Jershaun

Agree as well

attached files: Pic 06 Pic 07

1. Real-time Zooming and Panning The new ?Streamlined Zooming? only works on small 2D drawings. Anything large and 3D (small or large) reverts to 2011 type of zooming. Panning is a nuisance with parts of the drawing being ?blocked out? (blotchy) until the mouse button is released. Blotchy navigation isn?t what one would expect from a professional modelling application. All the new videos show this however on this video (http://www.youtube.com/user/vectorworks#p/u/9/bi9TJQiVsks) at 1m58s there is a pan done but the drawing is NOT blotchy. So why isn?t this possible all the time? VW is the only CAD software for PC that I know of that does Blotchy panning. Seeing vw is dual platform, I can only assume it's the principles for Mac that?s allowing this to happen. If this is the case, NemV should use a different technology for the PC version OR abandon the windows version altogether. Refer to Pic 01 2. Interactive Sections I would like to move my section line and have the model (DLSVP) update in real-time as I move the section line. This is why having 2 (or more) drawing windows open at the same time is important (refer to 17.). 3. Interactive Windows and Doors with Interactive Handles Each and every element in the Window, Door and other Plug-in Objects need to have graphical handles that a user can manipulate with their mouse. Elements from lines to polygons to extrudes. Everything that makes up the plug-in. 4. Interactive Elevations and Sections I would like the ability to move elements of a design while I?m analysing the model. I could be in any view and pick up an issue. I should be able to do the design changes there and then without me having to locate the issue in a haystack of layers. 5. Interactive Plug-Ins Each and every element in the Plug-in Objects needs to have graphical handles that a user can manipulate with their mouse. Elements from lines to polygons to extrudes. Everything that makes up the Plug-in. 6. 64-Bit This is long over-due. 64-Bit computing as been around for years and I don?t see how users can not ask for this because users don?t get the full potential of their computers, even with a 3 year old computer. 7. Multi-Core There are some that will argue that Vectorworks is Multi-Core because it presently takes the workload equal to 1 core and splits them over multiple cores. So if you have a 4-core CPU, vw will use 25% (100% ? 4cores) but will split the 25% over 4 cores (e.g. 1st core will use 8%, 2nd will use 10%, 3rd will use 2% and 4th will use 5%). However, I would like to see TRUE Multi-Core where a vw task uses each core at 100%. Refer to Pic 02 8. Clash Detection This is important if vw wants to be an excellent BIM tool. Once consultants? IFC data is loaded into the vw model, clash detection will help highlight areas in conflict with the design. 9. Navigatable 3D Pdf's PDF documents are a simple to use standard which NemV itself promotes. I think it?s only natural for PDF documents created from vw to include 3D information for clients. 10. Real-time Hidden-Line Rendering I would like to be able to navigate around my design in real-time while in Hidden-Line rendering with interactive frame rates. I don?t want the model to revert to boxes when I start navigating and I don?t want vw to pause for a while and think for 5 seconds every time I release the mouse. 11. Push Pull with 3D Fillets Intact It would be nice if the Parasolid Engine was implemented into vw in an efficient and effective manner. It would be nice to push/pull surfaces without worrying about 3d fillets. The way the Parasolid Engine is done in Siemans NX and SolidWorks is very intuitive. Lesson should be taken from them. 12. Proper Working Windows and Doors Certain elements in the Window and Door tools can have class assignments however those element DO NOT take on the properties of the classes assigned to them in 2D. They work in 3D so why not in 2D. In the Window and Door Settings, the ?Classes? dialogue box should apply to both 2D and 3D. With vw?s layer plane technology now available, the ?3D Hinge Direction Marker? should be drawn with a 2D polyline so it can take on a user class with user line-styles. This is 1 of the reason why I insist the plug-in objects in vw should be re-analysed and every single item should be available to the user for manipulation. Offices from country to country have different standards and councils from city to city have different requirements and having plug-ins based on ?coding? cannot be expected to cover each and every scenario. Refer to Pic 03 13. Easier Cavity Wall Details with Window and Door Insertions Easier and more automatic method of closing up ends to a cavity wall at windows and doors than the current method of ?splay wall?. 14. Automatic Plan Representations Plan representations should be more automatic. E.g. a common wall that spans multiple floors should be modelled once in a Design Layer at the specified height but it should be shown automatically on the Plans that it spans up to. Another example is to model an item in a Design Layer using vw?s modelling tools like the push/pull tool and vectorworks should be able to work out the plan representation of the object. 15. True 3D Hatches, Tiles, Patterns 3D hatches cannot be implemented on curved surfaces therefore vw doesn?t have true 3D hatches. 3D hatches need to be applied to 3D objects in a way similar to textures where one can manipulate the hatch using the attribute mapping tool. It should also have cylindrical, spherical, planar and perimeter mapping options. Making hatches into textures is NOT an option. 16. X,Y,Z Handles X, Y and Z handles (in red, green and blue colours) should be available when objects or surfaces are selected for modification. I would like the ability to rotate, move or scale a 3D face or 3D object with the axis handle by a specific numeric value. Most modelling applications are moving to this powerful method of modelling. Refer to Pic 04 17. Seperate Windows. All with Real-time Render modes The ability to have multiple viewing windows open at the same time over multiple monitors would improve production times instead of the time consuming back and forth navigating all the time. Windows for Plans, Sections, Elevation, Isometrics, etc. 18. Custom Rail, Post and Bar Profiles with Interactive Handles for Positioning, etc. The stair stool has definitely improved however, I would like the ability to specify my own Profile Shapes for Rails, Posts and Bars in the Stair tool. I would also like to be able to position these on a per design bases therefore Interactive Handles would be handy for this. Hard coding the Plug-in cannot cover all design situations therefore Interactive Handles are the answer. Refer to Pic 05 19. Roof components ? Fascia, Gutters, Downpipes, Roof Coverings, etc. with Interactive Handles for Positioning, etc. At present the Roof has an option to add a Fascia however this is a perfect example of why ?coded? plug-ins don?t work. Fascias aren?t the same around the world and the way the fascia is done in vw allows no flexibility in positioning the fascia vertically. In addition to a new Fascia tool, I would like to have Gutter, Downpipe and Roof Covering (e.g. Tiling) options. When I do a Section Viewport, I would like to see Tiles on battens on top of my Trusses, etc. Also, Fascias, Gutters and Downpipes should have the ability to apply custom Profile Shapes and user Handles for positioning. 20. Comprehensive Set of Text Tools Things like Bullets and Numbering, Line Spacing, Columns, Character Width Factor (distortion of each character?s width-sometimes you need to squeeze a piece of text in a confined space). Refer to Pic 06 21. Linetype Scale per Object With this ability we can have less Linetypes. If this becomes available, I could use 1 linetype for various objects but I could apply a small linetype scale for a small object where the linetype isn?t obvious and a larger linetype scale for big objects where the linetype is too dense. 22. Printable and Renderable Class Toggles Sometimes it's extremely handy to have a class visible but NOT to print or render. I would like to have these 2 extra options in the Classes dialogue box next to Visible, Invisible and Grey. 23. Polyline & Nurbs Handles I would like to have Bezier handles for Polylines and Nurbs points available when editing. This is a powerful and common way to edit polylines/nurbs with the ultimate control. 24. Link to C4D Improvements Better integration of the Link to C4D including the Geometry export to C4D should be more efficient and more ?C4D-like? (an example of this: http://www.rhino.io/features/video/ ). Any work done in C4D, like modifications or material manipulations should not be affected by a ?merge? of the updated model e.g. Material Stacking in C4D. Objects in vw should be exported to C4D as the closest equivalent e.g. vw Nurbs Curve = c4d Spline. Please put path to C4D in Preference Settings so we don?t get a dialogue box asking for C4D location-it?s a little annoying. Enable/disable export of Planar Objects and Lights. Stop duplicating material on each merge in C4D. Refer to Pic 07 25. Reshape Tool Faster Access It only has 1 setting in the Fillet Preference Dialogue box being Fillet Radius. Please put this setting directly in the mode bar. 26. Dynamic Symbols Symbols with user defined 2D and 3D parameters. The user can have 1 symbol which can have various appearances. This reduces the need for multiple symbols that look alike. It can also fill the void that the Window and Door tools can?t fill. 27. Elevation Benchmark link to Layers Placing Elevation Benchmarks in an elevation viewport should be linked to Layers. The datum levels shown in the EB tool should be derived from the settings in the Layers dialogue box and also if the EB tool is moved in the elevation viewport, the datum in the Layers dialogue should be affected automatically.

IMHO, this new "stories" thing is just a convoluted grouping of Layers. "Stories" are only in the Organisation dialogue box and objects like walls, columns, pilasters, stairs, escalators & window walls are all relating to Layers and NOT stories (refer to OIP). This just re-affirms that "Stories" is a vw term for "Layer Grouping". I think the more people use it, the more they will realise it's not exactly what they expected it to be. The way it is, is just linking objects? top and bottom to Layers. One still can?t specify the 1st Floor wall to link its height to the 5th Floor roof/ceiling height and automatically represent that wall on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Floor Plan (e.g. a stair well wall/s). What they will realise is there will be a lot of manual work (which is the typical vectorworks' way of doing things) and also they still require to set their own layer/floor heights manually especially when layers/floors have different heights. Due to circumstances, I've just started learning Revit. I hate to say this (because I was always anti-AutoDesk) but Revit has the BEST work-flow. All the user has to do is place Benchmark Levels in an elevation (on screen) and Revit links those Levels to Plans. If the user moves any of those Levels in elevation, Revit adjusts the datum automatically and walls adjust to those levels automatically. That is Super Easy. If the user draws a wall on Level 1 and tell Revit to link that wall to Level 6, Revit will automatically represent that wall on Plan from Level 1 through 6. That is Super Easy. In Revit the user can just concentrate on their design instead of worrying about Stories, Layers, Datum heights, etc. NemV has lost the plot and made things extremely unintuitive and non user-friendly, something AutoDesk was notorious for. I never thought of going to an AutoDesk product before that's why I stuck with vw for so long, however now that I'm learning Revit, I now realise how far behind vw really is and I also understand why the industry doesn't accept vw as a BIM solution most of the time. Instead of tweaking the current layer system (renaming, etc. which they have done), changing the name from Layers to Stories, making Layers automatically affect other Layers (within the same layer dialogue box), linking the Elevation Benchmark tool to Layers and creating a solution for automatic representation of objects across various Layers/Stories, NemV has implemented a new dialogue which was un-necessary and isn't really a solution or benefit. NemV will now stick by this no matter what, because it's done and all future versions they have planned, are based on this "solution". When vw2009 and vw2010 was released, the excuse why there wasn't much improvements was because they spent a lot of ?coding? time implementing the parasolid engine. So, when vw2011 was released, I thought: OK, this is a good step forward and this marked the end of the Parasolid integration and now the rate of development is going to be really fast and we would start to see some major benefits of this new Modelling Engine. However vw2012 doesn?t have that surge forward in terms of development that vw2011 promised. This, in a lot of ways, reminds me of the vw2009 release-not much new. When the Virtual Event was announced with keynote address from Sean Flaherty and Dr. Biplab Sarkar, I was expecting something revolutionary, something that would have brought vw to the level of SpaceClaim and Revit. I also expected with vw2012 the decisions to implement the Parasolid Engine in vw2009 to come shining through. The problem I have now, is whether to stick with vw or not because this 2012 release (although having very ?few? improvements) has spoken volumes. It says to me how NemV sets priorities. Instead of automating the BIM process in other areas and improving weaknesses of the software (below), they have spent a lot of time on the current layer system (which in my eyes didn't need much work and wasn't a major priority), and the user could have done manually anyway. I'm now thinking the money I spent on the last couple of upgrades could have been saved and put towards Revit/ArchiCAD. This isn?t NemV?s problem but my own so I've got some serious thinking to do. Below are some of the items that were (and still are) more important than Layer Renaming/Grouping (in no particular order): Real-time Zooming and Panning Interactive Sections Interactive Windows and Doors with Interactive Handles Interactive Elevations and Sections Interactive Plug-Ins 64-Bit Multi-Core Clash Detection Navigatable 3D Pdf's Real-time Hidden-Line Rendering Push Pull with 3D Fillets Intact Proper Working Windows and Doors Easier Cavity Wall Details with Window and Door Insertions Automatic Plan Representations True 3D Hatches, Tiles, Patterns X,Y,Z Handles 3D Perspective/Isometric Window with All Render modes Real-time Custom Rail, Post and Bar Profiles with Interactive Handles for Positioning, etc. Roof components ? Fascia, Gutter, Downpipes, etc. with Interactive Handles for Positioning, etc. Comprehensive Set of Text Tools Linetype Scale per Object Printable and Renderable Class Toggles Link to C4D Improvements. Dynamic Symbols Furthermore: Things like 3D Dimensions and Unified tools are examples of NemV not doing a feature properly the first time. They need 2 bites at the cherry. Instead of putting 2 features half done in 1 version, can?t they do 1 feature fully in 1 version and leave the other feature for the next version? Things like implementing 3D Dimensions are spanning over at least 3 versions (vw2011 was the introduction, vw2012 constructing geometry for 3D dimension eliminated, vw2013+... associative 3D dimensions). Could not all of these been done in 1 version? The Heliodon needs to have a 3D representation comparable to Revit?s. This is another example of taking 2 versions to get a tool correct. ?Faster Access to Frequently Used Settings?. 1 tool was missed being the Reshape tool. It only has 1 setting in the Fillet Preference Dialogue Box being Fillet Radius. Couldn?t this setting be included directly in the mode bar? The Parasolid Engine hasn't been incorporated into vectorworks efficiently or effectively. The video below shows how the Parasolid Engine actually works with special reference to 3D fillets. This is the 4th version of Vectorworks with this engine and NemV still hasn't got it correct. Windows and Doors aren?t the same around the world. They are constructed differently and their relationship to the wall differs from country to country. The configurations are almost limitless. You can?t expect a rigid technology like the plug-in (coding) tools to cover all these scenarios so why continue to use the current plug-in system of creating new tools and revising old tools in vw?

Hi Mike, You don't understand :grin: . I print my drawings in colour therefore I want my infill colours (NOT pen colour) to be different to each part of the window.

Yes that is true. What you talk about has always been around since minicad vw7/8 and still works the same way. That is why I say NemV hasn't done anything to take this forward. They are concentrating on rigid plug-ins where users have no control of 2D representations. It drives me crazy to have a programmer tell me how my drawings should look like. I don't use window, door or windoor to model. I model all my own. Therefore I like to have automatic plan representions of models. It's double work to have to worry about 2D and 3D representations in hybrid symbols.

I'm talking about 2D Plan representations.

I don't agree with Tom 100% and I use vw for 3D modelling all the time however Tom does have a point. NemV has lost the plot in the last couple of releases. They are moving in a direction that I'm not particularly comfortable with. I moved to vw initially because of its ease of use, graphic abilities and customisability. As a person with an artistic flair and a person who started on the drawing board, I always wanted my drawings to look different to others. It is becoming more and more difficult to do this now because everything is becoming "hard-coded plug-ins" where the user has no control of the visual representation of the object. ONE example is I can't apply my unique colours to the window parts. The "new" Story feature is just "Layer Grouping". With an effort to compete with Revit, the way NemV is implementing BIM tools is making the software less intuitive and less easy to use. (lot of settings/mouse clicks) Other software has caught up in terms of graphic ability so vw does not have that advantage anymore. NemV hasn't done anything in terms of moving customisability forward instead they're concentrating on rigid Plug-ins.

3D pdf's are not possible in vw2012

I agree with Ian (Xsasinator) As for the Story feature-I don't think it's that big of a deal. I think people will realise it when they use it. VW still works with Classes and Layers.

Hi In the "What's New" pdf, there is a graphic of a "link" of Excel to Vectorworks2012. Does anyone know if it's now possible to have a drawing register done in Excel linking the information contained therein to the Title Block in Vectorworks. E.g. having drawing number, revision, date, rev. description, etc. columns in Excel Register and have the corresponding fields update in the Title Block of the appropriate Vectorworks Files. Thanks,

I agree with you digitalmechanics. Also, clash detection would be real handy when doing something like this. Most of your suggestions (this and other videos you posted) are very good and well described. But as you can see with the release of vw2012, NemV has other priorities and I doubt that this and your other suggestions are going to be incorporated. Also, they haven't incorporated the Parasolid Engine efficiently into VW so I doubt there will be a "push/pull" tool you mention in this video. Sad though.

I agree with Vincent C. The Revit representation is much better.

+1 Full roof features are a must for BIM. Gutters, downpipes, fascias, barge baords, etc. Not only to have these features but also to have full control of them as well and NOT based on a rigid plug-in system where a programmer thinks they should be positioned and the sizes they should be or the profile they should be, etc.

I guess "new" means different things to different people. I'm actually thinking the same as you but I want a "new" window and door tool-something that's not based on the rigid plug-in object, I want a "new" graphic screen so it doesn't "white out" objects while panning, I want full 64-bit compliancy, live interactive section tool, better hardware usage, seperate 3D modeling window without wireframe similar to ArchiCAD etc., etc. Basically I would like the same tools but with a "SpaceClaim" feel to them. So some call that more stable/finished and some call it "new" vw2009 didn't have any real new features but we still had to pay a price.

What worries me about this release is that there might not be any new features (maybe thats why there's no video leaks). I hope I'm wrong but I think it will be something like the VW2008 and especially VW2009 releases where there wasn't much new added. After the features (lots off) added in VW2011, I think NemV has run out on steam on this version. Christian might be correct about the "collaboration improvements" but I fear that's all there is to vw2012. Again I hope I'm wrong.

It is issues like these (among others like plan infill colours) that I don't use vw's windows and doors hence vw fails as a BIM program. There's lots of modelling and manual work involved in vw.

With archicad's options, it can represent modelled objects as the raw geometry "as is" OR a "cutting plane" view OR a "dotted overview" without the need to do anything else. With vw, if one needs anything other than the raw geometry, one needs to create a symbol and then make a representative 2D outline. There's too much of manual work with vw and the drawing ends up with too many un-necessary symbols.

I also thought jumping 2 versions would be a good step forward therefore I last upgraded from vw2008 to vw2010, but I feel it wasn't worth it. That's why I'm a bit hesitant to upgrade again. (But knowing me, I'm a sucker for punishment, so I think I'll make the jump again :grin:) In these times of recession, a grand is a lot of money. Anyway for me to upgrade from VwA to VwD is AU$ 1600.

Will there be any hints on the next version of vw this year :confused: Last year, this time, we had glimses already. Maybe some beta tester can comment? TIA,

Seeing this is a wish list, can I wish for some money to buy archicad :grin:. But seriously, I wish Vectorworks would get rid of this hybrid non-sense and do something like this: In addition, archicad's archilles heel in the past was it's modelling tools but based on the "shell" videos in this link (http://www.graphisoft.com/products/archicad/design.html), I suspect archicad is going to leave vectorworks in the dust. I would have thought with the implementation of the Parasolid Modelling engine, vw would have surpassed ArchiCAD by now. Anyway I would like to wish for better automatic Plan Representations of all VW objects. Thanks,

I've also wished for something like this before. (Axis Handles) Some other software using the Parasolid engine make use of this type of modeling and I think vw should do the same. I'm all for it.

That's also true

I may be missing something but "importing" dwg/dxf files DO NOT ask for version number. However when "exporting" it does ask for the version number. I think this is very important because consultants may not use the latest version of AutoCAD and also various versions of dwg have issues but the most reliable and tried & tested one is version 12. So it's good to be able to choose the version you want to send to other consultants/software.

Maybe vw2012 will get a bit more features of the standard renderer but I doubt very much that any of the physical render features will be included. This is why you have the "send to cinema 4d" commands. If you require those features, buy cinema 4d. A little off topic, I'm not sure many users will accept the physical render features anyway because any physical renderer takes a long time to render (although I haven't tried R13 yet) and some of the users didn't like the change from Lightworks to C4D and this will be more ammunition for them.