DBrown

Sadly Vectorworks has no interest/desire on creating a MEP solution for Vectorworks, we are still hoping for stacked walls, a decent stair tool or even good windows and doors tools, but has been several years and many people asking for it and nothing, just a small hit of staked walls for some time in the near(far) future?

Yes, the Auto Hybrid helps a lot, but the redrawing is always there, I had some projects were we had to update a close to a hundred wall caps.. Let's hope Vectorworks improve the Walls before the end of the decade...

This is another work-around in Vectorworks, and you have to redo all the EAP every-time if the design changes along the process, like always do in any project, and the EAP don't give you a correct 2D representation in plan because is a 3D object, to try to fix this we use another wall style for the wall cap with the correct thickness, it shows correctly in 2D but you lose the ability to use a custom profile. Every other BIM software in the market has staked walls for years now, and Vectorworks will disappoint us once again with the 2021 version....

Hi, in Vectorworks there is no easy way to do that directly, is a limitation of the software, however there are several workarounds, from drawing the projected lines manually, or using a old plugin called Beam Above http://vectordepot.com/plug-ins/ Also you can try to use the horizontal section viewport, but is still very limited in terms of 2D representation and being a section you will have to wait to render every time you make changes on the model

So when the article says So, we won't have any of this options soon? Leaving Vectorworks further back against other BIM products that had this options from several years?

I'm afraid you wont be able to generate that stair with the Stair tool in Vectorworks, which is very limited in terms of shapes, you can start with a circular stair and model your own using extrusions, and use the Railing tool to create the railing you need.

The article only mentions that Vectorworks can't keep up with other architectural BIM programs and moving focus to areas where has more market...

This situation is happening everywhere, all contractors and BIM managers are going to an Autodesk-only world, Vectorworks is not interested in these markets, for some strange reason, even less interested in CSA/MEP tools, proof of that is the ancient set of tools for HVAC and Electrical we have in our package..

In this article by AEC Magazine points out where Vectorworks is losing its foothold and where is moving, like we where saying, the upgrades and improvements are too few for Architecture, I think this is a terrible perspective if Vectoworks don't focus... https://aecmag.com/software-mainmenu-32/1992-vectorworks-2020-update

At the end of the day the client wants a result, drawings and models, if the looks of the software were more important, Revit would not exist, is one of the ugliest pieces of software out there but is the architectural software more used in the world, and that is because delivers a "good enough" drawings with nice BIM tools, Vectorworks produces incredible looking drawings, but lacks a good set of BIM tools, so we have to go through several workarounds to get there reducing productivity... If Vectorworks is trying to compete with real world BIM programs, need to fix/update several of our BIM tools, if not, well it would be better to drop the towel and kill it like the Mechanical part of Vectorworks was killed several years ago... Some times I don't understand where is Vectorworks trying to go with the Architectural module..

I think your only way to do this is referencing a worksheet from a master file Vectorworks is mostly used in small practices or solo practitioners, there is few large offices using Vectorworks so there is little to none experience in large projects, even from inside Vectorworks..

That's happening all over the place in the AEC industry, there are fewer and fewer larger firms working with Vectorworks, mostly small or solo practices are using Vectorworks now, and every year the upgrades for the Architect part of Vectorworks are small or none existent, in 2020 we had the Barn Door!, but the key features architects needs are being neglected or added some makeup. If you see the webinars that Vectorworks offers, they are moving their efforts to Landscape design, Spotlight and now Interior Design, but for Architect we don't have any core enhancements, many of them have been gathering dust in the Wish list forum for years now The UI needs to improve, but there are more pressing issues, that's my humble opinion...

There is no good comparision, Autocad is slowly phasing out in favor of BIM programs, many of them are WAY better than Vectorworks at BIM, our wall tool, roof tool, stair tools, even our default window and Door tools are an embarrasment when you see the other BIM tools out there, even newcomers like BricksCAD are ahead than Vectorworks in BIM Solutions If Vectorworks are trying to compete with AutoCAD, I think the target is way off. I agree with you, we need a more elegant UI, but I think is the less of the problems with Vectorworks right now

You can still commit and release from the backup copy,, after that you can delete the file and create a new from the Project file Is a good practice to create a new working file, almost every day or so..

Hi @Tamsin Slatter thanks for the reply, I copied and pasted the Site Model into another file and the error disappeared, I think is something wrong in the file itself