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michael john williams

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Posts posted by michael john williams

    NNA forgets UK

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I was kind of hoping that NNA would read this site.

    A few emails through the NNA US site contacts get returned as they fail to send.

    But this site is good and I have had some good advice from users from it.

    NNA forgets UK

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    George

    The problem is, great I find the US site and then I am interested in trainers, support and IT shows, etc and its all in the states!

    Alan

    I have a bee in my bonnet because the US and Austrialia, New Zealand and Japan have better support. I beleive they even have dedicated plug ins for their country. I went to an IT Show the other month in Bristol. I went because NNA were there and I wanted to review Architect, Renderworks, etc. All they had on show was Allplan and they did not know anything about VW or RW! Wasted the whole day.

    How can VW progress in Europe and the UK if it is ignoring us?

    When I spend my hard earned money on CAD I want it to work for me and the work I do, with symbols and plug ins that are typical in the UK industry and not the American industry.

    Still not received 11.5 on disc form the UK reseller, would take hours to download from the US state, can not review sketch mode as the movie file is not on the uk site and does not download from the us site, etc.

    Embarrasing VW failures

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    It seems you can not add any criticisms or negetive discussion points to this site as you are all die hard Vectorworkers!

    The product can only improve if we voice our concerns and surely there is always room for improvement!?

    Mike to answer your points:

    1. This was some years ago and done on version 8 which did not export/import too well to AutoCAD. All other consultations were working in AutoCAD except the architects. The client and contractor insisted that AutoCAD was the CAD package for the job - which is pretty normal in the UK. In export / import, somehow the road moved by 500mm. Good job someone pushed for improvements in this area as version 11 is far better at import / export.

    2. The construction drawings were emailed between consultants in .dwg format - again pretty standard in the UK.

    Alan thanks for your insight on constrained and unconstrained lines - great help - I am sure it was not on earlier versions but I could be wrong.

    Another great use of this site - for learning - if we are allowed to use the site as much.

    What do you use?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I do not speak for the UK but only quoted an authorised seller and trainer in the UK.

    There is most probably something wrong with the whole set up here - and that's NNA ignore the UK market and its specific requirements!

    Embarrasing VW failures

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I think it is unfair to say there are only 3 dissatisfied customers. This is the whole purpose of the tech board to discuss problems and seek NNA's advice and to develope VW as customers want it. There would be no point just having a board for praising VW.

    Whilst I prefer VW I believe AutoCAD to be more accurate [with option for lines fixed to draw only horizontally and vertically, for instance] and unfortunatly AutoCAD is the industry standard in the UK. So it is good that VW has developed the import / export function which makes it less problematic in file exchange. A few years ago I worked for a practice who used VW and exported files to AutoCAD for construction and unfortunately a road was built in the wrong place!

    The biggest failure for me is that NNA have not recognised the need for the new sketch mode in all industry disciplines and should be introduced in the Standard version and not just Architect.

    What do you use?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Well I suppose that's 3 practices out of the several hundred in the UK!

    Besides JRA is more of a visualiser / trainer than an architectural practice.

    No I am not sure the seller advice is unbiased but they are one of the main dealers in the UK.

    As I said, I have been using VW to do 3D and I am disappointed with the results. Where do I go from here without spending loads on several rendering and 3D packages.

    And the whole purpose of my question was to poll other users on what they use and find best for them.

    Which you did n't really answer.

    What do you use?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Disappointed with the wiggly line facility on VW Architect 11.5 not being available on Standard VW. A lot of my clients do not like the hardness of CAD drawings. All disciplines use it and so it should be on the Standard. There has been a big discussion on it on the Nemischek Technical Board.

    The problem is that even after some training and several months practice I am not really satisfied with the 3D results of VW. My elevations drawn in 2D looked a lot better, more subtle and you could add hatches, line weights, etc. The VW 3D elevations and axos and perspectives do not have hatch, there is a horizontal line at each floor level, windows are too American, roofs are difficult , especially with dormers and rooflights - it is so time consuming.

    Even my trainer and software seller say that no UK practice uses VW for 3D work and hardly any of them use Architect or Renderworks - most are now using Sketchup.

    So the purpose of this message was to poll:

    1. How many of us use VW for 3D elevations, axos and perspectives?

    2. Or do you all draw your elvations 2D?

    3. Or do you use other software for 3D work?

    4. If so, which software do you use - Renderworks, Artlantis, Piranesi or Sketchup?

    Run time error

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    No I am not doing anything specific. Usually 3D stuff but not big files and last time trying to place a skylight in a roof.

    Yes I am runing Windows XP.

    Yes I have updated to service Pack 2.

    What do you mean 'video driver'? I play movies / animations on Quick Time 5. I have done an update check and it says it is up to date, although I do notice that your VW11 system requirements state Quick Time 6 or higher but I thought VW came with the latest QT included.

    Sketch Mode exclusion in 11.5 ???

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    alan - I was just answering your points and I am not going to labour it again but if you read it again maybe you will get the answers without me having to repeat myself again.

    travis - I would love to spend a day learning more but I have over 5 years experience of using VW and just done a whole day one to one with an authorised VW trainer and still the elevations are poor. Also I have over 20 years experience of working with autoCAD and Microstation so I know the differences and prices. My postings on this, re elevations, show that is is well below expectations. Perhaps something 11.5 should of cleared up?

    I am not going to say anymore about Sketch Up as their sales in comparison to VW Architect proves the point. NNA have missed an opportunity which I think we all agree on Sketch should have been in the standard VW 11.5.

    Mike - my point exactly, there is no uk or european version of VW or Architect, frame construction is a small market here, where are the windows and doors for Conservation Areas and Listed Buildings? Where are the plug ins to popular manufacturer doors and windows?

    My practice is small so ?300 here and there for that bit of extra software mounts up and so it has to be the right decision and do the job. Also I have worked in large practices and none of them use Architect as it costs too much per machine. All work is done 2D predomantly with autoCAD or occassionally with VW. Presentation and 3D work is done in other none VW programmes.

    Sketch Mode exclusion in 11.5 ???

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    1. Ofcourse I was aware of the differences but as I said there is no mention of 'foundation', VectorkWorks is simply called Vector Works in the marketing, on the box, in the manuel, evaluation disc, etc

    2. The pdf does show ALM, etc when I look at it again they appear nice and graphic with no explanation of what they stand for, very subtle get out.

    3. When advised by my VW CAD suppliers they said that Architect is not worth the extra ?300 odd unless you are perhaps American and it would be best to spend the money on Sketch Up and save some money. I am sure you can check the price of programs but Vector Works is not cheap as you have to buy Architect and Render Works to start comparing it to 3D packages.

    4. Glade to hear you agree, as this was the whole point of this thread, Sketch should be in VW11.5.

    5. As I have said, only perhaps once you have bought Architect and Render Works. Which makes the industry standard and more accurate AutoCAD and the faster, simpler and better Sketch Up cheaper and perhaps better.

    6. The point is NNA have a big European market and they seem to be pushing AllPlan rather than VW. If VW losses out then we all lose out in Europe. By the way I love 24!

    7. When I have drawn elevations in 3D as quickly and they are as presentable to a client as ones drawn in 2D I will believe you and NNA. Which is the whole point really as this is what NNA claims it can do and it has not done it for me yet or VW tainers or those more experienced than me.

    Sketch Mode exclusion in 11.5 ???

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    To clarify a few points:

    1.The Vector Works version 11 for windows I purchased is not called Vector Works Foundation, just Vector Works 11.

    2.The CU reference was to the PDF document which describes all the new items in Vector Works 11 not Architect, or Landscape, etc. It states: 'Vector Works 11.5 brings you the latest enhancements and inovations...technical support free and upgrades are painless' and includes 'new 2D / 3D sketch mode', etc. No where in the What's New document does it say that certain new extras are only available in Architect.

    3. The sketch facility in all CAD programmes has been around for a while, not in VW which is catching up.

    4. Sketching is a basic activity undertaken across the whole industry and as such should be included in VW Standard.

    5. AutoCAD Light is better for 2D construction work and Sketch Up for 3 D presentation work and are cheaper than VW Architect and Render Works.

    6.Also VW Architect is too American with its symbols, especially the windows.

    7. Well it is not the true 3D package it claims to be, like say microstation - I am still trying to get the 3D elevations look presentable.

    8. Ofcourse I am going to voice my concerns rather than pleasure at using VW, otherwise what is the point of this site except to compliment NNA on a great product!

    9. Perhaps they will listern if they want to become the industry standard CAD software.

    Shell Solid

    in Solids Modeling

    Posted

    Treying to create a sheel from a solid object but the shell preference box does not come up when selecting the face of the solid object.

    Why is this?

    The solid object is an extruded rectangle and I am on VW 11.1 standard.

    Sketch Mode exclusion in 11.5 ???

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Well it was Katie of NNA that said it was in the standard 11.5:

    'Sketch is in 11.5 - if you don't see it, you may be using a custom workspace in which you will have to add to it, or you only have VectorWorks Foundation.'

    So if it is not then my original comments are still valid:

    'The sketch facility has been around for a while and should have been included in 11 if they wanted to be at the forefront and offer value for money - but obviously they do not and I am afraid Sketch Up has beaten them to it for my custom. I might be sending 11 back as it does not do what is claimed and it is already out of date.'

    Why spend ?100s for Architect when Sketch Up is a better and cheaper package?

    Ofcourse I have requested a disc from CU but I did not realise it took so long to produce disc copies for the UK when the US version is already available - so we are treated second rate!

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