AI Visualizer - FAQ

AI Visualizer

What is the AI Visualizer?

The AI Visualizer, powered by Stable Diffusion, can create illustrative or realistic images based on your models and drawings directly inside Vectorworks. It uses natural language prompts or a combination of prompts and a Vectorworks drawing or model view to determine the image content. It uses Vectorworks Cloud Services for a zero-install, uninterrupted workflow.

It is an experimental feature using an exciting and fast changing technology that has lots of potential within the design process. We expect additional features to be developed over time, such as predefined prompts and additional geometry recognition.

What AI Visualizer is not

AI Visualizer is not a rendering engine, such as Renderworks, in the sense that it does not calculate the 3-dimensional scene. Instead, it detects edges in the image supplied from within Vectorworks (whether this is from a 3D view, a viewport or simply a bitmap). As such, even with the Creativity slider set to 0, absolute replication of the intended image geometry is not guaranteed. For this reason, we encourage you to look at this first release of this technology as a tool for inspiration - whether it’s whole concept inspiration (giving you new ideas for projects/designs) or inspiration for different material use or illustrative styles.

When and why should I use the AI Visualizer?

• This feature provides fast image generation for design exploration.
• It offers an alternative method for creating and illustrating design ideas. It allows you to explore more visual options in less time.
• It is directly available in the Vectorworks desktop app interface (Model>AI Visualizer), but makes use of Vectorworks Cloud processing, so it is fast, independent of your computer hardware and allows for non-blocking workflows, meaning you can carry on working in Vectorworks any time images are being generated.

Is the AI Visualizer compatible with my version of Vectorworks?

The AI Visualizer was introduced in Vectorworks 2024 Update 4 and is now accessible to all customers with active Subscriptions and Vectorworks Service Select members across all products (Fundamentals, Architect, Landmark, Spotlight). This feature is currently not available in academic licenses.

What products does the AI Visualizer work with?

The AI Visualizer works with all Vectorworks products: Architect, Landmark, Spotlight, and Fundamentals.

What are the installation and system requirements when using AI Visualizer?

• The AI Visualizer comes automatically loaded upon installation of Vectorworks 2024 Update 4. It is accessed directly through your Vectorworks desktop interface (Model menu > AI Visualizer).
• The feature uses Vectorworks Cloud processing (available to all Subscription and Vectorworks Service Select members), placing no additional demands on your hardware. To activate it, you simply need to be signed in to your Vectorworks account.
• The VCS app must be updated to version 13.4.2736 or later. To update the VCS app, go to the About page and check for updates.
• To use the AI Visualizer, you must be signed into your VCS account and have the VCS desktop client running.

Are there any getting started tips?

• This feature relies on text prompts from the user, and certain text prompts work better than others. The online Help includes tips and tricks on creating successful text prompts.
• You don’t need a model or existing image to use the AI Visualizer. Images can be generated from text prompts alone.
• The AI Visualizer works best with text prompts in English, but it is possible to use other languages.
• As it can generate images from text prompts alone, it has the potential to be used to create images for use in custom image props, texture patterns, or 360 panoramic backgrounds.

Anything else I need to know?

This is an image generator only; it cannot generate modelled objects, make changes to a Vectorworks model, or change render settings.

Unlike other images and drawings that you create in Vectorworks, AI-generated images cannot be copyrighted.

Vectorworks collects user data associated with text prompts and images, archives the data for seven days, and then deletes it.

Future development

Our development team is already working on additional ideas for the development of this feature. Additional capabilities such as improved geometry recognition, predefined prompts, saved prompts, and depth processing are already developments we want to explore further.

For more ideas and suggestions, feel free to join our AI Visualizer forum discussions!