Vectorworks for iPad

[Christiaan]

So, I'd like Vectorworks for application for the iPad. I can imagine it being very useful as a site tool.

Open a model directly from a server over cellular internet connection (or sync before leaving office), view model in various forms, add notes and maybe even some analysis tools that can create information on the fly, etc.

Low priority of course but a wish none the less.

[monkey]

you must be joking right?!!!!

just read up on this ipad and it doesnt even have a bloody USB port!!!! or flash support

this is old tech in new clothing

waste of time in my opinion

[HP Sauce]

Flash is the bane of modern computing and although I'd rather have the option to disable it, am not bothered at all by it being omitted. Even Youtube are testing out HTML5 video for the future. ClicktoFlash is the new sliced bread.

That aside the device is hardly old technology, which tech spec sheet were you reading? Brand new CPU that's awful fast, nice screen, and multitouch. USB is additional and yes probably costs 50 quid for the dongle. The VGA connection can't really be excused.

A giant iPod with more horsepower is a perfect candidate for site visits and such. It all depends on the UI which will require NNA to hire some new talent. Sketchup on iPad would be pretty impressive.

Shame about the name. Real shame...

[monkey]

how would a CAD app work on a touch screen anyway? i rely on my button combos all the time.

Slate computers have been around for ages, its only because its apple that people are going to buy it. I used to supply slates to field engineers for real time data capture etc, and trust me, if your going to be lugging it around on sites, its going to get broken pretty quickly.

Dont get me wrong, i love my mac, ipod etc, but i would rather NNA focus on improving VW rather than making an app for this.

this is a toy really

[Christiaan]

I couldn?t give a monkeys about Flash. The sooner it dies the better. As for a USB port, it?s called a dock connector.

how would a CAD app work on a touch screen anyway? i rely on my button combos all the time.

The world moves on monkey. I can easily imagine multi-touch interfaces that will be more powerful than a hardware input device. You only need to look at the iPhone/iPad software keyboard to realise how much more powerful, dynamic and flexible it is compared to a hardware keyboard. The possibilities are infinite.

I?m just surprised it?s taken this long to ditch the Desktop metaphor.

Slate computers have been around for ages, its only because its apple that people are going to buy it.

People aren?t going to buy these because they?re pretty or because ?it?s Apple.? They?ll buy them because they do what they say on the tin. Yes, tablet computers have been around for a while, but they?re all produced by engineer?s or people who don?t sweat the design details.

this is a toy really

Reminds me of a John C. Dvorak quote: ?The Macintosh uses an experimental pointing device called a 'mouse.' There is no evidence that people want to use these things.?

[monkey]

'People aren?t going to buy these because they?re pretty or because ?it?s Apple.? They?ll buy them because they do what they say on the tin.'

totally disagree with you here, iv spoken to at least 3 people already who are going to by one purely because its apple and it looks nice, sorry to say it , but there are many many people like this all over the world!!! and most of the time, all they are going to do is surf the internet on it.

dont get me wrong, im sure it will be a nifty toy, but cant see it as a viable platform for VW, and i dont think NNA should waste time on it just yet, who knows, it could be a big flop in a year

[Christiaan]

Of course they're factors but ultimately Apple hasn't sold hundreds of millions of iPhones and iPods because they're ?pretty? and ?made by Apple.? It's a complete misunderstanding of how Apple works. In fact one of Apple's more pretty creations, the Cube computer, flopped.

They?ve sold so many because they work so well. And it doesn?t take a visionary to see that the iPad is an even greater achievement in userability than the iPhone.

[HP Sauce]

They?ve sold so many because they work so well.

Exactly right. Yes there is a percentage of people who buy this stuff because it has a giant light-up fruit logo on it, but most because the software is a pleasure to use. Technically the iPhone is nothing special. It's the software that everybody loves. Same with OSX. It'll be the same with the tablet. Yup tablet computing has been around a long time, but has always relied on an operating system designed for a mouse/keyboard. Not so here.

People are comparing it to the iPhone... I think it's fair to say the iPad was Apple's intention all along, and that actually it is the iphone/pod that are cut-down versions of this 'direction'.

Apple are carving a new market here, for better or worse... Imagine your completely-non-tech-savvy grandparent walking into a shop looking for something to browse the internet and handle emails with no maintenance nor fuss, and without learning an operating system. They see a net/laptop and this tablet. Should generations of newcomers buy into this new, simpler computing fashion, we may find our computers being re-termed as "professional" computers of some sort. Food for thought.

Whatever the weather, I agree with monkey in that NNA resources should be put towards fixing their existing products as opposed to making new. That said, a third party company willing to look at CAD from a fresh perspective could come up with something amazing. Think simple; few functions such as doors walls and windows manipulated by touch for simple survey or design work on site. Could be a winner. I'll grab the SDK and get going.

[Vincent C]

I don't think VW has to develop any extras here, I can imagine that the iPad is just the first step to a multi finger touch computer that will come soon.

Imagine if you will a 27" iMac with touch screen....enough screen space there for all the toolbars and a virtual keyboard or shortcut keyboard........plus the standard setup if you want...

[Christiaan]

Yes there is a percentage of people who buy this stuff because it has a giant light-up fruit logo on it, but most because the software is a pleasure to use.

Indeed, in fact I buy them despite the logo. I'd remove the logo if I could. I'm also not a huge fan of the Apple aesthetic to be honest. I often find it a bit garish and childish (although things have gotten better over the years). It's the fact that their machines get out of my way and let me get on with what they're meant to do that attracts me.

[monkey]

dont get me wrong, i love my mac, and was a convert as soon as i started using it for exactly the reasons you have all said, ease of use and pleasurability.

i may have gone off track a little by ranting, but all i wanted to say was that i think this should be a low priority, if one at all.

i would like to think that CAD apps will soon be available in a touch screen format, and that it will work well, but in all seriousness, i think this may be a long way off, i wish it wasnt, but i think it is.

do you think you could draw accurately via touch? i think my chubby little fingers may make a mess of things...haha

[Vincent C]

do you think you could draw accurately via touch? i think my chubby little fingers may make a mess of things...haha

Well initially I would agree, but having used the iPhone for a while I have to disagree, its little keypad (and all else) is smack on in user friendliness.......and here we're talking 3,5" screen, imagine a 24"/27"/30" one!

[Chris D]

If you think the iPad is a second class computing device I urge you to have a look at iWork for the iPad. This is no compromised piece of software - this is BETTER than the mac version. (Watch the full keynote of the iPad introduction on Apple's website)

Multi-Touch input is one of many ways we will interact with our devices in coming years and the iPad is the first product with a large and very accurate multi-touch screen and its potential is huge. It is a better site tool than a laptop and also better in meetings than hiding behind a laptop screen.

Sure, the first gen iPad lacks the horsepower to run Vectorworks at this point, but consider this - I regularly do a bit of VW on my old eMac 1.25GHz at home in the evenings, and it won't be long before the iPad matches that for computing power.

What I think is needed at this point is a Vectorworks Viewer for iPad, with the ability to view, zoom, print, share, mark-up and annotate files while out of the office. This wouldn't be difficult to program. You bet your life that Autodesk are looking at the potential for this device as we speak.

[jeffharris]

Imagine if you will a 27" iMac with touch screen....enough screen space there for all the toolbars and a virtual keyboard or shortcut keyboard........plus the standard setup if you want...

Ever hear of the term "gorilla arm"?

Vertical touch-based computer are ergonomic nightmares.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchscreen#Gorilla_Arm

I'd love to see Vectorworks Lite... heck, let's just call it MiniCAD... for the iPad. It would be a fantastic field tool. I've tried using my MacBook Pro on site and it's rather clumsy. But also, I've used a Wacom tablet with Vectorworks for years and It wouldn't be an impossibility to make the shift to a touch-based interface.

A touch interface could work well and possibly have the side benefit of forcing improvements to some rather ancient and awkward Vectorworks tools... nested tool selection, or the horribly inefficient Alignment dialogue box for instance!

Since the iOS (iPod/iPod touch/iPad OS) can handle external sensors and the like, I fantasize about some kind of laser or radar-like sensor that connects to the iPad and could possibly survey a room interior and input directly to Vectorworks. Dream on, eh?

[Vincent C]

Ever hear of the term "gorilla arm"?

Vertical touch-based computer are ergonomic nightmares.

Dream on, eh?

Well I didn't think of it standing, to be honest and perhaps it's wishful thinking, but how about this: 24"/27"/30" iPad with the same specs as the iMac, lie it down stand it up, us a standard setup with keyboard/mouse or lie it down and use it as a multi touch (possibly with pen/stylus) drawing board or even with interactive gloves and 3D goggles) all this is already available in one form or another......I don't think it's to far off. Imaging the possibilities! VW, Photoshop etc........wow

Edited January 30, 2010 by Vincent C

[Ozzie]

How about voice recognition?

[CipesDesign]

What? (just kidding)

[AndiACD]

Since the days of Apple's wonderous faliure "The Newton" I've been looking forward to seeing a tool that filled the void that the Newton left when Jobs returned to the fold with "Next". The iPod/iPhone managed this to a degree, now the iPad will allow software co's to take advantage of an easy, practical field tool.

Using it as a sketch tool on sight to indicate ideas to a client in Mechanical Engineering field(not just Archie)could be a real step in the right direction.

Yes, NNA needs to get VW's current kinks sorted first, but aiming to provide a fully working version of VW on the iPad could be the persuasion they need to untie some of the longstanding knots VW has.

[islandmon]

For those of us who've been using computers since the dawn of the digital age the iPad is just another brilliant leap ...

but for those just beginning the journey ... the iPad is a logical extension of the iPhone's mobile paradigm.

It is as compelling for the next generation as driving the original 1950 Porsche must've been to all those 'motorists' accustomed to man-handling the standard production coupe'.

It sparks the imagination ...brings one closer to the feel of the information...and since it has no moving parts or connections ... it takes flight.

I can't wait to get one for my grandson ... just to see what he can do with it.

All application developers, authors, and publishers will need to meet this challenge head-on or be stuck at a drive-in theater watching re-runs.

[AndiACD]

Too True!

[Christiaan]

Ever hear of the term "gorilla arm"?

Vertical touch-based computer are ergonomic nightmares.

Dream on, eh?

Well I didn't think of it standing, to be honest and perhaps it's wishful thinking, but how about this: 24"/27"/30" iPad with the same specs as the iMac, lie it down stand it up, us a standard setup with keyboard/mouse or lie it down and use it as a multi touch (possibly with pen/stylus) drawing board or even with interactive gloves and 3D goggles) all this is already available in one form or another......I don't think it's to far off. Imaging the possibilities! VW, Photoshop etc........wow

I think you're bang on the money Vincent. I was just discussing it at work the other day saying that I reckon we'll be back on high chairs with multi-touch displays the same size and ergonomics as our dusty old drawings boards. For those of us who did a lot of manual drawing this is an intriguing thought to say the least.

[Ozzie]

Who knows what the future holds?

Imagine if we had a glimpse 10 years ago of what we have now

[Christiaan]

Imagine if we had a glimpse 10 years ago of what we have now

I would have been disappointed to know we still wouldn?t have made the transition to building modelling by now.

I'm also surprised it's taken this long to overthrow the desktop metaphor.

[Andrew Bell@NV]

If you really want a touchscreen VectorWorks pad, there is the Axiotron Modbook.

[Christiaan]

True there is, but what I really want is a Vectorworks completely rewritten for iPhone OS (which is what the iPad uses).

[AndiACD]

What really needs to be appreciated is that the iPad offers a new and VERY useable platform that is almost afordable(the non "G" Pads should be scrubbed and the others dropped in price).All that's needed now is for VW to take advantage of it before someone else monopolises the sector to disuade NNA"s entrance into this area.

I Love VW, but I still think NNA needs to look 1st at refining VW, but who knows, maybe the iPad could be the Springboard it needs to launch it in the right direction.