Training manuals

[SonnyLuong]

Has anyone bought any of the training manuals selling on Vectorworks website? Can you please give me your honest opinion about any of them? I am interested in all of them, however, the price is kind of stiff! I don't mind if they are good and worth it, but I am afraid otherwise... If they are suck.

[CipesDesign]

Sonny, please try to refrain from posting the same thing in multiple locations. Thanks, The Moderators.

[mike m oz]

Sonny, opinions on manuals will vary and some will like them and some will not (just as some will use them and some will not). Why not try either the Essentials or Architect manual and make your own mind up.

[bcd]

It's a valid question.

From my perspective the listed authors are all very competent practitioners and communicators.

If you're feeling the need don't hesitate.

[Monadnoc]

I have several of the manuals. They are expensive, but they all are quite good, in my opinion. And I'm glad I bought them. They are slanted towards extreme beginners, but that's to be expected. The only negative I have is that they are physically small books, and the type/text is very teeny. Too small for my old eyes to read. For all the Jonathan Pickup manuals there is a PDF version, so I just keep it on my second monitor blown way up so I can see it easily. I prefer this method anyway. I am currently working through Tamsin's "Residential Garden Design", which I like and would recommend. But for some reason there is no PDF version of her's on the CD (unless it's hiding somewhere I don't see), so I have the tiny book under a magnifying glass/light next to my keyboard, and work hunched over. Otherwise it's impossible to read if you're over 30. Quite the pain in the neck. Literally. Other than the minuscule text, no complaints.

[SonnyLuong]

Thank You so much, my friend. It is so great to have responsive member like yourself on board who doesn't mind to share a few words of wisdom... Thank you! If you are glad to own them, I am sure I'll be too.

[Kizza]

I have a few of JP's books.

They are a great start for beginners, the 3D Modeling book is particularly good.

What we lack though, is a Vectorworks "Bible", I have one for Revit, it's over 500 pages and is very, very comprehensive, describing the appropriate workflow for a given objective. I would prefer one book instead of loads of little books.

[Patrick Fritsch]

Me too! I can't understand how NNA does not provide proper manuals with real world design examples that are taken to the very end (ie; actually detailing wall sections is only one example). People would then know how NNA engineers intended the tools to be used to acheive real world design outputs, instead of us having to complain on this forum. Besides they would probably end up selling more licences by making if easier to learn, especially if it would do all they claim it does...BIM.

Bim Bam! That's my real world 2 cents like it or not NNA

[SonnyLuong]

Very true, I agreed with your opinion. It was the very first of my concerns when I decided to make a switch to VW. Not enough manuals alike the "Master" & "Bible" series! As an architect, I am quite a reader... I have to read and apprehend everything first before I can get going on it. I think that's the one advantage application like Max, Sketchup, Acad, Revit, and the likes has over VW. The more good books they have, the more users they have.

Edited June 12, 2012 by SonnyL2010

[Patrick Fritsch]

Oh and I do have JP books, as the others say they are only good for VERY beginner workflows.

[Kizza]

An example:

I have some brick texture resources that I want to put in my library.

Where do I put them? In the Application Support/Library or the User/Library? Why is there a duplicated set of user files? What is the advantage and disadvantage of each option? How do I properly structure the resource folders?

Basic I know, but still unclear to me.

A good VW Bible would answer these questions, or at least make it much clearer.

[Tamsin Slatter]

The user library is there to protect any libraries that you change from being overwritten should you need to reinstall your software. You should add any new resources to your user library. But you could also save the files anywhere on your hard drive. By adding this file as a "Favorite" on the Resource Browser, you do not need remember its location. Just browse it in the Browser.

Hope that helps

[SonnyLuong]

Have U got the answers for these questions, yet? Just incase U haven't; You need to save your textures that you have created in the User Library. The reason being is you won't have to browse through hundreds of the textures in the application library every time you need it. Chances are, You'll re-use a few of your favorite textures from time to time. You should also copy a few of the textures came in VW library, alter them to you liking, give it a new name if needed, and save them as your owns in the user library. It'll save you time in the future...Hope it helps

[SonnyLuong]

Thanks for the involvement Tamsin! good to c u in pic... The VW international celebrity. I'll be ordering your book soon.