Will Glenn

I've imported a shapefile containing GIS data (in specific contour lines) and, looking at the result using the geolocate tool (fig 1), everything looks right - e.g. the contour lines are imported in the right location on the globe and all the features seem to line up with "reality" however, the scale is all wrong - if I switch to the tape measure tool (fig 2), you can see that the distance across a river is .001" ... I'm not sure what I am doing wrong, but I AM sure it's a regrettable noob issue... If anyone can help, I would very much appreciate it. Wx

Very true, well said, and such a shame.

That's prolly true - It's pretty sad, but I won't deny it. That's actually a pretty good idea, and I'll be honest - I don't know too much about the ins and outs of it, but I'm pretty sure sole proprietors can't be non-profits. I'd have to put together a board (even a small board requires at least three people), and the accounting is (I think) actually a lot more involved than what I deal with as a 1099, which I am 99% of the time. My business generally isn't consulting (though I have gotten a few of those gigs) - It's gig-based lighting design for theatre companies around the US, the vast and overwhelming amount of which is for local, small theatre companies. I don't make a ton of money, but the people I work for don't either. My clients are mostly funded by regular single donors in the community, with a smattering of foundational support and support from entities like chambers of commerce etc.

Nicole, @ndavison Thank you for your response! One question - When you say that subscription offers a lower up-front cost while allowing us to purchase when ready, does that mean that there is going to be an option to purchase the software outright (e.g. perpetually)? To be clear - I've been using VW through employers for years and have been looking at purchasing the software outright for use on my own projects. I was planning on purchasing a perpetual license sometime around February because, even though the subscription is less than a perpetual license, it is still prohibitively high for me in these trying times. When I read that you were ending sales of new perpetual licenses, I realized that I would have to stop using VW because: There's no way I can raise approximately $4,000 by the end of the year, and Approximately $2,000 per year, while still significantly less than the full cost of a perpetual license, is still more than I (and many like me) can justify on a yearly basis. I could justify the higher cost of a perpetual license because then I could continue to use the software for many years. If I pay around $4,000 for a perpetual license and then manage to use VW2023 for four years, my yearly costs are around a grand. Less if I use it longer. If I subscribe, my yearly costs start at around $2,000 - a figure that is likely to go up as the years go by and the cost of subscriptions inevitably rises. I appreciate that I might be missing out on upgrades and the additional features/bug fixes/support that I would have access to with a subscription but at least I could still use your product. As a freelance theatrical lighting designer, I don't work within large margins. Every company I've ever worked for has been a non-profit. Budgets are tight, and I've always been proud of being able to provide level of service often unavailable to small non-profit theatre companies. If I can purchase the software outright, or if there is a tier of subscription that makes sense for practitioners operating in the context of smaller regional theatres, freelance lighting designers, and sole proprietorship designers, then sign me up for life! I love your products; I've spent years learning the toolsets; I've got a lot invested in Vectorworks. Large, for-profit architectural firms and multinational companies charging huge rates for their services can afford to pay a premium for software and it's appropriate for them to - they will, in turn, parlay those expenses into soaring profit margins, even in times of inflation and hardship. Small business serving the non-profit sector and community engagement organizations can't (and shouldn't) pay the same rates as those big players can. If you need to exclude certain features or provide hard limits on how the software is used in order for tired pricing to make sense, that's fine. Lots of other companies do that exact thing. I've often made the decision to go for a lower tier pricing model at the expense of certain bells and whistles with other tools I use in my day to day business. Far from feeling that I'm suffering from a lack of quality, I'm grateful it's an option. The alternative is not to be able to use the tools at all. I'm sorry this was a long read - if you make it through and respond, you're a rare hero. I've loved VW for years and hopefully will continue to be able to do so. Many thanks. Will EDIT: Btw I applaud you for responding to posts in these forums - so many other firms don't respond to users' concerns and requests and even if, in the end, you don't have any options for small-time folks like me, at least you have the integrity to say it to us directly. That means a lot.

I think going with tiered subscription rates is definitely the way to go. Particularly in these times when things are so tough financially for small and sole proprietor businesses. I think the Nemetschek Group cares about the portion of their market that are struggling, and it's likely they'll roll this out in the coming months - if nothing else, not to do so, especially in light of the current state of things would definitely not be a good look. They're smart enough to know that. Can someone from Vectorworks chime in here? I tagged Ndavision a couple of times but she hasn't responded.

@ndavison bumping this 🙂

@ndavison are the plans to drop the subscription price, since the option to purchase perpetual licenses is being taken away? Maybe a tiered license system (e.g. enterprise vs small business)? This would allow your small businesses and sole proprietors to stay with Vectorworks.

Am I understanding correctly that you will no longer be offering perpetual licenses of vectorworks for sale after December 30th of this year, and that the only way to purchase vectorworks after that will be via subscription? Why is this? I want to be able to use the software, but close to $2,000 a year as the only option is too much for a private, freelance lighting designer.

Has there ever been any movement on being able to import FBX models into Vectorworks?