Meet the engineers session in London 2008

[Christiaan]

I'll be heading to the annual VectorWorks conference in London on the 24 September (does this mean we can expect the release of v2009 soon?) and one of the most valuable sessions is the 'meet the engineers session,' where direct feedback can be given to those doing the work, so, as usual, I'm putting together a list of pet peeves and a top ten wishlist to put forward for discussion. Any suggestions welcome (can't remember everything that's been posted here).

Some of the contenders (for top ten):

• Single unified window interface
  
• Absolute control over wall component joins
  
• Persistent wall component joins
  
• Support for live print preview in Mac OS X
  
• Support for more than 2 sub-classes in the class structure
  
• Ability to select top level of sub-classes
  
• The ability to remap any Class and have it remain that way.
  
• Co-ordinate dimensioning tool/workflow
  
• Better Meta Data support for Resource Browser
  
• Improve Resource Browser, or completely rethink and rewrite it.
  
• Ability to cap wall ends with Wall Component
  
• Stop dimension tool from snapping to Classes that are turned off (such as wall linings)
  
• A rethink on how to do wall linings
  
• Ability to nominate Viewport for Saved View attributes
  
• More work on the 'sticky defaults' front, such as the Cloud tool.
  
• Ability to ability to set line, style or colour of Wall Components by Class
  
• Fix all the niggly problems with DLVP and Workgroup Referencing, but particularly the problems with circular referencing! Really. Fix them soon.
  
• Nested Design Layers and Sheet Layers, just like Classes, and/or the ability to re-order Sheet Layers so they ascend.
  
• Fix problem of unwieldy Templates lists
  
• Get rid of Attributes Palette
  
• Ability to turn Space Tool polygon off by Class, leaving Name
  
• Bubble grid tool improvements
  
• Get rid of stupid default setting in Notes Manager
  
• Wavy insulation component in wall tool
  
• Ability to set application-wide default font
  
• As always, fix the window tool
  

And, of course, the stair tool:

• Independent handrail offsets
  
• Support for multi-storey buildings
  
• More intuitive measurement when extending rail past last tread
  
• Stair arrow support for mid-level stairs, as suggested by bc in the 2nd image in this post
  
• Support for reinforced concrete
  

And any number of things from this list or this list.

Hopefully we'll see a preview of v2009 before the event and I can remove some of these suggestions.

Edited August 21, 2008 by Christiaan

[brudgers]

You forgot OLE.

[Christiaan]

[Markus Barrera-Kolb]

Christiaan, if you'll be getting to harangue the NNA folks in London, another one that we've ardently wished for is stackable fractions, particularly for dimensions.

A few others would be:

Allow feet & inches format in worksheets to use a dash separator (i.e. 10'-6"), even though I wish we'd get to use metric in the U.S.;

The ability to lock the position of sheet layer viewports;

Improvement to multiple object modification (should be able to select multiple PIOs of the same type and modify in the OIP!) - Custom Modification function is awful;

...and ditto on OLE!

[Christiaan]

Can you elaborate on stackable fractions Markus? Is that something to do with that measurement system from the 19th century? Don't think I'll be pushing anything to do with feet, inches or fractions. We've moved onto greener pastures in the rest of the world when it comes to standard measurement units. You'll have to badger NNA directly for that one. Bettter yet, badger your congressperson to join the 21st century.!

Lockable Sheet Layer viewports. Yes indeed. Forgot about that one!

Multiple object modification, yes. Seems degrading to even have to suggest that one.

Sorry, I won't be pushing for OLE. Won't do anything for our office as we're Mac-only.

[Christiaan]

Someone reminded of my request for similar capabilities to TeamWork in ArchiCAD.

That would have been top of my list easily but I have to say I've pretty much given up on pushing this. It seems possible that NNA have gone down the wrong route with WGR'ing and are having a hard time figuring out how to dig themselves out. I dunno but with this in mind we're considering purchasing a couple of ArchiCAD licences to make sure we can make the move if we feel we need to.

[brudgers]

Sorry, I won't be pushing for OLE. Won't do anything for our office as we're Mac-only.

For now.

[jbrhwy]

The ability to georeference our drawings to orthorectified aerial photograph & cadestral composites could move us into the 21 century. Our survey work is now done using GPS & most of our clients are requesting design drawings that are georeferenced.

Our Regional Natural Areas Atlas (http://www.crd.bc.ca/maps/natural/index.htm) allows users to upload shapefiles to the mapviewer.

[AndiACD]

Might see you there Christiaan.

Gotta come further than you, but Brighton is only 55 minutes away. All depends on weather they're going to have any mechanical engineering Gurus present.

Never seems to be at these events.

P.S. Pat seems to think that there is a New version of VW imminently due. Weather it'll be v2009 or v14 it's hard to tell but with the NNA schedule it looks like there's something might be brewing.

Edited August 22, 2008 by AndiACD

[Benson Shaw]

3d dimensions?

-B

[gmm18]

Christiaan, I would add being able to Work in Section!

Its at the top of my list.

[Christiaan]

Another one high on my list: ability to map Classes when pasting an object

[Christiaan]

Well, CU hosted a very good conference as usual. Always learn lots of new stuff. Little too much marketing-speak from some speakers but it's always a pleasure to hear from Biplap. No marketing speak, just honest dirt. He seems to be that vital person with his finger on the pulse; you get the feeling we're in good hands.

There appeared to be more people than usual at the conference. There were certainly more people there with an interest in providing feedback at the 'meet the engineers' session, which is great, except that I didn't get to dominate the agenda as usual. Ha. I hope they expand this segment... there's never enough time.

Anyway, I got to plug just one issue which ended up being: ArchiCAD TeamWork-like capability.

The response to this was that the issue of working in teams is very high on the agenda but that there's a debate taking place about how best to approach this issue; the two schools of thought apparently being:

1. Lots of separate files coupled with Workgroup Referencing

2. One file, coupled with some kind of intelligent built-in way to sign in and out parts of the model to different people (e.g. ArchiCAD TeamWork)

Those in the audience with an opinion were unanimous in their support for the later.

I don't know if the above approaches are the only ones but of the two one certainly seems to me to be an anachronism.

More generally, what I really like about the release of v2009 is that while v12.5 and v2008 demonstrated someone at NNA has their eye on the ball and that things are moving in the right direction, v2009 is the start of the coming together of the pieces, a bit like the development of Mac OS X.

Within a year or three I think we'll have a tool that can finally rival the sheer enjoyment of designing and drawing with pencil.

[Chris D]

Thanks for the conference feedback - pity I couldn't make it down from Nottingham.

Nice wishlist too.

Now you've cast your eyes over 2009 - what are the improvements to the Resource Browser like? any good?

BTW we ask this every year - why can't NNA put a demo version of VW on their website so people can review it properly before buying? I feel I have to read a hundred posts on the techboard just to snatch a flavour of what's in the new version (yeah I've read the blurb and watched the vids...but that's just marketing...I mean what's really in the new version...?).

[brudgers]

If there are two schools of thought regarding collaboration.

And if there are advantages to each.

In my opinion, Vectorworks should fully facilitate both approaches.

However, given the current partial implimentation of a multi-file approach, it may be cheaper, faster, and easier to advance in that direction.