MrScott

Great question. I'm in the same boat wanting to move away from CHIEF ARCHITECT in favor of a program that makes sense to me. However, an Architect friend that uses Chief is doing so main because his Builder client had a bunch of plans already in Chief and likes some of the features.He also echos my frustration with its weaknesses and other issues. I design both NEW and REMODEL designs of Beach houses at at built on Pilings so your typical Post and Beam, Mono slab are not used. Long Story Short, It's a Love Hate relationship between Chief and Me. He has experience with REVIT, ALLPLAN, ARCHICAD and VW and based on the total picture of features for Residential design, and if he could choose only one package to work in it would be VW. What I can tell you about Revit is Wood Framing and Residential home is all MANUAL unless you buy and package plug-in like StrucSoft MWF Pro Wood. As for VW and AC, I am only checking out VW right now and have not progressed that deep into the Getting Started Guide. Hope this helps!

Thanks TIm.

A Warm greeting from a GREENHORN here to all Staff and VW Power users who so graciously contribute to the forum. I thought this would be a good place to post my thoughts - "Contemplating a Switch to VW" - however, if staff feel it should be elsewhere please move it. Okay, Will all I have read so far, here goes.... I am currently reviewing Vectorworks (VW) Designer Package at the suggestion of a fellow Architect. Although he and I currently use Chief Architect Premier (CAP). Neither are completely satisfied with it’s challenges in producing and overall solid and stable design and ConDoc layout - (i.e. if it ain't done with their out of the box methods they don't support it), but it does okay for conventional residential track builders. I, on the other hand, design ESOP Homes (Elevated Structures on Pilings) or Houses on Stilts, I’ve even had someone call them Tree houses for Adults (must have had too much to drink). Most of the homes near the southern and east coast line of the USA are subject to Hurricanes and as such, home here are built above ground on 2x12 Floor Joist with a perpendicular Floor Beams or Glulams, fastened to the top end of 12 x 12 Square wood or Round concrete Pilings 11ft to 13ft (even 20 ft in some cases) spaced on 13’ centers in an X/Y grid above grade and not on a traditional post and beam or monolithic slab. Okay, sorry for the all the detail. (Attached Example Video Walk-through of a Client Model review - Same as pic below) The home in the link was modeled in CAP. I would very much appreciate your comments /suggestions on how this would be done in VW and whether you see in unusual issues I may have to contend with in VW to accomplish this task. I would also appreciate any comments on some of the challenges you face using VW in general for your own projects. All comments will help me frame a reasonable comparison between CAP, REVIT and VW. The reason I ask this question? Often the Marketing Department and Program GURUs make using their product appear simple and fun, when In reality, a user can quickly become a slave to the very tool that is supposed to make what you love a tool to help you express your thoughts and ideas without first becoming a master of the program. I get all programs have a learning curve but after two years of using CAP everyday to design what you see below, I have yet to have one person , staff or others, provide a process that I can use consistently time and again without having to perform some kind of "Workaround" with the software. I'm not designing the "Burj Khalifa" here. Creating a template for all the defaults needed should not be a huge undertaking. If the above was not clear enough I would be happy to Skype with you and show you exactly what I am dealing with. Many thanks in advance for your comments and suggestions. Cheers for now! What ESOP structures look like..txt

Thanks Jim. I've decided to start these "Thought process Posts" in Word and when I am ready to post copy and Paste. One of the downsides of multi-tasking is the distractions of phone, msgs, and occasional breaks. BTW, I DL'd your Model and Reno setup guides. I think they will address my biggest concern - that being "Understanding how VW manages Level / Story structure defaults". It's interesting how different, VW, REVIT and CHIEF handle this element of a plan. Chief is probably the simplest but has the least overall control over subsequent changes and is less flexible. Sure would be nice if one of you guys would be reachable via Skype for an occasional one on one chat to address some of these points. All the best!

Tim, I'm sure it's sold by now but is/was it MAC or PC?

ALL, I started my first new post and in it I inserted a video example from my YouTube channel. Upon selecting PLAY - to test the video - I then selected the back button to return to the Post I was drafting but it was gone. I can not seem to find it and want to know if it is somehow retained by the Forum system where I can return to complete it. This is very disturbing as I put a lot of time and thought into it and now it appears to have vanished. Can someone - possibly tech support - tell me what happened? If I had known it would have vanished I would not have tried this prior to posting. HELP! Thanks,