Paul S.

Robert, Thanks the detailed reply. That fact that you are a VP and directly replying to my message is a great sign for Vectorworks, at least as important in my mind as any feature the software has. You've knocked off about 90% of my concerns. I thought I'd clarify my point about the Revit stair. In Revit, you draw your stair in a view using boundary lines (basically the sides of the stair), and risers (which are lines which connect, usually perpendicularly, to the boundaries). There are certain automated ways of drawing these lines, but most importantly you can draw a totally free-form stair if you follow the basic rules. So I can for example delete all the lines in my stair, then draw a bunch of free form boundaries and risers. The end result will be a totally custom, curvy stair in which landings, sides and railing, and risers can take on almost any geometry you want. Does VW have that capability? If not its not a deal killer per se, but perhaps a wishlist item. I have found those those stair features in Revit to be pretty good. On a related note, the railings in Revit are customizable as well...where you can create railing styles which consist of family elements in a certain pattern (like for example custom rails and balusters). Its a bit quirky sometimes, but also helpful. However what appeals to me most about Vectorworks other than the price/performance, is the extensive array of 3d modeling tools. If I run into trouble or into an inflexible spot in the software...I can always directly model the element I want. That basic logic has always been limited in the competition, including in Revit. I will definitely be interested in the Designer product with Renderworks. Thanks for the valuable info. Paul Schuyler Architect

Larry, I will definitely check it out. Paul S.

Hello, I?m a power Revit user and I?m considering a switch to Vectorworks 12 as I break out and start my own (small)company. Revit is too expensive for my needs and I think that Vectorworks may have a better set of tools for small-scale firms and projects. There is no Vectorworks 12 demo to my knowledge and I really need some solid answers about workflow and features that a sales person (by definition) will not be able to provide. I have a whole list of topics and questions before I can make a decision. I?m interested in VW Designer because I want the broadest set of tools available. Revit families vs. Vectorworks Symbols 1.If I want to create a totally custom window or door(i.e. custom arches with special mullions, etc.), how can I do that in VW if these options are not available in the dialog boxes? Would I create a 3d window symbol? And is there a way to get that symbol to cut holes in walls upon insertion? Similar logic would apply to skylights, niches, etc. Can you join inserted 3d symbols with AEC objects? 2.One nice thing about the RT family structure is that if I do create a custom 3d or 2d object (window, door, lamp, etc)...if I reimport that family object into a file it will automatically update all existing definitions that carry the same name. This is great because if I have a project with 10 different types of custom arches...as design progresses I can reimport the object repeatedly with more detail (without changing tags)...this will automatically update all 2nd and 3d views with more information without repositioning. Can VW symbols do the same thing? 3.How does one create and edit VW symbols? Do you create them within VW, and import them into other models? Can you create or define a symbol from within a larger file (and save out to a library?). Synchronicity, AEC Objects + 3d modeling tools 1.If I have an AEC object like a wall, roof or floor, can I model a conventional 3d object (like solids or nurbs) and add or subtract from those AEC objects? Can I change the profile of a wall or punch a hole in a roof? Can I then go back and re-edit those cuts if the design changes? 2.Usually in Revit you can select off existing geometry to create custom 3d objects. Lets say I cut the profile of a wall so that it has a curvy profile. In VW, can I select that curvy edge and create a coping? Or is that a multi-step modeling process? 3.AEC stairs. Revit has a great stair tool in which everything is customizable. Same is true for ramps. I know VW 12 has a new stair tool as well. Can I create curvy, random, or completely customized stairs using the VW 12 tools? Can you create custom boundaries and custom risers for the stairs? Revit can do this. Are there such thing as railing objects? Workflow with other programs 1.Has anyone tried the V12 *.3ds export using textured, or colored Vectorworks Architectural models? How does it work? Do the normals come out OK? This is absolutely key for me because Vue D'espirit is my main rendering application. Revit only allows you to export models using *.dwg format, and conveniently for Autodesk...the only program that will open this file format properly (with materials) is 3dsMax/Viz. That means if you want high end rendering you must purchase one of these programs, costing an additional $2000-4000, and further complicating your workflow. I really need VW to export to a common 3d file format correctly with textures so I can seemlessly use VUE. Many applications claim to do this but do not do it correctly...effectively annihilating my workflow. Has anyone tested this feature out? Stability/performance 1.All credit to Revit...that is an amazingly stable system. When catostrophic file problems do happen (rare), there are numerous built-in features that allow you reclaim your work. How is VW 12 in this respect? 2. How is VW performance overall on Windows? I appreciate ANY help you can give me. Feel free to e-mail me personally about it. Thanks! Paul S.