Help me upgrade to VW 12 (why do you like it?)

[pwb2103]

Hi all,

I work in a physics lab where vectorworks is the program of choice. We have numerous licenses for vectorworks 11 in here that have served people well. I was lucky enough to recently upgrade to an intel core2duo imac, but unlucky enough to later discover that Vectorworks 11 won't work on intel macs (I thought it just didn't run natively I didn't know it wouldn't work at all?). So now I need to make a case for upgrading to VW 12. I know Nemetschek lists a bunch of features but its hard to say how great those really are. So my question:

Does anyone have any features in VW 12 that they love that aren't in VW11? Any great things in the upgrade that I should just be dying to have (besides the obvious fact that if I upgrade it will actually work)?

Specifically we use VW to accurately draw our experiment (picture a big metal chamber with magnets and probes and what not that we need to be able to accurately draw and then later measure the positions of), so I guess if VW 12 helps people with landscaping features and such it won't help me much. Although I suppose the chamber would look nice with some plants around it and what not.

[Guest]

This link has a list of all new & improved features of VW 12 and 12.5: ;

http://download2.nemetschek.net/www_misc/VW12.5_WhatsNew.pdf

Each feature is marked with which product it's included in.

I have to say, personally, the big things for me are the Navigation Palette, zoom wheel function, force select, invert selection, Arc by Two Points and Point on Arch, & RW camera object.

There are many industry specfic tool improvements also well worth the upgrade.

[DDDesign]

For me I got v12 because of the Mac issue, and because of it's faster rendering performance - the intel/VW12 combo was a big improvement. The more surprising thing is what I've found now I like best is the zoom wheel function - it's really improved my workflow (20% faster maybe) and accuracy.

[Grant M]

pwb

While not wanting to disuade you from upgrading I'll say we have a copy of VW11 running on an intel mac. The only problem we have encountered is crashing when using the offset tool, otherwise it works as on a PPC.

[mike m oz]

Grant - VW 11 doesn't crash for me on an Intel Mac if I use the offset tool, and it never has. There must be something wrong with your computer or your installation.

[michael john williams]

sketch is great but that is not on the basic fundamental version

[pwb2103]

Wow so now there are (at least) two people who are successfully using VW11 on intel macs? At first I was under the impression that VW11 just wouldn't run natively on intel macs, then I ran into a problem where VW11 wouldn't find my dongle, when I talked to tech support the guy told me straight out "Vectorworks 11 will not work on an intel mac. Your only option is to upgrade". They aren't very trustworthy over there are they? Or could it be my specific intel mac (intel core2duo imac)... doesn't seem likely though.

I like the idea of a zoom wheel (I am used to using Inventor where that is the standard) and certainly I would like to see better navigation than I have experienced with VW11. But its hard to call those compelling reasons to upgrade. Perhaps I'll hold off on upgrading, I'm more than a little bit distrustful of vectorworks right now.

Thank you all for your help though!

[Cris with no H]

I just want to point out that it is by upgrading, and staying up to date, that you'll be able to import and export the latest-and-greatest version of AutoCAD files. AutoCAD 2007 and 2008 versions under VW11? Fuhgeddaboudit.

Cris Dopher

[Guest]

The features themselves may not sound worthy of an upgrade, but the amount of time you save using the new features is unbelievable. The cost of time savings will more than cover the upgrade price.

[Jim Smith]

VW 10 seems to work on our Intel Macs, (we skipped 11 and went to right to 12, perhaps I'm superstitious but I've often found the even number releases better than the odd). I have used 11 in other client's offices & for me just the navigation palette alone is worth the upgrade.

BTW Katie, did they transfer you to sales?

[Guest]

Jim *laugh* .. let me see which hat I have on today ...

I really do save tons of time with those new features. I wonder how I lived without them some days, honestly.

[Grant M]

Mike thats interesting to hear.

The operator in question does have an extremely untidy desk so perhaps she has something else on her computer causing the problem

It only happens with polygons apparently and not other objects.

[Guest]

I think that's a VW 11 issue with the intel macs. It was also a problem with VW 12 with the offset tool, but was later fixed in the first official intel compatible version of VW - 12.5.0.