Helm

Agreed, I am using Enscape for rendering now. How do you use Twinmotion, I don't think it is integrated with VW. Do you have to export the model.

This should not be research, we need it now. I could be retired at my age, but to VW benefit, and my ability to use it, almost a year ago took up some work with another architect who uses VW. We, my wife and I, have been busting our butts for a year now. The architect we are working with remotely from Italy is doing about 90% of his projects in modular factory built units that are assembled on site to create the final building. This is the future in multifamily housing, single family and commercial as well. So do you see our need. There are about 10 of us working remotely and everyone seems to have their own way of putting together a project, we get one already started and it is a nightmare. Because there is no good way to put together repetitive units in VW whither modular units or repetitive apartment plans. Also pay attention to what Carlotta has written we have the same issues, file sharing is a mess, but it is essential to team work. From what I know most firms are using file referencing as a work around or just splitting the project up into separate pieces. We have been using referenced viewports somewhat successfully, but there are issues with it and we have been told it is better to use referenced layers the old way. What is the best way to team work? How best to split up a project amongst the team. How best to deal with larger projects. Even on small projects, eg, a 10 unit one we break up the pieces and then save as pdf and then use another program to combine the pdf files into one. Is that the way. I am guessing smart markers become un-smart when the details or worksheets are in one pdf and the plans in another. On a more positive note I still love using VW, it is just frustrating at times. What I really like is doing all our work in 3D, making the model, then now being able to see it instantly rendered using Enscape, that is for an old architect like me the coolest thing ever and one thing that keeps me wanting to work.

Actually I don't see much there that I care about. I suggest you go out of the office and talk to some architects to understand how they are really using VW or other CAD drafting and design tools. And most important how they are interacting with their consultants. For example most or really all of our consultants just want a dwg set of our plans they don't care about models or IFC. Some are into Revit, I don't see mention of it. The current Revit export produces an embarrassing result with walls missing and not much of a relation to all the work we have done on the model. And it takes forever to produce. I have grown fond of Enscape, and I don't see mention of it. We are not doing movie quality rendering so why Epic, or Redshift. How about suspending work on any new features and spend the next six months or year just fixing the ones you already have. Architects work in the real world, 3D modeling tools (not BIM) are fun but that is about it. Right now we can't even make a clean hidden line view from our building model of an elevation without a bunch of extra lines we have to cover up. You want to have some fun, design a multi story apartment building with apartment units that repeat in various configurations on each floor. Then tell me an easy way to do it. There are ways but none are perfect or simple. We use referenced viewports, but I can't turn on the interior walls and make a section or elevation viewport because VW gets hung. Charts and worksheets are often best made with Excel the new import feature is great but it is not interactive and the imported worksheet is does not support all of the Excel features.

Thanks for the clarification, I have to admit to being a bit sensitive in that area because of my age. What time can we meet on zoom can you send me a message, jhelmathm-architectscom

That's cute, I have 5 kids ranging in ages from 50 to 18 but I am as good as any of them with the computer. The problem is not the ability to do it but the time it takes and the fact that the client may not be able to use it. Anyway thanks for the offer, lets do it.

IFC is a whole neither world. We don't know how to use it. ☹️ Question, do we have to use stories for IFC or can we make them up on export. How do you do it. Do we need stories.

Let me tell you a little story 🙂 relevant to the discussion about BIM and technology. Some months ago we started working online for another architect in California, his office is all virtual, everyone works remotely. He is very good with VW himself. We are working from Italy on projects in the US both in the West and the East of the country. His way, which he has developed after much trial and error, of redlining our work is this. He prints out a pdf of the sheets we send him in pdf, marks them up by hand with a pen then scans and sends them back to us as pdf. Not exactly hi tech, but the most efficient way at the moment. The client on the east coast uses Revit in his business and I guess AutoCad, We did a Revit export, and several walls were missing, just saying, it was not the best impression we could make. I suppose the 3D pdf could be useful and fast. I am also using Enscape a lot lately, love it, with it we can save images easily and also make an exe file that can be viewed online and allows anyone to roam around the model in a full on rendered mode. It just seems the thing I am missing is a simple way to view and markup a model or even 2D plans.

Yeah I know, but that does not seem to work for clients, not totally sure why,

All I want at the moment is a file format I can send a client that he can read in 3D and comment on. What should I use.

I am not capable of the deep analysis we read above, but I believe that Enscape is an example of a company that has made a huge leap in consolidating the need for rendering output from our various cad programs. It pretty much works with all of them. VW for the pc user at least could eliminate Renderworks, and other rendering tools except Open GL and focus on core issues like better design and drafting tools and plug in objects. In other words the consolidation of tools as mentioned above is happening, and the simple practitioners like me will just naturally without giving it much thought move on to those programs or you might say tools of our industry that make our work easier and more profitable. It seems that VW with all its capabilites may just be one of the survivors.

Well that is very interesting. We do a lot of traveling around in our camper, even now thinking about making a mobile office. As in this last long weekend we were surrounded by Dutch, German and Austrians, here in an Italian camp site. The thing we count on is that most Europeans have at least a basic working knowledge of English. In other words it would only make sense that any localized version of VW have an English language option, given the free movement of professionals (sorry Brexit friends) in the EU.

I wonder how many here talking about windows are American architects. To me all this fuss about a window looking precise in a floor plan or even a section is somewhat of a waste. We put in a generic window, we want it to look right in elevation, close at least and then refer to precise 2D details which can be very detailed and precise. Of course I don't speak for all US architects but over many years that is what I have done.

Are you using stories in your file. I don't know much about IFC but I read that it wants the file to be using stories. I did one small export and it made them for me, we don't use stories.

I am guessing he does not know how to use his tools. At the minimum he should be able to import a dwg plan into Archicad and not have to trace everything.

Question remotely related, we have set up a 6 story apartment building with the units referenced from another file in design layer viewports. This way we made up each floor plan with the units as viewports. Then we made a viewport on a sheet just showing one unit at a time. I have the dimensions on the referenced file but they don't show up in the master file, even if the class is turned on.

Thanks I will have a look.

This is a timely topic for me. We started working remotely with another architect in California a few months ago. He uses VW that is why we got the work. All is good when his work is all in house. But now we are working on a pretty big project where the client is in a business that is involved in the construction industry. So I am asked to send him Revit and IFC files. It takes a really long time to make the Revit file and when done some walls are missing. I filed a bug on this. For the IFC we don't use stories and I don't really know much about the format, so any input form others is welcome - like step by step how to setup my VW file for a good IFC export. Actually I am not sure the final client would even know what to do with it. We are in the process of asking.

Not getting any action here. But I figured it out. Each unit has to be on a separate layer without a crop. Then in the viewport you select the layer/unit you want and put it where it needs to be in the master floor plan. It works pretty well. Only thing is the exterior walls need to be deleted from the original unit plan. Then a perimeter wall is built around all the units.

After some thought and discussion I decided to try using referenced viewports to create master apartment floor plans. The units are on one file and the building is on another. It is a bit of work to setup but seems good except for one big problem, the units do not show up in 3D. Does anyone have experience using this system and how do I solve the unit 3D issue.

VW architect available here for those looking: https://novedge.com/products/vectorworks-architect-2020?variant=

I think there is a 150 transfer fee - right?

Looking to buy

That is fair, but I thought the plug in was something that could be useful so I tried it. Actually it does have some uses, using a window to make a hole in a wall is kind of a work around and when I tried a round window it put in fixed glass which I did not see a way to remove - probably there a way.

Sorry I don't understand the use of this. I put it in VW and it makes openings in walls, but similar to using the window or doors tools really. Is this just and exercise in programming or am I missing something. I do see you can make various shapes. Can it be used to make a nitch. I am not trying to be negative just to understand.

I should mention I saw something incorporating Excel spread sheets in VW, that would be very useful. Make it happen.