Linicks

I tried the extrude along path method, but would like a better solution. I will try the Duplicate Along Path method when I get a chance. It seems like the foundation components should have been added to the wall object a long time ago. It's all pretty standard, and all of my projects will have some kind of foundation. Hopefully, this will added this soon.

Well intentioned, but not a good idea. Over reinforced concrete is subject to sudden catastrophic failure. I'm sure that over reinforcement is possible, but I have never seen it in the construction projects that I've been associated with. It does get old tying all that re-bar together though . For residential construction in my area, minimum code says that you only need two (one on top, one on the bottom) horizontal rows of #4 re-bar within 12" of the top and bottom of an 8" x 8' wall, and vertical #4's every four feet. In a typical 8" x 16" footing two parallel rows of #4 re-bar is required. I typically double this by placing the re-bar in a 24" grid pattern. Still very minimal when you consider how much re-bar can be added before seeing negative effects. I also use 3500 or greater psi concrete instead of the minimum 3000. I have seen failures when foundations are built to the minimums, and haven't had any failures in the foundations built using the method that I prefer.

Well, in my case I want/need to model construction details like rebar placement because I'm the "Bloke" on site actually doing the work. Yes, I know it's hard to believe that there are people out there that actually build what they design. By the way, in my region, all a builder has to do is meet the minimum building codes. Unfortunately, these requirements are very minimal, so I typically add much more rebar than is required for residential construction. I go the extra mile here because there is no more important component of a structure than it's foundation. If you are in a position where you are concerned about the integrity of the concrete and its reinforcement, you probably aught to have a structural engineer review it anyway. Of course thats only after you have you have done your soils tests. I can also say from experience that concrete contractors hate getting foundation plans that are minimalistic. It wastes there time and energy trying to deal vague plans which costs them money. Additionally, they don't want Porches, give them a new diesel pickup and they'll be happy In summary, modeling these details allows me to achieve the following goals: - Analysis: I can accurately estimate the quantity of materials needed for the job, and resolve design issues before getting to the field. It costs allot more to do this in the field. - Communication: If I need to hand the project over to an employee or sub-contractor, I can hand them a detailed drawing of the rebar grid, etc. This makes it easier for them to get it right the first time, and saves allot of time, money, and frustration. The bottom line is that different people have different needs, and I'm trying to utilize tools like VW to achieve mine.

All, I have drawn my foundation and footings on separate layers customizing the footing as a short and wide wall. Is this the best practice in VW2010? Additionally, I would like to add rebar to the stem walls and footings. I'm not sure how to model a solid round steel rod that I can insert into the footings and walls. Any help would be appreciated. Ultimately, I would like to be able to take a cross section for foundation for construction details, and quantify the volume of concrete and rebar for estimating purposes. Thanks!

I'm +1 on all of these as well, but agree that the rendering option should be a preference setting.

After using VW2010 for a couple of days I'm really starting to appreciate the new features, especially the unified view. In addition to the unified view, all the other little tweaks, bug fixes, and new features really make VW2010 much nicer to use than VW09. However, I have had it crash a couple of times during some renders, and other odd issues like tool pallets not opening after I launch the app. I'm sure the service packs will take care of these issues . Hopefully, they will keep rolling in enhancements along the way as well. BTW, I have crash/use logging turned on, and will submit as many bugs as time allows. In response to an earlier poster, I think the main point in the "OP", is that big gains in usability, customer satisfaction, and over all quality can be gained by fixing all of the little things that don't require allot of work, and in many cases skill to resolve. In general, Vectorworks does allot of things very well, but there are many ways in which it can improve. Giving good feedback is one of the best favors a user can do. I know I value, and encourage feedback from my customers. In essence when people post feedback, submit bugs, and turn on the logging feature, they are working for Nemetchek for free. That's one heck of a value added feature for Nemetchek IMHO. Additionally, I would like to say that I didn't buy Vectorworks because it was the cheapest tool out there, in fact it was/is more expensive than the alternatives that I reviewed including Autocad + Revit (based on annual maintenance projections and initial investment). I did buy it because it's cross platform, and is versatile in a number of design disciplines like mechanical design, Architecture, etc. I would like to add, that it's my belief that quality is about the philosophy of the people involved, and not just money. Many non professional athletes work tirelessly to win a gold medal in the olympics, or state championships without making a penny.

Thanks for addressing these issues! It's nice to see prompt and professional support/service. I also noticed that the duplicate "Wall Join" link has been removed on the web site, well done (+1).

I know that there are issues with running VW09 on Snow Leopard. They are going to release a service pack for it in November, or you can use VW2010 which runs on Snow Leopard now.

All, I have drawn a wall using the "Glass Wall" tool, but haven't been able to insert a door with the door tool. How do you insert a door in a curtain wall using VW2010? Many Thanks! -Nick

Just upgraded from VW2009, and can say that VW2010 is definitely an improvement over 09. That being said, I can sympathize with other posters on the board that are frustrated with Vectorworks releases that fall just short of their expectations in functionality and quality. In general, I've been happy with my significant investment of both time and money in Vectorworks, but wish they would kick it up a notch. VW2009 was clearly a transitional piece of software with allot of quirks, and 2010 essentially tries to eliminate many of them and smooth others out. 2010 is probably what 2009 should have been, but as we all know, businesses like Nemetchek have allot of overhead that forces them to push out products ready or not. Unfortunately, they seem to miss allot of low hanging fruit that would make things better for everyone. For example, after receiving my 2010 upgrade I thought I would go through the getting started guide to refresh my skills, and get up to speed on some of the new features. Unfortunately, the guide, with the exception of the spotlight tutorial was a disappointment. After moving on from the printed guide, I thought it would be a good idea to work through the full Architect getting started guide. To my disappointment, after starting the tutorial, I found that they hadn't included the needed files for the tutorial on the Getting started DVD that was shipped with my software, nor was the URL to the down-loadable files accurate. It's hard to believe that such a large company ,with one product, can ship without getting these simple details right. Clearly this is a small example, but you can find them all over the place. Just like the duplicate entries for the ?Enhanced Wall Joining? feature found on the 2010 features page (http://www.nemetschek.net/library/index.php). Hopefully they will clean this up soon, as it makes it look like the're searching for good things to say about their product. I would say 2010 is worth the upgrade, but be prepared to deal with the quirks. Hopefully, they will get all the stars to align for 2011.

All the functionality that comes with Designer is one of the main reasons why I went with Vectorworks. I do a variety of projects, and will enjoy having all the tools to help me get my work done. I designed a custom table to test the traditional CAD/Modeling functionality during my evaluation and was impressed that I could do BIM and CAD all in the same tool. I'm loving the new 17" MacBook Pro! I was wondering if anyone would pickup on the "LED" part of my signature --Nick Pavlica

All, I just wanted to give a quick update on my evaluation(More to come). After a rough start with the Vectorworks sales team, we have worked through many of the customer service issues that I was having. For a variety of reasons I decided to purchase VW2009 Designer + RW. While the other tools that I mentioned earlier are currently better than VW in various areas, VW Designer is the most versatile and comprehensive of the tools in my evaluation. Thanks for your feedback, advice, and help! --Nick Pavlica

Hi Vincent, I'm new to Vectorworks, but I've been in the technology industry for many years. I write software, have built motherboards from scratch, assembled thousands of PC's, and the list goes on and on. With so many years and technology related experiences, I feel as qualified as anyone to address this question for you. I know you are asking this question because there is allot of money involved and you want good advice. When asking this type of question it's easy to get caught up in metrics like hardware specs, money, etc. But I can say with confidence that you can get good results from the newest versions of either product. I use Windows, OSX, Linux, FreeBSD, and others extensively, and the lines between them are really starting to blur. Each have their strengths and weaknesses of course, but in the end you can get good results out of all of them. Unfortunately, there isn't a version of VW for Linux With that said, I typically recommend Apple/"Mac" computers for a number of reasons: 1. One of the main benefits of the Mac is that it's an integrated and complete system. What I mean by this, is that one company focuses on a smaller number of models, and really focus on making them as polished as possible. This is allot easier when you control the hardware and the software/OS that the computer is built upon. In the "PC" world you have so many vendors and possible variations that you may or may not be getting a good value, and you rarely get a very polished system unless you spend allot of time researching very component in the system, and the results that others have gotten from them. When I was a PC builder, the company I worked for spent hundreds of hours trying to get a component stack that performed well and was reliable. This is not an easy task, and is why so many people get such varied results from their computers. Once again, Apple helps reduce this by having a streamlined product lineup. 2. Computer maintenance is another area where Mac/OSX has an advantage over windows based PC's. All computers require maintenance, but Windows based computers require the most at least up to Vista. This is something that I deal with on a regular basis because I consult/support many users of windows based PC's. Most of there problems could be avoided if they actually did the maintenance that they are supposed to do. However, I make good money fixing and maintaining there windows based systems, so I can't complain to much 3. Apple is typically more of an innovator rather than following the crowd. They are way ahead of other companies in battery design, chassis, and display technologies. This isn't to say they have the best of everything, but they have incorporated things like LED based displays through out there product line faster than any other company. There are other reasons why I recommend Mac's as well, but the above reasons should give you some good food for thought. There are also times when I recommend Windows and Linux based PC's, especially when budgets are tight, or when the computer really needs the underlying technologies to achieve a specific task. If you aren't familiar with using Macs/OSX, it's important to give yourself a little time to adjust. It's not that OSX is hard, quite the contrary, it's just different enough that you will need to time to find things that your used to looking for in other places. For example, rather than using "Windows Explorer" to view and manage files you will use the Finder to explore the "Macintosh HD". I have used Vectorworks on both Windows Vista, and OSX, and they seem to be about the same on both. I hope this helps! --Nick Pavlica

Hi Mark, Thanks for addressing this issue. I will contact you as soon as I can. However, my schedule at the moment is pretty full so I can't commit to a specific time. I look forward visiting with you, and an opportunity for better sales support. Thanks! --Nick Pavlica

All, It's nice to here that others here have had better sales and support experiences than I've had. My situation sounds like it's unique/rare, which is a very good thing for Nemetchek, and it's customers. Working with a different sales representative sounds like the best solution to the issues that I've been having. As such, I've decided that I will not purchase Vectorworks from that sales representative, and would appreciate the name(s), and extension(s) of your recommended sales representative as long as their extension isn't 639. To clarify my position, I have always indicated that I'm a serious customer from my very first contact with the company. I wouldn't have contacted the company three times, filled out their web forms, and waited for the twelve hour download of the demo to complete if I wasn't. That's not to mention the ten+ hours I've spent with the software trying to determine if it's the right tool for me. Additionally, even if my purchasing position wasn't clear to the sales person, I should be treated as though I was a potential customer. To further illustrate my point, I still haven't received an email with the representatives contact information, no indication that an information kit has been sent(one that the rep. said would overnight to me.), nothing. That fact in itself should speak volumes. Thanks! --Nick Palvica

All, Thank you very much for your input! Making a commitment to a particular piece of technology is difficult because of all the inherent implications of the decision. Not only do you have to factor in your financial costs, but your time in training, and ultimately the results that you can achieve for all the time, money, and effort that was invested. The more I learn to use Vectorworks the more I like it, and it's still at the top of my list next to ChiefArchitect X-2. One particular attribute of Vectorworks that I like, is the feeling that I can design anything with it. I have herd fantastic things about ArchiCad and Revit, but there high cost of ownership (financial/learning curve/"nickle and dime additions"/ ...) is a little higher than I can justify at the moment. They do have some attractive short term licensing options that are much cheaper than Vectorworks and CheifArchitect, but the sporadic nature of my projects makes that model less attractive at the moment (Still haven't ruled them out completely). One major concern that I still have with Vectorworks/Nemetschek is the sales/customer support to this point(Excluding all the helpful and knowledgeable people on this forum.) I'm still not satisfied with my sales experience to this point. For example, I recently called the sales person that I've been working with, and provided some constructive criticism regarding the poor service that I've received thus far. The only response that I received was "Sorry", which was a great start, but the representative didn't even attempt to resolve any of my issues. I don't even have the persons full name, or E-Mail address after three phone calls, initiated by me, and filling out various online forms on the company website. Furthermore, this person seemed to stumble on simple questions. In contrast, the other vendors have provided exceptional experiences, especially ChiefArchitect. Not only have they meet my requests for information, etc, but haven an exuberance the shows that they actually care about what they are doing, rather than collecting a paycheck. I hope that this is just an isolated case, but I'm sure others have had the same experience, and didn't speak up about it. I'm not sure were to go from here to get better service, but I would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks! --Nick Pavlica

Thanks! That's exactly what I was looking for. Are there more libraries available? If so where is the best place to find them? -Nick

I'm working on a basic residential drawing with a bathroom. I would like to insert a standard toilet, but the only toilet in the tools is a commercial toilet stall. How do you add objects to the tool set/pallet? Thanks! --Nick

All, I have been evaluating various design tools for my personal Architectural projects. They are typically small residential designs for myself every couple of years or so. I've attempted to use tools like Punch3d and others, with great amounts of frustration. With a background in Autocad, and mechanical drafting I'm used to having more control over my design tools, so I made the decision to purchase a real design tool. Currently VectorWorks 2009(designer), Revit 2009, ArchiCad 12, and Chief Architect X2 have made it on the list. Of these CA X2, and VW 09 have made it to the top of the list because of there comprehensive ability to do Architectural, Landscape, Lighting, and Visualization design. CA X2 seems to have everything that's needed, but still feels a little light weight compared to VW 09. VW 09 seems to be very powerful, but the customer service to this point has been marginal at best. The sales rep. that I'm dealing with has made promises and hasn't delivered on any of them in addition to giving me bad information. In contrast the CA team has been extremely helpful and have been on the spot. I wounder if this poor customer service is an isolated case or a sign of a large company that's lost its focus on its customer. I would appreciate any insights into these products and how they compare. Many Thanks! --Nick