to aim lights, as well as create lighting effects such as lights in foggy weather, displaying shafts and scattering of light.
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Area Line Lights
Area and linear lights add another level of realism to your rendered scenes. Area and linear lights allow you to transform objects into light sources. They're great for reproducing soft, glowing lighting effects such as neon–tube lighting, fluorescent light boxes, lit windows, or skylights.
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New Renderworks Camera Object
The new Renderworks Camera object allows you to set a 3D view based on specified camera attributes, such as camera lens/focal length, field of view, clipping scale, camera tilt angles, etc., as well as have multiple camera objects in a document.
Location Planning
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Introductory Drawing Methods
Using basic drawing tools within Vectorworks, you'll learn how to take advantage of the 2D/3D hybrid design environment to create a sign.
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Collaborating between Adobe® Illustrator and Vectorworks
Using the import and export functions within Vectorworks, you'll learn how to collaborate with your colleagues in your design efforts.
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Creating a Sign Diagram
This short movie will give you a preview of the specific 3D technology in Vectorworks used to create a sign diagram.
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Importing a Base Plan using DWG
Learn how to set up your drawing space, as well as the recommended steps for importing a DWG file into the drawing space.
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Create a Sign Location Plan Using Sign Symbols
Using integrated sign symbols within Vectorworks Location Planning module, you'll learn how to create a sign location plan.
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Tagging Signs
You'll learn how to easily tag the signs in your location plan using the sign tool.
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Create a Sign Schedule
You'll learn how to use the integrated worksheets and schedules in Vectorworks to seamlessly create a sign schedule.
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Exporting your Sign Location Plan
You'll learn how to export your location plans to other applications using several of the export options within Vectorworks, including PDF and EPS file formats.