Upgrade from 2011 to 2012

[Assembly]

Anyone got 3 good reasons?

[mike m oz]

What's New in 2012: http://www.vectorworks.net/2012/index.php

[M5d]

^^Ha, he did say good.

The most compelling reasons I've seen for upgrading are Ozcad's AS 1428.1 circulation spaces addition to WinDoor and their new services tool that gives you the ability to customise electrical symbols.

[Assembly]

Thanks Mike

My experience is the user experience is quite different to VW glossy marketing promise.

2012 has been out long enough for sp1. It would be good to see an honest appraisal.

[Itchy]

...... and their new services tool that gives you the ability to customise electrical symbols.

Is there any documentation on this? This may be a reason to look at upgrading.

[M5d]

Is there any documentation on this? This may be a reason to look at upgrading.

New Services Tool

WinDoor with AS1428.1

[M5d]

From the Just CADDING email:

We have introduced three new tools in version 2012, for managing electrical, plumbing and site services in your drawings. These tools use custom developed symbol libraries based on Australian practice, and will make the production of services drawings faster and more consistent.

The tools are quite clever in the options they provide and can work in 2D only, or 2D and 3D. They can also easily accept custom data such as make, model, rating, cost, colour, etc, and so be used to produce custom schedules.

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Just watched the overview video again, they're excellent tools.

[Jershaun]

My suggestion is wait until vw2016 or move to Revit. Vectorworks is just a CAD program pretending to be a BIM application. It's like AutoCAD trying to be BIM with AutoCAD Architecture. Autodesk saw this wasn't going to work therefore they bought off Revit.

Besides, NemV has put a minor feature like their so called "stories" above more important things like these http://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=32741&Number=161227#Post161227 so you can see where their priorities lay.

[Kizza]

Some of us can't afford Revit, or it's subsequent subscription pricing.

[Assembly]

I've been critical of VW BIM myself.

However there are many things going for VW. I think as a communication tool the drawing output is best in class.

Colour, Layers, opacity give a photoshop like ability. The ability to cut and paste images into the drawing is excellent. A majority of my business is coming from a design build construction company- they use us because of e clarity of our drawings. We could not do what we do on revit.

You can't cut and paste into a revit file. You have to build everything as a family. The major complaint I hear of revit is that during develop design phase you get slammed with dialog boxes that disrupt the design work flow.

Still this thread is not a revit vs VW thread it is to see if users think that an upgrade is worth it.