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Vectorworks 2024 Update 4.1 Available for Download Vectorworks, Inc. has released update 4.1 for the Vectorworks 2024 product line. This update includes the following quality improvements that enhance your everyday experience with Vectorworks 2024. Important Enhancements AI Visualizer An alert displays when a user launches the AI Visualizer but does not have a valid professional subscription or Vectorworks Service Select license. Another alert indicates that a user must sign in to Vectorworks Cloud Services (VCS) to launch the AI Visualizer. On Windows, Vectorworks no longer crashes or slows performance when a user is not logged into VCS and launches the AI Visualizer. IFC Export and Data Manager Export IFC Project command The user origin can now be set depending on the local distributor’s region. The command now exports slabs to the correct location. The Export IFC Project dialog box has been improved for usability. Resolves issues with comma decimal separators in IFC Export and the Data Manager. Other Improvements When reshaping window sill height, resolves an issue with inconsistent results and incorrect window sill height displayed in the Data bar. For a full list of improvements in this update, please visit this page. Installing the Update This update is available as a downloadable updater for all U.S. English-based versions of Vectorworks 2024. To install the update, please select Check for Updates from the Vectorworks menu (Mac) or Help menu (Windows). Please submit a support request in the customer portal if you have any technical questions or problems during this process. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Vectorworks, Inc. has released its fourth update for the Vectorworks 2024 product line. This update includes the following new functionality and quality improvements that enhance your everyday experience with Vectorworks 2024. Important Enhancements Fundamentals The new AI Visualizer command can be used at virtually any stage of the design process, from initial design inspiration to preparing presentation boards for a completed design. The user interface and usability of the Resource Selector have been improved. The Resource Selector now provides additional options, including to convert a styled object to unstyled, to set a resource such as materials and textures by class, and other related operations within the Resource Selector itself. Many plug-in objects and other appropriate locations, such as the Render tab of the Object Info palette, have incorporated these improvements. The new Import Reality Capture command makes it easier to import 3D models created using reality capture technology directly from cloud storage. The Selection tool now offers Transform mode with certain 3D dragger editing functions, including move and rotate. Redshift by Maxon improvements include a choice between Bucket or Progressive update modes for control over rendering quality and speed. Redshift is also now optimized for Apple's new M3 processor and supports hardware ray tracing. You can now control the scale of callouts, general notes, and keynote legends that are located inside a symbol definition. The Flyover tool's Interactive Origin mode now offers an option to set the center of rotation temporarily for each flyover operation. The RLM Site Protection Server software has been updated to version 15.1, which has enhanced security options and requirements. Improved the usability of the Object Info palette for title block borders. Interoperability Added support for IDS-based model checking in the Data Manager, to streamline BIM data exchange and communication processes. IFC export improvements: Now supports IFC version 4x3. More options to support georeferencing. More flexibility when setting up the IFC model origin. Support for IFC files containing multiple buildings. The option to save a detailed report of what items were exported, as well as any errors. Improved stability. BCF Manager improvements: The BCF Manager can seamlessly switch between file-based and server-based BCF projects, to allow interaction with popular BCF servers. The palette has been updated to enhance usability. Added support for the latest BCF format standards. DXF/DWG and DWF improvements: DXF/DWG and DWF export options now allow you to see and sort design and sheet layers by stacking order; saved views are now sorted alphabetically by default. You can now choose to export 2D polylines with Bézier or cubic vertices as DXF/DWG and DWF polylines/arcs. Improved export of tile fills to DXF/DWG. Architect, Landmark, and Spotlight Cabinet tool settings now include options to add top stretchers, use reveals as handles, manually define handle offsets, and apply handles to false drawers. New 2D visualization options also make it possible to follow more design standards. Additional parameters have been added to the Railing tool to control guardrail top rail boundaries, infill frame profiles and sizes for bars, and texture mapping. When reshaping the railing path, existing posts are no longer reset. A new option in the graphic legend settings enables the boundary constraints for objects in the graphic legend layout. Door and window improvements: Settings are now easier to edit with wider dialog boxes and list browser columns, reducing the need for horizontal scrolling when accessing materials and classes. Improved adjustment of handing parameters during flipping operations. Improved window sill behavior. Added new graphic legends for the Fence Tool. Added data tags for the Space tool. Architect and Landmark Now you can pick up the attributes and settings of an existing hardscape object, and apply them to geometry or use them to draw a new hardscape. Contour labels can now have their own unit settings, along with other settings which display them per typical topographical standards. You can easily customize the label attributes and text style. Now you can also draw a polyline and add a contour label at every contour intersection. Landmark Updated the irrigation catalog and improved existing emitter content. Spotlight The equipment list worksheets have been improved, both in appearance and in functionality. The worksheets can now include sub parts and virtual parts. It is also easier to assign sources; multiple rows can be selected, and color coding in the list indicates availability. Support for lighting pipes, lighting pipe ladders, straight and curved trusses, and seating sections is now included. Four new mode options for the Equipment Summary Key tool allow you to choose the insertion point of the summary key. Improvements to the equipment summary key options now allow you to control the scale of device symbols and the column alignment, as well as resize the dialog box. Support for data visualization has also been improved. Video screens and blended screens can now be exported as GDTF projectors. Once in Vision, these projectors are more realistic and emit or project actual light. ConnectCAD New and enhanced ConnectCAD tools, modes, and commands make it easier and faster to: Add drop points into existing cable paths, add cable slack to drop points, and use stand-alone equipment as drop points. Create reports displaying intermediate drop points, which helps when planning cable installations. Edit the profile of multiple cable paths. Automatically create equipment detail views in viewports, which display equipment front and/or rear views and their adapter slots. Control the level of drawing detail for equipment racks and rack frames in drawings and viewports. Add additional options for circuit number placement, transfer properties between circuits, and easily re-route multiple circuits. Edit circuit attributes from a drawing legend. Renumber additional ConnectCAD objects. In addition to linking text objects, you can now link object parameters and fields of attached records to symbols inside device, socket, adapter, and equipment items. Now you can add, modify, delete, and restore default cable lengths for circuits. You can enter the rotation angle of stand-alone equipment along the X, Y, and/or Z axis in the Object Info palette. The Connect Selected menu command now connects the sockets of selected devices that are located on different design layers. Vectorworks Cloud Services Important Enhancements A new virtual reality (VR) viewer app for the Meta Quest VR product lines allows users to view 3D models exported from Vectorworks in an immersive environment. Added support for control of class visibilities in the Vectorworks 3D and AR model viewers. The Room plan feature in iOS Nomad now allows merging individual room scans into a larger structure without duplicate walls, and recognizes a larger variety of room features, such as slanted and curved walls. For a full list of fixes and improvements in this update, please visit this page. Installing the Update This update is available as a downloadable updater for all U.S. English-based versions of Vectorworks 2024. To install the update, please select Check for Updates from the Vectorworks menu (Mac) or Help menu (Windows). Please submit a support request in the customer portal if you have any technical questions or problems during this process.

AI Visualizer What is the AI Visualizer? The AI Visualizer, powered by Stable Diffusion, can create illustrative or realistic images based on your models and drawings directly inside Vectorworks. It uses natural language prompts or a combination of prompts and a Vectorworks drawing or model view to determine the image content. It uses Vectorworks Cloud Services for a zero-install, uninterrupted workflow. It is an experimental feature using an exciting and fast changing technology that has lots of potential within the design process. We expect additional features to be developed over time, such as predefined prompts and additional geometry recognition. What AI Visualizer is not AI Visualizer is not a rendering engine, such as Renderworks, in the sense that it does not calculate the 3-dimensional scene. Instead, it detects edges in the image supplied from within Vectorworks (whether this is from a 3D view, a viewport or simply a bitmap). As such, even with the Creativity slider set to 0, absolute replication of the intended image geometry is not guaranteed. For this reason, we encourage you to look at this first release of this technology as a tool for inspiration - whether it’s whole concept inspiration (giving you new ideas for projects/designs) or inspiration for different material use or illustrative styles. When and why should I use the AI Visualizer? This feature provides fast image generation for design exploration. It offers an alternative method for creating and illustrating design ideas. It allows you to explore more visual options in less time. It is directly available in the Vectorworks desktop app interface (Model>AI Visualizer), but makes use of Vectorworks Cloud processing, so it is fast, independent of your computer hardware and allows for non-blocking workflows, meaning you can carry on working in Vectorworks any time images are being generated. Is the AI Visualizer compatible with my version of Vectorworks? The AI Visualizer was introduced in Vectorworks 2024 Update 4 and is now accessible to all customers with active Subscriptions and Vectorworks Service Select members across all products (Fundamentals, Architect, Landmark, Spotlight). This feature is currently not available in academic licenses. What products does the AI Visualizer work with? The AI Visualizer works with all Vectorworks products: Architect, Landmark, Spotlight, and Fundamentals. What are the installation and system requirements when using AI Visualizer? The AI Visualizer comes automatically loaded upon installation of Vectorworks 2024 Update 4. It is accessed directly through your Vectorworks desktop interface (Model menu > AI Visualizer). The feature uses Vectorworks Cloud processing (available to all Subscription and Vectorworks Service Select members), placing no additional demands on your hardware. To activate it, you simply need to be signed in to your Vectorworks account. The VCS app must be updated to version 13.4.2736 or later. To update the VCS app, go to the About page and check for updates. To use the AI Visualizer, you must be signed into your VCS account and have the VCS desktop client running. Are there any getting started tips? This feature relies on text prompts from the user, and certain text prompts work better than others. The online Help includes tips and tricks on creating successful text prompts. You don’t need a model or existing image to use the AI Visualizer. Images can be generated from text prompts alone. The AI Visualizer works best with text prompts in English, but it is possible to use other languages. As it can generate images from text prompts alone, it has the potential to be used to create images for use in custom image props, texture patterns, or 360 panoramic backgrounds. Anything else I need to know? This is an image generator only; it cannot generate modelled objects, make changes to a Vectorworks model, or change render settings. Unlike other images and drawings that you create in Vectorworks, AI-generated images cannot be copyrighted. Vectorworks collects user data associated with text prompts and images, archives the data for seven days, and then deletes it. Future development Our development team is already working on additional ideas for the development of this feature. Additional capabilities such as improved geometry recognition, predefined prompts, saved prompts, and depth processing are already developments we want to explore further. For more ideas and suggestions, feel free to join our AI Visualizer forum discussions!

The following are real-world system requirements for running Vectorworks. In some demanding cases, we suggest a more capable machine than is described in these hardware profiles. Likewise, there are some less demanding situations where Vectorworks will perform well on older hardware. Vectorworks 2024 Vectorworks 2023 Vectorworks 2022 Vectorworks 2021 Vectorworks 2020 Vectorworks 2019 Vectorworks 2018 Vectorworks 2017 Vectorworks 2016