I'm a recovering AutoCAD user that has recently started his own architecture practice. Since I now don't have a "higher-power" telling me to use a particular drafting tool, and even a particular computing platform, I decided to invest in an Apple PowerBook and VectorWorks. I've been a "closet" Mac user for years, and since AutoCAD isn't an option, the best choice seemed to be VectorWorks. I think it was a good choice, although there are some things about the program that are driving me nuts. I use VectorWorks only for 2D drawing. I use form-Z for 3D, and Photoshop / Illustrator / InDesign for everything else. Perhaps it's because of my history with these other programs, but it seems like there's several things missing in Vectorworks; technology that is available in other programs, but not in Vectorworks.
Don't get me wrong,VectorWorks is a very nice program. It has several features that are better than other drawing programs (i.e. font usage, classes, and lineweights), but the following is my list of items for improvement. Please let me know if something in the list is already possible:
1) How objects are selected, moved, and resized. Why would you want a bounding box representing a picked object? Why can't the object be highlighted in a different color while showing me it's points? I know about the 2D reshape tool, but it's kind of difficult to use. I should be able to use the pick tool, select an object, and move it or it's individual points around without hunting down a different tool (a la Illustrator).
2) Objects remain selected after they are transformed. This means that if you need to perform the same transformation on another object, you have to go back to the pick tool, deselect the object, re-activate the (transformation) tool, then pick the other object. TOO MUCH UNNECESSARY CLICKING!
3) Curved polylines are treated like a red-headed stepchild. A lot of the tools/features don't apply. For example, they can't have arrowheads added to them, and they can't be easily divided onto equal-lenghted segments.
4) Lineweight / Dash scaling. No ability to scale an object's lineweight and/or dash spacing when scaling the object or an entire layer. This means that if you want to simply change the scale of a layer, you'll have to go back and pick each object and adjust it's lineweight one-at-a-time! Whoa, Nelly! You can choose to scale font sizes, but not lineweights / dashes. Illustrator can do this.
5) Workgroup references. There's no way to "clip" or "crop" an externally referenced drawing (that I know of).
6) Arrowhead customization. I prefer a thicker lineweight for my arrowheads than for the leader line. VW can't do it.
7) Printing. How about scale-to-fit, print display, print extents, print window. Is there such a thing in VW?
8) More/better class and layer management: How about a tool which allows me to pick an object and have the active class and layer become that of the object's? How about the ability to quickly turn off all the classes/layers except those that are active? How about a tool wich toggles the class/layer visibility? In other words, that which is on becomes off, and vice-versa.
9) Anti-aliased display for line-scaling. When zooming out, once you get to a certain percentage, all line weights look the same. Why can't their relationship remain constant. Adobe Illustrator does this.
10) Mouse scroll-wheel support. Like AutoCAD's. Scroll to zoom in and out. Click and hold scroll wheel to pan.
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Dan Kessler
I'm a recovering AutoCAD user that has recently started his own architecture practice. Since I now don't have a "higher-power" telling me to use a particular drafting tool, and even a particular computing platform, I decided to invest in an Apple PowerBook and VectorWorks. I've been a "closet" Mac user for years, and since AutoCAD isn't an option, the best choice seemed to be VectorWorks. I think it was a good choice, although there are some things about the program that are driving me nuts. I use VectorWorks only for 2D drawing. I use form-Z for 3D, and Photoshop / Illustrator / InDesign for everything else. Perhaps it's because of my history with these other programs, but it seems like there's several things missing in Vectorworks; technology that is available in other programs, but not in Vectorworks.
Don't get me wrong,VectorWorks is a very nice program. It has several features that are better than other drawing programs (i.e. font usage, classes, and lineweights), but the following is my list of items for improvement. Please let me know if something in the list is already possible:
1) How objects are selected, moved, and resized. Why would you want a bounding box representing a picked object? Why can't the object be highlighted in a different color while showing me it's points? I know about the 2D reshape tool, but it's kind of difficult to use. I should be able to use the pick tool, select an object, and move it or it's individual points around without hunting down a different tool (a la Illustrator).
2) Objects remain selected after they are transformed. This means that if you need to perform the same transformation on another object, you have to go back to the pick tool, deselect the object, re-activate the (transformation) tool, then pick the other object. TOO MUCH UNNECESSARY CLICKING!
3) Curved polylines are treated like a red-headed stepchild. A lot of the tools/features don't apply. For example, they can't have arrowheads added to them, and they can't be easily divided onto equal-lenghted segments.
4) Lineweight / Dash scaling. No ability to scale an object's lineweight and/or dash spacing when scaling the object or an entire layer. This means that if you want to simply change the scale of a layer, you'll have to go back and pick each object and adjust it's lineweight one-at-a-time! Whoa, Nelly! You can choose to scale font sizes, but not lineweights / dashes. Illustrator can do this.
5) Workgroup references. There's no way to "clip" or "crop" an externally referenced drawing (that I know of).
6) Arrowhead customization. I prefer a thicker lineweight for my arrowheads than for the leader line. VW can't do it.
7) Printing. How about scale-to-fit, print display, print extents, print window. Is there such a thing in VW?
8) More/better class and layer management: How about a tool which allows me to pick an object and have the active class and layer become that of the object's? How about the ability to quickly turn off all the classes/layers except those that are active? How about a tool wich toggles the class/layer visibility? In other words, that which is on becomes off, and vice-versa.
9) Anti-aliased display for line-scaling. When zooming out, once you get to a certain percentage, all line weights look the same. Why can't their relationship remain constant. Adobe Illustrator does this.
10) Mouse scroll-wheel support. Like AutoCAD's. Scroll to zoom in and out. Click and hold scroll wheel to pan.
This is my "small" list. Hope it helps,Dan
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