Cadplan Architecture

I also don't like these guides mainly because of the obscure model that is used. It would be far better in my view, particularly for beginners, to show how to model a normal house as used in the UK or USA. By that I mean basically a box with four walls, a ground floor and a first floor and a sloping roof. By doing that you can go through the same basic steps but starting with how to draw an accurate floor plan from a measured survey, then moving on to developing it into a 3D model. Stairs The stair explanation in the tutorial is poor and doesn't relate to normal stairs as used in houses, your revised 'simple house' tutorial could show how to draw flights with winders, balusters, handrails and landings. This will be an excellent point to introduce an improved stair tool. Folding doors The tutorial also doesn't mention bi-fold doors, again this would be an opportunity to introduce a custom folding door tool. Roofs The tutorial needs to show how to model simple pitched roofs, how to change from gables to hipped ends, and how to work with roof faces to add roof extensions, again the roof tool will probably need improving at the same time. Dormers This tool needs improving to make dormers fully customisable without having to backtrack to alter the window size. These are all applicable to normal domestic projects which is what I would suggest many users are involved with rather than complex 3D surface models. Such an approach to tutorials will enable people to go on and use VW in whatever direction they want to go rather than as you say completing an irrelevant exercise. If the basics are right the VW will become a brilliant tool for everyone BTW there are a few odd things going on with the soundtrack of the adding the Stairs and Handrails tutorial, particularly right at the beginning e.g. staircase description one

I like your thinking, I will probably let mine lapse now & see if the 2017 revision includes anything that will help with our workflow, e.g. custom folding doors and a better stair tool!

We use Tempates with various Sheet Layers with text and sometimes call outs or whatever is needed. I must admit that I tried the Title Block thing once but found it slightly complex so our Title Blocks are a Design Layer in the Templates. Everything seems to copy/paste ok generally.

Thank you for your helpful feedback as ever Jim, we are all very grateful to you and well done on your new role. I would like to just pull this thread back on topic and wondered if you have any comments on my specific concerns re pricing? The VSS costs might not be a problem for organisational users, but I do feel that there is some frustration amongst individual users that there is not a business case to spend so much money each year committing to an upgrade when they don't use the full capacity of the software, where the improvements to existing tools requested on the wish list are not announced, and in some cases where the improvements will not provide them with any business payback. I guess that it could come down to whether VW want to keep all users loyal or not? I love Vectorworks and would be willing to upgrade in 2017 for a reasonable cost if I knew that it would speed up my 2D workflow and that it included things like custom folding doors and a user friendly stair tool. On pricing it seems like I need to go back to CU in London to query. Thanks

I don't see anywhere to post Wish List items for 2017. Please could it be clearly posted in Vectorworks Community Links on the right where Bug Submit is?

I've seen Phil Hunt's post and I do sympathise although I wish my renewal cost was as low. In my case I'm being invited to renew my VSS contract for a VWAR and a VWDR licence. I'm a one person architectural designer using occasional freelancers in the studio, and we seldom find the need to go into 3D. The want nearly £1200, that's a huge amount which I doubt I'll be able to fork out. I also doubt that I'll find any of the improvements of much business value to me, for years we have been waiting for basic improvements to the 2D drawing functions particularly for custom folding doors which are used in 90% of UK ground floor rear extensions, and in the awkward stair tool. I've been using Vectorworks since Minicad, it's a brilliantly easy 2D programme to use, however this is too much. I'm not really willing to down grade either licence to loose the Renderworks as of course I paid for them already. Does anyone else have the same issue with VSS renewal costs? I'm wondering if there is an alternative, more economical solution as I feel that individual designers are being squeezed out a bit. To be honest I would be happy to pay a partial upgrade fee just to be able to have custom folding doors and a better stair tool.

I'm in a similar position to you Phil and about to send a similar pos re VSS renewal costs. I agree about Form Z, its a while since I used it but it was so easy to model, I think VW has some way to go to get anywhere close. The difference between the two is I think that VW tries to be 2D and 3D at the same time, Form Z as I recall is a very powerful dedicated 3D modelling tool. I think there is a business argument for splitting off the high end 3D function in a similar way that Landmark etc were.

Thanks Jim!

The windows and door plug-ins have stopped plugging and unplugging, anyone have ideas?

Thanks all done now

Would someone remind me please how to alter the settings so that we can keep more than one drawing sheet open at one time? I think it's to do with Palette Docking,

The stair tool definitely needs reviewing. If you go on some joinery websites you can form domestic stairs with a few clicks,. This type of stair is not that complex, VW need to make the tool easier to use including manipulating the winders, ballustrading and newel posts, perhaps go back to the simple stair but add more functionality. We copy & paste it from previous projects to avoid using the current stair tool, it easier to use and saves time fiddling around. I see Mike refers to Custom, Simple & Circular stair tools, we only show one stair tool, within that it shows a circular option so I'm unsure what you are referring to a the Legacy stair tools??

Ha, many of us just wish that the stair tool could be improved, we still use the old simple stair tool as the one in the tool sets is a bit complex and time consuming to use

Thanks Jim, it's been requested for several years though. I really hope that it will be added soon.

That did it! Thank you v/much

One for Jim really. We were really hoping that 2016 SP1 would at last have the custom option for doors in settings so that we can have more options for bifold doors e.g. an uneven number of leaves. When will this happen Jim? Thanks

If I have Call Outs in a floor plan on the design layer and group it so that I can duplicate as part of my drafting process the orange field containing the groups goes way off to one side, without calls outs it just contains the floor plan. Is this normal and if so is there any way around it?

A bit of genuine dismay about the new 2016 features so far here and that some basic drafting tools need properly sorting out. How about if we agree a list of maybe 10 for VW to look at as a matter of priority, I'm referring principally to VW Architect as that is what Minicad was derived for it seems to me so we need it to be true to it's origins. My beef is the stair tool and the folding door tool, also the roof tool. Perhaps between us we can agree a list and put it to VW??

I wasn't aware of an official wish list, only posting here and Needle & Mortar

Thanks Jim, I don't get why the thickness of glazed units has been added when the basic door geometry functionality is still stuck in time from years back. The full feature list is great and I'm sure we are all very grateful, it would just be nice to get the basics of 2D right. For architectural projects windows, doors and stairs are basic. We can't even add a window to the side of a door only a full height glass panel, we should be able to customise that sidelight same as we can with a single window in a wall. As has been pointed out previously we need Windor capability integrated there should not be a need to buy additional software. Sorry to go on but unless we press hard for these simple changes seems like nothing will happen.

We are disappointed. Been really hoping that this time you would take into account the various wish list requests rather than simply coming up with your own idea of what we 'need', it seems that you have concentrated on esoteric 3D features and overlooked much longed for improvements to the basic 2D drafting capabilities. FOLDING DOORS No change at all here even though it's been on the wish lists for years to be able to have an uneven number of leaves. We need to have a custom leaf option just like the custom sash option for windows, we are still stuck with 4 leaves so if we have say 6m wide doors each leaf is 1.5m wide which is useless. This type of door is used on 75% of ground floor residential extension projects in the UK., as well as commercial projects such as restaurants. Please arrange to fix this in the first 2016 service pack. STAIR TOOL Sadly the horrible stair tool still hasn't been improved, we still have use to old basic stair tool as for all is draw backs it's still relatively easy to use. DORMER WINDOWS This is still a very inflexible tool without any editing possibilities, again it's been on the wish list for a while ROOF TOOL This is tricky to use particularly when joining various roof shapes, I don't see any improvements so far. INSULATION BATT Still not possible to join it, no option to insert into an unsettled wall?? ATTRIBUTES PALETTE A slight improvement here as the buttons are marginally larger, the Line Type command is still 'hidden' though, it needs to back to where it was in VW 2014 as it's accessed a lot in 2D drafting We will have to think very carefully whether or not we continue with VSS for our licences for VW2017 now.

We get around this (on our Macs) by printing multi page published PDFs from Preview

Can we have cursor hints to indicate the inside and outside of walls please?

Anyone know if you can cut a recess into a wall easily?

At the moment it's very laborious to open up the libraries to see what they contain. What would be good is to be able to highlight any library in the list view and for a pop up to open up to show the objects.